Classic Australian Poems

by Christopher Cheng (Editor), Gregory Rogers (Illustrator)

Poems you can't live without from Australia's literary treasure chest!

Australian poets have a wonderful way with words and their poems bring to life the iconic Aussie characters and unforgettable landscape that are part of our Australian heritage. Many of these - Mulga Bill, Clancy of the Overflow, The Ant Explorer, M'Dougal, The Shearer's Wife and Mr Smith - are larger than life. And the poets who created them - AB Patterson, CJ Dennis, Thomas E Spencer, Louis Esson and DH Souter - have become heroic figures in our pantheon of stars.The 60 poems in this collection appear in their original, or near original, form and are wide-ranging in their subject matter: animals, the countryside, the struggle of bush life, early transport, sport, growing old, being young and having fun with words! But whether they are humorous, serious or playful, they are simply a joy to read!No matter if we grew up reciting these classic poems at school, quote from them on important occasions or are meeting them for the first time, there is no doubt that these classic poems embody what it is to be Australian.
Illustrated by Gregory Rogers.

Genres: Poetry

160 pages, Paperback

First published November 1, 2011

About the author

Christopher Cheng established the Zoomobile and taught at the Taronga Zoo in Sydney, Australia, and now is a full-time author of children’s books. He lives in Australia.

Reviews

[gemsbooknook Geramie Kate Barker · Rating 5 out of 5]

Australian poets have a wonderful way with words and their poems bring to life the iconic Aussie characters and unforgettable landscapes that are part of our Australian heritage. Many of these – Mulga Bill, Clancy of the Overflow, The Ant Explorer, M’Dougal, The Shearer’s Wife, and Mr Smith – are larger than life. And the poets who created them – AB Patterson, CJ Dennis, Thomas E Spencer, Louis Esson, and DH Souter – have become heroic figures in our pantheon of stars. The 60 poems in this collection appear in their original, or near original, form and are wide-ranging in their subject matter: animals, the countryside, the struggle of bush life, early transport, sport, growing old, being young, and having fun with words! But whether they are humorous, serious, or playful, they are simply a joy to read! No matter if we grew up reciting these classic poems at school, quote from them on important occasions, or are meeting them for the first time, there is no doubt that these classic poems embody what it is to be Australian.
I loved this book.
I picked this book up on a whim so I didn’t have any expectations going into it. Once I started reading I was very thankful that I randomly picked this book as I couldn’t put it down.
As I made my way through this book I found that I was familiar with a few of the poems having read or studied them in school which gave me a real sense of nostalgia that I was expecting.
I loved that the poems were presented in their original; or near original, form and that if there were alternate verses they were also added to the poem.
Another great element of this collection is the biographies of all of the authors of the poems in this book. I was excited to learn more about each of the authors after I had read their poems.
Adding to the beauty of this book are the wonderful illustrations by Gregory Rogers. The addition of Gregory Rogers perfectly complements the poems that Christopher Cheng has collected for this book.
I am glad that I now own this book and I look forward to re-reading it many times in the future.
Classic Australian Poems edited by Christopher Cheng is a must-have for all Australian homes.

Geramie Kate Barker
gemsbooknook.wordpress.com

[Nadia King · Rating 4 out of 5]

A brilliant collection of early Australian poetry.

[Emily Van Bentum · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gran bought me this book. Thoroughly enjoyed this read as I was encouraged to reflect on the vast and beautiful Australians landscape. A great range of poems is in there as well.

[Geoff Cumberbeach · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good collection of truly Australian poems.

[Averil *rat emoji* · Rating 4 out of 5]

Classic Australian Poems have such a familiar rhythm. Lovely to read while overseas and be reminded of home.