the_works_of_banjo_paterson

by andrew-barton-banjo-paterson

With an Introduction and Bibliography Andrew Barton (Banjo) Paterson may fairly be regarded as Australia's national poet. Waltzing Matilda, Clancy of the Overflow and The Man from the Snowy River still strike a chord in the hearts of Australians wherever they may be, evoking, as they do, the rough life and values of the outback. The apparent simplicity of the ballad form which 'Banjo' embraced so wholeheartedly is balanced by many syllabic irregularities and considerable ingenuity of stress and internal rhyme. This harks back to the old ballads of the English and Scottish borders, as well as the heroic songs of Ireland. Banjo Paterson s poetry is the authentic voice of a frontier society in which song and campfire recitation were the only entertainment open to tired stockmen and drovers

Genres: Poetry, Classics

Paperback

First published February 5, 1995

Reviews

[Kylie D · Rating 4 out of 5]

A wonderful collection of Banjo's poetry. All the favourites are here, plus many lesser known works. Recommended.

[Katia M. Davis · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a ride down memory lane. My grandfather introduced me to Banjo Paterson when I was about 4 years old. He used to recite his poems from memory on road trips. The Man from Ironbark was always my favourite, probably because it dealt with a gruesome joke... I liked horrid things even as a child. I also had a picture book of Mulga Bill's Bicycle.

As far as a collection goes, this is comprehensive. In fact, I believe it is complete. Patterson always seemed to get to the heart of the matter in his poetry and was not afraid to tell a joke. I felt an affinity with many of the poems here, perhaps because I lived part of my life on cattle and sheep properties in Coonabarabran, and Bathurst, (the town before Orange near to where Patterson was born). My family on my mother's side lived in the Muswellbrook area, so I've been to many of the places and landscapes Patterson writes about, and his poems bring back memories, sights and smells.

I'm not fantastically keen on his horse racing poetry (of which there is an abundance). I find it kind of repetative, however, I will say he paints a picture that either has a moral or makes you laugh.

There are obviously some things in this collection regarding indigenous and minority populations that won't read well for a modern audience. I found myself cringing plenty of times. Patterson was a product of his time, there is no getting around it. The sad thing is many people still have the same prejudices and beliefs more than 100 years later, they just don't write it in to popular poetry.

If you enjoy rhyming verse that sets the pulse racing or has a sting in the tail, you will like this collection. Likewise, if you like tales of the Australian outback and the people who created the mythos of the Australian stockman, drover, cockie, or swagman, this is for you.

[Hamad AlMannai · Rating 5 out of 5]

The complete collection has been sitting on my shelf for a few months, but inspired by a recent trip to Orange where Banjo Paterson was born, I decided to pick it up. It’s hard to overestimate the mark Banjo Paterson has left on Australian identity. All over the country you see statues and plaques commemorating Banjo Paterson this and Snowy River that.
The reason he’s so popular is that he wrote for the average joe true blue Aussie. No fancy words and no complex plots, just plain and straightforward bush ballads.
By doing so he captured the imaginations of all Australians, because he was publishing around the 1890’s. A time when Australia wasn’t a nation yet, but still a bunch of colonies under Victorian rule. Yet there was still a sense that these colonies needed to be a single nation with a unified identity. They wanted to be proud their own lingo and their own identity. Enter Banjo Paterson to supply them with a steady stream of folklore heroes and fodder for localised legends, such as the man from Snowy River and Clancy of the Overflow.
By the time Australia gained its nationhood in 1901, Banjo has already established himself as the true blue Australian literature icon.

[Abraham Lewik · Rating 1 out of 5]

I love these poems, really I do but there's just so many and two totally satisfies my appetite for poetry. It simply cannot be read aloud and finished.

Adventurous, humourous, rhythmic, these poems are of an excellent quality. Reminding me of 'Robbery Under Arms' landscape, the relative brevity of Banjo gestures to imaginative frontiers where Mr. Boldrewood dutifully staked out every landmark.

Reading to give me some sense of poetry, this book and 4 others; The Works of 'Banjo' Paterson, The Criticism of Poetry, The Kasidah of Haji Abdu El Yezdi, The Rubáiyát of Omar Khayyám & The Wreck of the Hesperus.

[Victoria Raun · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found an edition at a give and take "Reading Station" in Jerusalem on a Friday afternoon. That evening I found a poem that was perfect to read at Saturday lunch at the home of friends. It turned out that another guest had left it at the Reading Station on Thursday! I knew who Paterson was when I spotted the book, but was not really familiar with his work, except for "Waltzing Matilda." I was very surprised to see he discussed still current issues such as maritime boundaries, land use, and military conduct. I'm still exploring the poetry here.

[Josh · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this collection, though my only prior connection to Banjo Patterson was once owning an Aussie made felt hat that shared his name, and a childhood love of the movie “The Man from Snowy River.“ But these ballads and poems were enjoyable and gave me a window into Australian frontier and bush culture.

[Emily Maxson · Rating 4 out of 5]

So great. Paterson's poetry has all the easy lyrical lilt of English and Scottish folk poetry, but also the rugged humor of the frontier and the bush. Lots of good poems for boys with horses and contests and gunfights and exciting deaths.

[Miss Amelia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh! there once was a swagman camped in a Billabong,
Under the shade of a Coolabah tree;
And he sang as he looked at his old billy boiling,
"Who'll come a-waltzing Matilda with me?"

I can also sing the song-version too :D So I've always had a soft spot for classic (good) poetry, and what better way to ring in the new year than to spend a few days with one of the greatest poets (and Aussies) ever! I mean, his name is an INSTRUMENT!!! Actually, it's "Andrew," but his NICKNAME is an INSTRUMENT! that's pretty swell.

Wordsworth, Yeats, Hopkins, Coleridge and Browning are lofty and sophisticated; Whitman, Frost, Emerson and Longfellow are rather insightful and relatively interesting, but Banjo Paterson is *fun*! He and Burns are probably my all-time favorites: I actually found myself imagining story-telling time between Tam O'Shanter and the Man from Snowy River... *crickets chirping*

In fact I finished it up tonight while watching one of the *best* movies of all time, The Man from Snowy River!

So if you are a poetry enthusiast - or love all things Australia - or if you have a fond regard for Westerns - check out Banjo Paterson. He's certainly not a snoozer like, ahem, some of those other well-known poets. And if nothing else, you'll learn that "Waltzing Matilda" has nothing whatsoever to do with dancing with a girl named Matilda. :D

[Jeri Walker · Rating 4 out of 5]

I started this book of poems for National Poetry Month and have long since been a fan of Banjo's poem "The Man from Snowy River." Overall, the poems are enjoyable and a great example of ballads that express life on the Australia frontier in the late 19th century. That being said, the subject matter can get repetitive. I'm sure I will pick up this collection again at some point in the future, but when I do, I will read a poem a day rather than trying to read them all in a week or so.