ABPA - Australian Bush Poets Association

Apologies Nev, for reading something that wasn't there ...

We can't see things the way Paterson and Lawson did, we live in a different world. Imitation Bulletin bush poetry won't last, no matter how funny or entertaining or historically interesting we think tales of the Australian bush might be, or how clever the Patersons and Lawsons were , we have to find the voice of today otherwise people will stop listening, they've heard it all before.

Yes Nev, we do live in a different world from Lawson Paterson and CJ, however people today DO want to hear their stuff ... in your own words ... "Do you want to find out what a Triantiwontigongolope is ? Evidently they do."

People can't help but write in current themes. The exeption may be Historical writers; but contemporary 'slants' still flicker through.

Zondrae, Regards Graham Fredriksen (1956 - 2010), take a look at the current ABPA Mag ...

Bob, yes kids love this stuff. Col Wilson is another writer with current and topical themes in the language of 'today'.

M.

G'day Nev,
Thanks for your pm.

Perhaps it is the Mums who want to find out what 'wunnathemthings' is. In any case best of luck with the kiddies. Them can be a tough audience.

note: for some reason I wanted to write 'tuff' ? do Americans write it like that?


Manfred, I am rightly scolded. I have edited my post with apology to anyone who may have been offended.

." Do you want to find out what a Triantiwontigongolope is ? " Evidently they do.

Hey Neville my Mum had one of those and also a ”Trywontygon for a gooses bridle” and I still don’t know what that is either. Do you really know?

TTFN

Hey Dave here is the answer to your question

A wigwam for a goose's bridle is a phrase, once popular in Australia, meaning "none of your business". A common usage is in response to an inquiry such as Q. "What are you making?", A. "A wigwam for a goose's bridle". The rejoinder was a code for "Mind your own business" and children acquired this pragmatic knowledge after repeated discourse with their parents ended with this response.
Originally, the phrase was "a whim-wham for a goose’s bridle", with "whim-wham" a word meaning "a fanciful or fantastic object". The phrase was deliberately absurd as a goose would never wear a bridle. Folk etymology converted the word "whim-wham"—a word that was no longer much used—to "wigwam", an Ojibwa word for a domed single-room dwelling used by Native Americans. This change retained the phrase's absurd meaning and sense.

The phrase is believed to be less popular than it once was. You think

Hey Neville - I want to know what a Triantiwontigongolope is ? I know it's not a spider or even yet a fly, I'd love to hear your desciption, could you post it by and by?

Cheers

Maureen

Maureen Thanks

Yes since your prompt I do remember, just goes to show hey after 70 the brain goes to mush, aw sorry Bill not you of course.

TTFN

thank you all for those birthday wishes do not be envious of my age for I am envious of your youth

Bill the old Battler

Ah dear me we have some bush poets whose education is incomplete
" The Triantiwontigongolope " is a very famous childrens' poem by C.J. Dennis. It's in C.J.Dennis's book of children's poetry A Book for Kids, first published in 1921 and re published by black dog books 2009. You'll have to look it up to see how Clarrie Dennis describes it.


Neville

G'day Manfred again. I'll see how the kids respond to C.J. Dennis and a couple of other well knowns, I'll let you know the result.

If we get a chance to share some of that bottle of Chivas I have saved for Tamworth, you'll be amazed out how, after a couple of those,... puzzling things really start to make sense.

That quote you give from your old mate Graham Fredriksen is spot on, I reckon.


I read your posts with great interest Maureen. Very well said.


I called my thread, "I spy with my little eye"...for a reason.
I think that this little childhood game is sort of like poetry, we see something, we don't tell what is obvious, we don't spell it out. We give a hint or a clue to the listener/reader who uses their imagination to work it out. And so the listener/reader is engaged in the process of observing and contemplating.
If we spell it out, make it too obvious, it's all done for them and they will lose interest being just passive manipulated spectators, and if we don't speak in a language that resonates to their way of expression, we simply don't connect. We are talking to ourselves.
Well..this is what I am trying to learn.

I haven't written much for a while except annoying posts on this site, I don't seem to have any poems clamouring to be written just yet.
Oh well I can still read other people's stuff, somebody has to be the audience.





Neville

Goodonya Nev, and I've dusted off the Laphroiag - we're in for some very mellow verbalising methinks ...

G'day

Mungga walmanyu murrul ngumarrangu
Murrul walmanyu mungga ngumarrangu
Mada nyiburu gubu guraragu

This is the first verse of Jimmy Murray's poem 'Thunder' written in the (Girramay dialect)

Translation.

Amighty noise rises up, roars as it rushes by
Rushes and rises, a mighty noise that roars
Hurl out a leaf that is soaked in sweat

Now, this poetry is the oldest. Goes back eons of years.

I can print out the whole piece if you like (in English).

My wife's maiden name was Minter which goes back to ( Bowraville) Kempsey area.

An well known aboriginal poet and writer is Peter Minter a lecturer a Sydney University. He also comes from Kempsey.

So, there is a connection on my wifes side to Aboriginal poetry.

Australian Bush poetry is retro to the modern Australian poets and Aboriginal poetry, retro, retro, retro to the 18th Century (Australia).

John