New poem by Bruce Dawe

[Vic Jefferies]

Interesting to see Bruce Dawe's most recent poem very prominently published in last Saturday's Australian. More so as it is written with rhyme and metre!
Also interesting to read the article Australian Poetry by Geoff Page which begins with Robert Frost's famous quotation: "Writing free verse is like playing tennis without a net" and then goes on to review poet Jamie Grant's ninth collection Glass on the Chimney which is written in rhyme!
Is a crack appearing?

[Neville Briggs]

Is a crack appearing?

No,

There has been this strange persistent myth amongst the bush poets that modernists never write in rhyming verse. Modernist poets like Dawe and Page and others have always written rhyme and formal metre alongside any other forms that they use.

Yes I did see Bruce Dawe's poem in the paper. My old memory is a bit feeble, but as I recall, it was an ANZAC theme as well. Correct me if I'm wrong. On that point anyway

[Maureen K Clifford]

Here's the article - http://www.theaustralian.com.au/arts/re ... 7319324264

[Vic Jefferies]

Yes Neville, but it is rare (cannot remember when) a rhyming poem has been given a whole page in a large newspaper even though it is written by one of our best poets. You are right it was an "Anzac poem" titled Gallipoli. I am a fan of Bruce Dawe.
To then read a review of a new book of poetry written in rhyme and what is more extolling rhyme is also to my mind unusual for these times.
A couple of pages on in the same section of the paper there is a free verse "poem" by the exalted Chris Wallace-Crab which to my mind is a pretty good example of "...tennis without a net."

[Neville Briggs]

Chris Wallace-Crabbe is 80 now, nearly as old as Bill Williams Chris Wallace-Crabbe has the Order of Australia for his poetry achievements. Somebody thinks he's OK.

Robert Frost had some good educational comments to make on poetry. Some useful ones on what he called the sound of sense and the sound of metre. There is a site on the web where you can bring up an audio of Robert Frost reading his own work, it is very interesting.

[Bob Pacey]

NEVILLE NO one is as old as Bill.

Bob

[Neville Briggs]

I believe that Methuselah could be as old as Bill.