Thursday, December 21, 2017

The Stoush o' Day by C. J. Dennis (Michael Stanislaus Dennis)

Antipodean, of Irish descent, CJ Dennis, aka Clarrie, managed to create many beautiful and striking lines, such as his combination of eye dialect, slang and paraphrase of Shakespeare in ‘The Play’: 

This Romeo ‘e’s lurkin’ wiv a crew—
A dead tough crowd o’ crooks – called Montague (31-32).


Dennis’ work was very popular with Australian forces during World War I (as well as during other  uncertainty trenches in 2017) when special 'trench editions' were printed to fit inside soldiers' pockets.
The books were often torn apart so pages could be passed on, to provide some relief and laughter for weary troops.

In the wake of the Gallipoli landing and retreat, C.J. Dennis wrote another highly popular work about a soldier he called Ginger Mick.
ABC: C. J. Dennis biography gives new insight into Australian writer's talent and demons 

Clarence Michael James Stanislaus Dennis, better known as C. J. Dennis, was a poet known for his humorous poems, especially "The Songs of a Sentimental Bloke", published in the early 20th century (C. J. Dennis is buried in Box Hill Cemetery, Melbourne)


Dustjacket synopsis:
"The verse of C.J. Dennis celebrates the simple pleasures of life. His uniquely Australian poems paint a vivid picture of ordinary Australians and their way of life. His most successful poems capture the patriotic mood of the Great War - 'The Austra-laise' became the unofficial anthem of the Australian troops. Some of his most enjoyable poems are presented to us through the eyes of the larrikin 'Sentimental Bloke', a character well loved by generations of Australians. Others are presented from the viewpoint of a farmer or a small country townsman. All have a special charm - they evoke a time of innocence, when a job was worth doing, a marriage was for life, and a mate could be relied upon through thick and thin.
"This selection includes many favourite poems featuring well-known characters - the Kid, Doreen, Ginger Mick and Digger Smith are well represented here - as well as several other poems written in more conventional verse which convey Dennis's appreciation of the Australian way of life as it was during the 1910s and through the Great War to the late 1920s.



"Day feels 'is flabby arms, An' tells 'imself 'e don't seem quite the thing. The 'omin' birds shriek clamorous alarms; An' Night creeps stealthily to gain the ring. But see! The champeen backs an' fills, becos 'E doesn't feel the Boshter Bloke 'e was. 

...


"Time does a bunk as us-u-al, nor stays 
A single instant, e'en at Day's be'est
 Alas, the 'eavy-weight's 'igh-livin' ways 
'As made 'im soft, an' large around the vest. 
'E sez 'e's fat inside; 'e starts to whine; 
'E sez 'e wants to dror the colour line. 


The Stoush o' Day by C. J. Dennis


C. J. Dennis was an Australian poet, born in Auburn, South Australia, on 7 September 1876. He was well-known for using the common language of the Australian people in his works, using slang and abbreviated words to a great extent, such as was used by the working people of the time.
Dennis had his poetry published in various magazines and newspapers, such as The Bulletin, writing as “Den”, and achieved some popularity with Australian readers. His first book, Backblock Ballads and Other Verses (1913), was not a great success, selling quite poorly, but his second book The Songs of a Sentimental Bloke (1915), achieved a phenomenal popularity and gave him star status amongst the reading public. He re-published many of the poems from his first book in a new volume, Backblock Ballads and Later Verses (1918), which sold well. Dennis produced a large number of poems in various books during his lifetime.
C. J. Dennis died of cardio-respiratory failure (brought on by an asthma attack) in Melbourne, Victoria, on 22 June 1938.
Books by C. J. Dennis:
1913: Backblock Ballads and Other Verses, Melbourne: E. W. Cole, [1913]
1915: The Songs of a Sentimental Bloke, Sydney: Angus & Robertson
1916: The Moods of Ginger Mick, Sydney: Angus & Robertson
1917: Doreen, Sydney: Angus & Robertson, [1917]
1917: The Glugs of Gosh, Sydney: Angus & Robertson
1918: Backblock Ballads and Later Verses, Sydney: Angus & Robertson
1918: Digger Smith, Sydney: Angus & Robertson
1919: Jim of the Hills, Sydney: Angus & Robertson
1921: A Book for Kids, Sydney: Angus & Robertson, [1921] [republished in 1935 asRoundabout]
1924: Rose of Spadgers: A Sequel to “Ginger Mick”, Sydney: Cornstalk Publishing
1932: “I Dips Me Lid” to the Sydney Harbour Bridge, Rhodes (NSW): Lewis Berger & Sons, [1932]
1935: The Singing Garden, Sydney: Angus & Robertson
Articles about C. J. Dennis:
Articles about C. J. Dennis (arranged by date):
Preface to first edition [1915]
Henry Lawson’s preface to first edition of The Songs of a Sentimental Bloke
The Sentimental Bloke [6 November 1915]
A review of The Songs of a Sentimental Bloke (published in The Queenslander)
A comparison of the Backblock Ballads books by C.J. Dennis [2013]
Compares the contents lists of the two books, highlighting the poems shared between them
References and further information:
Ian F. McLaren, “Dennis, Clarence Michael James (1876–1938)”, Australian Dictionary of Biography, National Centre of Biography, Australian National University (accessed 15 October 2012).
Guide to the Papers of C J Dennis and Hal Gye: MS 6480”, National Library of Australia (accessed 15 October 2012)
CJ Dennis”, Toolangi Castella (accessed 15 October 2012)
Further information:
C. J. Dennis”, Wikipedia