Bush Ballads and Galloping Rhymes: Edited & Illustrated

Book excerpt: Although the history of anglophone Australian verse dates back to early colonial times, one of the first antipodean voices recognised as genuinely poetic was that of Adam Lindsay Gordon (1833 - 1870). During his short and tragic life, Gordon published two volumes of verse, the second of which was Bush Ballads and Galloping Rhymes, which appeared in the year of his death by suicide. Gordon's verses vary widely in quality, but do contain many lines of great power. Gordon was a skilled and adventurous horseman, and many of his poems relate to horses and horse riding. This reissued edition of Bush Ballads and Galloping Rhymes includes contributions from authors Douglas Sladen and Marcus Clarke, as well as an early review of Bush Ballads, published in The Argus newspaper, Melbourne. It also contains historical images associated with Adam Lindsay Gordon, which helps to convey the historical context of Gordon's work.