177:
In time, the rains "drummed a homely tune" on "iron roof and window-pane". The problem then changed from drought to flood. "Banker" refers to a watercourse filled from bank to bank, unusual in
Australia where many watercourses are
211:"In God's good time" the rain stopped and spring arrived with "harvest-hopes immense". The "knee-deep" grass, while good for feeding livestock, brought to mind the risk of bushfire.
148:
The poem starts with the area in the grip of a drought, the worst since "the banks went bad"; a reference to the drought and banking crisis of the early 1890s.
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as a dismissive response to predictions of disasters or hard times, especially those out of the control of the speakers.
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The key refrain in the poem is "We'll all be rooned" ("rooned" is a transcription of an
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Questioning
Hanrahan: Environmental optimism and realism in the 21st century
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man of Irish descent. "'We'll all be rooned', said
Hanrahan"—an
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101:. The poem's earliest known publication was in July 1919 in
588:. Vol. 9. Canberra: National Centre of Biography,
116:The poem describes the recurrent natural cycle of
249:pronunciation of "ruined") which has entered the
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136:extracted from the poem—has entered the
285:And talked of stock, and crops, and drought,
128:in rural Australia as seen by "Hanrahan", a
635:
377:"If rain don't come this month," said Dan,
545:"There'll be bush-fires for sure, me man,
531:While round the church in clothes genteel
335:"The crops are done; ye'll have your work
307:"It's dry, all right," said young O'Neil,
216:"There'll be bush-fires for sure, me man,
523:Through grass knee-deep on Casey's place
447:And through the night it pattered still,
349:"They're singin' out for rain," he said,
293:"It's lookin' crook," said Daniel Croke;
718:
433:In God's good time down came the rain;
698:Address by the Governor of Queensland
668:Australian National Dictionary Centre
580:"Patrick Joseph Hartigan (1878–1952)"
577:
573:
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481:"We'll all be rooned," said Hanrahan,
383:"We'll all be rooned," said Hanrahan,
327:"We'll all be rooned," said Hanrahan,
265:"We'll all be rooned," said Hanrahan,
199:"We'll all be rooned," said Hanrahan,
110:Around the Boree Log and Other Verses
107:, appearing in 1921 in the anthology
551:We'll all be rooned," said Hanrahan,
489:And stop it did, in God's good time;
425:We'll all be rooned," said Hanrahan,
411:But Croke "maintained" we wanted two
369:There's not a blade on Casey's place
355:The congregation scratched its head,
299:For never since the banks went broke
228:We'll all be rooned," said Hanrahan,
165:We'll all be rooned," said Hanrahan,
89:is a poem written by the Australian
16:1919 poem by Patrick Joseph Hartigan
741:Works about philosophical pessimism
656:
419:"If we don't get three inches, man,
363:"There won't be grass, in any case,
341:From here way out to Back-o'-Bourke
271:Outside the church, ere Mass began,
153:"If we don't get three inches, man,
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13:
585:Australian Dictionary of Biography
568:
537:And each man squatted on his heel,
517:And, oh, the smiles on every face,
509:And laughing eyes beheld the wheat
397:And each man squatted on his heel,
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503:And days went by on dancing feet,
467:Till every heart took up the song
453:On dripping spout and window-sill
380:And cleared his throat to speak--
670:. Australian National University
405:"We want a inch of rain, we do,"
495:A mantle o'er the hills sublime
461:It pelted, pelted all day long,
391:A heavy silence seemed to steal
386:"If rain don't come this week."
636:O'Brien, John (31 July 1919).
629:
590:Australian National University
422:Or four to break this drought,
313:He squatted down upon his heel
158:Or four to break this drought,
1:
561:
540:And chewed his piece of bark.
475:And every creek a banker ran,
450:And lightsome, gladsome elves
344:They're singin' out for rain.
324:"It's keepin' dry, no doubt."
279:The congregation stood about,
187:And every creek a banker ran,
182:or only intermittently full.
548:There will, without a doubt;
484:"If this rain doesn't stop."
439:On iron roof and window-pane
352:"And all the tanks are dry."
321:And so around the chorus ran
221:There will, without a doubt;
204:"If this rain doesn't stop."
7:
534:Discoursed the men of mark,
512:Nid-nodding o'er the fence.
506:With harvest-hopes immense,
498:Of green and pink and gold.
456:Kept talking to themselves.
400:And chewed a piece of bark.
316:And chewed a piece of bark.
296:"Bedad, it's cruke, me lad,
256:
10:
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492:And spring came in to fold
554:"Before the year is out."
526:Went riding down to Mass.
470:Way out to Back-o'Bourke.
442:It drummed a homely tune.
428:"Before the year is out."
358:And gazed around the sky.
338:To save one bag of grain;
302:Has seasons been so bad."
288:As it had done for years.
282:Coat-collars to the ears,
233:"Before the year is out."
170:"Before the year is out."
97:of Roman Catholic priest
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736:Irish-Australian culture
478:And dams filled overtop;
408:O'Neil observed at last;
372:As I came down to Mass."
330:"Before the year is out.
310:With which astute remark
268:In accents most forlorn,
192:And dams filled overtop;
664:"Australian Words: H-R"
414:To put the danger past.
274:One frosty Sunday morn.
99:Patrick Joseph Hartigan
464:A-singing at its work,
394:On all at this remark;
366:Enough to feed an ass;
712:- Notes on the poem.
578:Walsh, G. P. (1983).
520:As happy lad and lass
436:And all the afternoon
703:2009-09-13 at the
642:The Catholic Press
251:Australian lexicon
138:Australian English
104:The Catholic Press
93:John O'Brien, the
54:The Catholic Press
49:First published in
599:978-0-522-84459-7
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144:Poem Description
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672:. Retrieved
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644:. p. 19
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34:John O'Brien
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648:30 November
130:pessimistic
731:1921 poems
720:Categories
562:References
674:20 August
621:20 August
608:1833-7538
180:ephemeral
140:lexicon.
126:bushfires
91:bush poet
80:July 1919
64:Australia
701:Archived
616:70677943
257:The Poem
118:droughts
95:pen name
69:Language
72:English
61:Country
41:Written
614:
606:
596:
122:floods
134:adage
676:2009
650:2017
623:2009
612:OCLC
604:ISSN
594:ISBN
124:and
44:1919
32:by
722::
666:.
640:.
610:.
602:.
592:.
582:.
570:^
120:,
113:.
678:.
652:.
625:.
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.