• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

The Institute of Australian Culture

Heritage, history, and heroes; literature, legends, and larrikins

  • Home
  • Articles
  • Biographies
  • Books
  • Ephemera
  • Poetry & songs
    • Recommended poetry
    • Poetry and songs, 1786-1900
    • Poetry and songs, 1901-1954
    • Rock music and pop music [videos]
    • Early music [videos]
  • Slang
  • Timeline
    • Timeline of Australian history and culture
    • Calendar of Australian history and culture
    • Significant events and commemorative dates
  • Topics

A meditation upon the glad new year — with poetic interludes [article and poetry by C. J. Dennis, 2 January 1907]

1 January 2019 · Leave a Comment

[Editor: This article (including several small pieces of poetry) by C. J. Dennis was published in The Gadfly, 2 January 1907.]

A meditation

upon the glad new year — with poetic interludes.

(For The Gadfly.)

Dear Friends — Let us meditate upon the season we celebrate. It is the glad New Year! Ah, my dear friends, what does that mean to us—to you and to me? The old year with all its troubles, its gloomy hours, and its crushing disappointments, lies behind us. What has the future in store? What vast possibilities of happiness, of sudden fortune, of great and lasting gladness, lie in front? Who knows? May there not be for us some great joy locked away there in the mysterious future? My friends, be joyful; be optimistic: be hopeful!

What was last year’s sum of life?
Toil and trouble; toil and trouble.
What will this glad year bring forth?
Same most likely—only double.

* * *

And now, my friends, let us be forgiving. It is indeed a fitting season. Let old grudges, old feuds, old hatreds be swept away, and let us, in the beginning of this glad year, place our hands upon our hearts and say, “Lo, we have no enemy in all this wide, wide world! We have forgiven all.” Oh, what charity! What mercy! How humane! How supremely altruistic!

’Tis the season of forgiveness,
Foes that were, become fast friends,
Just a kindly word, a handshake,
“Peace!” And so the trouble ends.

That poor man you smote last April,
Nay, forgive him! Take advice.
But if he offend this season
Better up and biff him twice.

* * *

And girls, dear, dear girls! Will you not resolve to begin the new year loving one another, even as I love you all? Ah, my dears, it is indeed distressing to the heart of a true man (like me) to think that such perfect beings cannot live in harmony one with another. Consider the angels. Do they say spiteful things about one another? I don’t know — yet. Think of the darling kittens — dear little soft things, living and loving in perfect peace. But, pray, oh, pray, forget the cats! And now, dears, be nice. No more spiteful thrusts. No more backbiting. No more pinpricks. No more jealousy. Think of the reward! I will love you even more then.

Sometime in last January
I was mean, and said that Mary
Waddled like a dromedary;
Now I’ll just take back all that.
She’s a dear; so nice and pretty;
Dresses well; she’s smart and witty;
Quite a love — but it’s a pity
She is so stuck up — the cat!

* * *

And the fathers of families; poor old worried, hard-working, bald-headed dads. What of you? Cheer up! There are brighter days in store. Wear a glad look. Stop grunting and grumbling about household expenses. It always comes out all right, you know; so look on the bright side of things this year.

From January unto June,
From June to drear December,
Come bills to meet, ay, all too soon;
And bailiffs! so remember.

* * *

And now, my dear old, scheming, smug-faced business friends. I mean you hoary old humbugs, who preach at a man while you have both hands in his pockets. What are you going to do? Is there no new resolve for you to make for the coming year? Time is money, my friends. Why not strive to save a little more of it? Ah, fie! Yes, you can — you psalm-grinding old hypocrites — you know you can. Why not make a little more this year? Give it away to some deserving charity. What?

On Sunday you go to your chapel or church;
On weekdays you grind for the sake of your greed.
But, think; why should Sunday be left in the lurch?
The better the day, sirs, the better the bleed!

And the children — dear, innocent little cherubs. What shall we do to make this new year more profitable and more happy? Have you ever studied nature, children? Ah, it is indeed a beautiful study, and so im- proving to the mind. Have you ever been out in the beautiful springtime to watch the trees and the flowers and the butterflies and bees and flies and mosquitoes and tadpoles and centipedes and things? Ah, my dear children, go —go and watch the bees flitting from flower to flower. Go out and see the lambkins gambolling on the green sward. Go out and be caressed in a tender place by a nice, natural bull-ant. Then, dear children, you will begin to know nature. Let us make a resolve. “We shall, during the coming year, study nature, and all its mil- lion wonders.” Be good, boys and girls, and when you grow up you will be sorry you didn’t die young.

Ponder on the gentle sluglet
As he glides across the leaf;
Study close the beauteous buglet,
He has charms beyond belief.

Tho’ he lurks in awkward places,
Qualities surpassing man’s
Are the agile, nimble graces
Of the pulex irritans.

* * *

And now, you dear people with “social aspirations” — you hangers-on-to-the-fringe — how far did you crawl up the ladder last year? Do not be disappointed. Put back your shoulders; buy another book on etiquette; and wade in. Remember the old motto: “If at first you don’t succeed, crawl, crawl, crawl again.” You’ll have “social prestige” (whatever that may mean) some day. And remember —

Lives of rich men all remind us
’Tis a noble thing to climb,
And, departing, leave behind us,
Like all slugs, a trail of slime.

* * *

And, Willie-boys, what-o! Was your tailor lenient last year? Keep him buttered, and remember Shakespeare wasn’t quite right when he remarked that “the apparel oft proclaims the man.” He should have said “always.”

Put your shoulder — in a coat, boys;
Keep your foot — in perfect boots.
Never heed the threatening note, boys,
In re paying for your suits.

Shabby clothes proclaim the fool, boys,
And whatever fortune grants,
Ne’er forget this golden rule, boys,
“Keep the creases in your pants.”

* * *

And now, dear friends, a parting word to all. Never let the fear of breaking a resolve frighten you in the making of it. Make it by all means; even if you know you are going to break it the next moment. Resolves are great things. Now, take an egg, you break it, and then where are you? You know the Humpty-Dumpty business — “all the king’s horses and all the king’s men,” and the rest of it. But resolves are different things. You can break ’em and make ’em and break ’em and make ’em, and so on ad infinitum. And they are always just as good as ever. You don’t want any king’s horses or king’s men. You can do it all by yourselves. Resolves are great institutions; so go on making them. You’ll find out in “the end” that you were wise.

Never quit your stern resolving,
Mending never comes too late;
Year on year, as time, revolving,
Dulls your eye and slows your gait.

Grieve not at the soul’s enslavement,
You’ll be glad when you are dead,
For you’re helping with the pavement
You will some day have to tread.

C. J. Dennis.



Source:
The Gadfly (Adelaide, SA), 2 January 1907

[Editor: Added a closing quotation mark after “Keep the creases in your pants.”.]

Filed Under: poetry Tagged With: C. J. Dennis (1876-1938) (author), poem, SourceTrove, year1907

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Primary Sidebar

Australian flag, Kangaroo, Wattle, 100hThe Institute of Australian Culture
Heritage, history, and heroes. Literature, legends, and larrikins. Stories, songs, and sages.

Search this site

Featured books

The Man from Snowy River and Other Verses, by Banjo Paterson A Book for Kids, by C. J. Dennis  The Bulletin Reciter: A Collection of Verses for Recitation from The Bulletin The Songs of a Sentimental Bloke, by C. J. Dennis The Complete Inner History of the Kelly Gang and Their Pursuers, by J. J. Kenneally The Foundations of Culture in Australia, by P. R. Stephensen The Australian Crisis, by C. H. Kirmess Such Is Life, by Joseph Furphy
More books (full text)

Featured lists

Timeline of Australian history and culture
A list of significant Australiana
Significant events and commemorative dates
Australian slang
Books (full text)
Australian literature
Rock music and pop music (videos)
Folk music and bush music (videos)
Early music (videos)
Recommended poetry
Poetry and songs, 1786-1900
Poetry and songs, 1901-1954
Australian explorers
Topics
Links

Featured posts

Advance Australia Fair: How the song became the Australian national anthem
Brian Cadd [music videos and biography]
Ned Kelly: Australian bushranger
Under the Southern Cross I Stand [the Australian cricket team’s victory song]

Some Australian authors

E. J. Brady
John Le Gay Brereton
C. J. Dennis
Mary Hannay Foott
Joseph Furphy
Mary Gilmore
Charles Harpur
Grant Hervey
Lucy Everett Homfray
Rex Ingamells
Henry Kendall
“Kookaburra”
Henry Lawson
Jack Moses
“Dryblower” Murphy
John Shaw Neilson
John O’Brien (Patrick Joseph Hartigan)
“Banjo” Paterson
Marie E. J. Pitt
A. G. Stephens
P. R. Stephensen
Agnes L. Storrie (Agnes L. Kettlewell)

Recent Posts

  • Australia Day [26 January 1953]
  • Australia Day [24 January 1953]
  • Australia Day [29 January 1951]
  • Australia Day [28 January 1950]
  • Danger-signals from Australia [2 January 1942]

Top Posts & Pages

  • Poetry and songs, 1786-1900
  • Dollars or rum: Early Australian currency [by J. H. M. Abbott, 1 April 1931]
  • Australian slang
  • The Man from Snowy River [poem by Banjo Paterson]
  • The Bastard from the Bush [poem, circa 1900]

Archives

Categories

Posts of note

The Bastard from the Bush [poem, circa 1900]
A Book for Kids [by C. J. Dennis, 1921]
Click Go the Shears [traditional Australian song, 1890s]
Core of My Heart [“My Country”, poem by Dorothea Mackellar, 24 October 1908]
Freedom on the Wallaby [poem by Henry Lawson, 16 May 1891]
The Man from Ironbark [poem by Banjo Paterson]
Nationality [poem by Mary Gilmore, 12 May 1942]
The Newcastle song [music video, sung by Bob Hudson]
No Foe Shall Gather Our Harvest [poem by Mary Gilmore, 29 June 1940]
Our pipes [short story by Henry Lawson]
Rommel’s comments on Australian soldiers [1941-1942]
Shooting the moon [short story by Henry Lawson]

Recent Comments

  • rob buntine on No Foe Shall Gather Our Harvest [poem by Mary Gilmore, 29 June 1940]
  • Carol on Poetry and songs, 1786-1900
  • Annie Crestani on Under the Southern Cross I Stand [the Australian cricket team’s victory song]
  • Peter Pearsall on The Clarence [poem by Jack Moses]
  • Trevor Hurst on Timeline of Australian history and culture

For Australia

Copyright © 2023 · Log in