After All ~ Henry Lawson

[Dark Muse]

I am not really familar with Lawson, and have not previously read his works, but I really enjoyed this pome of his that I happend to come acorss. I think it has some beautiful langauge and lovely imagery.

After All

The brooding ghosts of Australian night have gone from the bush and town;
My spirit revives in the morning breeze,
though it died when the sun went down;
The river is high and the stream is strong,
and the grass is green and tall,
And I fain would think that this world of ours is a good world after all.

The light of passion in dreamy eyes, and a page of truth well read,
The glorious thrill in a heart grown cold of the spirit I thought was dead,
A song that goes to a comrade's heart, and a tear of pride let fall --
And my soul is strong! and the world to me is a grand world after all!

Let our enemies go by their old dull tracks,
and theirs be the fault or shame
(The man is bitter against the world who has only himself to blame) ;
Let the darkest side of the past be dark, and only the good recall;
For I must believe that the world, my dear, is a kind world after all.

It well may be that I saw too plain, and it may be I was blind;
But I'll keep my face to the dawning light,
though the devil may stand behind!
Though the devil may stand behind my back, I'll not see his shadow fall,
But read the signs in the morning stars of a good world after all.

Rest, for your eyes are weary, girl -- you have driven the worst away --
The ghost of the man that I might have been is gone from my heart to-day;
We'll live for life and the best it brings till our twilight shadows fall;
My heart grows brave, and the world, my girl, is a good world after all.

[Jozanny]

I am not really familar with Lawson, and have not previously read his works, but I really enjoyed this pome of his that I happend to come acorss. I think it has some beautiful langauge and lovely imagery.

After All

The brooding ghosts of Australian night have gone from the bush and town;

Interesting choice Dark. I like the first line, but I generally shrink from poets too beholden to their rhyme scheme so that the listener finds that its gets in the way; and if I have my isms in the right order, his late romanticism feels somewhat sugar-coated to me, but still, interesting choice.

[Dark Muse]

Yes I cannot say I am quite as hopeful or opisitmistic as the poem, but it still makes some nice allusisions to darkness which I enjoy.


The brooding ghosts of Australian night have gone from the bush and town;
My spirit revives in the morning breeze,
though it died when the sun went down;
The river is high and the stream is strong,
and the grass is green and tall,

And I do find these first verses to be quite captivating and rather beautiful.