The Lonely Crossing and Other Poems

The Lonely Crossing and Other Poems (1905) is a collection of poems by Australian poet Louisa Lawson. It was the only collection of her work published during her lifetime.[1]

The Lonely Crossing and Other Poems
AuthorLouisa Lawson
CountryAustralia
LanguageEnglish
GenrePoetry collection
PublisherDawn
Publication date
1905
Media typePrint
Pages96pp

The collection includes 52 poems by the author that are reprinted from various sources, although most appeared first in The Dawn, an early Australian feminist magazine that Lawson also edited.[1]

Contents
  • "The Lonely Crossing"
  • "Coming Home"
  • "Back Again"
  • "The Hour is Come"
  • "A Friend in Need"
  • "Twilight"
  • "The Reformers"
  • "The Hill of Death"
  • "The Digger's Daughter"
  • "To a Libertine"
  • "The Song of Bacchus"
  • "A Pound a Mile"
  • "Light in Darkness"
  • "Lines Written During a Night Spent in a Bush Inn"
  • "Another for the Queen"
  • "A Plea for Australia"
  • "Australia"
  • "The Winter Wind"
  • "An Australian Song"
  • "The Squatter's Wife"
  • "God Give Me Gold"
  • "A Life's Dream"
  • "Lines"
  • "The Message of the Flowers"
  • "So Many a Deed of Wrong for Right is Meant"
  • "Renunciation"
  • "A Dream"
  • "Woman's Love"
  • "Divided"
  • "The Petunia"
  • "A Reverie"
  • "Buried Love"
  • "Lines"
  • "A Dream"
  • "The City Bird"
  • "In Memoriam"
  • "A Grave"
  • "To My Sister"
  • "I Wonder?"
  • "In Memory of R.E.H."
  • "In Memoriam"
  • "My Nettie"
  • "In Memoriam"
  • "A Child's Question"
  • "A Mother's Answer"
  • "All's Well"
  • "To a Bird"
  • "To a Bird"
  • "A Reverie"
  • "Lines"
  • "Give Me Only Peace"
  • "Sunset"

Critical reception

On its original publication The Freeman's Journal stated that "The literary level reached in these fugitive products of a life which has been too strenuous for dalliance with the Muses may not reach the highest level of poesy ; but they have the true sweet note of the simple lyric and are faithful to nature whether of the observative or contemplative order. More than that, they are an earnest that the authoress might worthily vest herself, if she would, in the singing robes of Australia."[2]

In a minor review The Maitland Weekly Mercury noted "Her life has been one of hard work, and of many struggles against adverse circumstances, but these experiences have probably only the better fitted her to write many sweet and helpful sonnets for the encouragement of her countrywomen."[3]

See also

References
  1. Austlit - The Lonely Crossing and Other Poems by Louisa Lawson
  2. "The Bookworm's Corner", The Freeman's Journal, 2 December 1905, p36
  3. "Reviews", The Maitland Weekly Mercury, 3 February 1906, p11
  4. The Lonely Crossing and Other Poems by Louisa Lawson, full text
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