Before the glare o’ dawn I rise
To milk the sleepy cows, an’ shake
The droving dust from tired eyes,
Look round the rabbit traps, then bake
The children’s bread.
There’s hay to stook, an’ beans to hoe,
An’ ferns to cut in the scrub below,
Women must work, when men must go
Shearing from shed to shed.
I patch an’ darn, now evening comes,
An’ tired I am with labour sore,
Tired o’ the bush, the cows, the gums,
Tired, but we must dree for long months more
What no tongue tells.
The moon is lonely in the sky,
Lonely the bush, an’ lonely I
Stare down the track no horse draws nigh,
An’ start . . . at the cattle bells.
Notes
this poem is a complete contrast to the rollicking stories of the shearing sheds, the noise, animals and even the smell pervades poetry so full of life and activity.
this poem however sees the life of the Shearer's Wife, totally alone, long before the times of telephone and the flying doctor Service. Weary but she has to endure this life until her husband comes home.
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good poem
From guest Casey (contact)
this is a good poem, i am studying it at school to, how ever i must point out, can a man - who the poet was, truley grasp the concept of a womens emotions and put them to paper??? -
This is a wonderful poem, and I'm studying it at school. But I'm finding it hard to tell what kind of poem it is?
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this is an awesum piece of poetry.. especially for those doing an assignment on it *cough* english *cough* very great poem.... defintly depicts a true portrayal of women in the past....
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Personally i think that this poem is an insight into our local heros, the shearers wives and is proper australian.
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i loved it! it really made me think about the difference in work loads for the women now and back then! life must have been so hard back then... im just greatful i was born now! PRAISE THE LORD!!
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this is a great poem... really enjoyed reading it!
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This is very nice, I like the poem a lot. Really depicts the way women are stuck doing all the work, while the men do only their job... and get paid for it! Xl
Not fair in my opinion, lol... -
I have read so many books about the Pioneer Women of Australia this poem rings so true. It was the Men who had to leave home to find work, the women to stay at home, work and care for the children.
The last 2 lines are so profound - as she looks down the track for sight of her husband and his horse and the next day begins at the sound of the bell. such a hard life these ladies led. Mr. Esson captured the feeling well .
~Von~
Edited on Mar 05, 4:01 p.m. because ''. -
I like this poem. It shows how much women do. I suppose the 'shearor's wife' could be compaired to modern day stay-at-home mother, with all the responsibilities.
I don't really understand the last line of this poem, though. Does it mean that the cows are out in the pasture, or that the day is starting all over again, or something else. I'm guessing the day is starting again, because the poem starts:
Before the glare o’ dawn I rise
To milk the sleepy cows, an’ shake
Just guessing, though. In all, great piece.
Jen -
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