The Australian bush, a potent symbol of national identity, has been a recurring subject in its literature. Two seminal poems that grapple with its essence, albeit through contrasting lenses, are Les Murray’s “The Wilderness” (1974) and Henry Lawson’s “The Roaring Days” (1890). While both poets engage with the physical and psychological impact of the Australian landscape, Murray’s “The Wilderness” presents a vision of the bush as a primal, untamed force, a source of profound spiritual renewal and a counterpoint to encroaching modernity. Lawson’s “The Roaring Days,” conversely, depicts the bush as a site of intense human struggle and transient, often brutal, prosperity, where the promise of gold ultimately yields to a harsh reality. Through their distinct portrayals, these poems offer complementary, yet ultimately divergent, understandings of the Australian experience and its relationship with the wild.
Murray’s “The Wilderness” evokes a powerful sense of the bush as an ancient, almost sentient entity. The poem opens with the speaker venturing into a landscape that is not merely passive scenery but an active participant in his experience: “I’ll go somewhere where the country is the country.” This desire for unmediated contact with nature is driven by a weariness with the artificiality of urban life and the "fuss and bother" of civilisation. The wilderness, for Murray, is a place of profound truth, a refuge from the "tattle" of modern society. He describes the bush with visceral detail, emphasizing its raw power and indifference to human concerns: "The great trees still exist, and they are not afraid." This "fearlessness" of the natural world is precisely what draws the speaker in. It offers a perspective that dwarfs human anxieties and trivialities. The poem suggests that true understanding and spiritual nourishment can only be found when one surrenders to this primal force, allowing it to strip away the accretions of civilisation and reveal a deeper, more authentic self. The concluding lines, where the speaker imagines returning to the bush as a place of lasting solace, reinforce this idea of nature as an ultimate healer and source of enduring meaning.
Henry Lawson’s “The Roaring Days,” however, paints a different picture of the Australian bush, one dominated by the feverish pursuit of gold and its disruptive consequences. Published in the midst of the gold rushes, the poem captures the frenetic energy and ultimate disillusionment associated with this period. Lawson portrays the bush not as a place of spiritual retreat but as a site of intense human endeavour, marked by hardship and fleeting fortune. The "roaring days" are characterised by "panic, and crush, and yell," a chaotic scramble for wealth that transforms the landscape and its inhabitants. The poem highlights the transient nature of this prosperity, where fortunes are made and lost with alarming speed. The imagery is one of a temporary boom, a "glorious, golden time," that is ultimately destined to fade. Unlike Murray’s reverence for an enduring wilderness, Lawson’s focus is on the human drama unfolding within it, a drama of ambition, struggle, and often, bitter disappointment. The poem implicitly critiques the romantic idealisation of the bush, revealing the underlying harshness and the human cost of its exploitation.
The contrast between these two poems lies not only in their depiction of the bush itself but also in their implications for Australian identity. Murray’s “The Wilderness” champions an identity rooted in a deep, almost mystical connection to the land, a rejection of superficial modern values in favour of a more elemental existence. This vision aligns with a Romantic ideal of the artist or individual finding truth and authenticity in nature, a recurring theme in Australian art and literature. Lawson, on the other hand, offers a more grounded, pragmatic perspective. His “Roaring Days” speaks to an identity forged in the crucible of hard work, resilience, and the often-unfulfilled promise of opportunity. The gold rush era, as depicted by Lawson, is a formative, if flawed, chapter in the Australian story, shaping a national character defined by its capacity for both great hope and stark realism. While Murray seeks solace and truth in an untainted wilderness, Lawson examines the complex and often messy reality of humanity’s engagement with the land, particularly in its pursuit of wealth.
In conclusion, Les Murray’s “The Wilderness” and Henry Lawson’s “The Roaring Days” offer distinct yet complementary visions of the Australian bush and its significance. Murray’s poem celebrates the wilderness as a primal force offering spiritual renewal and a refuge from modernity, an untamed space where authenticity can be rediscovered. Lawson’s poem, conversely, scrutinises the bush as a stage for human ambition and struggle during the gold rushes, highlighting the transient nature of fortune and the underlying harshness of the landscape. Together, these works provide a nuanced understanding of the Australian experience, acknowledging both the profound allure of the untamed wild and the often-difficult realities of human settlement and aspiration.