Author: Henry Lawson
I wish Id never gone to board In that house where I met The touring lady from abroad, Who mocks my nightmares yet. I wish, I wish that she had saved Her news of what shed seen, That Dan OConnor is clean shaved And parts his hair between. The ladies down at Manly now, And widows understood, No more deplore their marriage vow Or hopeless widowhood. For Dan OConnor is the same As though hed never been, Since Daniel shaved that shave of shame, And combed his hair between. No more, Oh Bards, in Danyel tones Hell voice our several fames, And nevermore hell mix our bones As once he mixed our names. Let Southern minstrels dree their weird And lay their sad harps down, For Dan OConnors shorn of beard And cracked across the crown. The lobby and refreshment room Are shorn of half their larks, A newer ghost now haunts the gloom That knew the ghost of Parkes: The brightest joke Australia had Is but a hopeless grunt, It went for ever mad and bad When Daniel shaved his front. The fair Spotswhoshky weeps indeed, Frogsleggi and Bung Lung, With none to greet and none to speed Them in their native tongue! By Sucklar Key nor Golden Gate No Dan is ever seen Since Dan OConnor wiped his slate And notched his top between. But, Dan OConnor, (Lord knows best The thing might be a sell), You surely will forgive a jest From one who wished you well, When weve forgot the face we feared And Time has deadened pain, Oh! Dan OConnor, grow your beard, And come to us again.
Type of Poem: Satirical
Date Written:
Date Published:
Language: English
Keywords: Public Domain
Source: Public Domain Collection
Publisher:
Rights/Permissions: Public Domain
Comments/Notes: This poem reflects a lament for a lost or changed friend named Dan O'Connor, manifesting a sense of nostalgia and longing for past times. The poet uses repetition of phrases like "Dan O'Connor" and "shaved" and "combed his hair between," as a method of emphasizing the changes O'Connor has undergone, both physical and presumably in character, and how those changes have impacted the speaker and their shared community.
The poem's tone is fond and melancholic, filled with regret over the loss of the familiar Dan O'Connor. The writer employs hyperbole and humor to reflect the magnitude of the change, suggesting that even a simple act like shaving can trigger profound shifts. The use of colloquial language and specific details, such as the mention of places like Manly, Sucklar Key, and Golden Gate, adds a touch of realism and specificity to the narrative.
The structure of the poem is consistent, maintaining a steady rhythm and rhyme scheme, which further emphasizes the sense of the familiar, the routine, and the regularity that has been disrupted by Dan O'Connor's transformation. The poem ends with a plea, an invitation for Dan O'Connor to revert to his old self, which adds a poignant note of longing to the piece.