Till All the Bad Things Came Untrue

By Henry Lawson

Ballad
    By blacksoil plains burned grey with drought     Where desert shrubs and grasses grow,     Along the Land of Furthest Out     That only Overlanders know.     I dreamed I camped on river grass     In bends where river timber grew,     I dreamed, I dreamed the days to pass     Till all the bad things came untrue.     I dreamed that I was young again,     But was not young as I had been,     My path through life seemed fair and plain,     My sight and hearing clear and keen.     No longer bent nor lined and grey,     I met and loved and worshipped you,     I dreamed, I dreamed the days away     Till all the sad things came untrue.     I dreamed a home of freestone stood     With toned tiled roofs as roofs should be,     By cliff and fall and beach and wood     With wide verandahs to the sea.     I dreamed a hale gudeman and wife,     With sons and daughters well-to-do,     Lived there the glorious old home life     And all the mad things were untrue.     From blacksoil plains burned bare with drought     Where years are sown that never grow,     From dead grey creeks of dreams and drought,     Through black-ridged wastes of weirdest woe,     I tramped and camped with fearsome fare     Until the sea-scape came in view,     And lo! the home lay smiling there     And all the bad things were untrue.

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Poem Details

Language: English
Keywords: Public Domain
Source: Public Domain Collection
Rights/Permissions: Public Domain
Analysis & Notes:
This poem is a poignant exploration of hope, memory, and the power of dreams. The poet navigates us through a barren landscape of "blacksoil plains burned grey with drought," a metaphorical representation of hardships and struggles. The recurring motif of dreaming serves as an escape mechanism from this harsh reality, a longing for better times.

The poem's tone is a blend of melancholy and hopeful anticipation. The first two stanzas focus on the speaker's nostalgic yearning for youth and love, underlining the theme of personal renewal. The third stanza extends the dream to a broader vision of domestic bliss, featuring a harmonious family in a picturesque home by the sea. This vivid imagery, coupled with the rejuvenating power of nature, creates a stark contrast against the desolate surroundings.

The structure of the poem, with its repeating last lines in each stanza, enhances the sense of cyclical yearning and the persistent hope for a brighter future. The poet's use of vivid imagery, alliteration, and consistent rhythm strengthens the emotional resonance of the poem. The final stanza brings the reader back to the bleak landscape, but ends on a promising note, a vision of a home "smiling" amidst the wasteland, reinforcing the transformative power of dreams. This poem, therefore, serves as a testament to the human spirit's resilience and its capacity to reimagine a better world even in the face of adversity.

Understanding Ballads

A ballad is a form of verse, often a narrative set to music, that has been a cornerstone of storytelling across various cultures. Traditionally passed down orally, ballads are known for their rhythmic structure and often tell tales of love, adventure, and heroism.

Ballads are characterized by their strong rhythm and repetition, making them both memorable and engaging. Here are some defining features:

  • Narrative Structure: Ballads typically tell a story, often a dramatic or emotional tale that unfolds in a straightforward, chronological order.
  • Quatrain Stanzas: Most ballads are composed of quatrains (four-line stanzas) with a rhyme scheme of ABAB or ABCB, which adds to the musicality of the verse.
  • Repetition: Refrains or repeated lines are common in ballads, helping to emphasize key themes or emotions and making the ballad easier to remember.
  • Oral Tradition: Many ballads originated from oral traditions, which means they were passed down through generations by word of mouth before being written down.

From medieval minstrels to contemporary songwriters, ballads have continued to evolve, remaining a beloved form of expression that captures the human experience in a way that is both poetic and accessible.