What Have We All Forgotten?

By Henry Lawson

Reflective Poem
    What have we all forgotten, at the break of the seventh year?     With a nation born to the ages and a Bad Time borne on its bier!     Public robbing, and lying that death cannot erase,     Private strife and deception, Cover the bad dead face!     Drinking, gambling and madness, Cover and bear it away,     But what have we all forgotten at the dawn of the seventh day?     These are the years of plenty, years when the tanks are full,     Stacked by the lonely sidings mountains of wheat and wool.     Country crowds to the city, healthy, shaven and dressed,     Clothes to wear with the gayest, money to spend with the best.     Grand are the lights of the cities, carnival kings in power,     But what have we all forgotten, in this, the eleventh hour?     We have brought the states together, a land to the lands new born.     We have worked in the glorious weather, we have garnered and reaped and shorn.     We have come from the grass-waves flowing under Heavens electric lamps     (Making of sordid cities, boyish and jovial camps).     We have cleansed the cities and townships: we rest and frolic and gain,     But what have we all forgotten? Did we send the peace and the rain?     What have we all forgotten, here in our glorious home?     (I the greater the sinner because I was greater than some.)     What have we all forgotten so widely from east to west?     (I, and the most ungrateful because I was doubly blessed.)     Sinners to self and to country! and saviours though misunderstood!     Let us all kneel for one moment and thank the Great Spirits for Good.

Share & Analyze This Poem

Spread the beauty of poetry or dive deeper into analysis

Analyze This Poem

Discover the literary devices, structure, and deeper meaning

Create Image

Transform this poem into a beautiful shareable image

Copy to Clipboard

Save this poem for personal use or sharing offline

Share the Love of Poetry
More Poems
More Reflective Poems
Daily Poem

Poem Details

Language: English
Keywords: Public Domain
Source: Public Domain Collection
Rights/Permissions: Public Domain
Analysis & Notes:
This poem delves deeply into the themes of societal progress, collective amnesia, and moral accountability. It is imbued with a tone of introspection and moral urgency, urging readers to confront their own complicity in societal ills. The poet uses rhetorical questions as a powerful literary device to create a contemplative atmosphere and to compel the audience to internal reflection about what society has "forgotten."

The structure of the poem plays a crucial role in its persuasive power. Each stanza presents a paradox, contrasting society's advancements and prosperity ("the years of plenty," "a nation born to the ages," etc.) with its moral and ethical shortcomings ("public robbing and lying," "drinking, gambling and madness," etc.). The poet adeptly utilizes vivid imagery ("mountains of wheat and wool," "Heavens electric lamps," etc.) to contrast the material bounty of society with its potential spiritual dearth.

The final two stanzas reveal a heightened self-awareness, acknowledging personal failings ("I the greater the sinner because I was greater than some"). This shift brings the poem's critique from the societal to the personal level, emphasizing the responsibility each of us has in contributing to societal good. The poem concludes on an optimistic and redemptive note, calling for gratitude and recognition of the "Great Spirits for Good."

In essence, the poem serves as a poignant reminder of the balance that needs to be struck between societal advancement and moral integrity, and the importance of reflection, humility, and gratitude in achieving this equilibrium.