Author: Banjo Paterson (Andrew Barton)

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I had written him a letter which I had, for want of better
Knowledge, sent to where I met him down the Lachlan, years ago,
He was shearing when I knew him, so I sent the letter to him,
Just on spec, addressed as follows, "Clancy, of The Overflow"

And an answer came directed in a writing unexpected,
(And I think the same was written with a thumb-nail dipped in tar)
Twas his shearing mate who wrote it, and verbatim I will quote it:
"Clancy's gone to Queensland droving, and we don't know where he are."

* * * * * * * * *

In my wild erratic fancy visions come to me of Clancy
Gone a-droving "down the Cooper" where the Western drovers go;
As the stock are slowly stringing, Clancy rides behind them singing,
For the drover's life has pleasures that the townsfolk never know.

And the bush hath friends to meet him, and their kindly voices greet him
In the murmur of the breezes and the river on its bars,
And he sees the vision splendid of the sunlit plains extended,
And at night the wond'rous glory of the everlasting stars.

* * * * * * * * *

I am sitting in my dingy little office, where a stingy
Ray of sunlight struggles feebly down between the houses tall,
And the foetid air and gritty of the dusty, dirty city
Through the open window floating, spreads its foulness over all

And in place of lowing cattle, I can hear the fiendish rattle
Of the tramways and the buses making hurry down the street,
And the language uninviting of the gutter children fighting,
Comes fitfully and faintly through the ceaseless tramp of feet.

And the hurrying people daunt me, and their pallid faces haunt me
As they shoulder one another in their rush and nervous haste,
With their eager eyes and greedy, and their stunted forms and weedy,
For townsfolk have no time to grow, they have no time to waste.

And I somehow rather fancy that I'd like to change with Clancy,
Like to take a turn at droving where the seasons come and go,
While he faced the round eternal of the cash-book and the journal,
But I doubt he'd suit the office, Clancy, of The Overflow.

The Bulletin, 21 December 1889.

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Type of Poem: Narrative Poem

Date Written:

Date Published:

Language: English

Keywords: Public Domain

Source: Public Domain Collection

Publisher:

Rights/Permissions: Public Domain

Comments/Notes: This poem engages powerfully with themes of nature versus civilization, longing, and the idealization of a simpler, rural life. Told from the perspective of an office worker in the city, the poet contrasts their own urban existence with the perceived freedom and beauty of Clancy's life as a drover in the Australian outback. This dichotomy is established through vivid imagery and a distinct sense of place; the poet's descriptive language evokes the bustling, dirty cityscape and juxtaposes it with the wide, sunlit plains and "wond'rous glory of the everlasting stars" that Clancy experiences.

The poem's structure, alternating between the poet’s present circumstances and their idealized visions of Clancy's life, heightens the contrast between these two ways of living. There's a palpable sense of longing and regret in the poet's voice, and a wistful, almost melancholic tone pervades the poem, especially when the poet acknowledges the improbability of their own desire to switch places with Clancy. The use of colloquial language and local references not only grounds the poem in its specific Australian context but also gives it a certain authenticity and charm. Thus, through its exploration of the human yearning for freedom and connection with nature, the poem speaks to universal emotions, making it resonate with readers beyond its immediate geographical setting.