1,99 €
Niedrigster Preis in 30 Tagen: 1,99 €
Niedrigster Preis in 30 Tagen: 1,99 €
Mehr erfahren.
- Herausgeber: Booksell-Verlag
- Kategorie: Gesellschafts- und Liebesromane
- Sprache: Englisch
- Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2021
In "When I was King," Henry Lawson presents a poignant collection of short stories that captures the essence of the Australian experience at the turn of the 20th century. Lawson masterfully employs a colloquial yet evocative prose style, often utilizing vivid imagery and rich characterizations to convey themes of identity, belonging, and the harsh realities faced by the working class. Set against a backdrop of Australia'Äôs diverse landscapes, these narratives weave together the everyday lives of ordinary Australians, offering insights into societal struggles and the spirit of resilience that defines the nation. Henry Lawson, a pivotal figure in Australian literature, is often heralded as a voice for the marginalized and disenfranchised. Having grown up in rural New South Wales and experienced poverty and hardship firsthand, Lawson draws from his own life to infuse authenticity into his storytelling. His friendships with fellow writers of the time, as well as his deep commitment to social issues, inspired him to reflect on the Australian ethos, making "When I was King" not just a collection of stories but a significant commentary on the spirit of the land. This work is essential reading for anyone seeking to understand the complexities of Australian culture and identity. Lawson's sharp observations and evocative narrative style invite readers to engage with the struggles and triumphs of his characters, making it a timeless exploration of humanity that resonates even today.
Das E-Book können Sie in Legimi-Apps oder einer beliebigen App lesen, die das folgende Format unterstützen:
Ähnliche
When I was King
Table of Contents
The Cross-Roads
Oncemore I write a line to you, While darker shadows fall; Dear friends of mine who have been true, And steadfast through it all. If I have written bitter rhymes, With many lines that halt, And if I have been false at times It was not all my fault.
To Heaven’s decree I would not bow, And I sank very low— The bitter things are written now, And we must let them go. But I feel softened as I write; The better spirit springs, And I am very sad to-night Because of many things.
The friendships that I have abused, The trust I did betray, The talents that I have misused, The gifts I threw away. The things that did me little good, And—well my cheeks might burn— The kindly letters that I should Have answered by return.
But you might deem them answered now, And answered from my heart; And injured friends will understand ’Tis I who feel the smart. But I have done with barren strife And dark imaginings, And in my future work and life Will seek the better things.
When I was King
The secondtime I lived on earth Was several hundred years ago; And—royal by my second birth— I know as much as most men know. I was a king who held the reins As never modern monarch can; I was a king, and I had brains, And, what was more, I was a man!
Called to the throne in stormy times, When things were at their very worst, I had to fight—and not with rhymes— My own self and my kindred first; And after that my friends and foes, And great abuses born of greed; And when I’d fairly conquered those, I ruled the land a king indeed.
I found a deal of rottenness, Such as in modern towns we find; I camped my poor in palaces And tents upon the plain behind. I marked the hovels, dens and drums In that fair city by the sea. And burnt the miles of wretched slums And built the homes as they should be.
I stripped the baubles from the State, And on the land I spent the spoil; I hunted off the sullen great, And to the farmers gave the soil. My people were their own police; My courts were free to everyone. My priests were to preach love and peace; My Judges to see justice done.
I’d studied men and studied kings, No crawling cant would I allow; I hated mean and paltry things, As I can hate them even now. A land of men I meant to see, A strong and clean and noble race— No subject dared kneel down to me, But looked his king straight in the face
Had I not been a king in fact, A king in council-hall and tent, I might have let them crawl and act The courtier to their heart’s content; But when I called on other kings, And saw men kneel, I felt inclined To gently tip the abject things And kick them very hard behind.
My subjects were not slaves, I guess, But though the women in one thing— A question ’twas of healthy dress— Would dare to argue with their king (I had to give in there, I own, Though none denied that I was strong), Yet they would hear my telephone If anything went very wrong.
I also had some poets bright— Their songs were grand, I will allow— They were, if I remember right, About as bad as bards are now. I had to give them best at last, And let them booze and let them sing; As it is now, so in the past, They’d small respect for gods or king.
I loved to wander through the streets— I carried neither sword nor dirk— And watch the building of my fleets, And watch my artisans at work. At times I would take off my coat And show them how to do a thing— Till someone, clucking in his throat, Would stare and gasp, ‘It is the king!’
And I would say, ‘Shut up, you fools! Is it for this my towns I burn? You don’t know how to handle tools, And by my faith you’ll have to learn!’ I was a king, but what of that? A king may warble in the spring And carry eggs home in his hat, Provided that heisa king.
I loved to stroll about the town With chums at night, and talk of things, And, though I chanced to wear the crown, My friends, by intellect, were kings. When I was doubtful, then I might Discuss a matter quietly, But when I felt that I was right No power on earth could alter me!
And now and then it was no sin Nor folly to relax a bit— I’d take my friends into an inn And call for wine and pay for it. And then of many things we’d clack With loosened tongues and visions clear— I often heard behind my back The whispered ‘Peace, the king is here!’
The women harped about a queen, I knew they longed to have a court And flaunt their feathers on the scene, But hitherto I’d held the fort. My subjects wanted me, no doubt, To give the throne a son and heir— (There were some little kings about, But that was neither here nor there).
I’d no occasion for a wife— A queen as yet was not my plan; I’d seen a lot of married life— My sire had been a married man. ‘A son and heir be hanged!’ I said— ‘How dare you ask for such a thing, ‘You fight it out when I am dead ‘And let the best man be the king!’
‘Your Majesty, we love you well!’ A candid friend would say to me— ‘But there be tales that people tell ‘Unfitted to thy dignity’— ‘My dignity be damned!’ I’d say, ‘Bring me no women’s chattering! ‘I’ll be a man while yet I may— ‘When trouble comes I’ll be a king!
I’d kept my kingdom clean and strong While other kingdoms were like ours— I had no need to brook a wrong, I feared not all the rotten Powers I did not eat my heart out then, Nor feebly fight in verse or prose I’d take five hundred thousand men To argue matters with my foes!
It thrilled me through, the mighty tramp Of armëd men, the thundering cheer— The pregnant whisper through the camp At dead of night: ‘The King is here!’ And though we paid for victory On some fields that were hard to hold, The faith my soldiers had in me Oft strengthened mine a hundredfold.
I’d chat with soldiers by the fires On rocky heights and river banks, I’d seek the brains that war requires, And take my captains from the ranks. And so, until the storm was by, And came the peace just war can bring, I bore me so that men might cry With all their hearts, ‘God Save the King.’
When I was king the world was wide, And I was strong and I was free. I knew no hatred, knew no pride, No envy and no treachery. I feared no lies. I feared no truth, Nor any storm that time might bring. I had my love, I had my youth, The world was mine when I was king.
