Article #962-2 | Gutenberg Articles

Excerpt

Excerpt from The Poems of Henry Kendall, by Henry Kendall

Henry Kendall was the first Australian poet to draw his inspiration from
the life, scenery and traditions of the country. In the beginnings of
Australian poetry the names of two other men stand with his--Adam
Lindsay Gordon, of English parentage and education, and Charles Harpur,
born in Australia a generation earlier than Kendall. Harpur's work,
though lacking vitality, shows fitful gleams of poetic fire suggestive
of greater achievement had the circumstances of his life been more
favourable. Kendall, whose lot was scarcely more fortunate, is a true
singer; his songs remain, and are likely long to remain, attractive to
poetry lovers.

The poet's grandfather, Thomas Kendall, a Lincolnshire schoolmaster, met
the Revd. Samuel Marsden when the latter was in England seeking
assistants for his projected missionary work in New Zealand. Kendall
offered his services to the Church Missionary Society of London and came
out to Sydney in 1809. Five years later he was sent to the Bay of
Islands as a lay missionary, holding also the first magistrate's
commission issued for New Zealand. He soon made friends with the Maoris
and learnt their language well enough to compile a primer in
pidgin-Maori, 'A Korao no New Zealand; or, the New Zealander's First
Book', which George Howe printed for Marsden at Sydney in 1815. In 1820
Thomas Kendall went to England with some Maori chiefs, and while there
helped Professor Lee, of Cambridge, to "fix" the Maori language--the
outcome of their work being Lee and Kendall's 'Grammar and Vocabulary of
the Language of New Zealand', published in the same year.

Returning to New Zealand, Kendall, in 1823, left the Missionary Society
and went with his son Basil to Chile. In 1826 he came back to
Australia, and for his good work as a missionary received from the New
South Wales Government a grant of 1280 acres at Ulladulla, on the South
Coast. There he entered the timber trade and became owner and master of
a small vessel used in the business. About 1832 this vessel was wrecked
near Sydney, and all on board, including the owner, were drowned.

Explanation

Detailed Explanation of the Excerpt from The Poems of Henry Kendall

This excerpt is not a poem by Henry Kendall but rather a biographical and critical introduction to his work, likely written by an editor or literary critic (possibly from a preface or scholarly edition of The Poems of Henry Kendall). The passage provides historical context about Kendall’s life, his literary significance, and his family background, particularly focusing on his grandfather, Thomas Kendall, a missionary whose experiences influenced Henry’s poetic sensibilities.

Below is a breakdown of the excerpt’s key elements, themes, and literary significance, with an emphasis on the text itself.

1. Context & Purpose of the Excerpt

The passage serves multiple functions:

Literary Historical Context: It situates Henry Kendall within the early tradition of Australian poetry, comparing him to contemporaries like Adam Lindsay Gordon (a poet of English background) and Charles Harpur (an earlier Australian-born poet).
Biographical Background: It traces Kendall’s family history, particularly his grandfather Thomas Kendall, whose missionary work in New Zealand and Australia may have indirectly shaped Henry’s poetic themes (e.g., nature, colonial life, and Indigenous encounters).
Critical Assessment: It evaluates Kendall’s poetic legacy, suggesting that despite hardships, his work endures as uniquely Australian.

The excerpt is not a poem but prose commentary, likely intended to help readers understand Kendall’s place in literary history before engaging with his poetry.

2. Key Themes in the Excerpt

A. The Birth of Australian Poetry

The passage emphasizes that Kendall was among the first Australian poets to draw inspiration from the local landscape, traditions, and colonial life, rather than imitating European models.
This aligns with 19th-century nationalist movements in literature, where writers sought to define a distinct cultural identity.
The comparison with Gordon (English-educated) and Harpur (less successful due to circumstances) frames Kendall as the most authentically Australian of the three.

B. Hardship & Artistic Struggle

The text notes that Kendall’s life was "scarcely more fortunate" than Harpur’s, implying that financial or personal difficulties may have limited his output.
Despite this, his work is described as having lasting appeal, suggesting resilience in his art.
This theme of struggling artists was common in Romantic and post-Romantic literary criticism, where poets were often mythologized as tragic figures.

C. Colonial & Missionary Legacy

The detailed account of Thomas Kendall’s life (Henry’s grandfather) serves two purposes:
1. Genealogical Context: It roots Henry Kendall in a family with deep ties to early colonial Australia and New Zealand, which may have influenced his poetic themes (e.g., nature, Indigenous cultures, frontier life).
2. Cultural Exchange: Thomas Kendall’s work with the Maori language (compiling a primer, assisting in linguistic studies) reflects the complex interactions between colonists and Indigenous peoples—a theme that appears in Henry’s poetry (e.g., Bell-Birds, which evokes the Australian bush with a sense of both wonder and melancholy).

D. Fate & Tragedy

The passage ends with Thomas Kendall’s drowning in a shipwreck, a dramatic and tragic conclusion that reinforces the harshness of colonial life.
This tragic tone may foreshadow themes in Henry Kendall’s poetry, which often blends beauty with sorrow (e.g., The Last of His Tribe, which laments the disappearance of Indigenous cultures).

3. Literary Devices & Stylistic Features

Though this is expository prose, it employs several rhetorical and stylistic techniques to engage the reader:

A. Comparative Analysis

The opening sentence contrasts Kendall with Gordon and Harpur, using parallel structure to establish his uniqueness:
"Henry Kendall was the first Australian poet to draw his inspiration from the life, scenery and traditions of the country. In the beginnings of Australian poetry the names of two other men stand with his..."
- This sets up Kendall as the central figure while acknowledging his peers.

B. Evaluative Language (Critical Judgment)

The passage uses qualifying adjectives to assess the poets:
- Harpur’s work lacks "vitality" but has "fitful gleams of poetic fire" (suggesting unfinished potential).
- Kendall is a "true singer" whose songs "remain... attractive to poetry lovers" (implying enduring quality).
- This subjective praise is typical of 19th-century literary criticism, which often blended biography with aesthetic judgment.

C. Narrative Structure (Biographical Storytelling)

The shift from literary analysis to Thomas Kendall’s life story creates a mini-biography, using chronological progression to build interest:
- 1809: Thomas arrives in Sydney.
- 1815: Publishes a Maori primer.
- 1820: Works on Maori linguistics in England.
- 1823-1832: Missionary work, timber trade, and tragic death.
- This dramatic arc makes the historical context more engaging.

D. Implied Themes (Foreshadowing Kendall’s Poetry)

The description of Thomas Kendall’s linguistic work with the Maori subtly connects to Henry’s poetic engagement with Indigenous themes.
The shipwreck and drowning at the end introduces a tragic note, mirroring the melancholic undertones in Henry’s nature poetry.

4. Significance of the Excerpt

A. For Understanding Henry Kendall’s Poetry

The passage prepares the reader to see Kendall’s work as:
- Rooted in Australian landscape and history (unlike Gordon’s more British-influenced verse).
- Influenced by colonial encounters (via his grandfather’s missionary work).
- Marked by a blend of beauty and sorrow (reflecting the hardships of his life and family history).

B. For Australian Literary History

The excerpt positions Kendall as a foundational figure in Australian poetry, emphasizing nationalist themes before they became dominant in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
It also highlights the struggles of early Australian writers, many of whom faced financial instability and limited recognition.

C. For Postcolonial & Indigenous Studies

The discussion of Thomas Kendall’s work with the Maori raises questions about:
- Cultural appropriation vs. preservation: Was his linguistic work exploitative or a genuine effort to document Indigenous languages?
- Colonial ambivalence: The passage presents him as a friend to the Maori, but historical records suggest missionary efforts often had assimilationist or destructive effects.
- This complex legacy may inform readings of Henry Kendall’s poems that engage with Indigenous themes (e.g., The Last of His Tribe).

5. Connection to Henry Kendall’s Actual Poetry

While this excerpt is not a poem, it sets up key themes that appear in Kendall’s work:

Theme in Excerpt	Example in Kendall’s Poetry
Australian landscape as inspiration	Bell-Birds ("By channels of coolness the echoes are calling...")
Melancholy & loss	The Last of His Tribe ("He is gone from his wild bush home...")
Colonial hardship	Beyond the City Gates (contrasts urban life with rural struggle)
Indigenous encounters	The Waratah and the Wattle (symbolic engagement with native flora)

The biographical details (e.g., his grandfather’s missionary work) may explain why Kendall’s poetry often romanticizes nature while acknowledging human suffering.

6. Conclusion: Why This Excerpt Matters

This introduction is more than just background—it shapes how we read Kendall’s poetry by:

Framing him as Australia’s first "true" national poet.
Linking his work to colonial history, including Indigenous interactions.
Highlighting the tragic and resilient aspects of his life, which mirror his poetic themes.

For a modern reader, the excerpt also invites critical questions:

How did Kendall’s family history influence his portrayal of Australia?
Does his poetry romanticize or critically engage with colonialism?
How does his work compare to later Australian poets (e.g., Banjo Paterson, Judith Wright)?

Ultimately, this passage serves as a lens through which to approach Kendall’s poems—not just as nature lyrics, but as artifacts of a young nation’s literary and cultural formation.