C. J. Dennis facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
C. J. Dennis
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| Born |
Clarence Michael James Dennis
7 September 1876 |
| Died | 22 June 1938 (aged 61) Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
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| Burial place | Box Hill Cemetery |
| Occupation | Writer |
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Notable work
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The Songs of a Sentimental Bloke |
| Parent(s) | James Dennis Kate Francis Dennis (nee Tobin) |
Clarence Michael James Stanislaus Dennis, known as C. J. Dennis, was an Australian poet. He was born on 7 September 1876 and passed away on 22 June 1938. He was famous for his funny poems, especially "The Songs of a Sentimental Bloke". This book came out in the early 1900s.
Even though his work is not as well-known today, The Sentimental Bloke sold 65,000 copies in its first year (1915). By 1917, he was the most successful poet in Australian history.
C. J. Dennis is often seen as one of Australia's three most famous poets. The other two are Banjo Paterson and Henry Lawson. He worked with both of them.
Dennis once said he was the 'laureate of the larrikin'. A larrikin is a mischievous but good-hearted person. When he died at 61, Australia's Prime Minister, Joseph Lyons, said Dennis would be remembered like the famous Scottish poet Robert Burns.
About C. J. Dennis
C. J. Dennis was born in Auburn, South Australia. His father owned hotels in Auburn, then later in Gladstone and Laura.
Clarrie, as he was called, was first raised by his great-aunts. His mother was often unwell. Later, he went to school at Christian Brothers College, Adelaide as a teenager.
When he was 19, he worked as a solicitor's clerk. This means he helped a lawyer with office tasks. While doing this job, his first poem was published. He used the pen name "The Best of the Six".
He later published poems in The Worker under his own name and as "Den". He also wrote for The Bulletin. His poems were later collected and published by Angus & Robertson.
In 1897, he joined the writing team of The Critic. After working odd jobs in Broken Hill, he returned to The Critic. Around 1904, he became its editor for a time.
In 1906, he started his own literary magazine called The Gadfly. It stopped being published in 1909. From 1922, he worked as a staff poet for the Melbourne Herald newspaper.
C.J. Dennis married Margaret Herron in 1917. She wrote two novels and a book about Dennis called Down the Years.
C. J. Dennis is buried in Box Hill Cemetery, Melbourne. There is a special plaque on his gravestone from the Box Hill Historical Society. He is also remembered with a plaque in Sydney at Circular Quay. This plaque is part of the NSW Ministry for the Arts – Writers Walk series. A statue of his head, called a bust, is outside the town hall in Laura.
Books by C. J. Dennis
Here are some of the books C. J. Dennis wrote:
- Backblock Ballads and Other Verses (1913)
- The Songs of a Sentimental Bloke (1915)
- The Moods of Ginger Mick (1916)
- The Glugs of Gosh (1917)
- Doreen (1917)
- Digger Smith (1918)
- Backblock Ballads and Later Verses (1918)
- Jim of the Hills (1919)
- A Book for Kids (1921) (This was reissued as Roundabout in 1935)
- Rose of Spadgers (1924)
- The Singing Garden (1935)
- The Ant Explorer (published after he died, in 1988)
Well-Known Poems
Here are some of his famous individual poems:
- "The Austra-laise" (1908)
- "An Old Master" (1910)
- "The Ant Explorer" (date unknown)
He also published many shorter works in different Australian newspapers and magazines.
See also
In Spanish: C. J. Dennis para niños
