Bush Poet

Bush Poet

Bush poets were Australian poets who wrote about Australian rural life during colonial times and about the Australian bush. Many colonial bush poets were illiterate and performed their poems from memory instead of writing them. Bush poetry evolved from the jokes and stories shared by early settlers. To help with memorising these, rhyme and verse were introduced.

Bush poetry reflects communal attitudes and traditional Australian culture. Its language is characteristically colloquial and colourful, and its underlying thematic concern is the emergence and development of the Australian identity.

It may be argued by some that bush poetry did not originate so recently, but rather is an adaption of ancient music and ceremonies performed by the Aboriginal natives of the land. Stories of the Dreamtime can be considered to be the beginnings of the bush poetry as an entity.