Summary
Summary of Poems by Adam Lindsay Gordon
Key ideas
Key idea 1
A horseman writes between two homes
Adam Lindsay Gordon writes with the saddle never far away. His poems follow stockriders, hunters, racehorses, knights and lost lovers, often moving with the beat of galloping hooves. Behind that movement are two homes: the English countryside of hunts and hedges, and the dry bush of creeks, stations and wattle blossom.
His farewell poems bring out the tension between swagger and sorrow. A restless young man claims to care little for loss, yet keeps returning to memories of childhood. That bold voice carries tenderness beneath it.
Key idea 2
Courage meets death without much fuss
Start free to read
Key idea 3
Love binds people to painful choices
Start free to read
Key idea 4
Doubt returns to friendship and courage
Start free to read
Key idea 5
Horses are more than racing excitement
Start free to read
Key idea 6
The bush gives action its rhythm
Start free to read
Key idea 7
Past adventures carry their own remorse
Start free to read
Key idea 8
Hugo faces conscience against desire
Start free to read
Key idea 9
Kindness and courage hold the poems together
Start free to read
The rest of the summary, written and spoken, and the whole book: free to start.
Read the rest freeWho it’s for
Perfect for lovers of galloping rhythm, horses, the Australian bush and old tales of knights and lost love, and for anyone who enjoys verse that sounds best read aloud.
What this book is
What does a man think about as he lies dying in the saddle country of colonial Australia? Adam Lindsay Gordon, a British-born steeplechase rider who died in 1870, answers in galloping verse. His poems follow stockriders, hunters, racehorses, knights and lost lovers, often in rhythms that beat like hooves. You get bush ballads, racing rhymes, sea songs and a long verse drama, all in one volume. Start with the poet himself, a horseman who wrote with the saddle never far away.
In this summary
- 1A horseman poet from two worldsFree
- 2Dying heroes and brave deaths open the book
- 3The wayfarer rests and rides his memories
- 4Ballads of love, betrayal and revenge
- 5Doubt, drink and the sound of the sea
- 6Racing rhymes from Hippodromania
- 7Bush ballads that made his name
- 8Knights, cavaliers and lost love in history
- 9Ashtaroth, a verse drama of temptation
Key point 1 of 9
A horseman poet from two worlds
Adam Lindsay Gordon was born in 1833 and made his name in Australia as a steeplechase rider and poet. His verse carries two homes at once. One is the English countryside of hunts, hedges and old ballads. The other is the dry bush, with its creeks, stations and wattle blossom.
The volume shows this split early. A set of farewell poems, written just before he sailed for Australia in 1853, speaks to a sister and to friends left behind. They are the words of a restless young man who says he cares little for loss, yet keeps returning to a childhood grave and a hawthorn bough. The same mix of swagger and sorrow runs through the whole book.
When you read, listen for the beat. Gordon builds many poems on the rhythm of a horse at gallop, and he often sets a plain, cheerful voice against grim subjects. That contrast, bold on the surface and heavy underneath, is the key to his music.
That’s 1 of 9 key points.
The rest of the summary, written and spoken, and the whole book: free to start.
- Nothing to pay today · Renews every year
- We email you before you pay
- Cancel online in two clicks
Check yourself
What values does the wayfarer settle on?
Right. “Be kind to those who suffer and be brave in your own trouble.”Not quite. “Be kind to those who suffer and be brave in your own trouble.”
What do Gordon's racing and cavalry poems reveal about horses?
Right. “It is the most moving of the group, and it shows Gordon's deep respect for horses as faithful partners.”Not quite. “It is the most moving of the group, and it shows Gordon's deep respect for horses as faithful partners.”
What is the main struggle in Ashtaroth?
Right. “Its main concern is the struggle between conscience and appetite, and how fate and free choice seem to pull together.”Not quite. “Its main concern is the struggle between conscience and appetite, and how fate and free choice seem to pull together.”
Questions about Poems by Adam Lindsay Gordon
Who was Adam Lindsay Gordon?
He was a British-born poet and steeplechase rider who lived in Australia and died in 1870. His poems about horses, the bush and brave endings made him a leading voice of colonial Australian verse.
What is The Sick Stockrider about?
It is a ballad spoken by a dying rider to his mate Ned. As they stop in the shade, he recalls their rides, the chase of bushrangers and the friends who have gone before him.
What kinds of poems are in this collection?
The volume holds bush ballads, racing verses such as Hippodromania, stories of knights, sea and wreck poems, short songs and a long verse drama called Ashtaroth.
What does Ars Longa, Vita Brevis mean?
It is a Latin saying meaning that art is long and life is short. Gordon uses it as the refrain of a poem about youthful hopes meeting the limits of time.
Are these poems easy to read aloud?
Yes, in the best sense of galloping rhythm and strong refrains. Many poems rhyme boldly and move like a horse at pace, so the sound carries the sense even on a first listen.
