In Memory of an Actress
July 6, 2023His Mate
July 6, 2023His Soul
ONCE from the world of living men
I passed, by a strange fancy led,
To a still City of the Dead,
To call upon a citizen.
He had been famous in his day;
Much talked of, written of, and praised
For virtues my small soul amazed—
And yet I thought his heart was clay.
He was too full of grace for me:
His friends said, on a marble stone,
His soul sat somewhere near the Throne
I did not know; I called to see.
His name and fame were on the door—
A most superior tomb indeed,
Much railed, and gilt, and filigreed;
He occupied the lower floor.
I knocked—a worm crawled from its hole:
I looked—and knew it for his soul.
Victor James Daley
Victor James Daley (1858-1905) was an Australian poet and writer who is often associated with the Australian bush poetry tradition. His work was characterized by a love of the Australian landscape and a deep sense of patriotism. Daley's poetry often celebrated the Australian way of life, and he was one of the first writers to use the Australian vernacular in his work. Despite his relatively short life, Daley was an important figure in Australian literature and his poetry has been widely studied and admired.