Kenneth Slessor
Encyclopedia
Kenneth Adolf Slessor OBE (27 March 190130 June 1971) was an Australian poet
and journalist. He was one of Australia's leading poets, notable particularly for the absorption of modernist influences into Australian poetry. The Kenneth Slessor Prize for Poetry
is named after him.
. His family moved to Sydney
in 1903. Slessor attended Mowbray House School
(1910–1914) and the Sydney Church of England Grammar School
(1915–1918), where he began to write poetry. His first published poem was in 1917 about a digger in Europe, remembering Sydney and its icons.
Slessor graduated in 1918 and joined the Sydney Sun as a journalist. In 1919, seven of his poems were published. Slessor married Noela Glasson, who was 28, on 18 August 1922. They lived in Chatswood
, New South Wales.
(1939–1945). Slessor counted Norman Lindsay
, Hugh McCrae
and Jack Lindsay
among his friends.
The bulk of Slessor's poetic work was produced before the end of the Second World War. His poem "Five Bells" – relating to Sydney Harbour, time, the past, memory, and the death of the artist, friend and colleague of Slessor at Smith's Weekly
, Joe Lynch – remains probably his best known poem, followed by "Beach Burial", a tribute to Australian troops who fought in World War II.
In the New Year's Honours of 1959, Slessor was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire
for services to literature.
In 1965, Australian writer Hal Porter
wrote of having met and stayed with Slessor in the 1930s. He described Slessor as:
Slessor also wrote on rugby league
football for the popular publication Smith's Weekly.
Poet
A poet is a person who writes poetry. A poet's work can be literal, meaning that his work is derived from a specific event, or metaphorical, meaning that his work can take on many meanings and forms. Poets have existed since antiquity, in nearly all languages, and have produced works that vary...
and journalist. He was one of Australia's leading poets, notable particularly for the absorption of modernist influences into Australian poetry. The Kenneth Slessor Prize for Poetry
Kenneth Slessor Prize for Poetry
The Kenneth Slessor Prize for Poetry is awarded annually as part of the New South Wales Premier's Literary Awards for a book of collected poems or for a single poem of substantial length published in book form...
is named after him.
Life
Slessor was born Kenneth Adolphe Schloesser in Orange, New South WalesOrange, New South Wales
Orange is a city in the Central West region of New South Wales, Australia. It is west of the state capital, Sydney, at an altitude of . Orange has an estimated population of 39,329 and the city is a major provincial centre....
. His family moved to Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
in 1903. Slessor attended Mowbray House School
Mowbray House School
Mowbray House School was an independent, day and boarding school for boys, located in Chatswood, on the North Shore of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.-History:...
(1910–1914) and the Sydney Church of England Grammar School
Sydney Church of England Grammar School
Sydney Church of England Grammar School is an independent, Anglican, day and boarding school for boys, located in North Sydney, New South Wales, Australia....
(1915–1918), where he began to write poetry. His first published poem was in 1917 about a digger in Europe, remembering Sydney and its icons.
Slessor graduated in 1918 and joined the Sydney Sun as a journalist. In 1919, seven of his poems were published. Slessor married Noela Glasson, who was 28, on 18 August 1922. They lived in Chatswood
Chatswood, New South Wales
Chatswood is a suburb on the North Shore of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Chatswood is located 10 kilometres north of the Sydney central business district and is the administrative centre of the local government area of the City of Willoughby. Chatswood West is a separate suburb...
, New South Wales.
Career
Slessor made his living as a newspaper journalist, mostly for the Sydney Sun, and was a war correspondent during World War IIWorld War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
(1939–1945). Slessor counted Norman Lindsay
Norman Lindsay
Norman Alfred William Lindsay was an Australian artist, sculptor, writer, editorial cartoonist, scale modeler, and boxer. He was born in Creswick, Victoria....
, Hugh McCrae
Hugh McCrae
Hugh Raymond McCrae was an Australian writer.McCrae was born in Melbourne, the son of the Australian author George Gordon McCrae. He was originally articled to an architect, but later took upon writing and acting, settling eventually in Sydney and Camden...
and Jack Lindsay
Jack Lindsay
Robert Leeson Jack Lindsay was an Australian-born writer, who from 1926 lived in the United Kingdom, initially in Essex. He was born in Melbourne, but spent his formative years in Brisbane...
among his friends.
The bulk of Slessor's poetic work was produced before the end of the Second World War. His poem "Five Bells" – relating to Sydney Harbour, time, the past, memory, and the death of the artist, friend and colleague of Slessor at Smith's Weekly
Smith's Weekly
Smith's Weekly was an Australian tabloid newspaper published from 1919 to 1950. An independent weekly published in Sydney, but read all over Australia, Smith’s Weekly was one of Australia’s most patriotic newspaper-style magazines....
, Joe Lynch – remains probably his best known poem, followed by "Beach Burial", a tribute to Australian troops who fought in World War II.
In the New Year's Honours of 1959, Slessor was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
for services to literature.
In 1965, Australian writer Hal Porter
Hal Porter
Harold Edward Porter was an Australian novelist, playwright, poet and short-story writer.Porter was born in Albert Park, Victoria, grew up in Bairnsdale, Victoria and worked as a journalist, teacher and librarian. A car accident just before the outbreak of war prevented him from serving in World...
wrote of having met and stayed with Slessor in the 1930s. He described Slessor as:
"...a city lover, fastidious and excessively courteous, in those qualities resembles BaudelaireCharles BaudelaireCharles Baudelaire was a French poet who produced notable work as an essayist, art critic, and pioneering translator of Edgar Allan Poe. His most famous work, Les Fleurs du mal expresses the changing nature of beauty in modern, industrializing Paris during the nineteenth century...
, as he does in being incapable of sentimentalizing over vegetation, in finding in nature something cruel, something bordering on effrontery. He prefers chiselled stone to the disorganization of grass".
Slessor also wrote on rugby league
Rugby league
Rugby league football, usually called rugby league, is a full contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular grass field. One of the two codes of rugby football, it originated in England in 1895 by a split from Rugby Football Union over paying players...
football for the popular publication Smith's Weekly.
Trivia
- Slessor has a street in the CanberraCanberraCanberra is the capital city of Australia. With a population of over 345,000, it is Australia's largest inland city and the eighth-largest city overall. The city is located at the northern end of the Australian Capital Territory , south-west of Sydney, and north-east of Melbourne...
suburb of McKellarMcKellar, Australian Capital TerritoryMcKellar is a residential suburb of Canberra, Australia in the Belconnen district. The suburb is named after Colin McKellar who was Minister for Repatriation from 1964-70. The suburb name was gazetted on 15 January 1974...
named after him. - The bells motif in "Five Bells" is referenced at the end of the 1999 song "You Gotta Love This CityLove This CityLove This City is the fourth studio album by Australian band The Whitlams, released by Black Yak through Warner in 1999.-Track listing:#"Make The World Safe" – 3:43#"Thank You " – 3:59#"Chunky Chunky Air Guitar" – 3:04...
" by The WhitlamsThe WhitlamsThe discography of The Whitlams consists of six studio albums, two live albums, one compilation album, and eighteen singles.-Studio albums:-Live albums:-Compilation albums:-Singles:-Videos:-Music videos:-Awards:...
, which also involves a drowning death in Sydney Harbour.