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| Adam Lindsay Gordon was a Poet, Horseman, Politician, Speculator & Policeman. His epitaph bears the words: - "Life is mostly froth and bubble, Two things stand like stone: KINDNESS in another's trouble. COURAGE in your own." It seems he had a very sad end committing suicide at Brighton Beach the day after his book "Bush Ballads and Galloping Rhymes" was published. Linking to Taphophile Tragics |
Tuesday, March 13, 2012
A. (Adam) Lindsay Gordon 1833-70
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That's sad Joe, only 37yrs old, sounds like he might have been a 'troubled' soul.
ReplyDeleteWhat a tragic end to a man of such talents .
ReplyDeleteAdam Lindsay Gordon seemed to lead such discordant careers! Like a tension of interests rather than a complement! The only main thread seemed to be his passion for riding. (I have a very old leather bound edition of his poetry!) A.B.("Banjo") Patterson (1864-1941) always seemed to me to be some kind of "metaphorical" rival to Gordon! Their time frames overlapped, but somehow Gordon was the outsider - born in the Azores, then England, then South Australia, Western Australia and finally Victoria - while Paterson was born and lived in country NSW with some living in Sydney NSW! Somehow Paterson was grounded in all things Australian while Gordon seemed to be sinking into his own despair of all things Gordon. Indeed, Gordon was a troubled, wandering soul! His memorial at Brighton beach seems so far from his riding lifestyle.
ReplyDeleteThanks for this information. You are very lucky to have an old leather bound edition of his poetry.
DeleteThe world is too hard for creative souls...
ReplyDeleteThe broken column is usually a symbol of a promising life cut short.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the explanation. I like this symbolism.
DeleteYeah, me so too ...
DeleteA very sad end for such a young man.
ReplyDeleteHe was a troubled soul.
ReplyDeleteMuch loved and much missed judging by the memorial.
ReplyDeleteI like that verse which you found on his marker. I wonder if he penned it himself? It was a verse oft quoted by my own departed father. ALG found himself lacking sufficient courage to continue with his life. Immensely sad ...
ReplyDeleteThanks for this post on a well known Australian poet. I have tracked down the burial site for Henry Kendall (in Waverley) and know that Henry Lawson is also in Waverley. Want to go back there in the afternoon, and photograph both locations.
Thanks for this, Joe. I especially appreciated knowing about the broken column.
No worries Julie. Just to let you know that the verse on his epitaph is an extract from one of his poems.
DeleteVery sad. The date for his daughter dying at 11 months must be 1868...no doubt part of his sadness.
ReplyDelete