Give us, from dawn to dark, Blue of Australian skies; Let there be none to mark Whither our pathway lies.
Give us, when noontide comes, Rest in the woodland free, Fragrant breath of the gums, Cold, sweet scent of the sea.
Give us the wattle"s gold, And the dew-laden air, And the loveliness bold Loneliest landscapes wear.
These are the haunts we love, Glad with enchanted hours, Bright as the heavens above, Fresh as the wild bush flowers.
-James Lister Cuthbertson
About the Author.-James Lister Cuthbertson was born in Scotland in 1851. He went to school there and afterwards to Oxford University, where he took his degree of Bachelor of Arts. He came to Australia and taught at the Geelong Grammar School from 1875 to 1896. He died in 1910. His Barwon Ballads and his Collected Poems have appeared in book form.
About the Poem.-What season is the poet writing about? Where is the pathway? Why can no one "mark" it? What are the joys of noontide? What beauties of sight and smell does he mention? What are "enchanted hours"?
Suggestions for Verse-speaking.-Divide the class into three sections. Each section speaks a verse and all join in the last verse.
