Henry Archibald Lawson is an Australian poet and short story writer who rose from humble rural beginnings to establish a durable reputation as one of Australia’s most popular and influential literary figures. His verse is not highly valued by professional literary critics because of its reliance upon popular verse forms, its lack of technical and intellectual sophistication, and the large quantity of ill-considered doggerel published under the pressure of personal circumstances during his lifetime. His literary reputation rests primarily upon his contribution to the Australian short story and his stark realism, prose economy, and social interest have provided models for succeeding generations of Australian writers. Lawson wrote verse when it was a recognised journalistic mode, however,…
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Citation: Lee, Christopher John. "Henry Lawson". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 11 June 2009 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/speople.php?rec=true&UID=2644, accessed 17 October 2024.]
