Who is Kenneth Slessor

Kenneth Adolphe Slessor (27 March 1901 – 30 June 1971) was an Australian poet, journalist and official war correspondent in World War II. 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.

Early life

Slessor was born Kenneth Adolphe Schloesser in Orange, New South Wales. As a boy, he lived in England for a time with his parents and in Australia visited the mines of rural New South Wales with his father, a Jewish mining engineer whose father and grandfather had been distinguished musicians in Germany.His family moved to Sydney in 1903. Slessor attended Mowbray House School (1910–1914) and the Sydney Church of England Grammar Sch...
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Kenneth Slessor Poems

  • Last Trams
    I
    THAT street washed with violet
    Writes like a tablet
    Of living here; that pavement ...
  • Chessmen
    CHAFING on flags of ebony and pearl,
    My paladins are waiting. Loops of smoke
    Stoop slowly from the coffee-cups, and curl
    In thin fantastic patterns down the room ...
  • Out Of Time
    1
    I saw Time flowing like a hundred yachts
    That fly behind the daylight, foxed with air;
    Or piercing, like the quince-bright, bitter slats ...
  • Full Orchestra
    MY words are the poor footmen of your pride,
    Of what you cry, you trumpets, each to each
    With mouths of air; my speech is the dog-speech
    Of yours, the Roman tongueâ??but mine is tied ...
  • City Nightfall
    SMOKE upon smoke; over the stone lips
    Of chimneys bleeding, a darker fume descends.
    Night, the old nun, in voiceless pity bends
    To kiss corruption, so fabulous her pity. ...
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Top 10 most used topics by Kenneth Slessor

Night 19 Dark 18 Light 16 Earth 14 Black 13 Long 13 Gold 13 Time 13 Moon 13 Water 13


Kenneth Slessor Quotes

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Comments about Kenneth Slessor

Onthenthday: on the 2,156,293rd day, god created kenneth slessor.
Hunter_books: everybody digs pam brown! winner: judith wright calanthe award, qlas. shortlisted: kenneth slessor prize, nsw plas. get your copy of stasis shuffle right here — top secret code ozpo at checkout for free postage:
Newcastleboyy: just looked at the nsw premier’s literary awards 2023. some familiar names. kim cheng boey is listed under the kenneth slessor prize for poetry. dr. boey provided excellent feedback when i was one of his students.
Blvck_skinhead: god of mary slessor
Dehler45: of seabirds’ voices far away . and bells , five bells , five bells coldly ringing out . five bells . kenneth slessor. i like quiet space .
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Poem of the day

Edgar Albert Guest Poem
The Killing Place
 by Edgar Albert Guest

We're hiking along at a two-forty pace
We 're making life seem like a man-killing race,
With our nerves all on edge and our jaws firmly set
We go rushing along; with our brows lined with sweat
And our cheeks pale and drawn every minute we dash,
And the goal that we 're after is merely more cash.

We 're out for the money, the greenbacks and gold,
...

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