Outline
In a review of the poet's collection, ''Backblock Ballads and Later Verses'', the reviewer in ''Young Witness'' described the poem as follows: ".. tconveys to the reader the power wielded by the old bullock driver, who, by his eloquence in hard swearing, could get more work out of a team than any of the gentle Annie variety of puncher of the present day. The team, on this occasion, was hopelessly bogged, bogged over the axles down to the bed. Bullock whip had no effect on the team, and they stood there chewing their cud, refusing to budge. An old pensioner, who lived in a hut on the roadside, seeing the dilemma, took the whip, and for a while the atmosphere in the vicinity went blue from the oaths that flew from the old fellow, who had not exhausted his vocabulary when the bullocks bent to their yoke, and lifted the waggon from the gluepot. He was 'An Old Master'."Analysis
A reviewer in ''The Telegraph'' (Brisbane) noted: " Mr. Dennis's work is not confined to the rhyming in slang, which were the sole attraction of some of his earlier and lucrative efforts. "An Old Master," with which the volume opens, stands out as one of Mr. Dennis's best."Further publications
* ''Backblock Ballads and Other Verses'' by C. J. Dennis (1913) * ''Backblock Ballads and Later Verses'' by C. J. Dennis (1918) * ''Old Ballads from the Bush'' edited by Bill Scott (1987) * ''Selected Works of C. J. Dennis'' by C. J. Dennis (1988) * ''Favourite Poems of C. J. Dennis'' by C. J. Dennis (1989) * ''Anthology of Bullock Poetry'' edited by Janice Downes (2006) * ''Australian Poetry Since 1788'' edited by Geoffrey Lehmann and Robert Gray (2011)See also
* 1910 in poetry * 1910 in literature * 1910 in Australian literature *References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Old Master, An Australian poems 1910 poems Works originally published in The Bulletin (Australian periodical) Poetry by C. J. Dennis