''Rio Grande's Last Race'' is a racing poem by
Australia
Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country comprising mainland Australia, the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania and list of islands of Australia, numerous smaller isl ...
n writer and poet
Andrew Barton "Banjo" Paterson. It was first published in the London ''Sketch'' magazine on 16 December 1896.
[Austlit - "Rio Grande's Last Race" by A. B. Paterson]
/ref> It was later published as the title poem for Paterson's second poetry collection, '' Rio Grande's Last Race and Other Verses'', in 1902.
The poem was one of Paterson's favourites, and its theme of a jockey's premonition of death is unusual for the poet.[''The Oxford Companion to Australian Literature'', 2nd edition, p650]
Plot summary
Jack Macpherson, the only jockey with the ability and "hands to hold/The rushing Rio Grande", sits in the stands and retells the story of his dream. He dreamt that he was surrounded before the race by horses and riders, all dead, who told him how to ride Rio Grande that day. But the race was to end in tragedy with horse and rider both dying.
Further publications
* '' Rio Grande's Last Race and Other Verses'' by Banjo Paterson (1902)
* ''Favourite Australian Poems'' edited by Ian Mudie (1963)
* ''Singer of the Bush, A. B. (Banjo) Paterson : Complete Works 1885-1900'' edited by Rosamund Campbell and Philippa Harvie (1983)
* ''A Vision Splendid : The Complete Poetry of A. B. 'Banjo' Paterson'' (1990)
* ''The Best Australian Yarns : And Other True Stories'' edited by Jim Haynes (2013)
See also
* 1896 in poetry
* 1896 in literature
This article contains information about the literary events and publications of 1896.
Events
*February 11 – While Oscar Wilde is in prison, his play ''Salome'' (written in 1891) is premièred in its original French by Lugné-Poe's Théâtre d ...
* 1896 in Australian literature
* 1902 in Australian literature
* Australian literature
Australian literature is the literature, written or literary work produced in the area or by the people of the Australia, Commonwealth of Australia and its preceding colonies. During its early Western culture, Western history, Australia was a ...
References
{{Banjo Paterson
1896 poems
Poetry by Banjo Paterson