Victor James William Patrick Daley (5 September 1858 – 29 December 1905) was an Australian poet. Daley serves chiefly as an example of the

Celtic Twilight The Celtic Revival (also referred to as the Celtic Twilight) is a variety of movements and trends in the 19th, 20th and 21st centuries that see a renewed interest in aspects of Celtic culture. Artists and writers drew on the traditions of Gael ...

in Australian verse. He also serves as a lyrical alternative to his contemporary bush balladists of

Henry Lawson Henry Archibald Hertzberg Lawson (17 June 1867 – 2 September 1922) was an Australian writer and bush poet. Along with his contemporary Banjo Paterson, Lawson is among the best-known Australian poets and fiction writers of the colonial period ...

Banjo Paterson Andrew Barton "Banjo" Paterson, (17 February 18645 February 1941) was an Australian bush poet, journalist and author, widely considered one of the greatest writers of Australia's colonial period. Born in rural New South Wales, Paterson worke ...

, and Will H. Ogilvie. __TOC__

Life

Daley was born at the

Navan Navan ( ; , meaning "the Cave") is the county town and largest town of County Meath, Republic of Ireland, Ireland. It is at the confluence of the River Boyne and Leinster Blackwater, Blackwater, around 50 km northwest of Dublin. At the ...

County Meath County Meath ( ; or simply , ) is a Counties of Ireland, county in the Eastern and Midland Region of Republic of Ireland, Ireland, within the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinster. It is bordered by County Dublin to the southeast, County ...

, Ireland,Some articles incorrectly indicate Navan was in County Armagh, such as the Australian Dictionary of Biography (1981). and was educated at the Christian Brothers at Devonport in England. He arrived in Australia in 1878, and became a freelance journalist and writer in both

Melbourne Melbourne ( , ; Boonwurrung language, Boonwurrung/ or ) is the List of Australian capital cities, capital and List of cities in Australia by population, most populous city of the States and territories of Australia, Australian state of Victori ...

and

Sydney Sydney is the capital city of the States and territories of Australia, state of New South Wales and the List of cities in Australia by population, most populous city in Australia. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Syd ...

. Whilst in Melbourne, he met and became a friend of

Marcus Clarke Marcus Andrew Hislop Clarke (24 April 1846 – 2 August 1881) was an English-born Australian novelist, journalist, poet, editor, librarian, and playwright. He is best known for his 1874 novel ''For the Term of His Natural Life'', about the con ...

; later, in Sydney, he became acquainted with Henry Kendall. He is notable for becoming the first author in Australia who tried to earn a living from writing alone. In Sydney in 1898, he founded the

bohemian Bohemian or Bohemians may refer to: *Anything of or relating to Bohemia Culture and arts * Bohemianism, an unconventional lifestyle, originally practised by 19th–20th century European and American artists and writers. * Bohemian style, a ...

Dawn and Dusk Club The Dawn and Dusk Club, or ''Dawn and Duskers'', was a Sydney-based Australian Bohemian club of writer friends from the late 19th century who met for drinks and camaraderie. Writer Henry Lawson was a prominent member of the club. The motto was '' ...

, and the later Supper Club, which had many notable members such as writer

. Together with fellow notable poet

Louise Mack Marie Louise Hamilton Mack (10 October 1870 – 23 November 1935) was an Australian poet, journalist and novelist. She is most known for her writings and her involvement in World War I in 1914 as the first woman war correspondent in Belgium. Bi ...

, he organised the farewell dinner to Scottish-Australian poet and bush balladeer Will H. Ogilvie (1869–1963) in 1901 at the Hotel Australia, Sydney.

and

Roderic Quinn Roderic Joseph Quinn (26 November 1867 – 15 August 1949) was an Australian poet. Early life Quinn was born in Sydney the seventh child of Irish parents: Edward Quinn, letter-carrier, and his wife Catherine. He was educated at Catholic school ...

were also present at the send-off. He used the

pseudonym A pseudonym (; ) or alias () is a fictitious name that a person assumes for a particular purpose, which differs from their original or true meaning ( orthonym). This also differs from a new name that entirely or legally replaces an individual's o ...

Creeve Roe (Irish for ''Red Branch'', the area next to the Navan where

Cú Chulainn Cú Chulainn ( ), is an Irish warrior hero and demigod in the Ulster Cycle of Irish mythology, as well as in Scottish and Manx folklore. He is believed to be an incarnation of the Irish god Lugh, who is also his father. His mother is the ...

trained as a Red Branch Knight), as well as his own name. Daley died at his home in Waitara, Sydney of

tuberculosis Tuberculosis (TB), also known colloquially as the "white death", or historically as consumption, is a contagious disease usually caused by ''Mycobacterium tuberculosis'' (MTB) bacteria. Tuberculosis generally affects the lungs, but it can al ...

and was buried in the Roman Catholic section of

Waverley Cemetery The Waverley Cemetery is a Heritage register, heritage-listed cemetery on top of the cliffs at Bronte, New South Wales, Bronte in the eastern suburbs of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. Opened in 1877 and built by R. Watkins (cemetery lodge, ...

Legacy

His work was not considered particularly ''Australian'' in nature, but quite lyrical, with 'natural delicacy of expression, graceful imagery, and refinement of language'. His ''Poems'' (1908) and other collections were published posthumously. Daley's finest Australian work was considered to be ''

A Sunset Fantasy "A Sunset Fantasy" (1888) is a poem by Australian poet Victor Daley. It was originally published in '' The Bulletin'' on 21 January 1888, and was subsequently reprinted in the author's single-author collections and a number of Australian poetr ...

''. When he died, Scottish-Australian poet and bush balladeer Will H. Ogilvie (1869–1963) penned: :When 'the little folk' meet by the red rowan tree ::The dance shall be stayed in the ring on the plot :While they twine in his green Irish isle of the sea ::The wreath we forgot. A memoir of Daley by Bertram Stevens was published in ''Wine and Roses''.

Bibliography

* ''

At Dawn and Dusk ''At Dawn and Dusk'' (1898) was the first collection of poems by Australian poet Victor Daley. It was released in Australia in hardback by Angus and Robertson in 1898, and also that same year in London by publishers James Bowden. The original co ...

'' (1898) * ''Wine and Roses'' (1911) * ''Creeve Roe'' (1947)

Individual works

* " The First of May" (1882) * " At the Opera" (1883) * "

Dreams A dream is a succession of images, ideas, emotions, and sensations that usually occur involuntarily in the mind during certain stages of sleep. Humans spend about two hours dreaming per night, and each dream lasts around 5–20 minutes, althou ...

" (1883) * " On the River" (1885) (also known as "Years After") * " On the Shore" (1885) (also known as "Sunset") * "

Brunette Brown hair, also referred to as brunette (when female), is the second-most common human hair color, after black hair. It varies from light brown to dark hair. It is characterized by higher levels of the dark pigment eumelanin and lower level ...

" (1886) * "

Poppies Poppies can refer to: *Poppy, a flowering plant *The Poppies (disambiguation) - multiple uses *''Poppies (film)'' - Children's BBC remembrance animation *Poppies (Mary Oliver poem), ''Poppies'' (poem) - a poem by Mary Oliver *"Poppies", a song by P ...

" (1886) * " The Old Wife and the New" (1887) * "

" (1888) * "

Even So ''Even So'' was the seventh studio album by Japanese singer-songwriter Bonnie Pink, released on the Warner Music Japan Warner Music Group (WMG) owns, has a joint share, or is associated with the record labels listed here. Flagship labels *Atl ...

" (1890) * "

Lachesis Lachesis ( ; ; from , 'to obtain by lot, by fate, or by the will of the gods'), in ancient Greek religion, was the middle of the Three Fates, or Moirai; the others were her sisters, Clotho and Atropos. Normally seen clothed in white, Laches ...

" (1891) * " A-Roving" (1892) * "

Cares The Cares is a river in Northern Spain that flows through the autonomous communities of Asturias and León until it joins the Deva River and flows into the Atlantic Ocean at the Bay of Biscay. It forms the Tina Mayor estuary, the natural borde ...

" (1892) * " Correggio Jones" (1898) * " The Woods of Dandenong" (1899) * " Players" (1900) * " When London Calls" (1900) * "

Anna Anna may refer to: People Surname and given name * Anna (name) Mononym * Anna the Prophetess, in the Gospel of Luke * Anna of East Anglia, King (died c.654) * Anna (wife of Artabasdos) (fl. 715–773) * Anna (daughter of Boris I) (9th–10th c ...

" (1902) * " The Woman at the Washtub" (1902) * " The Night Ride" (1907)

Notes

References

External links

* *
Australian Authors -- Victor Daley (1858-1905)
contains a number of his poems. {{DEFAULTSORT:Daley, Victor 1858 births 1905 deaths Poets from Melbourne 19th-century Australian poets 20th-century deaths from tuberculosis Tuberculosis deaths in Australia Infectious disease deaths in New South Wales