Sunrise, from Bourke's Statue
A youth rein'd in his graceful steed
On Bourke's proud-statued hill,
And bent his eye, with passionate heed,
Where day was breaking still;
He watch'd the glorifying gleams
Sent through the cloud-shapes grand,
And gazed until the god all beams
Burst on his native land.
And like a god, indeed, he rose,
That bright Australian sun,
Swift through the gorgeous phantom shows,
Which flamed,–are changed,–are gone,—
Like battle-pomps of many a legion
When first their bright ranks close;
Or burning city in a region
Of dim and distant snows.
Ay, glorious more than dream of things
All beauty, joy, and power,
Broke forth his world illuminings,
His splendours of that hour.
And blissful as may ever seem
This thorny world of ours,
The palaced shore and harbour-stream
Glow'd in his beamy showers.
The young Australian press'd his steed
Onward, with throbbing heart:
Wild, thrilling thoughts, which none might read,
Rich hopes new-born, were part
Henceforth of his impassioned life;
And ever in his breast,
By day, by night, in calm, in strife,
That picture seem'd to rest.
That glorious picture he had seen
From infancy till then;
But it a shining blank had been,—
No thought of freeborn men
Had flash'd upon his spirit, there
No prescience of the fame
And greatness of a land so fair
E'er smote him, as with flame.
But ever hence shall he behold,
That picture at all hours,
With thoughts more rich than virgin gold,
With hopes more bright than flowers.
And, 'mid the soul–fret of the mart,
And in the ball-room's glee,
His country shall be next his heart—
A nation great and free.
This work is in the public domain in Australia because it was created in Australia and the term of copyright has expired. According to Australian Copyright Council - Duration of Copyright, the following works are public domain:
- published non-government works whose author died before January 1, 1955,
- anonymous or pseudonymous works and photographs published before January 1, 1955, and
- government works published more than 50 years ago (before January 1, 1975).
This work is also in the public domain in the United States because it was first published outside the United States (and not published in the U.S. within 30 days), and it was first published before 1989 without complying with U.S. copyright formalities (renewal and/or copyright notice) and it was in the public domain in Australia on the URAA date (January 1, 1996). This is the combined effect of Australia having joined the Berne Convention in 1928, and of 17 USC 104A with its critical date of January 1, 1996.
Because the Australian copyright term in 1996 was 50 years, the critical date for copyright in the United States under the URAA is January 1, 1946.
This work may be in the public domain in countries and areas with longer native copyright terms that apply the rule of the shorter term to foreign works.
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