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C. J. Dennis Quotes (1876-1938)
Poet
About C. J. Dennis
Clarence Michael James Stanislaus Dennis (7 September 1876 – 22 June 1938), better known as C. J. Dennis, was an Australian poet and journalist known for his best-selling verse novel The Songs of a Sentimental Bloke (1915). Alongside his contemporaries and occasional collaborators Henry Lawson and Banjo Paterson, Dennis helped popularise Australian slang in literature, earning him the title "the laureate of the larrikin".
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“I disapprove of people who moot things.”
“You might grow bored with being good;
And, furthermore, I think you would.”
And, furthermore, I think you would.”
“"Look fer yer profits in the 'earts o' friends,
Fer 'atin' never paid no dividends."”
Fer 'atin' never paid no dividends."”
“We done poor Muvver proud when she went out—
A slap-up send-orf, trimmed wiv tears an' crape.”
A slap-up send-orf, trimmed wiv tears an' crape.”
“Get a —— move on,
Have some —— sense.
Learn the —— art of
Self de- —— -fence!”
Have some —— sense.
Learn the —— art of
Self de- —— -fence!”
“It’s bad enough to be a bloke without one reel close friend;
But when your dog gives you the bird it’s pretty near the end.”
But when your dog gives you the bird it’s pretty near the end.”
“Women is strange. You take my tip; I’m wise.
I know enough to know I'll never know
The ’uman female mind ...”
I know enough to know I'll never know
The ’uman female mind ...”
“Of all the gems in this wide world
(No matter what their hue be),
The one I find most beautiful
Is certainly the emerald.”
(No matter what their hue be),
The one I find most beautiful
Is certainly the emerald.”
“Professional gardeners are usually rather earthy uncommunicative men with a deliberate manner, a slight stoop and the dull-fish-like eye of the confirmed pessimist.”
“"How would I hold a husband? Is it that you’re askin’ me?
If it’s needful to hold, that is easily told—
Be the scruff of his neck!" said she.”
If it’s needful to hold, that is easily told—
Be the scruff of his neck!" said she.”
“For many years it has been my habit to divide gardeners into three classes. These are professional gardeners, professional amateur gardeners, and amateur amateur gardeners.”
“Willy! O 'ell! 'Ere wus a flamin' pill!
A moniker that alwus makes me ill.
"If it's the same to you, mum," I replies
"I answer quicker to the name of Bill."”
A moniker that alwus makes me ill.
"If it's the same to you, mum," I replies
"I answer quicker to the name of Bill."”
“Livin' an' lovin'; learnin' day be day;
Pausin' a minute in the barmy strife
To find that 'elpin' others on the way
Is gold coined fer your profit—sich is life.”
Pausin' a minute in the barmy strife
To find that 'elpin' others on the way
Is gold coined fer your profit—sich is life.”
“Sittin' at ev'nin' in this sunset-land,
Wiv 'Er in all the World to 'old me 'and,
A son, to bear me name when I am gone. ...
Livin' an' lovin'—so life mooches on.”
Wiv 'Er in all the World to 'old me 'and,
A son, to bear me name when I am gone. ...
Livin' an' lovin'—so life mooches on.”
“Livin' an' lovin'; learnin' to fergive
The deeds an' words of some un'appy bloke
Who's missed the bus—so 'ave I come to live,
An' take the 'ole mad world as 'arf a joke.”
The deeds an' words of some un'appy bloke
Who's missed the bus—so 'ave I come to live,
An' take the 'ole mad world as 'arf a joke.”
“They say the whole world’s down and out;
But here’s what I can’t see:
If every land, beyond all doubt,
In all the earth is up the spout—
Then who's the mortgagee?”
But here’s what I can’t see:
If every land, beyond all doubt,
In all the earth is up the spout—
Then who's the mortgagee?”
“Yeh live, yeh love, yeh learn; an' when yeh come
To square the ledger in some thortful hour,
The everlastin' answer to the sum
Must allus be, "Where's sense in gittin' sour?"”
To square the ledger in some thortful hour,
The everlastin' answer to the sum
Must allus be, "Where's sense in gittin' sour?"”
“Farmer! That's me! Wiv this 'ere strong right 'and
I've gripped the plough; and blistered jist a treat.
Doreen an' me 'as gone upon the land.
Yours truly fer the burden an' the 'eat!”
I've gripped the plough; and blistered jist a treat.
Doreen an' me 'as gone upon the land.
Yours truly fer the burden an' the 'eat!”
“"A boy!" she sez. "An' bofe is doin' well!"
I drops into a chair, an' jist sez—"'Ell!"
It was a pray'r. I feels bofe crook an' glad. ...
An' that's the strength of bein' made a dad.”
I drops into a chair, an' jist sez—"'Ell!"
It was a pray'r. I feels bofe crook an' glad. ...
An' that's the strength of bein' made a dad.”
“To mock the tree-lined highways of our dreaming,
Winding to pleasant plains and sunlit hills,
Loud-speakers yet may blare 'mid billboards screaming
To hymn the praise of someone’s priceless pills.”
Winding to pleasant plains and sunlit hills,
Loud-speakers yet may blare 'mid billboards screaming
To hymn the praise of someone’s priceless pills.”
“Now, a woman, she’s a woman. I ’ave fixed that for a cert.
They’re jist as like as rows uv peas from ’at to ’em uv skirt.
An’ then, they’re all so different, yeh find, before yeh’ve done,
The more yeh know uv all uv ’em the less yeh know uv one.”
They’re jist as like as rows uv peas from ’at to ’em uv skirt.
An’ then, they’re all so different, yeh find, before yeh’ve done,
The more yeh know uv all uv ’em the less yeh know uv one.”
What C. J. Dennis Said About Others
Discover personal opinions C. J. Dennis shared regarding contemporaries.
C. J. Dennis on Women 2 quotes
“Women is strange. You take my tip; I’m wise. I know enough to know I'll never know The ’uman female mind.”
About C. J. Dennis
Clarence Michael James Stanislaus Dennis (7 September 1876 – 22 June 1938), better known as C. J. Dennis, was an Australian poet and journalist known for his best-selling verse novel The Songs of a Sentimental Bloke (1915). Alongside his contemporaries and occasional collaborators Henry Lawson and Banjo Paterson, Dennis helped popularise Australian slang in literature, earning him the title "the laureate of the larrikin".
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