Rhyme of the Dead Self
by A.R.D. Fairburn
‘Rhyme of the Dead Self’ by A.R.D. Fairburn is a captivating poem in which the poet speaks about youth and coming of age through images of violence and religion.
A.R.D. Fairburn was a New Zealand poet who was born in 1904 in Aukland and died there at the age of fifty-three in 1957. He is noted as a major writer of the mid-1900s, completing many well-loved volumes of verse. His first collection, He Shall Not Rise, was completely self-funded and published in 1930. During the mid-30s, he contributed to the Christchurch magazine, and worked at the Farmers’ Union while helping to edit its journal. Unfortunately, his popularity has declined since his death. But, for lovers of his work, he stands as one of the best writers of his generation.
‘Rhyme of the Dead Self’ by A.R.D. Fairburn is a captivating poem in which the poet speaks about youth and coming of age through images of violence and religion.