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Cover image courtesy of publisher.
y separately published work icon The Glugs of Gosh selected work   poetry   humour   satire  
  • Author:agent C. J. Dennis http://www.poetrylibrary.edu.au/poets/dennis-c-j-clarence-james
Issue Details: First known date: 1917... 1917 The Glugs of Gosh
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AbstractHistoryArchive Description

The Glugs of Gosh was C. J. Dennis' fourth book and his third with illustrator Hal Gye and publishers Angus and Robertson. It was published shortly before Doreen the miniature sequel to The Songs of a Sentimental Bloke, which had been dashed off for marketing as a Christmas gift in late 1917. The Glugs of Gosh, however, not only abandoned the vernacular idiom of Dennis' 'Sentimental Bloke' works, it also carried a very different message. With his invented race of 'Glugs' who inhabited the mythical land of 'Gosh', Dennis created a sly satire on social conformity, intellectual cowardice, and incompetent governance. But as Philip Butterss points out, the simple style of the work is also highly reminiscent of Dennis' verse for children.

According to Dennis' wife, The Glugs of Gosh had originated as verse penned to 'amuse' Barry Roberts, the younger son of Dennis' friends and patrons, Garry and Roberta Roberts. The Roberts' presentation copy of the eventual work is annotated 'B. J. Roberts - Sep. 1917 / For whom 'Joi the Glug' was written on 23.6.1914'. In 1915, Dennis saw fit to expand the idea for a wider audience. Six of the thirteen poems in The Glugs of Gosh (and part of a seventh), were published in the Bulletin, the first being 'Joi, the Glug', which appeared on 3 June 1915.

After the extraordinary success of The Songs of a Sentimental Bloke, Angus and Robertson were evidently keen to test the limits of Dennis' popularity, and he was commissioned to expand his 'Glugs' series as a book. Dennis' wife wrote that the couple were married (July 1917) after the completion of the book, and that shortly thereafter they travelled to Sydney and met Dennis' publisher George Robertson, and The Glugs of Gosh went to press. Dennis dedicated the work to his wife.

Angus and Robertson published The Glugs of Gosh in a variety of different editions. The ordinary edition was priced at Four Shillings, as was the 'Pocket Edition for the Trenches' - which hoped to capitalise on the wartime popularity of Dennis' earlier works. The Glugs of Gosh was not a commercial success, however. The deluxe 'Blue Wren' edition initially published by Angus and Robertson at Seven Shillings and Sixpence was eventually remaindered at Sixpence a copy, and an edition that had been advertised for publication in North America (as The Stones of Gosh) was apparently never issued. In 1974, an abridged version of The Glugs of Gosh, containing two poems from the original work arranged as a continuous narrative, was published as a children's book.

Exhibitions

18006670
18005672

Contents

* Contents derived from the Sydney, New South Wales,:Angus and Robertson , 1917 version. Please note that other versions/publications may contain different contents. See the Publication Details.
The Glug Questi"Follow the river and cross the ford,", C. J. Dennis , single work poetry humour (p. 13-18)
Joi, the Glugi"The Glugs abide in a far, far land", C. J. Dennis , single work poetry humour satire (p. 21-24)
The Stones of Goshi"Now, here is a tale of the Glugs of Gosh,", C. J. Dennis , single work poetry humour satire (p. 27-32)
Sym, the Son of Joii"Now, Joi, the rebel, he had a son", C. J. Dennis , single work poetry humour satire (p. 35-39)
The Growth of Symi"Now, Sym was a Glug; and 'tis mentioned so", C. J. Dennis , single work poetry humour satire (p. 43-48)
The End of Joii"They climbed the trees ... As was told before,", C. J. Dennis , single work poetry satire humour (p. 51-56)
The Swanks of Goshi"Come mourn with me for the land of Gosh,", C. J. Dennis , single work poetry humour (p. 59-67)
The Seeri"Somewhere or other, 'tis doubtful where,", C. J. Dennis , single work poetry (p. 71-77)
The Rhymes of Symi"Nobody knew why it should be so", C. J. Dennis , single work poetry satire (p. 81-93)
The Debatei"He was a Glug of simple charm;", C. J. Dennis , single work poetry humour satire (p. 97-105)
Ogsi"It chanced one day, in the middle of May,", C. J. Dennis , single work poetry humour satire (p. 109-12)
Emily Anni"Government muddled, departments dazed,", C. J. Dennis , single work poetry humour (p. 115-21)
The Little Red Dogi"The Glugs still live in the land of Gosh,", C. J. Dennis , single work poetry satire (p. 125-30)

Publication Details of Only Known VersionEarliest 2 Known Versions of

Works about this Work

A Thing Called The Glugs of Gosh : CJ Dennis and Satirical Fantasy Gillian Polack , 2024 single work essay
— Appears in: Aurealis , no. 171 2024;
The People's Poet Philip Butterss , 2014 single work column
— Appears in: Good Reading , October 2014; (p. 12)
Arthur's Heart Beats True for His Demons Martin Flanagan , 2009 single work column
— Appears in: The Age , 22 August 2009; (p. 10)
Foreword [7-8 July 1990] Elizabeth Swanson , 1990 single work criticism
— Appears in: The Weekend Australian , 7-8 July 1990; (p. rev 7)
Selected Works of C. J. Dennis : Introduction Barry Watts , 1988 single work criticism biography
— Appears in: Selected Works of C. J. Dennis 1988; (p. 1-17)
Watts gives a substantial account of Dennis's life and work. Watts describes the success and failures of Dennis's verse, paying particular attention to the publishing strategies of George Robertson. The ever-changing tastes of the book-buying public played a significant part in the success and failures of Dennis's books and the poet's poor financial management ensured that he could afford to concentrate solely on his verse for only a short period of his life.
Our Reviewer 1918 single work review
— Appears in: Birth : A Little Journal of Australian Poetry , March vol. 2 no. 16 1918; (p. 2-3)

— Review of The Glugs of Gosh C. J. Dennis , 1917 selected work poetry
Editorial Notes 1917 single work review
— Appears in: Birth : A Little Journal of Australian Poetry , November vol. 1 no. 12 1917; (p. 3-4)

— Review of The Glugs of Gosh C. J. Dennis , 1917 selected work poetry
Untitled 1917 single work review
— Appears in: The Queenslander , 27 October 1917; (p. 4)

— Review of The Glugs of Gosh C. J. Dennis , 1917 selected work poetry
Breaker the Poet - a Good Soldier Ken L. Goodwin , 1980 single work review
— Appears in: The Weekend Australian Magazine , 12-13 July 1980; (p. 16)

— Review of The Poetry of 'Breaker' Morant : from The Bulletin 1891-1903 with original illustrations Breaker Morant , 1980 selected work poetry ; The Poetry of Judith Wright : A Search for Unity Shirley Walker , 1980 single work criticism ; The Glugs of Gosh C. J. Dennis , 1917 selected work poetry
"The Glugs of Gosh" 1917 single work review
— Appears in: The Australian Town and Country Journal , 31 October 1917; (p. 36)

— Review of The Glugs of Gosh C. J. Dennis , 1917 selected work poetry
Memories of 'The Bloke' and His Creator L. G. Chandler , 1948 single work column
— Appears in: Margin , no. 13 1984; (p. 8-10)
Arthur's Heart Beats True for His Demons Martin Flanagan , 2009 single work column
— Appears in: The Age , 22 August 2009; (p. 10)
Selected Works of C. J. Dennis : Introduction Barry Watts , 1988 single work criticism biography
— Appears in: Selected Works of C. J. Dennis 1988; (p. 1-17)
Watts gives a substantial account of Dennis's life and work. Watts describes the success and failures of Dennis's verse, paying particular attention to the publishing strategies of George Robertson. The ever-changing tastes of the book-buying public played a significant part in the success and failures of Dennis's books and the poet's poor financial management ensured that he could afford to concentrate solely on his verse for only a short period of his life.
Concerning "The Glugs of Gosh" i ""Er name's Doreen ... His name is Glug!", 1917 single work poetry humour
— Appears in: The Bulletin , 11 October vol. 38 no. 1965 1917; (p. 2)
The Sentimental Bloke 1938 single work column biography
— Appears in: The Bulletin , 6 July vol. 59 no. 3047 1938; (p. 2)
Last amended 4 Apr 2018 09:24:59
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