'Few writers make their fame as quickly and at such a young age as did Rudyard Kipling. In 1891, at the time of his visit to Australia, he was twenty-four years old and was already seen as the new star in the literary firmament. Two years before, he'd arrived in London to find his reputation had preceded him and he soon sent it soaring with 'Danny Deever', a haunting poem about a soldier hanged by his regiment for shooting a colleague, which was published in February 1890. Its grim subject and tightly controlled verses, each ending with the refrain 'An' they're hanging Danny Deever in the mornin'' were acclaimed by TS Eliot, WB Yates, by critics and by the public.'
'Few writers make their fame as quickly and at such a young age as did Rudyard Kipling. In 1891, at the time of his visit to Australia, he was twenty-four years old and was already seen as the new star in the literary firmament. Two years before, he'd arrived in London to find his reputation had preceded him and he soon sent it soaring with 'Danny Deever', a haunting poem about a soldier hanged by his regiment for shooting a colleague, which was published in February 1890. Its grim subject and tightly controlled verses, each ending with the refrain 'An' they're hanging Danny Deever in the mornin'' were acclaimed by TS Eliot, WB Yates, by critics and by the public.'
