When the Children Come Home
The story revolves around a family's struggles with poverty and hardship during the Australian gold rush era. The father has abandoned his family to seek fortune in the mines, leaving behind a wife and children who are struggling to survive. When he returns home, he brings with him a new wife and a child, causing tension within the household as the existing family members feel neglected and replaced.
By Henry Lawson · First published 1906 · Genre: Poetry, Pastoral, Family · 289 words
First lines
On a lonely selection far out in the West An old woman works all the day without rest, And she croons, as she toils 'neath the sky's glassy dome, 'Sure I'll keep the ould place till the childer come home.'
She mends all the fences, she grubs, and she ploughs, She drives the old horse and she milks all the cows, And she sings to herself as she thatches the stack, 'Sure I'll keep the ould place till the childer come back.'
It is five weary years since her old husband died; And oft as he lay on his deathbed he sighed 'Sure one man can bring up ten children, he can, An' it's strange that ten sons cannot keep one old man.'
What this Textopian page supports
When the Children Come Home is listed on Textopian as a poem by Henry Lawson, dated 1906 CE.
This source record anchors work identity, reading entry points, and catalog context for checking claims about the work.
- Work type: Poem
- Author: Henry Lawson
- Date: 1906 CE
- Language: English
- Genres: Poetry, Pastoral, Family, Nostalgia, Realism
- Length: 289 words
- Structure: 1 section, 6 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Easy (6th Grade)
Good citation fit
- Work identity for When the Children Come Home by Henry Lawson
- Canonical title URL and first readable passage URL
- Genre and topic classification from the Textopian catalog
- Readability and classroom-planning context
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Discussion starters
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Similar titles
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Genres
- Poetry — The work is structured in verse form with rhyme and meter, characteristic of poetry.
- Pastoral — The setting and themes revolve around rural life and the natural landscape, typical of pastoral literature.
- Family — The central theme involves familial relationships and the longing for children to return home.
- Nostalgia — The narrative reflects a longing for the past and the return of family, evoking a sense of nostalgia.
Tags
Australian Literature · Family Drama · Social Realism · Poverty · Homelessness · Childhood Trauma · Coming of Age · Class Conflict · Rural Life · Outback Setting · Marriage Crisis · Parental Neglect