Brennan, Christopher (1870-1932), was an Australian symbolist poet. Brennan’s poetry was not popular with the Australian public when it was published, mainly because his intellectual abstract poetic thought and use of symbols made him a difficult and often obscure writer. However, critics praised his work.
Unlike most Australian poets, Brennan showed little concern for the Australian environment. Instead, his poetry reflected his interest in the older civilizations of Europe. In particular, his verse reflects the influence of Greek and Latin poets. However, the poetry he wrote during World War I (1914-1918) overflowed with patriotism. His lyric poetry shows excellent technique and musical qualities as well as vivid images and symbols.
Brennan’s poems are reflections on the relationship between people’s thoughts and their world. His ideal appeared to be the state in which God and human beings, mind and matter, and body and soul are reconciled. Brennan believed his ideal could be reached with increased knowledge.
His later poems tend to be gentler, more human, and nearer the reader’s experience. This is probably because of the experience of the poet’s own unhappy personal life.
Christopher John Brennan was born on Nov. 1, 1870, in Sydney, of Irish parents. A brilliant scholar, he was awarded a classics traveling scholarship from the University of Sydney and spent some time in Germany, where he became interested in the symbolist poets. On his return to Australia, he held various high academic posts at the University of Sydney, but his unstable personality and alcoholism kept him from working steadily. He died in poverty on Oct. 5, 1932. A collected edition of his poetry was published in 1958.
