Roderic Quinn

Roderic Joseph Quinn (November 26, 1867 - August 15, 1949) was an Australian poet.

Life
Quinn was born at Surry Hills, Sydney, the seventh of nine children of Catherine (McCarthy) and Edward Quinn, a letter carrier. He attended St. Francis de Sales parish school, where he was a classmate of Christopher Brennan, and then the Marist Brothers' high school, where he befriended E.J. Brady. After leaving school he studied law, and worked for a merchant and then as a civil servant, before becoming editor of the North Sydney News.

His first published poem, "A Dreamer," appeared in The Bulletin in 1894. He continued to publish, and by the turn of the century was considered one of Australia's leading poets. His first book, The Hidden Tide, was praised by A.G. Stephens and W.B. Yeats. Later volumes of verse kept his reputation high.

He was a leading member of Sydney's Dawn and Dusk Club. The Australian Dictionary of Biography says of him that "he was always calm and philosophical, his bearing dignified, his language exquisite. In company he listened rather than talked, although he relished the opportunity of reciting his own poetry which he intoned like a Celtic bard; he also enjoyed telling Irish fairy stories. He had an air of courteous deference and a fine sense of humour. Genuinely kind and considerate, he was not given to making derogatory remarks about his colleagues or their works. His tall, big-boned frame, cavalry moustache and deep-sunk, gentle eyes made him an appealing figure."

For 30 years Quinn supported himself almost entirely on the income from his verse. From 1925 on he received a Commonwealth Literary Fund pension of £1 a week. He died in Darlinghurst in 1949, and was buried in Waverley Cemetery.

Writing
Quinn enjoyed a high reputation in the early 20th century. In 1925 David McKee Wright said of him that: "among the world singers of his time, his place is very high." Quinn referred to himself as "pleasant minor poet", a view that became more common as interest in his work waned in the period between the two world wars, however.

His writing is often compared to that of Victor Daley. Like Daley, his poetry is closer to contemporary English verse, and Irish poetry of the Celtic Twilight, than to contemporary Australian poetry.

Recognition
There is a bust of Quinn, by Tom Bass, in the State Library of New South Wales.

Poetry

 * The Hidden Tide. Sydney: Bulletin Newspaper Co., 1899.
 * The Circling Hearths. Sydney: Bulletin Newspaper Co., 1901.
 * Poems. Sydney: Angus and Robertson, 1920).

Fiction

 * Mostyn Stayne (novel). Melbourne, 1897.

Except where noted, bibliographical information courtesy the Australian Poetry Library.