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What Songs Were They single work   poetry   "What songs were they the Sirens sung?"
Composed: Dec 1867 Poem dated: Christmas 1867
Issue Details: First known date: 1867... 1867 What Songs Were They
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Notes

  • It is possible that the author is writing about his own life in this poem on death. The text of the poem, incorporated into a letter addressed to a 'Mr Stevenson', was found among Michael's personal effects following his death by drowning. The letter, dated Christmas 1867, includes instructions to be carried out in the event of Michael's death.

Publication Details of Only Known VersionEarliest 2 Known Versions of

Alternative title: Christmas 1867
First known date: 1867
Notes:
The variant title 'Christmas 1867' appears in The Sydney Morning Herald and James Lionel Michael: A Comprehensive Bibliography. The title is probably due to a misplacement of the date of composition of a letter, in which the poem was included, to Mr Stevenson. (See the version of the letter and poem published in The Empire for comparison.)
Last amended 5 Mar 2014 10:41:11
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