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Works
James Devaney is best known for his poetry. He had published six collections named Fabian (1923), Earth Kindred (1931), Dark Road (1938), Where the wind goes (1939), Debutantes (1939), and Poems (1950).

Also, James Devaney had contributed in other art fields, such as novels, biography and critical review. He had four published novels. They are The currency lass : a tale of the convict days (1927), The vanished tribes (1929), Washdirt: a novel of old Bendigo (1946) and The New Law (1955). His only biography named Shaw Neilson (1944) was written for his friend, Shaw Neilson after he passed away. Moreover, Devaney also edited Neilson's poems into the collection Unpublished poems of Shaw Neilson in 1947.

His critical review of modernism Poetry in our time: a review of contemporary values has received critiques but brought him reputation.

The Earth Kindred & Where the wind goes
James Devaney is regarded as a naturalist poet who wrote huge amount of poems glorifying nature. The Earth Kindred (1931) and Where the wind goes (1939) were the most outstanding works of Devaney that represent his passion and love of the nature The Earth Kindred was published after he recovered his illness. However, all his morbid bitterness has been dismissed; rather, Devaney depicted the nature beautifully and lively. . Similarly, another work where the wind goes was well written based on his observation of the nature. Nevertheless, it is worth noting that Devaney’s various moods (happy, sad, worry, etc.) were reflected in different poems in this collection.

The vanished tribes
James Devaney was born in Bendigo, but he has spent considerable time in outback Australia where he gathered material for his books, The Vanished Tribes. It is a story telling book that contains stories of the aborigines and their environment together with legend and folk lore. It enjoyed popular success that was later used in schools and was an influence in the formation of the Jindyworobak movement.

A volume of twenty stories that attempted to recreate the life and outlook of the Aborigines in the days before the coming of European man. In the twenty stories of this book there is great variety, and one feels that some are more genuine than others. That is, some of them are invented, more or less successfully and appropriately, while others seem part of the soil and landscape However, this novel made he a well-known writer as the book was sketched in a lively way of writing. He has woven every name he uses into the very texture of one story after another, so that they are like recurrent notes in a pattern or a tune.

Poetry in our time: a review of contemporary values
Poetry in our time: a review of contemporary values is James Devaney’s most outstanding criticism. Since James Devaney was a great teacher of many young writers who assisted them to start writing poems, his view of the style of poetry seemed had taken a side and his criticism of the modern poetry made himself a famous critic. Devaney gave his personal opinions upon the new products of modernism and assist the tradition is not an obsolete. His also argued that the old verse cannot be superseded by new poetry. Moreover, he thinks the moderns are thumbing the nose at the traditional idea and standards, and maybe worse, sneering at youthful enthusiasms. He pointed out that modern poetry lacks of the love, courage, self-sacrifice and sympathy which are the most important elements in poetry.

During the time of criticizing, Devaney confronted modernism, but at that time he talked his mind and expressed his beliefs. However, he was seen as a reactionary by the critics. This is a ruthless reassessment of what is good and bad in the field of contemporary poetry. Also, the book can be seen as a symposium of the new and the old verse in poetry. Moreover, he also mentioned in the book that the main reason why he wrote this book is because he wanted to speak for the silent side of traditional poetry and change the condition of literary criticism in Australia. Also, due to James Devaney had published several relevant critical articles in Meanjin before the book was published in 1952, he mentioned in the beginning of the book by noting that he used part of the published articles and only about half was original manuscripts.

Fabian
The first collection Fabian was written when he was suffering from sanatorium and therefore contains a metaphor of lost faith and the blankness of the dark. . . Moreover, the name “Fabian” is also his pseudonym that he used when he was writing on newspapers before the collection was published. Although Fabian can be seen as his other well-known name and the namesake collection has brought him higher reputation, he was not satisfied with this work

Dark Road
Devaney wrote several poems about his personal feeling, life and his wife, Phyllis Devaney, their relationship and a poem about their anniversary were also included in his collection Dark Road. Moreover, the book was privately printed by The Hawthorn Press, which was established by John Gartner. Some says this book was a reflection of the dark side of James Devaney which he does not wish to be recorded. However, according to Martin Haley, the book has very moving things in it that reflected of how James Devaney suffered from severe sickness of mind and body ..

The New Law
The New Law is his last published novel that he says this novel is a work of fiction, in the sense that a faithful historical novel is. The book was written in dramatic dialogue set in biblical times that Devaney wanted it to be the main thing without concerning any restriction of static scenes. The novel was written in the way of Gospel narrative. The language he used in the dialogue seems more like an archaic style. This is because Devaney asserted that modern speech may not be fully suitable for the voice and the understandings of the historical stories. This book therefore show the religion view of Devaney.

Poems
One of his outstanding collections Poems that published in 1950, Sydney, is a collection that brought together selections from his earlier works and from Freight of Dreams which had been printed in Melbourne, but not released, in 1946. Devaney himself prefers the work most and wanted to be remembered for. And this seems to be the main reason why he gathered the chosen pieces which seems to be his favorite poems in any of his previous works. Also, The poem The Evening Gleam from Freight of Dreams was chosen for inclusion in Australian poetry, 1941. This was noted at the first page of the book Poems. It is the poem that received attention that Devaney successfully express his emotion of clam loveliness that he he has been pursuing for a long time

The currency lass : a tale of the convict days
Although his first novel, The currency lass : a tale of the convict days, was well named but seems not a success. Instead, the vanished tribes is regarded as his most representative work. The novel The currency lass : a tale of the convict days is a story of the old convict days in New South Wales. At that time, the men lived in robbery and violence. Moreover, they were cruelly flogged for the smallest offences without any opportunity of escaping from their chains and taking to the bush. . It is a book not only contains the story of the time, but also Devaney showed his distinctive observation and passion of the nature by drawing freely on his immense store of bush lore.

Washdirt: a novel of old Bendigo
The novel Washdirt, a history and legends of the Bendigo, sets its background in Devaney’s hometown, Bendigo. This is his first full length novel that depicted the life in the Bendigo diggings in the 1850's. Many research shows that the work was written in which mingles fiction with accurate historical reporting. As a picture of life on the diggings the novel is good, but since he wanted to paint in every detail, it seems that Devaney has tended to obscure the overall effect of his storytelling. Therefore, some says it was not his successful work because the story lack of sympathy. The story is more an historical romance than fiction. James Devaney brought up on the scene of the diggings, and has caught the spirit of the past.

Biography (of Shaw Neilson)
This is James Devaney’s first and the only biography which was published two years after Shaw Neilson passed away. Shaw Neilson was a friend of James Devaney. This book was written in first personal which James Devany gave his opinions on Shaw Neilson’s work and his views on Shaw Neilson’s personality. Shaw Neilson was one of the mentionable people who had a great influence in James Devaney’s writing style and his life. He was admired by Devaney and had been living in his house for months when he was ill. The biography written by Devaney was not only showed the interests in his personal reportage, but also contains some critical comments as well as textual collation. Many reviews and news articles compare and mention Neilson when talking about Devaney and since he wrote the biography of Neilson, it is undoubtedly that Shaw Neilson was a special person to him.

Moreover, Devaney had published a book of Neilson’s verse named Unpublished poems of Shaw Neilson. Devaney described Shaw Neilson as inspirational, and that his poetry had a quality at times greater than the subtlest thinker. He had a unique gift which art alone, the most pains- taking composition. Furthermore, as Neilson was an extra ordinary genius and comparatively unlettered, Devaney thinks that for most of Neilson's life as a labourer, he was a truly inspirational poet. Also, since Neilson was a good friend Devaney and Devaney had done many things for Neilson, Devaney's writing style had been influenced by Shaw Neilson. In addition, since Neilson had left behind over 200 unpublished poems in his life time, Devaney had done some more sifting. As a result, the work is a welcome addition for not only the known works of the poet, but also to Australian literature.

Autobiography
The book Towards evening was edited by his friend Frank Francis. Although this can be seen as James Devaney's autobiography, it contains a different style of autobiography. This is to say, the editor Frank Francis, the correspondent and a friend of Devaney, he wrote the book with the purpose of collecting Devaney's finest poems and unpublished poems. There are twelve poems included in this book. First 4 poems were new written without publishing before and those are about his personal feeling and his life. Then the two new aboriginal poems were included. Six of them were rewritten poems which had been published in his other works. Also, the poem published before named Debutantes was rewritten and mentioned in this book.

Francis said the reason why he edited this collection is because he wanted to collect Devaney’s unpublished but fine poems before they lost. Also, he included prose addenda that what others wrote about James Devaney in letter form at the last few pages of the book. Most of them were Devaney’s friends and they had their comments on not only Devaney himself but also what they think about his works.

The poem Debutantes was specially written by James Devaney for the Debutantes' Ball at Crow's Nest (Parish of Reverend Father Leo Hayes), Queensland, and put into print in a limited edition of seventy copies by John Gartner of The Hawthorn Press. It is a volume of wistful, pensive and melodious lyrics. .Devaney has rewritten the poem and it was included in the collection Towards evening.

Works for James Devaney
Since Devaney was a great influencer of other young writers, his style of writing had an impact on other. Therefore, some of his friends or fans had written poems to glorify Devaney or his works. There are two poems that were published in the journal article, Vista, named Ballad for our oldest and most famous member by Martin Haley and Where the wind goes there will I follow: For James Devaney on his eightieth birthday written by Paula Fitzgerald. The other two of them were published in another journal article, Scope by Bertha Butler and Martin Haley. The poems named To James Devaney" and To James Devaney 80 on 31/05/70''.

The works can be found in: Haley, Martin. "Ballad for our oldest and most famous member." Vista 13.3(1976): 7 Fitzgerald, Paula. "Where the wind goes there will I follow: For James Devaney on his eightieth birthday." Vista August (1970): 5. Butler, Bertha. "To James Devaney." Scope 15.6 (1970): 4. Haley, Martin. "To James Devaney 80 on 31/05/70." 15.8(1970): 3.

List of works
Poetry

Fabian (1923)

Earth Kindred(1931)

Dark Road(1938)

Where the wind goes(1939)

Debutantes(1939)

Poems(1950)

Novels

The currency lass : a tale of the convict days (1927)

The vanished tribes (1929)

Washdirt: a novel of old Bendigo (1946)

The New Law (1955)

Biography Shaw Neilson (1944) Unpublished poems of Shaw Neilson (1947)

Criticism

Poetry in our time: a review of contemporary values (1952)

Views on modernism
James Devaney is a transitional person whose works were considered as old-fasioned. He was an active advocate who against the modernism in poetry throughout his life. He had not only expressed his views on modernism in news articles, but also published the book Poetry in our time: a review of contemporary valuesto declare his thoughts of the differences between the old and new. This book has not only brought him reputation, but also criticism. Some says he was a reactionary whose works lack of logic and reality. However, Devaney insisted that poems are like songs, emotions and feeling are far more important than intellect and logic; therefore, Devaney considered the modernists as intellectuals who neglect the most important elements in poetry, they are love, brotherliness, courage, companionship, self-sacrifice and sympathy. Moreover, Devaney claims that the modernism discriminated the traditional in order to be contemporary and therefore distinguished themselves from the old. Similarly, this argument between the new and the old has stirred up a wartime debate. T.S.Eliot and Ezra Paund, as the most representative modernists in this era, stated that the old style of poetry was too imaginative without logic. However, on the other hand, traditional poets, like Devaney, argued that modernism is simply a development of fashion that will not able to replace the tradition. In addition, he also claims that modernism lack of inspiration.

Religious views
Although James Devaney was a Catholic, he still questioned his beliefs and the authority of Christianity. His personal beliefs have reflected in his two works, Fabian and New Law The work Fabian was written when Devaney was suffering from tuberculosis. As can be seen from the sad and pessimism lyrics in Fabian, it is not surprising to tell that the work was done in sanatorium. Also, his work New Law was written in a biblical dialogue that released Devaney's belief of God. Moreover, Devaney used the old style of writing because he thinks that only the old fashion expressions can fully express the meaning in the time of the book. Furthermore, since Devaney joined the Marists Brother in 1915, he felt pity and sad about the experience the the aboriginals have undergone; therefore, at that time, he donated his life to help the aboriginals to have a better life.

Views on aboriginals
Although James Devaney was born in Bendigo, he had spent his time in outback before he published the book The vanished tribes. It is a book contains 20 stories of Australian aboriginals before the White came. The book was considered as a success because Devaney interprets the aboriginal life with sympathy. Also, hi depicted the bush and lore lively. Devaney considered the aboriginals highly and valued their perspective on the land. He discovered more about the spirituality of aboriginals and their land. He combined his interests of both his passion on nature and aboriginal in the publication The vanished tribes. Therefore, the novel was considered as his fine work that provides a comprehensive understanding of the aboriginals.