The Hour is Come

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The Hour is Come (1903)
by Louisa Lawson
2135672The Hour is Come1903Louisa Lawson

   How did she fight? She fought well.
   How did she light? Ah, she fell.
Why did she fall? God, who knows all,
         Only can tell.

   Those she was fighting for — they
   Surely would go to her? Nay!
What of her pain! Their's is the gain.
         Ever the way.

   Will they not help her to rise
   If there is death in her eyes?
Can you not see? She made them free.
         What if she dies ?

   Can we not help her? Oh, no!
   In her good fight it is so
That all who work never must shirk
        Suff'ring and woe.

   But she'll not ever lie down –
   On her head, in the dust, is a crown
Jewelled and bright, under whose light
         She'll rise alone.

This work is in the public domain in Australia because it was created in Australia and the term of copyright has expired. According to Australian Copyright Council - Duration of Copyright, the following works are public domain:

  • published non-government works whose author died before January 1, 1955,
  • anonymous or pseudonymous works and photographs published before January 1, 1955, and
  • government works published more than 50 years ago (before January 1, 1974).

This work is also in the public domain in the United States because it was first published outside the United States (and not published in the U.S. within 30 days), and it was first published before 1989 without complying with U.S. copyright formalities (renewal and/or copyright notice) and it was in the public domain in Australia on the URAA date (January 1, 1996). This is the combined effect of Australia having joined the Berne Convention in 1928, and of 17 USC 104A with its critical date of January 1, 1996.

Because the Australian copyright term in 1996 was 50 years, the critical date for copyright in the United States under the URAA is January 1, 1946.


This work may be in the public domain in countries and areas with longer native copyright terms that apply the rule of the shorter term to foreign works.

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This work was published before January 1, 1929, and is in the public domain worldwide because the author died at least 100 years ago.

Public domainPublic domainfalsefalse