Deficit Demon

The Deficit Demon by Banjo Paterson

Mock Battles and Budget Beasts – Satire in Paterson’s Allegorical Critique.

In this satirical poem, Paterson criticizes late 19th century Australian politicians through the metaphor of them battling a monster called the Deficit Demon.

He begins by introducing the “lunatic poet,” a humorous device to signal the absurdity of the allegory. The poet sings of failed attempts to defeat the growing Deficit Demon, representing budget shortfalls.

Paterson derides real-life leaders like Dibbs, Parkes, and Reid through caricature, mocking their boasted abilities yet ultimate failures to “slay” the deficit. The exaggerated metaphors of battle emphasize the impotence of their efforts.

The lighthearted mocking tone continues as each leader is vanquished in turn by the evil creature, until only eloquent abuser Sir Henry Parkes remains. Yet the poet implies even noisy rhetoric cannot resolve systemic problems.

Paterson is skewering the exaggerated political promises to easily remedy complex economic challenges facing the young nation. The poem’s exaggerated language highlights the absurdity of each leader’s supposed “prowess” which proved hollow in practice.

By having the mad poet advocate betting on the deficit, Paterson ends by underlining the fanciful nature of his political allegory. Ultimately it cautions against getting swept up in lofty political rhetoric which often falls short of matching realities.

The Deficit Demon by Banjo Paterson The bulletin.Vol. 7 No. 0370 5 Mar 1887

The Deficit Demon
A Political Ballad

It was the lunatic poet escaped from the local asylum,
Loudly he twanged on his banjo and sang with his voice like a saw-mill,
While as with fervour he sang there was borne o’er the shuddering wildwood,
Borne on the breath of the poet a flavour of rum and of onions.

He sang of the Deficit Demon that dwelt in the Treasury Mountains,
How it was small in its youth and a champion was sent to destroy it:
Dibbs he was called, and he boasted, “Soon will I wipe out the Monster,”
But while he was boasting and bragging the monster grew larger and larger.

One day as Dibbs bragged of his prowess in daylight the Deficit met him,
Settled his hash in one act and made him to all men a byword,
Sent him, a raving ex-Premier, to dwell in the shades of oblivion,
And the people put forward a champion known as Sir Patrick the Portly.

As in the midnight the tom-cat who seeketh his love on the house top,
Lifteth his voice up in song and is struck by the fast whizzing brickbat,
Drops to the ground in a swoon and glides to the silent hereafter,
So fell Sir Patrick the Portly at the stroke of the Deficit Demon.

Then were the people amazed and they called for the champion of champions
Known as Sir ’Enry the Fishfag unequalled in vilification.
He is the man, said the people, to wipe out the Deficit Monster,
If nothing else fetches him through he can at the least talk its head off.

So he sharpened his lance of Freetrade and he practised in loud-mouthed abusing,
“Poodlehead,” “Craven,” and “Mole-eyes” were things that he purposed to call it,
He went to the fight full of valour and all men are waiting the issue,
Though they know not his armour nor weapons excepting his power of abusing.

Loud sang the lunatic poet his song of the champions of valour
Until he was sighted and captured by fleet-footed keepers pursuing,
To whom he remarked with a smile as they ran him off back to the madhouse,
“If you want to back Parkes I’m your man—here’s a cool three to one on the Deficit.”

The Bulletin, 5 March 1887

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