Why were history and time important subjects in Kenneth Slessor’s and R.D. FitzGerald’s poetry?

In the context of Australian literature, history and time became central preoccupations for Kenneth Slessor and R.D. FitzGerald during the 1930s as they moved toward Modernism.1

For these poets, these subjects were not merely academic interests but essential tools for philosophical and artistic exploration:

• Kenneth Slessor: His work, particularly his most significant poem, "Five Bells," serves as a profound meditation on the nature of time, art, and death. Slessor was deeply committed to the importance of the image, using it to capture the fleeting nature of existence and the weight of historical memory.21
• R.D. FitzGerald: Possessing a more philosophical bent, FitzGerald utilized his poetry to develop complex arguments regarding the passage of time and the continuity of history. His work, such as the prize-winning poem "Essay on Memory," reflects his technical skill and serious engagement with these themes.13

Together, their focus marked a shift in Australian poetry toward more speculative and searching inquiries, moving beyond the earlier, more localized preoccupations of the bush-realist tradition.14