Analyzing The Poem 'Soul Of Australia'

The Soul of Australia

In the light of dawn, the break of day,

Through the waters chill they fought their way;

Like their sires of old, to the Motherland

They came o’er the sea, and they sprang to the strand;

And the blood of the Angles, the Scot, and the Celt

Grew hot in their veins as the war fire they felt.

In the light of noon, in the bright sunlight,

They fought up the cliffs from height to height;

And the sun shone down on that scene of strife

Where the ‘Soul of Australia’ came to life,

As the blood of Australians was shed on the sod,

For Australia, for Britain, Humanity, God.

Shall Australia mourn for the sons she has lost-

Should Australians weep? Nay! Great though the cost,

Joy mingles with grief, and pride mingles with pain,

For our boys died like heroes, and died not in vain.

And the ‘Soul of Australia’, new-born on that day

When her sons died at ANZAC, shall never decay.

J.H.M

This poem shows what the true Anzac spirit is.

The Anzac spirit is not defined by any simple term; it is defined by the acts of valour and heroism of a person or group of Australians. The first Australian to be recognised with the highest award of bravery was Sir Neville Howse after the Boer war in South Africa (1900). The Highest medal available to troops, The Victorian Cross is awarded to a person who “in the presence of the enemy, displays the most conspicuous gallantry; a daring or pre-eminent act of valour or self-sacrifice; or extreme devotion to duty.” Howse was once again sent to fight for his country in World War 1 where he demonstrated his Australian clout for the second time in war. Howse demonstrated the Anzac attitude throughout his whole life leading him to things like serving as the Commonwealth Minister of Health. Howse demonstrated the values of someone worthy of the Victorian Cross through everything he did, thus allowing a spark of the soon to be dubbed Anzac spirit to be kindled and kept alight throughout the rest of Australian

history.
The Anzac spirit has been characterised through many different forms of media, the song I was only 19 comes to mind when thinking about the Australian spirit. The song delves into the multiple parts of the Anzac spirit, throughout the lyrics there are many lines that show this, but one line in particular stands out from the rest. “But you wouldn’t let your mates down ‘til they had you dusted off” (Verse 5, Line 3) This line demonstrates a pivotal part of the Anzac spirit. The Anzac spirit exhibits the fact that you would never consider letting your team mates that fought side by side with die. You would never let your team mates down until you had nothing more to give. This is the Anzac spirit, never allowing your friends die in vain, but doing everything in your power to save them from dying at all. The poem Soul of Australia demonstrates a similar theme in the line where it says, “For Australia, for Britain, Humanity, God.” (Verse 2, Line 6) The Anzac spirit is not limited to care for only Australians but for everyone, for humanity. Anzacs fight for honour in everything, even if there is no recognition for it, we fight for what is right. For loved ones, for our mates on the front lines, for everyone, we fight for everything.