Without the use of stereotypical behaviours or even language is known universally, the naming of certain places in, but not really known to, Australia in ‘Drifters’ and ‘Reverie of a Swimmer’ convoluted with the overall message of the poems. The story of ‘Drifters’ looks at a family that moves around so much, that they feel as though they don’t belong. By utilising metaphors of planting in a ‘“vegetable-patch”, Dawe is referring to the family making roots, or settling down somewhere, which the audience assumes doesn’t occur, as the “green tomatoes are picked by off the vine”. The idea of feeling secure and settling down can be applied to any country and isn’t a stereotypical Australian behaviour - unless it is, in fact, referring to the continental …show more content…
drift. The only Australian reference in this poem is the mention of a ‘brown kelpie pup’, which do have a rich Australian linked history, however, the puppy and mention of happy children ‘dashing about’, is likely read as an introduction to the average family, that is depicted in the first paragraph of the poem and then deconstructed throughout, to contrast the instability and lack of control that the family has over the choices ‘Tom’ makes about their fate.
Another reference that could be skipped over, is the mention of the ‘ute’. Even though this is undoubtedly an Australian car, it is what it represents that matters to the poem and also is slang; something that a person not local would be confused by. In the poem it is simply a car, which is a way of transport, that the family are driving away in, from the place they had likely been in for a while, as the ‘oldest daughter is close to tears’ when told; meaning memories were able to be formed where they were. Another poem that is indefinitely Australian, as it only chooses to name a single, not well known, place in Australia, is ‘Reverie of a Swimmer’. A one stanza poem that's strong voice goes through the story of a man who may or may not has purposefully drowned in
‘Westernport’. Possibly the least recognisable reference of all Dawe’s poems, as it is not a place that you would visit when entering Australia, and is an island; something that is unrelated. It could be argued that the mentions to the beach and sharks relate back to Australia, which is true, although water does make up around 70% of Earth; so even though water surrounds Australia, that doesn’t make it exclusively or distinctively Australian.
As a matter of fact, the poem title is a metaphor which translates to ‘get over Melbourne’. This metaphor is used to express the poet’s message to Australian society to break out of this nationalistic, lazy and self-centred lifestyle. The “Moon” in the title can also be seen as a symbol of a figurative person, whom poet talks to and argues with as the poet is isolated himself. Even so the poet does not describe the physical characteristics of the ‘Moon’ or society, the poet’s pessimistic descriptions create an image of a Chinese migrant with a particular reminiscence for his home. The repetition of the “Moon over Melbourne” phrase, emphasises the importance of the message to society. This attention given to the phrase creates a dominating sense that the poet’s experiences within Melbourne are disapproving of the new foreign values’. “A young one just 200 seconds old, with a man-made light that is not only cold”, with a twist of rhyme the poet relates to a child being raised from this man-made or this cold artificial society, the in poet’s perspective this is Australia which mimic’s the natural light in the place of China, the poet’s
Kim Addonizio’s “First Poem for You” portrays a speaker who contemplates the state of their romantic relationship though reflections of their partner’s tattoos. Addressing their partner, the speaker ambivalence towards the merits of the relationship, the speaker unhappily remains with their partner. Through the usage of contrasting visual and kinesthetic imagery, the speaker revels the reasons of their inability to embrace the relationship and showcases the extent of their paralysis. Exploring this theme, the poem discusses how inner conflicts can be powerful paralyzers.
The ideas of land and County are demonstrated through Eckermann’s poem, ‘Ngingali’, as well as through Oodgeroo Noonuccal’s poem, ‘Community Rain Song’, both depicting an Aboriginal link to the land and Country. Another idea of land and Country is expressed through Martin Harrison’s short story, ‘Country and How to Get There’, concentrating on the outcomes of European settlement which included the issues involving the land and Country.
The suburban house, as the film’s setting and sphere of action, is extraordinary partly because it is ‘next-door’ to an airport. The odd layout of this backyard is underlined because their suburb meets the kind of architectural cast-offs often found at the margins of big cities. This mix of the humble backyard with the international vectors of travel, tourism and international trade plays out in the film’s narrative which connects the domestic and the distant. The Castle displays many locations and landscapes easily identified as being unique of Australia- The ‘Aussy’ barbeque and patio setup, greyhound racetrack and poolroom, just to name a few. The neighbours of the Kerrigan’s are a symbol representing the multicultural diversi...
Gwen Harwood and Judith Wright are two female poets who hold a celebrated place in Australian poetry and culture. Their poetry offers an insight into the representation gender differences to which a society consciously or unconsciously subscribes. Through symbol, juxtaposition and powerful imagery, Harwood and Wright demonstrate the subservience of women to men in ‘Burning Sappho’ (“Burning’) 1968 and “Eve to her Daughters” (‘Eve’) 1963, but Harwood suggests possible change in ‘Prize Giving’ (1963). All three poems illustrate the tendency of society to categorize the roles and expectations of the male and female, thus providing an insight into social history in regards to gender.
This poem describes the lack of patriotism our country expresses. In the first line “Despite what Dorothea has said about the sun scorched land, you’ve never really loved her” not only shows personification (a reoccurring poetic device) but it also focuses on the true feelings of the Indigenous Australians, in particular Kevin Gilbert. The personification within this line creates a sense of a personal relationship between the reader and our country. This starting line of the poem sets the tone for the entire poem, astringent and solemn. Even before reading the poem it is easy to decipher the inimical tone through the title “The New True Anthem”. Kevin Gilbert never ceases to accentuate the disesteem he feels for the Australian public. The pride Australians exhume for our country is quickly challenged with his 4th – 6th lines - “you pollute all the rivers and litter every road, your barbaric graffiti”. This poem also challenges the beloved poem “My Country” written by Dorothea McKellar. Which also relates back to the first line “Despite what Dorothea has said…” as it is a jab at the iconic poem “My Country” and its subject matter.
Literary elements are the components of a written piece formed by an author. For example, a poem or short story, in which all of them have settings, plots, and themes that are used to help elaborate their compositions. They help depict the author’s intentions and encourage insight or understanding of the overall meaning even if it’s not easily understood by the reader. “Blue Winds Dancing” by Tom Whitecloud and “The Victims” by Sharon Olds both show examples of conflicts that evolve dynamic characters as a product of growth from their previous experiences.
There are numerous ways with which Australia has been presented in poetry. An example of this is the poem My Country. Dorothea MacKellar originally wrote this poem to express her love for Australia and its land
This poem expresses how Australian aboriginal people life has changed after the European people took over. From the first line "Gumtree in the city street", it demonstrate that indigenous people had been displace from their land. Both aboriginal people and gum tree should not be in the modern civilized city but in the forest, that where they belong. The author also uses metaphor in "hard bitumen around your feet", it means that the tree has been displaced and not allow to spread out and be itself just like the indigenous people. The line "its hopelessness", shows that the author feel sorry for their people and culture, and to further emphasize the shame and lack control of the Europeans have inflicted upon the indigenous people. The word castrated is also a very big symbol of how the European have treated indigenous people and their land. Castration also refers to what the European has done is done, nothing can undo the damaged they have caused on both people and environment. The title Municipal gum also is a representation that European assumes that everything is theirs. At last the poem ends with a rhetorical question, "O fellow citizen, what have they done to use?" Is the conclusion of the implications that have been made throughout the poem. Ultimately the
...atures that make Australia what it is today. He uses the words “sunlit plain”, “vision splendid” and “wondrous glory” to provide the reader with an image that represents Australia’s reminiscent landscape. This is done to capture the reader’s thoughts in an attempt to persuade them. Paterson silences the negative aspects of rural life and the positive aspects of city life.
Lawson effectively uses first hand observation and masterful use of the distinctively visual language to provide the reader with a bleak and uninviting perspective of the Australian outback. Visual images are the key to understanding a world that the audience have not experienced and it provides an insight into the harsh environments of the Australian Outback and the sacrifices women have to make living in such harsh and terror filled environments. These points are converted through Henry Lawson's “The Drovers Wife” and “The Bush Undertaker”.
Australia has been depicted through several different artforms – paintings, songs, poems – in order to reflect the multicultural national identity of Australia. These artforms in particular, had influenced the nation and advanced thought provoking ideas during the era of the oppressed indigenous people. Indigenous authors enlightened the hardships they faced, through artforms such as poems and contributed greatly to the Australian national identity. Oodgeroo Noonuccal, was the first Aboriginal woman to be a published author, and her poem “No More Boomerang,” highlights the impact the white settlers had on the indigenous community by showing the contrast in their daily lifestyles and the affect of the loss of their culture. These are revealed, through poetic techniques, imagery and symbolism, in order to deliver the subject matter to the audience. The message of the forced cultural differences the indigenous people faced was emphasised boldly and marked the white settlers as thieves of their land and culture.
“In my mind, the ultimate objective is to cause all Australians to have about them a spontaneous national pride in Indigenous Australia”, Kevin Rudd. It is important that Australian schools provide students with the opportunity to learn about the Australian Indigenous people. This is because they are a part of Australia’s history and cultural background and we need to appreciate their uniqueness. This is illustrated though the poems ‘No More Boomerang’ and ‘Then and Now’, by Oodgeroo Noonuccal. It is also represented in the picture book ‘The Rabbits’, by Shawn Tan and John Marsden. These texts demonstrate how the Aboriginal people experienced a loss of culture, land and traditions due to the colonization of Australia.
The story ends with a sad mood. The ending is also symbolic by trying to imply that the struggle is not only to humans but also to other creatures. The author might expect the reader to look at the struggles and trouble from a different angle. The angle of struggles being part of life, [both to humans and animals. There is little to no hope of things getting better than they were. The author compares the life of people to the life of a miserable brook stout that has stayed in the mountains forever and whose attempts to get out have become futile.
In analyzing poetry there has to be a connection between the author and the reader, in order to understand what the author is trying to express through his/her work. The reader’s needs to be able to read between the lines. Tone and mood help the reader identify what the poem is trying to convey. To do this we need to figure out who the speaker is, and the relationship the speaker has with his/her family. We will be depicting “Those Winter Sundays,” “Digging,” “Dusting,” and “My Grandmother Would Rock quietly and hum” searching for these qualities.