Themes In The Simple Gift

Steven Herrick’s verse novel ‘The Simple Gift’ and Tame Impala’s ‘Yes I’m changing’ incorporate a variety of effective language techniques and textual forms to centralise the notion of transitions. In these texts transitions are portrayed through the transformation of the characters. This transformation is displayed through themes of acceptance, realisation and embracing change.

‘The Simple Gift’ is a verse novel written by Steven Herrick and was published in 2000. Through themes of acceptance, realisation and embracing change the reader sees the transformation experienced by both Billy, his girlfriend Caitlin and Old Bil.

The poem ‘Looking’ is one of the opening poems of the novel and it shows Billy’s dissatisfaction for his town gives

the reader an insight into Billy’s life and area where he lives. He possessively states “My Street.
My suburb.” The use of anaphora and personal pronouns shows Billy of acceptance of his town which is further conveyed through the use of enjambment.

His ability to identify and accept his situation are the first stages of Billy's transition.

He later allows the reader to visualise his town through a description of his street. "Each deadbeat no-hoper shithole lonely downtrodden house in Longlands Road, Nowheresville." This repetition of colloquial negative adjectives expresses Billy's depressing feelings about his home. Billy's undesirable view of his town along with other factors such as being abused by his father aid his decision to leave and discover what else life has to offer. Because of his adverse position Billy decides to leave his town to seek a better life. To do this he becomes a homeless runaway which is his first transition in the

novel.

Tame Impala’s ‘Yes I’m Changing’ written by the band’s frontman, Kevin Parker was released in 2015 and is about Parker coming to terms with the imminent changes occurring in his life. Similarly to Billy, Parker realises the opportunity for transition is available which he embraces.
In the chorus, the metaphor, “A world beyond that door is calling out for you” suggests that there is an abundance of opportunities and greater things available to the persona, they just make the decision to embrace them. The line is repeated twice in the chorus suggesting the persona is trying to convince themselves to begin their transition.
The lines “Yes I'm changing, yes I'm gone.
Yes I'm older, yes I'm moving on” manipulates conduplicatio to reinforce the point that the persona has started to accept his transition. This could also be something Parker says to himself to encourage and reassure himself throughout his transition. Clearly Parker, like Billy understands change is imminent and that it’s better to embrace it than fight it.

‘The Hobo Sky’ is the last poem of the verse novel and it concludes Billy’s and Old Bill’s transition by establishing a new one through the separation of the pair.

The line "he picked up his swag and walked slowly, deliberately, north." refers to Old Bill’s decision to ‘ride the trains’ to Queensland. The use of the adverb "deliberately" suggests Old Bill enjoys the challenges of new experiences. Herrick shows here that transitions often result in clear purpose.

The final lines of the novel "and I looked up into the sky, the deep blue sky that Old Bill and I shared" evoke sympathy as separation from a friend is something that many people have experienced. The sky is a recurring motif and is symbolic of many opportunities and limitless possibilities. Old Bill and Billy now have both made significant transitions from their painful past. Billy and Old Bill have been catalysts for each other’s transition and their symbiotic relationship has transformed them both. Even though they are separating, they will share the same sky which is symbolic of the long lasting connection. Clearly the embracement of transformation is key to Billy and Parker as it allows for new opportunities and greater

things.

Herrick and Parker both comment on the fact that while transitions can be somewhat daunting experiences the lessons learned throughout one transformation make it all worthwhile. Herrick and Parker do this through the character and personas in their texts and through the themes of realisation acceptance and embracing change.