Aborigin Poem: Then And Now

Today we believe that we live in a society that is greater than the past in acceptance and we have achieve inequality among all people in our country as they are treated right however we are further from the truth than we realize as inequality ravage the land. This is due to the shaky foundation that was built in the past and still affects our minds today. A satirical piece named “Tidings of Comfort and Joy” shows how far we really gone with its satirical elements like juxtaposition, hyperbole, diminution, allusion, and verbal irony. With the use of these satirical element we can find the errors of our ways exaggerated in a comedic story about how we as a community truly view the Aboriginal people. “Tidings of Comfort and Joy” flip the narrative

White Australians state “shame when [their] kids they die from colds or from sheer neglect. Shame when [they] live on the river banks. While collectin' [they’re] welfare cheques. Shame when [they’re] blind from trachoma. Shame when [they’re] crippled from blights.” The rhyming scheme in the stanza makes poem flow seamlessly constructing a conversational tone as if the narrator is speaking directly to the audience. This feature purposefully lulls the reader into agreeing with the white Australia’s arguments as it constructs an image that the Indigenous people are refusing to integrate themselves with modern society and suffering the consequences of those decisions. The mention of welfare cheques also contribute to the perspective that white Australians are attempting to mend the lives of Indigenous individuals, however this could not be further from the truth and message of this

Our knowledge of the generic conventions used in poetry influences our understanding of the text. “The Firstborn”, a poem by Aboriginal author Jack Davis, enables the reader to determine the poem as a graphic protest about the extinction of and discrimination against the Australian Indigenous people, and the loss of their ethnicity, as their world collides with the Western culture. By focussing on my understanding of both generic conventions and author’s context, I am able to conclude that the poem concerns a tragedy within the Aboriginal community.

In his essay, “Pretty like a White Boy: The Adventure of a Blue-Eyed a Ojibway,” Drew Hayden Taylor discusses his negative life experiences, and decides that he will no longer classify himself as either a White, or Native person, though he is of dual ancestry. Though he aims his essay at the Everyman, he assumes that the reader has knowledge in Native history. Taylor, the comedian mentions that he never knew his White father, and it is likely that he was raised in First Nations household. This assumption supports the ethos of his essay as a whole. While examining the thesis, Taylor makes jumps in logic that are difficult for the reader to follow, on the path to his conclusion. Taylor’s style is consistently lighthearted, and his essay is structurally sound, however, due to errors in logic, his essay appeals to the heart alone.

The piece is classified as Aboriginal Australian literature. It was published in the 1960’s. The purpose of the text is to give hope in a new beginning after the events involving the racial tension between the Aboriginals and the white settlers. The poem is directed to the Aboriginal people of Australia who suffered from these events

To expand on the intricacy of the speaker’s life, symbolism is applied to showcase the oppression her ancestors etched on her quilt were facing for their “burnt umber pride” and “ochre gentleness” (39-40). Once again, the theme of absence is introduced as there is a sense of separation among the Native American culture as their innocent souls are forced onto reservations and taken away from their families. This prolonged cruelty and unjust treatment can be advocated when the speaker explains how her Meema “must have dreamed about Mama when the dancing was over: a lanky girl trailing after her father through his Oklahoma

Through the use of poetic devices, the author has successfully encouraged the audience to explore their thoughts on Australian identity and to reflect on our nation’s history.

Gilbert’s poem portrays many Aboriginals plight’s within Australia and conveys notions of despair, anguish and anger for his fellow Aboriginal comrades. Again, Gilbert uses strong visual imagery in “the anguished death you spread” which helps convey the persona’s feeling of horror and anger at the Europeans. This is further emphasised through the poet’s vehement and repetitive use of second person pronouns in “you” which conveys a sense of blame and accumulates into an accusatory tone and generates a strong sense of detachment between the author and the European settlers. Furthermore enjambment enhances the accusatory tone in “you pollute all the rivers and litter every road” because the lack of punctuation and pauses makes the lines sharp and quick, creating a sense of anger in the author. In addition the author’s use of metaphors in “humanity locked in chains” creates a sense of struggle and inability to escape the oppression the Aboriginals are in, whereby the word “chain” is symbolic for trapped and lack of freedom. Kevin Gilbert’s emotional poem brings light to the pain and suffering Aboriginals are going through, which is a stark contrast to the image of Australia, being a free and accepting

In the poem The Past, Oodgeroo, establishes the importance of growth, identity and the strong link between culture, values and beliefs. It is through this poem that advocates for change in mindsets, while positioning the audience to come to the realisation of the unfortunate events in which had occurred, however, it is through her strong belief and pride in her culture does she promote unity. “let no-one say the past is dead… the past is all about us and within” Through this quote, it personifies history, allowing the audience to gain a deeper insight to values

For Aboriginal Australians, the land has a special significance that is rarely understood by those of European descent. The land, or country, does not only sustain Aborigines in material ways, such as providing food and shelter, it also plays a major role in their spiritual lives. As Rose put it, "Land provides for my physical needs and spiritual needs." (1992, p.106). To use Rose 's own term, to Aboriginals the land is a 'nourishing terrain '. (1996, p.7).

The phrase emphasizes the poet's view of the importance of this day in positive means, and also the negative attributes of the day. It suggests a new beginning and their possible achievements such as the possibility of uniting the two distinct cultures together, but negatively it also seems to be a deliberate provoke, reminding the Aborigines of their defeat, and their loss of land, culture, and identity.

The ‘colonisation' of Australia by Europeans has caused a lot of problem for the local Aborigines. It drastically reduced their population, damaged ancient family ties, and removed thousands of Aboriginal people from the land they had lived on for centuries. In many cases, the loss of land can mean more than just physical displacement. Because land is so much connected to history and spirituality, the loss of it can lead to a loss of identity. This paper will examine the works of Tim Rowse and Jeremy Beckett as well as other symbols of identity that are available to modern Aborigines in post colonial Australia.

The poem embodies all that is special about Australia landscape. The use of descriptive language brings images to the mind and speaks to all Australian ages by the love I expressed while describing the landscape. A picture which take the reader on a descriptive journey of Australian’s national environment. For example “of droughts and flooding rains” this describes Australia as cruel in times of droughts and unpredictable in the rainy season. Thus, Australian individual can feel how powerful, vivid, colourful and unpredictable the Australia

Oodgeroo Noonuccal is considered as one of the most influential voices of the Aboriginal people through the European Settlement Era in Australia in the early to mid-20th Century and ideology and political movement. Despite the act of the government threatening the practice of international law resorting to force short of war in vengeance, Noonuccal continued to peruse her writing career. These provocative poems explained the societal differences and experiences she had gone through for the minority of her life. Social justice and human rights is a life full of opportunity and dignity, free from discrimination and disadvantage and at the time of the European settlement was an ideal not a basic human right. Aboriginal society was the consequence of collaboration between economic, ecological, social and religious forces. Traditional Aboriginal family life and the supporting kinship structures have taken the maximum disruptive impact by the European invasion. In comparison to the ‘whites’, indigenous were seen to be less superior and treated of minimal value. As a result of her ongoing work, Oodgeroo Noonuccal is seen to be one of the most influential ladies in Aboriginal history for the freedom and opportunity she provided for her people.

The poem begin with an alliteration sentence, “No more boomerang no more spear. Now all civilized colour bar and beer.” This sentence had shown the overruling of Indigenous culture. The European want them to be a civilized nation. In this sentence, Indigenous people were represented as uncouth and savages. The author also used a symbolism to show the control of Indigenous culture. “No more corroboree gay dance and din. Now we got movies and pay to go in” are symbolic of the culture’s changing, Indigenous people now have to pay for their entertainment.