Matthew Tram Poem

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

An author’s personal experience gives authenticity to their text. Peter Skrzynecki, an Australian poet of Polish origin emigrated to Australia shortly before the end of World War II. His assimilation into his newfound homeland is portrayed in his emotive poetry, where he explores his disconnection and alienation. The way in which Skrzynecki writes about his personal experiences gives an authentic insight into the perspective of a migrant, allowing the audience to better understand the challenging emotions evoked by the migrant experience. These emotions are clearly seen in Skrzynecki’s poem St Patrick’s College, where he delves back through his experiences at school and highlights the disconnection and alienation he felt being a migrant. This disconnection is further expressed in Feliks Skrzynecki, where Skrzynecki alludes to his detachment from even his father. These feelings of disconnection and alienation shown by Skrzynecki in his poems, allows the audience to understand the effects of growing up as a migrant.

A lack of belonging can destroy a sense of placement in society. This statement is thoroughly explored in the poem, ‘Migrant Hostel’ by Peter Skrzynecki, investigating the concepts of alienation and dislocation through the migrant’s lack of acceptance by the Australian citizens. The migrants are also unable to find a fixed home, and therefore feel no sense of stability or permanence. This transitory nature is best identified in the simile, ‘We lived like birds of a passage/Always sensing a change/In the weather’, where the comparison to birds emphasises the absence of a home. It is clear that the migrants feel unable to adapt to Australian society, constantly moving and never settling. The migrant’s exclusion is further highlighted in the lines,

The poet Oodgeroo Noonuccal, draws the realistic image of the confronting realities of alienation and displacement of Indigenous Australians. It is because of such experiences that has empowered Noonuccal to express and advocate learning from experiences by positioning the audience to view the horrors that occurred, creating a platform for her poetry. Through the emphasis of identity, it allows the audience to deeply connect with the past, determining and illustrating a profound link between the ancient past and contemporary present. Oodgeroo’s deep connectivity with art and poetry highlights the importance of learning from experiences, for not only the Aboriginal culture but, for all cultures, and that colonisation does not destroy self-identity. Through the poems The Past and China…Woman, it has allowed the individual to promote change, encouraging the survival of cultures through learning from past experiences

This text response will be looking the comparison of the two poems, ‘Drifters’ by Bruce Dawe, And ‘In the park’ by Gwen Harwood under the name of Walter Lehmann. Drifters is about a seemingly constantly moving family, it describes the process the family will go through leaving their newest home. In the park is about a seemingly single mother raising her children, it describes the mother sitting in the park with her children when a previous lover comes by and talks about the children. With in each poem, the form and structure, language techniques and the tone and message will be analysed and compared with the other to gather a grater understanding of the Australian voice.

Komninos in ‘Hillston Welcome’ exposes us to this voice through the repeated rhetorical question “what are ya?” depicting the typical Australian attempt to categorise an individual based on how they look. Note that she asks ‘what’ rather than ‘who’ - this reflects the rareness for an Australian to meet an educated individual, in this case a poet. This idea of stereotyping people is further depicted through Komninos’ use of Australian vernacular such as ‘bikie’ and ‘truckie’. Knowing that Komninos is of Greek origin, the cultural ‘White Australian’ mindset towards ethnic people is evident through the social and cultural stereotypical voice represented by the bartender. Therefore, responders are confronted and are forced to reflect upon their own ideals and values towards ethnic people, challenging themselves and considering perspectives of the world around

Melina Marchetta’s Looking for Alibrandi compared and contrasted to Simone Lazaroo’s The Asian Disease exhibited in Alice Pung’s anthology Growing up Asian in Australia both explore the cultural expectations which subsequent to behaviours of detachment from tradition evidenced in the children of migrant families. Since complying to such unreasonable conditions is arduous for the protagonists in both texts, teenage girl Josie and the ill father are both victims to the loss of their individual identity in consequence to their traditional expectations. Such bereavement of personality is depicted throughout the texts when both characters undergo the harsh criticism of others which defines racism, the lowering of their self-esteem in result of the oppression they endure and the substantial struggle of Josie and the father having to establish a fulfilling life for themselves.

Can a single person consider Bertram Potts (Pottsie) to be totally masculine in his physical appearance as well as his social behaviors? Looking at Bertram as a masculine figure can be difficult to see based on the fact that he is indeed feminine in his mannerisms. Yes, physically he is an attractive young man who takes on masculinity in his physical features, but he is naturally required to borrow from masculinity. Bertram is supposed to be masculine, but he is instead seen as feminine. In all ways he is seen to be based in the feminine domestics sphere, and tends to be feminine over all. Bertram must borrow from masculinity as well or he must become more conventionally masculine if he is to earn the love of Sugarpuss O'Shea and defeat Lilac and his gangsters. Compared to the masculinity and self-confidence shown by the mob boss himself, Joe Lilac, and the free-spirited and very experienced Sugarpuss O'Shea, Bertram behavior is seen as a feminine mish mash of bookishness, inexperience, and motherly love, given his isolation within the domestic sphere.

The racial struggles of Australia tend to closely mimic those of the United States. Claudia Rankine’s collection of poems, “Citizen: An American Lyric” explores these themes. The lyrical themes found in Midnight Oil’s songs relate to Citizen as they exemplify the racial struggle between the Aborigines and the white settlers of Australia which can easily be related to the struggle of the blacks and whites in the US which is exemplified in the songs Beds Are Burning, Warakurna, and The Dead Heart.

To your callous mind, and I wished you well as you cut me down, you cut me down,

The mood ​ ​ of ​ ​ the ​ ​ song ​ ​ and ​ ​ Terry ​ ​ fox’s ​ ​ journey ​ ​ connect ​ ​ because ​ ​ eye ​ ​ of ​ ​ the tiger ​ ​ is ​ ​ a ​ ​ fight ​ ​ song ​ ​ and ​ ​ Terrys ​ ​ journey ​ ​ was ​ ​ a ​ ​ fight ​ ​ because ​ ​ Terry ​ ​ was fighting ​ ​ cancer ​ ​ like ​ ​ other ​ ​ people ​ ​ in ​ ​ the ​ ​ world. ​ ​ And ​ ​ the ​ ​ survivor ​ ​ aspect ​ ​ of ​ ​ the song ​ ​ connects ​ ​ with ​ ​ Terry's ​ ​ journey ​ ​ as ​ ​ well ​ ​ because ​ ​ Terry ​ ​ is ​ ​ fighting ​ ​ for

The novel examines the Eurocentric notion of Britain’s racism towards immigrants of society. Throughout the novel Levy, seamlessly encapsulates the perspective of all the narratives in an amusing yet profound manner. Levy allows readers to experience the historical imagination as migrants. This novel extends beyond just writing, it tells a story of how life once was in Britain the “Mother country”. It crosses all borders and analysis in terms of history, culture, race and sex.

In this piece of writing, I aimed to explore the Victorian values of virtue and respectability and their strict code of behaviour which repressed female sexuality. In this piece, the young lady has given up her child for adoption which can be alluded from many hints in the texts, such as symbols of fertility and sexuality as well as signs of removal and absence to suggest that she had been absent for a long time. The term ‘European trip’ was a commonly used term at the time to discreetly explain a woman being absent as she was pregnant and went to give the child up for adoption. The strong odour of the flowers is a symbol of sexuality as the older women and repulsed from it and ask for it’s removal-another allusion to the strict traditions and conservatism of the Victorian society who seeked to repress female sexuality. Prominent symbols of fertility;pomegranates and lilies-have been used. The images of nature,weather and seasons I used were to imply fertility. The lush and beautiful gardens that were mentioned before the young lady’s absence was to hint at her pregnancy and fertility whilst the images of a barren and dreadful garden was to insinuate the loss of fertility (her adoption). Furthermore, the peach was also another symbol of fertility and sexuality I utilised.

The two disciplines of mechanics and music are often viewed as contradictory as the freely flowing and emotional music contrasts with the predictable and emotionally frigid movement of machines. In the poem “Machines” by Michael Donaghy, he tries to show that there are more similarities than differences between the two and that they are both a parts of life. He relates this to the human experience and crafts the theme that to find balance in life, a person must keep moving forward.

2. Due to the juxtaposition of the key images, I have a better understanding of Pound’s methods of employing simplicity and precision in his poems to project their own images. For “In a Station of the Metro,” the imagery of the massive crowd drawn from the first line and the apparent delicacy of the second line (such as the use of the word “petals”) allow me to analyze the mysterious but beautiful mood of the poem. Thanks to Pound’s tactic of employing metaphoric relationships in “The Bath Tub”, I can point out the curiousness surrounding the poem that also connects to the atmosphere of the first poem. Examining these two poems makes me become more aware of the provocative language that Pound utilizes to create a variety of emotions for readers.