A variety of issues are examined in Dawe’s poetry, most of which, aren’t uniquely Australian. In ‘The Wholly Innocent’, the poet utilises the narrator being an unborn baby to express their opinion on abortion. The emotive language; “defenceless as a lamb” and comparisons of abortion to “genocide”, all turn this poem into a type of activism, for pro-life; a concept that is certainly not uniquely Australian; as abortion is only legal (on request) in 4 states and territories. These issues aren’t always directly referenced in Dawe’s poetry, much like in ‘The Family Man’, which chooses to explore suicide and it’s effect. The man who killed himself had no name - he was just a statistic, that had “all qualifications blown away with a trigger’s touch”.
Language is a powerful tool that affirms and challenges culture and identity. It is through language that we express our thoughts, emotions, and beliefs, and it is through language that we connect with others and create a sense of community. In Ali Cobby Eckermann's poetry, language is central to the exploration of culture and identity, particularly for Indigenous Australians. Through her poetry, Eckermann challenges dominant narratives and affirms the importance of language in preserving culture and identity. In this essay, I will focus on two of Eckermann's poems, "Unearth" and "Oombulgarri," to demonstrate how language affirms and challenges culture and identity.
In the poem “A Story” by Li- Young Lee, the audience is introduced to the intricate relationship between the father and the son. There is an obvious internal conflict ongoing within the father’s thoughts; the father desperately wants to tell his son a story but cannot come up with one. The author highlights the altering views held by the father and the son through the use of shifting points of view and the intended structure. These two devices adeptly establish the poem’s profundity and intensity of emotions; moreover, it brings light to a common battle that evolving filial relations face against time; as innocence eventuates into maturity, parents inevitably feel helpless and nostalgic.
Extended Writing Project - Brigitte Sanchez Melba Patillo Beals, Jackie Robinson, and Feng Ru have all faced life changing experiences, but did it to make an impact on their country. In Warriors Don’t Cry” Melba says she faced “angry segregationist mobs,” (Beals). In “I Never Had It Made” Jackie says he faced some people and “teammates who refused to accept me because I was black,” (Jackie). Feng Ru faced “earthquakes, fires loans, and working in a small workshop,” (Rebecca). Though through it all they changed their countries.
To say ‘I am Chapman’ is to say ‘I am unique’. To describe what I am, I say, ‘I am Hispanic’. I’m proud of my culture and the hard working attitude that my parents instilled in me. ‘I am a Marine’ and will work with what I have to get something done. ‘I am an artist’ and I try my best to improve my craft.
Always Something More Beautiful “Always Something More Beautiful” is a poem by Stephen Dunn, born in Forest Hills, NY. I got attracted to this poem, because it reminded me when I was at the Regionals for a Cross-Country race and reflected how humans’ life can be fair or beautiful. The cluster “time, clock, finish” clarifies for a measurement that refers to a competitive race.
After reading “Journey,” by Tiara Anderson in the first issue of Red Rising Education magazine, I understood that there is an array of various conflicts Indigenous men and women have to tolerate on a daily basis. Anderson discusses many topics in her poem including stereotypes, self-hatred and the missing and murdered Indigenous women. She is now in her senior year of high school and a mentor in a girls program called “Nodoka girls.” Anderson initially wrote this poem when she was twelve years old though, but this poem 's revised over the years. Five years later, at the age of seventeen (Anderson, 2017, pg. 13), she finally mustered up the courage to share it with the world.
Alexa Gibbons Dr. Andrea Trapp Intro to Literature 1 March 2023 Essay One Poetry can be defined as the use of imaginative language in order to gain an emotional response from a reader through the use of metronomic rhythm, tone of voice, and symbolism. In this essay I will be using a poem entitled, “Alley” by Tom Chester in order to create a relationship between poetry and three different types of literary criticism; Reader Oriented Criticism, Historical Criticism, and New Criticism. This poem is derived from the Intro to Literature textbook written by William Stewart. The importance of understanding between these devices stems from the reader's impression of what is in front of them. The interesting aspect of poetry is that no person understands it the same way twice.
When an individual experiences prejudice or a lack of connection to place it can diminish ones sense of identity, leading to social isolation and a loss of cultural practices and traditions. The film ‘Beneath Clouds’ (2002) by Ivan Sen follows two Indigenous teens who experience prejudice and social isolation on their journey to Sydney. The poem ‘We are Going’ (1965) by Oodgeroo Noonuccal expresses the fears Indigenous Australians had over the dispossession land and cultural acceptance. The poem ‘Drifters’ (1999) by Bruce Dawe’s explores the journey faced by a financially unstable family, forcing them to move from place to place, without establishing any connection to the land.
One of my accomplishments that I am proud of is the Wanted Poster I made of Grendel, from the story Beowulf, for my senior English class. It was real fun to work on because I made him look like myself, but with a six pack. Every time I showed it to some it put a big smile on their face. This was a group assignment, but I couldn’t find a partner so I just worked on it myself.
Poetry Analysis Once the poem “History Lesson” was written numerous poetry foundations celebrated it for many reasons. “History Lesson” not only makes an impact on literature today it has also impacted people also. This poem inspires people and moves them to the point to where they can find a personal connection to the poem itself and to the writer. Not only does it hold emotional value for those who were victimized and those whose family were victimized by the laws of segregation, but the poem is also celebrated for its complexity. The poem uses many techniques to appeal to the reader.
My first reaction after looking back in my portfolio is WOW! I have grown so much as a writer. The way I incorporate quotes into my text. Describing myself as a writer I would say I love to use figurative language to convey my beliefs. In poetry class
“Life begins at your comfort zone.” Neale Walsh once said. Many share this same outlook in life while others may say otherwise. Al Young shares the same belief in life as Neale Walsh in his short poem. “For Poets”, by Al Young, is an uplifting and inspirational poem.
The final poem of significance is Jazzonia, in which Hughes experiments with literary form to transform the act of listening to jazz into an ahistorical and biblical act. Neglecting form, it is easy to interpret the poem shallowly as a simple depiction of a night-out in a cabaret with jazz whipping people into a jovial frenzy of singing and dancing. But, the poem possesses more depth, when you immerse yourself in the literary form. The first aspect of form to interrogate is the couplet Hughes thrice repeats: “Oh, silver tree!/Oh, shining rivers of the soul!” Here, we see the first transformation.
In particular, I am extremely proud of “About A Boy” and “How Yoga Changed My Life”. These two pieces were my most personal ones and came straight from my heart. They contained words, thoughts and ideas that had been dying to escape from my mind. It felt typing them out felt like a release. The only piece that I struggled with was “The System”.
