Oodgeroo Noonuccal Poem Analysis

Oodgeroo Noonuccal challenges the dominant ideology of egalitarianism and Australian cultural identity by Russel Ward's description in her poem ‘Aboriginal Charter of Rights.' The themes of racism, genocide, injustice, dispossession, colonisation, and violence contained in Oodgeroo Noonuccal's poem are compiled together in this poetic declaration of demands. She becomes an advocate for all those who have suffered and for those who wish to proceed forward in a more positive way. The tone of this poem, despite its negative reflection of the past, is hopeful. This is shown in the line ‘banish bans and conquer caste, then we'll win our own at last' which tells that Oodgeroo sees a resolution in the future for aboriginal people. Other examples of

The tone conveyed In this text is hopeful and protective, a mother trying to shield her son from the harsh realities of living in Australia as a black skinned individual as well as trying to reconcile with white Australians. This can be seen in the lines ‘ I could tell you of heartbreak, hatred blind… of rape and murder, son of mine; but instead I'll tell you of brave and fine' which show that as a mother she doesn't want her son knowing the bad but only the good, while also showing that she is willing to forget the past in order to reach the goal of proceeding forward to a more united

The presence of a persona as a parent is clearly seen from the get-go, voicing her thoughts to her son. He is given identity as being ‘black skinned' which alludes to the portrayal of an indigenous Australian. Some may also interpret the ‘son' as being symbolism of all the future generations to come. Powerful descriptions and imagery are used throughout this poem to show the social and cultural destruction experienced by the indigenous Australians. ‘Heartbreak, hatred blind’, ‘crimes that shame mankind’, ‘brutal wrongs and deeds malign’, ‘rape and murder’ are terms that show the loss of ancestral lands, massacre of a tribe, annihilation of individuals and the removal of children from their families and makes you sympathise with the way they were treated. The use of the rhyme scheme softens the seriousness of the prejudice and racism of the past. The rhyming occurs at the end of each sentence, for example, ‘ascendance’ ‘dependence’, ‘self-reliance’, ‘compliance.’ Thus creating a feel of a musical lulling, like a mother reading a lullaby to her child. All of these aesthetic features combined strongly challenge the dominant ideaology of Russell wards description of the typical