australia poem essay

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Sahyadri english literature, poem & analysis of 'australia' by a.d hope.

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The poet says Australia is 'without songs, architecture history' and its people boast about simply surviving, but Australia is also where 'prophets' come from - or at least that's his hope. Ie the harshness of the landscape 'such savage and scarlet as no green hills dare' destroys delusions and leaves space for some spirit to escape 'learned doubt'. For the poet Australia is, despite everything, a country without delusions. The 'chatter of cultured apes' refers to culture that Australian's have traditionally been taught to look up to (ie Europe/the US) but also anyone with pretention enough to call themselves civilised... the 'civilised' culture of 'over there' (anyone overseas from Australia who calls themselves civilised) is nothing more than 'chattering apes'. At its core, the poem is mocking/questioning the idea of 'civilisation' itself.

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According to A.D Hope , the modern culture adapted by the Australian was created by sacrificing their true tradition . Therefore, he hopes for a prophet to reconstruct Australia from its cultural ashes .

A. D. Hope's observations of his homeland are like the enigmatic and spoiled state of the Phoenix. The poet shoos away "the chatter of cultured apes". He wants to realise a Phoenix for Australia.

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It is almost certain that Australia is the most fucked up country on earth because we have taken the worst of Brit and Yank culture and turned it up to 11. So A.D. Hope was correct.

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This analysis of A.D. Hope's poem "Australia" provides a profound and insightful exploration of the poet's work. It delves deep into the intricate layers of the poem, shedding light on its rich symbolism and thought-provoking themes editing help low-priced academic writing

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Australia by A. D. Hope poem analysis, themes, literary devices

Australia by Alec Derwent Hope

A Nation of trees, drab green and desolate grey In the field uniform of modern wars, Darkens her hills, those endless, outstretched paws Of Sphinx demolished or stone lion worn away.

They call her a young country, but they lie: She is the last of lands, the emptiest, A woman beyond her change of life, a breast Still tender but within the womb is dry.

Without songs, architecture, history: The emotions and superstitions of younger lands, Her rivers of water drown among inland sands, The river of her immense stupidity

Floods her monotonous tribes from Cairns to Perth. In them at last the ultimate men arrive Whose boast is not: “we live” but “we survive”, A type who will inhabit the dying earth.

And her five cities, like five teeming sores, Each drains her: a vast parasite robber-state Where second hand Europeans pullulate Timidly on the edge of alien shores.

Yet there are some like me turn gladly home From the lush jungle of modern thought, to find The Arabian desert of the human mind, Hoping, if still from the deserts the prophets come,

Such savage and scarlet as no green hills dare Springs in that waste, some spirit which escapes The learned doubt, the chatter of cultured apes Which is called civilization over there.

Analysis of Australia by Alec Derwent Hope

Australia by A. D. Hope is a poem of seven stanzas and twenty – eight (28) lines. In the poem Australia , A. D. Hope explores the landscape, vegetation and culture of Australia. The beginning of stanza one is poetically an eye opener to the vegetation of Australia. A. D. Hope’s description of Australian vegetation is that Australia is “a nation trees, drab green” with however, a “desolate grey colour. A. D. Hope compares these colours metaphorically to what could be seen “in the field uniform of modern wars.” These colours contribute to the darkening of Australia hills and further proffering a view of Australia as “those endless, outstretched paws/Of Sphinx” which has been outrightly “demolished,” or perhaps a “stone lion worn away.”

Read: The Swamp by Derek Walcott

There have been strong speculations or rumours, particularly from people who draw conclusion on Australia by calling “her a young country.” But A. D. Hope disagrees with this by arguing that these people (“they) lie.” A . D hope explains that Australia “is the last of lands,” the emptiest. ” His comparative portrayal of Australia is likened to “a woman beyond her change life”, whose breast/Still tender but within the womb is dry”

To A. D hope, the beauty of Australia is seen and noted only externally, but internally, Australia lacks the beauty noted for. This is described in last line of stanza two: “womb is dry,” which also indicates that Australia is not greatly fruitful as many people thought it to be.

in Stanza three [3], A. D Hope emphasizes on the culture of Australia, which according to him, it is devoid of song – “without song architecture, history.” He therefore sees Australia as a nation without any historical background and culture. The rivers which flows in Australia is drown among inland sands.”

These rivers which A . D hope describes in stanza three [3] as “the rivers of” Australia “immense stupidity” is noted to flow through Australia monotonous tribes from Cairns to Pert respectively. It is also through these rivers that the ultimate men arrive in Cairns and Pert. These ultimate men do not boast that ” ‘we’ live but ‘we’ survive”. These ultimate men are typically Australians “who inhabit the dying earth.”

In stanza five, A . D Hope remarks on the five cities of Australia. These five cities are equally “like five teeming sores.” Each of the cities drain Australia. These cities are explicitly compare to “a vast parasite robber – state” These five cities are occupied by the ultimate men who A. D. Hope describes as “second – hand Europeans.” These second – hand Europeans are screamingly unwelcome to the soil of Australia as many peoples see them as aliens on the shore of Australia.

In the sixth and seventh stanza of the poems, A. D. Hope comments on the modern civilization of Australia. This modern civilization, as A. D. Hope sees it, is purely false imitation of culture which is mistaken by the people of modern civilization.

Literary devices in A . D. Hope’s Australia

Alliteration in a. d. hope’s australia.

“green” …. “gray” – [g] – line 1.

“sphinx” … “stone” – [s] – lines 4.

“whose” …. “we” … “we” – [w] – lines 15.

Simile in A. D. Hope’s Australia

A. D. Hope employs the use of similes to compare Australia with another thing. For instance in stanza fives he compares the fives cities to teeming sores:

“And her fives cities like five teeming sores.”

Personification in A. D. Hope’s Australia

A . D Hope personifies Australia as a woman. Thus, he poetically uses words that accurately fit into feminine gender category such as she and her to describe Australia. For instance;

“They call her a young country she is the last of lands the emptiest.”

Imagery in A. D. Hope’s Australia

The image conjures in A. D. Hope’s Australia is that of a nation that has trees, old and unfruitful – “womb is dry”. There are images of Australia devoid of culture songs, architecture and history.

Repetition in A . D Hope’s Australia

A . D. Hope employs repetition in his poems, Australia. These words are used to establish emphasis in the poems:

“we” – line -15.

“like” – 17 and 21

“her” – lines -3,5,7,11,12,13,17 and18

Metaphor in A. D. Hope’s Australia

The metaphor employs in the poems is:

“she is the last of lands “

Themes in A.D Hope’s Australia

The poem, Australia by A . D hope, is replete with several themes. First, there is theme of Australia been portrayed as barren country. This is noted in stanza two; “a woman beyond her change of life …. womb is dry.” There is theme of lack of culture, history, architecture and song. There is also a theme of alienation. The ultimate men who arrive in Australia through the river are seen as alien to the already inhabitant of Australia.

Tochukwu Ezebube is a passionate poet and founder of Poem Collections. With a deep love for African verse and a commitment to sharing diverse poetic voices, Tochukwu curates a rich tapestry of poems that celebrate the beauty of words from Africa and around the world. Join him on this poetic journey at Poem Collections, where the magic of language unfolds.

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More Poems by Alec Derwent (A D) Hope

Comments, Analysis, and Meaning on Australia

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10 of the Best Australian Poems Everyone Should Read

By Dr Oliver Tearle (Loughborough University)

Australia may be a ‘young’ country in terms of its expansion and written culture, although of course, its Aboriginal culture is among the oldest and most august in the whole world. And choosing ten of the best Australian poems, written by some of the most illustrious names in Australian literature, is by no means an easy task.

For instance, how many poems by Banjo Paterson, the author of the lyrics to Australia’s unofficial national anthem, should we include? And how many by A. D. Hope and Les Murray, two of the most widely anthologised poets outside of Australia? How many by Judith Wright, whose work is read and studied beyond the confines of ‘Down Under’?

The list that follows is, necessarily, not comprehensive. But we hope it will act as a ‘way in’ to the world of Australian poetry for the newcomer – and if you like some of the poems included here, we’d encourage you to check out more by these poets.

1. Banjo Paterson, ‘ The Man from Snowy River ’.

There was movement at the station, for the word had passed around That the colt from old Regret had got away, And had joined the wild bush horses – he was worth a thousand pound, So all the cracks had gathered to the fray …

Andrew Barton ‘Banjo’ Paterson (1864-1941) was an Australian ‘bush poet’, born near Orange in New South Wales to a Scottish father and Australian-born mother. His poems are best read aloud, as all true ballads are (or even sung, as the other poem by Paterson on this list – which we’ll come to in due course – frequently is).

Of course, the other thing a ballad needs is a good story, and this poem’s story is filled with adventure: it focuses on a horseback chase to recapture an escaped colt of a prizewinning racehorse. This colt has gone to live among the ‘brumbies’ (wild horses) in the mountains.

Paterson wrote this poem during the late nineteenth century, when Australia’s sense of its own national identity was being forged. It stands near, if not at, the beginning of the country’s journey of self-discovery.

2. Ada Cambridge, ‘ After Our Likeness ’.

Before me now a little picture lies— A little shadow of a childish face, Childishly sweet, yet with the dawning grace Of thought and wisdom on her lips and eyes …

Ada Cambridge (1844-1926), later known as Ada Cross, was an English-born Australian writer who published three volumes of poetry as well as numerous novels, many of them serialised in Australian newspapers. No fewer than four Australian literary prizes are now named in her honour, and Cambridge Street, in Canberra, is named after her.

This poem is about the natural, divine innocence that the speaker of the poem notices in a baby’s face. We are all born pure and innocent, in the likeness of God: made in his image, as the Bible has it. But as we grow up, we become tainted by worldly temptations, sins, and other things – but the goodness and purity remain discernible in us to the very end.

The poem’s clever use of envelope rhyme (also known as enclosed rhyme), whereby each stanza is rhymed abba , mirrors the idea of us all returning to God’s purity and grace in the end.

3. Henry Lawson, ‘ Up the Country ’.

I am back from up the country — very sorry that I went — Seeking for the Southern poets’ land whereon to pitch my tent; I have lost a lot of idols, which were broken on the track, Burnt a lot of fancy verses, and I’m glad that I am back …

The ‘bush ballads’ of Henry Lawson (1867-1922) are as famous in some quarters as those of Paterson, his contemporary. However, Lawson was also a gifted short-story writer, and his best poems can easily rival Paterson’s for their thrilling narrative and their sense of the colonial character of early Australia.

Published in The Bulletin magazine in 1892, this poem was part of Lawson’s attempt to capture the reality of life in the bush. Drawing on his own experiences, Lawson takes issue with Banjo Paterson’s account of bush life.

4. Dorothea Mackellar, ‘ My Country ’.

Mackellar (1885-1968) was born in Sydney. She’s another ‘bush poet’, and her work frequently draws on her experiences on her brothers’ farms near Gunnedah, New South Wales.

‘My Country’, her best-known poem, famously describes Australia as a ‘sunburnt country’. However, she began writing the poem in London, England (in 1904) and it was in London, in 1908, that is was first published. It has since become a quintessential poem about Australia.

5. Gwen Harwood, ‘ In the Park ’.

Harwood (1920-95) was a prolific poet whose work is highly regarded by readers and critics. Born in Brisbane, she later moved to Tasmania, where she worked as a lecturer. It was during her academic career that she became interested in the philosophy of Ludwig Wittgenstein, which influenced all of her work to some extent.

Of all of her poems, it is perhaps ‘In the Park’ that is the best-known and most widely studied and anthologised. This sonnet takes as its subject that perennial figure in Harwood’s poetry: the young mother.

6. A. D. Hope, ‘ Australia ’.

Alec Derwent Hope (1907-2000) was one of Australia’s greatest twentieth-century poets. He was also a noted critic. One American journal, not entirely undeservedly, branded him ‘the 20th century’s greatest 18th-century poet’ because of Hope’s Augustan love of form and reason in his work.

However, W. H. Auden was another, more recent influence on Hope’s poems. When he was asked what poets could do for Australia, Hope reputedly replied, ‘oh not much, merely justify its existence’. ‘Australia’ is a fine example of this.

Challenging the notion that Australia is a young country, Hope views the emptiness, the desert landscapes, and the tough survivalist instinct in Australia as all being indissoluble parts of its character. The major cities are like ‘sores’ which parasitically draw upon the rest of the country. This is not a poem of unmitigated praise – but then what Australian would want that?

7. Les Murray, ‘ An Absolutely Ordinary Rainbow ’.

Leslie Allan Murray (1938-2019) was another prolific Australian poet: during his long poetic career he published nearly thirty volumes of poetry and also edited numerous anthologies.

Focusing on a man crying in the middle of the street, and exploring how various people turn from their daily lives to watch him, ‘An Absolutely Ordinary Rainbow’ is set in 1960s Sydney, and showcases Murray’s down-to-earth, witty style.

8. Oodgeroo Noonuccal, ‘ We Are Going ’.

Oodgeroo Noonuccal (1920-93) was an Aboriginal Australian poet, political activist, artist, and educator, who campaigned for Aboriginal rights. But most of all, perhaps, it is her poetry for which she is now best-known, and in this free-verse poem, Noonuccal movingly portrays the impact on Australian Aboriginals that the arrival of English settlers had.

9. Judith Wright, ‘ Eve to Her Daughters ’.

This dramatic monologue sees the Biblical Eve transported to a post-nuclear landscape where man has succeeded in destroying the Edenic paradise of the world as we know it. Wright manages to weave in anti-war sentiments, feminist ideas, and some clever Biblical jokes, as Eve addresses her daughters and maintains, ‘It was not I who began it.’

Wright (1915-2000) was a poet whose work is politically informed and involved: she was also a noted environmentalist and campaigner for Aboriginal land rights.

10. Banjo Paterson and Marie Cowan, ‘ Waltzing Matilda ’.

Once a jolly swagman camped by a billabong Under the shade of a Coolibah tree And he sang as he watched and waited till his billy boiled ‘You’ll come a Waltzing Matilda with me’ …

Where else to conclude our pick of the best Australian poems than with the lyrics to Australia’s unofficial national anthem? Paterson composed the lyrics to the song in 1895 while in the Queensland outback (among other places), although in 1903 Marie Cowan changed some of the words (as well as completely changing the music), so Cowan deserves a co-writing credit.

With its distinctive Australian slang (billabong, for instance; and the ‘matilda’ in the title refers to a bag of swag carried by Australian bushmen), the poem and song have developed an iconic status in the last century or so.

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• Australian Identity in Poetry: Exploring the Essence of the Land Down Under

Australia, with its vast landscapes, unique flora and fauna, and rich cultural heritage, has long been a source of inspiration for poets seeking to capture the essence of its identity. From the rugged outback to the coastal beauty, Australian poets have crafted verses that reflect the nation's spirit, history, and diverse people. In this article, we will delve into a selection of poems that exemplify the Australian identity, highlighting the country's distinct character.

1. "My Country" by Dorothea Mackellar

2. "we are going" by oodgeroo noonuccal, 3. "the drover's wife" by henry lawson.

One of the most iconic poems exploring Australian identity is "My Country" by Dorothea Mackellar. First published in 1908, this poem beautifully encapsulates Australia's unique landscapes and the deep connection Australians have with their homeland. Mackellar's evocative words transport readers to the vastness of the Australian outback, painted with vivid imagery:

"I love a sunburnt country, A land of sweeping plains, Of ragged mountain ranges, Of droughts and flooding rains."

These lines evoke a sense of awe and admiration for the rugged beauty of Australia, emphasizing its resilience in the face of both harsh conditions and natural abundance.

Oodgeroo Noonuccal, an influential Aboriginal Australian poet, expressed the struggles and resilience of Indigenous Australians in her poem "We Are Going." This powerful piece reflects on the displacement and loss experienced by Aboriginal communities due to colonization. The poem boldly confronts the impact of European settlement on the land and its original inhabitants:

"They took the bellowing bull, the bounding kangaroo, the flapping bat and the laughing owl, the turtle and the goanna, the eagle and the crow, and we are going."

Through these lines, Noonuccal mourns the loss of native flora and fauna, while asserting the enduring connection between Indigenous Australians and their ancestral lands.

Henry Lawson, one of Australia's most renowned bush poets, captured the spirit of resilience and determination in his poem "The Drover's Wife." This narrative poem tells the story of a woman left alone to fend for her family in the harsh Australian bush. The poem showcases the strength and resourcefulness of Australian women in the face of adversity:

"She waits and watches by the sliprails, with a heart that fills with dread, for the stock are slowly stringing out as the *dews* fall overhead."

These lines illustrate the challenges faced by those living in isolated regions of Australia, highlighting the courage and fortitude required to survive in such harsh conditions.

Australian identity is a complex and evolving concept, shaped by the land, history, and diverse cultures that make up the nation. Through poetry, Australian writers have endeavored to capture the essence of this identity, celebrating the beauty and resilience of the land and its people. The aforementioned poems by Dorothea Mackellar, Oodgeroo Noonuccal, and Henry Lawson are just a few examples of the diverse range of voices that contribute to the rich tapestry of Australian poetry. Through their words, these poets have immortalized the Australian spirit and provided readers with a deeper understanding of what it truly means to be Australian.

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Australia 1970

By Judith Wright

‘Australia 1970’ by Judith Wright speaks on the changing landscape of Australia in the 1970s. It promotes a fierce, wild, and dangerous version of Australia like the animals that have always lived within its boundaries.

Judith Wright

Nationality: Australian

She wrote and worked for Aboriginal land rights and environmentalism.

Key Poem Information

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Central Message: The degradation of nature is a threat to our own survival.

Themes: Death , Nature

Speaker: Likely Judith Wright

Emotions Evoked: Anger , Confidence , Courage , Frustration , Resilience

Poetic Form: Free Verse , Quatrain

Time Period: 20th Century

‘Australia 1970’ by Judith Wright is an invocation to the weakened spirit of the country, imploring her to fight back and not fall back until her final breath.

Poem Analyzed by Emma Baldwin

B.A. English (Minor: Creative Writing), B.F.A. Fine Art, B.A. Art Histories

‘Australia 1970’ was inspired by Judith Wright’s work as an environmentalist and her love for her homeland. She is well-remembered for her early environmental poems that celebrated Australia and sought to expose the ways that the country was being degraded by industrialism.

Judith Wright's ‘Australia 1970’ delves deeper into the issue of humankind’s unchecked desire to “poison” nature for their own good by disregarding the fact that by doing that they are invariably destroying their future. Apart from that readers should especially note the following points:

• Wildlife of Australia: From the beginning of the poem, Wright takes recourse to the wild creatures native to the country to describe how Australia should resist humankind's blows. She refers to the "eaglehawk," "tigersnake," and "soldier-ant" to showcase what defines Australia.
• Unyielding Spirit of Australia: Through this piece, Wright tries to invoke the unconquerable spirit of Australia. Although she is aware of the fact that her country is on the verge of losing its identity, she has faith that it is not going to happen soon if her country starts fighting back.
• Use of Repetition : This device is used throughout the poem. For instance, the word “Die” is used thrice in order to voice the poet’s anger and frustration.
• The Theme of Identity: In this poem, Wright projects the features that define Australia such as its “furious” wild creatures, “scoring drought,” dusty landscape, and the “drying creek.” These are the things that make the country stand out from the rest.

Explore Australia 1970

• 2 Structure and Form
• 3 Literary Devices
• 6 Analysis, Stanza by Stanza
• 7 Historical Context
• 8 FAQs 
• 9 Similar Poetry 

‘Australia 1970’ by Judith Wright is a powerful poem about Australia’s wild soul and its future. 

The poem advocates for the continuation of a truly wild and dangerous version of Australia that Judith Wright knows and loves. Throughout the piece, she asks Australia to fight back against the human conquerors, or those seeking to industrialize its wildest places, and remain fierce and dangerous until the day the country finally dies.

The Poem Analysis Take

Expert Insights by Sudip Das Gupta

First-class B.A. Honors Degree in English Literature

This poem of Wright's is a significant literary work that deals with the Australian landscape, its flora and fauna. More importantly, it tries to shed light on the degradation of nature worldwide by humankind’s unchecked expansion. Wright voices her fury and anger at her country, specifically her countrymen’s blindness to the fact that their own land is being drained and devastated ironically by their ignorance. Being deaf and blind to the things happening around us leads nowhere but to our own doom. Wright implores everyone to face the music and resist the attempts of outsiders who try to extinguish the true Australian spirit.

Structure and Form

This free-verse piece contains sporadic rhyming and an unpredictable metrical pattern that resonates with the speaker ’s mood throughout.

‘Australia 1970’ by Judith Wright is a six-stanza poem that is divided into sets of four lines, known as quatrains . These quatrains are somewhat scattered in the rhymes they use. In most, lines three and four rhyme but in others, like stanza two lines two and four rhyme instead with “pain” and “stain.” In stanza five, lines two and three rhyme with “snake” and “make.” There is no fixed meter in the poem. Most lines begin with a trochee (stressed-unstressed).

Literary Devices

By using apostrophe , Wright invokes the wild, undying spirit of Australia and goes on using similes to showcase the uniqueness of the country’s wildlife.

Throughout this poem, the poet makes use of several literary devices. These include but are not limited to:

• Alliteration : the repetition of the same consonant sound at the beginning of multiple words. For example, “ c ursing” and “ c aptor” in the fourth line. 
• Simile : a comparison between two things that uses “like” or “as.” For example,  “Die, wild country, like the eaglehawk.” There are numerous similes used in this passionate poem. 
• Caesura : a division in the middle, or in any spot, within a line of poetry. For example, “clawing and striking. Die.”
• Anaphora : the repetition of the same word or phrase at the beginning of multiple lines. For example, “that,” which begins the last two lines of the poem.

Wright taps into some important themes in ‘Australia 1970’ such as humankind vs. nature, determination, identity, and wilderness.

The main theme of this poem is nature, specifically the nature found in Australia. Through unusual language, the poet celebrates Australia’s history and landscape while expressing the speaker’s hope that the country remains just as wild and dangerous as it always has been. Another important theme in this piece is humankind vs. nature. Wright projects how humankind’s unchecked greed could lead to a large-scale destruction of nature. Wright also describes how the colonizers tried to wipe out the definitive features of Australia.

The tone of the speaker (Judith Wright) is charged with passion, anger, and bitterness that is visible from the very first line, “Die, wild country…”

The tone is angry, bordering on furious. With passionate language, Judith Wright asserts that the true soul of Australia rests in its wild landscapes and fierce animals that spend their whole lives struggling for survival and never give in without truly striking fear into their opponent. Wright is horrified by the changes she’s seen come over the Australian landscape and uses these lines to promote an Australia free from human conquerors.

Analysis, Stanza by Stanza

Stanza one .

Die, wild country, like the eaglehawk, dangerous till the last breath’s gone, clawing and striking. Die cursing your captor through a raging eye.

In the first stanza of the poem, the speaker begins by passionately declaring her hope that her country dies “like the eaglehawk.” While it may not seem like it at first, the speaker loves her country and wants the best for it. She wants her country to be a wild place and to live as vibrantly as the many creatures that inhabit its landscapes. These are only the first of many similes the poet uses in this six-stanza poem.

She hopes Australia fights till the country’s last breath is gone, and until then, always remains dangerous. She compares this metaphorical death to someone who dies cursing their captor in the eye, unwilling to concede to another’s demands. 

Die like the tigersnake (…) with fear like suicide’s invading stain.

In the second stanza, the speaker uses several more similes to define how she hopes the future of Australia as a country plays out. She wants the country to remain as deadly, unpredictable, and powerful as a “tigersnake”. So much so, that if Australia were a person, they’d strike fear into a killer’s dreams and fill their mind with it (as one might be plagued with thoughts of suicide). 

Stanza Three 

Suffer, wild country, like the ironwood (…) to naked poverty.

She continues on her powerful series of metaphors , asking Australia to remain a “wild country” and to “Suffer” as the ironwood (a type of plant) as it is run down by the “dozer-blade.” 

It’s here that readers begin to encounter the first few allusions to the poet’s contemporary moment. She is speaking out against the progressive de-wilding of Australia and the various industrial practices that are degrading the natural environment.

When the speaker looks around her, she says the “living soil” of the country is ebbing with the tree as it’s torn down. Soon, she sees her country falling into a biodiverse “poverty” and losing all of the fighting strength she loves about it. 

Stanza Four 

Die like the soldier-ant (…) stay obstinate; stay blind.

She returns to using “Die” at the beginning of the first line in stanza four (an example of anaphora). She asks that the country remain wild and free as a “soldier-ant” who is “faithful” to its cause. Even though the country is corrupted and tortured by human beings, she hopes that it will “stay obstinate” in the way it behaves (one of the strongest examples of personification in the poem) and stay blind to everything that’s changed.

As long as it can maintain its wild nature, she hopes the Australia she loves will live forever. 

Stanza Five 

For we are conquerors and self-poisoners (…) even while you die of us.

The speaker declares that human beings are the “conquerors and self-poisoners.” The actions that “we” take are only to our own detriment. What we do will eventually lead to our own demise, the speaker suggests. We are “dying of the venoms that we make” while we also kill the country that supports us. 

Stanza Six 

I praise the scoring drought, the flying dust, (…) that we are ruined by the thing we kill.

In the final stanza of the poem, the speaker praises everything about Australia that makes it wild, seemingly uninhabitable, and dangerous. She praises the “scoring drought, the flying dust” and the “furious animal” in that each of these natural elements has yet to concede to human conquerors. She prays that all the things that can “ruin” human beings despite our attempts to “kill” the wild parts of the country.

Historical Context

Written in the 1970s, Wright’s poem alludes to the “conquerors,” who tried to revise the whole Australian landscape in their own way by taming the wilderness and obliterating the country’s fierce past.

‘Australia 1970’ appears in Judith Wright’s defining collection of poetry, Shadow . In this poem, Wright shows how her beloved country is on the verge of losing its identity. Wright was an environmentalist and Aboriginal rights activist. The tone of protest in the speaker’s voice is that of the poet herself. Her only urge to the country is to fight till the last breath is drawn and resist humankind’s attempt to obliterate its identity. In the last two stanzas of the poem, Wright appeals to the whole of humankind not to ruin nature or else their future will be doomed.

The purpose is to advocate for the conservation of wild places in Australia. Wright saw the country being steadily de-wilded by industrialization, and this poem promotes the true, wild heart of Australia to fight back and not die without a true struggle. 

Wright asks Australia to die in a certain way because she loves her country. She knows that human conquerors are doing everything they can to remove the heart of Australia. That is its wildness and ferocity. She hopes that her country will fight to the death with the same ferocity that many of its native animals would show.

She is remembered as one of Australia’s most important contemporary poets. She was an early conservationist and environmentalist who imbued the meaning of her best poems with love for her country and its wild environments.

‘Australia 1970’ is an invocation to Australia’s “wild” and “obstinate” spirit. This poem is an appeal to the country to resist humanity’s unending attempt to destroy its wild landscapes. Overall, it highlights how humankind is going to suffer by their own selfish deeds to nature.

The poem is about Australia in the 1970s and what Wright saw as its soul degrading through the increased industrialization of wild places. Animals were going extinct or were being driven from their homes, and the country as a whole was being tamed. 

The tone is furious and passionate. The speaker is horrified by what’s been happening to her country and uses words like “cursing” and “clawing” to describe how she wants the landscapes to fight back. 

Similar Poetry 

Readers who enjoyed this poem should also consider reading some other Judith Wright poems . For example: 

• ‘ Request To A Year ’ – is an unusual poem in which the speaker expresses an ardent wish—to be more like her great-great-grandmother. 

Other related poems include: 

• ‘ We Are Going ’ by Oodgeroo Noonuccal – is a powerful poem about the struggles of Aboriginal Australians in the face of British colonialism. The poem is delivered from the duel, contrasting perspectives highlighting the loss of culture, land, and history. 
• ‘ The Man from Snowy River ’ by Banjo Paterson – is a Bush Ballad that tells the story of a young man who single-handedly pursues a prizewinning colt and brings back the mob of wild horses.

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Australia 1970 Summary & Analysis by Judith Wright

• Line-by-Line Explanation & Analysis
• Poetic Devices
• Vocabulary & References
• Form, Meter, & Rhyme Scheme
• Line-by-Line Explanations

Judith Wright's "Australia 1970" passionately implores Australia's "wild country" to resist humanity's attempts to tame it. If the countryside is going to "die," it should die fighting to the bitter end like a ferocious animal. The poem fiercely denounces humankind's destruction of the environment and argues that people are ultimately harming themselves by refusing to respect the natural world—however inhospitable it may be. "Australia 1970" was published in Wright's Shadow in 1971.

• Read the full text of “Australia 1970”

The Full Text of “Australia 1970”

“australia 1970” summary, “australia 1970” themes.

Nature vs. Humanity

Line-by-line explanation & analysis of “australia 1970”.

Die, wild country, ... ... a raging eye.

Die like the ... ... suicide's invading stain.

Suffer, wild country, ... ... to naked poverty.

Lines 13-16

Die like the ... ... obstinate; stay blind.

Lines 17-20

For we are ... ... die of us.

Lines 21-24

I praise the ... ... thing we kill.

“Australia 1970” Symbols

Australia's Animals and Landscapes

• Lines 1-3: “Die, wild country, like the eaglehawk, / dangerous till the last breath's gone, / clawing and striking.”
• Lines 5-6: “Die like the tigersnake / that hisses such pure hatred from its pain”
• Lines 9-10: “Suffer, wild country, like the ironwood / that gaps the dozer-blade.”
• Lines 13-14: “Die like the soldier-ant / mindless and faithful to your million years.”
• Lines 21-22: “I praise the scoring drought, the flying dust, / the drying creek, the furious animal,”

“Australia 1970” Poetic Devices & Figurative Language

• Lines 5-8: “Die like the tigersnake / that hisses such pure hatred from its pain / as fills the killer's dreams / with fear like suicide's invading stain.”
• Line 1: “Die, wild country”
• Lines 3-4: “Die / cursing your captor”
• Line 5: “Die like the tigersnake”
• Line 13: “Die like the soldier-ant”
• Line 16: “stay obstinate; stay blind.”
• Line 23: “that they oppose us still;”
• Line 24: “that we are ruined by the thing we kill.”

Alliteration

• Line 1: “Die”
• Line 2: “dangerous”
• Line 3: “clawing,” “Die”
• Line 4: “cursing,” “captor”
• Line 6: “hisses,” “pure,” “hatred,” “pain”
• Line 8: “suicide's,” “stain”
• Line 14: “mindless,” “million”
• Line 17: “self”
• Line 18: “scorpion,” “snake”
• Line 21: “drought,” “flying,” “dust”
• Line 22: “drying,” “furious”
• Line 1: “Die, wild country,”
• Lines 3-4: “Die / cursing your captor through a raging eye.”
• Line 9: “Suffer, wild country,”
• Lines 11-12: “I see your living soil ebb with the tree / to naked poverty.”
• Lines 13-16: “Die like the soldier-ant / mindless and faithful to your million years. / Though we corrupt you with our torturing mind, / stay obstinate; stay blind.”
• Line 20: “even while you die of us.”

Personification

“australia 1970” vocabulary.

Select any word below to get its definition in the context of the poem. The words are listed in the order in which they appear in the poem.

• Dozer-blade
• Soldier-ant
• (Location in poem: Line 1: “Die, wild country, like the eaglehawk,”)

Form, Meter, & Rhyme Scheme of “Australia 1970”

Rhyme scheme, “australia 1970” speaker, “australia 1970” setting, literary and historical context of “australia 1970”, more “australia 1970” resources, external resources.

A Reading of the Poem — Listen to a reading and short analysis of "Australia 1970."

Who Was Judith Wright? — A brief biography of the poet.

Two Fires Festival of Arts and Activism — The website of the Two Fires Festival, an arts and activism festival held in honor of Judith Wright's "twin passions." 

Judith Wright the Activist — An article discussing Wright's role as "an activist poet who was ahead of her time."

A Brief History of Environmentalism in Australia — A look at how the European colonization of Australia led to widespread environmental collapse.

LitCharts on Other Poems by Judith Wright

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(Un)Belonging in Australia: Poetry and Nation

This essay argues that while contemporary poetry may appear to be antithetical or antagonistic to ideas of nation and nationhood, a fuller reading of poets such as Francis Webb, Les Murray, John Forbes, and Ken Bolton reveal complex relationships to such ideas. The essay engages with theorists such as Bill Ashcroft, Jahan Ramazani and Anthony Smith, on citizenship, the nation, and post-colonialism.

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Henry Kendall is acknowledged as a poet with exceptional qualities. Kendall’s perspective as an Australian poet is engaged in searching the aboriginal identity of Australia. His poetry is the manifestation of his impressionistic sympathy towards the loss of aboriginal culture and history. Australia was a land of enriched culture, but with the colonization, it has lost his cultural richness. So the cultural identity of Australia and its aborigine people is threatened. Therefore, in Australian poetry we can find the urge to regain that traditional cultural identity. The Nationalist orientation is created through the introduction of certain elements that are constantly working as active catalysts in order to comprehend the identity in relation with their own cultural discourse. I would like to highlight that Nationalist aspect in Kendall’s poetry which combines both the culture of Australia and the sentiment of the Aborigine-Australian voice.

Bill Ashcroft

Despite Goethe’s ideal of Weltliteratur – the dream of ‘a common world literature transcending national limits’ world literature still seems unable to challenge the importance of the nation in the institution of literature and literary study. The very question asked by this conference – Is Australian literature a World Literature? – seems to bear this out. This paper sees the synchronicity of Australian and world literature as a process of reading beyond both the terms ‘world’ and ‘nation’. I will examine the shared utopianism that links various post-colonial literatures through a vision of what Ernst Bloch calls Heimat – the home we have all sensed but never experienced. Australian literature shares with other literatures this hope for the future – a home beyond the nation. I will explore this transcultural, transnational connection through various texts

Nathanael O'Reilly

This book presents thirteen essays that address the numerous ways in which Australian literature is postcolonial and can be read using postcolonial reading strategies. The collection addresses a wide variety of Australian texts produced from the colonial period to the present, including works by Henry Lawson, Miles Franklin, Patrick White, Xavier Herbert, David Malouf, Peter Carey, Rodney Hall, Andrew McGahan, Elizabeth Jolley, Judith Wright, Kate Grenville, Janette Turner Hospital, Melissa Lucashenko, Kim Scott, and Alexis Wright. The chapters focus on works by Indigenous authors and writers of European descent, and examine specifically postcolonial issues, including hybridity, first contact, resistance, appropriation, race relations, language usage, indigeneity, immigration/invasion, land rights and ownership, national identity, marginalization, mapping, naming, mimicry, the role of historical narratives, settler guilt and denial, and anxieties regarding belonging. The essays emphasize the postcolonial nature of Australian literature and utilize postcolonial theory to analyze Australian texts. The primary objectives of the essay collection are to emphasize, highlight, and examine the postcolonial nature of Australian literature. Within postcolonial studies, literature from South Asia, Africa, and the Caribbean is often privileged, causing the literature of settler societies such as Australia, Canada and New Zealand to be ignored. This collection provides ample evidence that Australian literature is indeed postcolonial literature, that it deserves more recognition as such, and that postcolonial reading strategies provide immensely fruitful methods for analyzing Australian texts. Moreover, the collection seeks to fill a gap in postcolonial studies. 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The book will be useful for courses on both Australian literature and postcolonial literature, especially postcolonial courses that include Australian texts. The collection includes contributions addressing the work of many internationally recognized leading contemporary Australian novelists, providing the collection with broad appeal to students and scholars around the world with an interest in prominent, award-wining authors and works.

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7 Impactful Poems by Indigenous Australian Writers

From Oodegerro Noonuccal to Jack Davis to Hyllus Maris, here are 7 powerful and impactful poems about the experiences and adversity faced by indigenous people in Australia.

The history of Indigenous Australians began almost more than 65,000 years ago, they are considered to be the oldest living human population outside of Africa. However, even with their fascinating culture, language, and beliefs, they still face racism every day. Here are 7 eye-opening poems written by Indigenous Australian writers to give you a glimpse into their history, struggles, and heavy emotions that also inspire and spread hope for a better future.

‘ A Song of Hope’ – Oodegeroo Noonuccal (Kath Walker) 

Look up, my people,

The dawn is breaking

The world is waking

To a bright new day

When none defame us

No restriction tame us

Nor colour shame us

Nor sneer dismay.

Now brood no more

On the years behind you

The hope assigned you

Shall the past replace

When a juster justice

Grown wise and stronger

Points the bone no longer

At a darker race.

So long we waited

Bound and frustrated

Till hate be hated

And caste deposed

Now light shall guide us

No goal denied us

And all doors open

That long were closed.

See plain the promise

Dark freedom-lover!

Night’s nearly over

And though long the climb

New rights will greet us

New mateship meet us

And joy complete us

In our new Dream Time.

To our fathers’ fathers

The pain, the sorrow;

To our children’s children

the glad tomorrow.

Ooderoo of the Noonuccal (Kath Walker), was one of the most well-respected poets of her time. Her father belonged to the Nunukul people , who traditionally lived on the Northern portion of Minjerribah, North Stradbroke Island, Queensland. Kath Walker wrote ‘A Song of Hope’ in the 1960s after realizing that there is actually hope in a broken world once she saw a decrease in racism towards indigenous people by the English settlers.

www.rahs.org

‘ Come Over Murri’ – Lionel Fogarty

I just remember Murris not only you die

in prisons or from poor conditions

Over other countries they’re dying too and prisoned for surviving

like Latin America, where white man still tried to cause divisions with murder, rape and oppressions for exploitation.

We are not the only sufferers.

We are not just the ones fighting for land cultural rights.

Overseas in other lands they are fighting against the same enemy

which is capitalist or gone wrong commos.

We are in one world, but we here are forgetting about other native people’s struggles.

We as Murri must look here and support the necessary struggles of other countries, for their fights affect our fights.

Take the black out of South Africa and put them here we will find the same racist things.

Take red people up in Canada, they’re still fighting for rights.

Take the Pacific natives they are still struggling for what they need.

And take whites overseas, they are fighting too, oh, like the Irish people who want Britain out.

So Murris we have to have feeling, thinking and action for all low, small native peoples overseas.

And then we will get world understanding and unity, even love for one another’s cultures.

Just remember they die, fight too Murri.

The other countries are waiting now for your support and fight.

Lionel George Fogarty was born in Barambah ( Cherbourg ) located in the South Burnett region of Southern Queensland. He has been very active in the political struggles of indigenous people. His first poetry collection Kargun was published in 1980, which highlights the living realities of Australia, going through all the emotions of guilt, despair, hopelessness, and sadness.

pennyspoetry

‘ Aboriginal Australia’ – Jack Davis 

To the Others

You once smiled a friendly smile,

Said we were kin to one another,

Thus with guile for a short while

Became to me a brother.

Then you swamped my way of gladness,

Took my children from my side,

Snapped shut the law book, oh my sadness

At Yirrakalas’ plea denied.

So, I remember Lake George hills,

The thin stick bones of people.

Sudden death, and greed that kills,

That gave you church and steeple.

I cry again for Warrarra men,

Gone from kith and kind,

And I wondered when

I would find a pen

To probe your freckled mind.

I mourned again for the Murray tribe,

Gone too without a trace.

I thought of the soldier’s diatribe,

The smile on the governor’s face.

You murdered me with rope, with gun

The massacre of my enclave,

You buried me deep on McLarty’s run

Flung into a common grave.

You propped me up with Christ, red tape,

Tobacco, grog and fears,

Then disease and lordly rape

Through the brutish years.

Now you primly say you’re justified,

And sing of a nation’s glory,

But I think of a people crucified-

The real Australian story

Jack Davis was born in the North of Pilbara in Western Australia, and he was later sent to Moore River Native Settlement to learn farming. He fought for justice for his people and gained nationwide recognition for activism. Jack wrote ‘Aboriginal Australia’ in 1978, to show a truthful and unfiltered portrayal of urban life for an indigenous person.

readingaustralia

‘ Shame’ – Kevin Gilbert

And some say “Shame” when we’re talkin’ up

And “Shame” for the way we are

And “Shame” cause we ain’t got a big flash house

Or a steady job and a car.

Some call it “Shame” when our kids they die

From colds or from sheer neglect

“Shame” when we live on the river banks

While collectin’ our welfare cheques

“Shame” when we’re blind from trachoma

“Shame” when we’re crippled from blights

But I reckon the worstest shame is yours

You deny us human rights

Kevin Gilbert was the first indigenous playwright and printmaker, who was born on the banks of the Lachlan River in New South Wales, a part of the Wiradjuri people . The tone of his poetry is often described as highly emotive, conflicted by struggles with his identity, and never feeling like he fully belonged .

‘ A One Ended Boomerang’ – Samuel Wagan Watson 

For once you have tasted flight you will walk the earth with your eyes turned skywards, for there you have been and there you will long to return.

— Leonardo da Vinci

An hourglass constricted, the whore inside of me who is watching the clock, monitoring the time, this wasted time to get off, get going, lunar cycle gauge of tide and meridian. How I can hear the sand slip downward in my body clock? I need to be here, could be there, and not long ago the only place you wanted me to be was by your side … maybe?

I am a pencil that cannot sharpen,

ink that slides off paper,

outside of our time, I am lost,

a one ended boomerang.

Samuel Wagan Watson is from Brisbane Australia, of the Mununjali, Birri Gubba descent. Mainly known for his poem Smoke Encrypted Whispers which was about his upbringing in suburban Brisbane. This fourth collection of poems also won the NSW Premier’s Award in 2005.

‘ Don’t Want Me to Talk’ – Charmaine Papertalk Green 

You don’t want me to talk about

Mining or its impact on Country

The concept and construct of ‘whiteness’

Its dominance and power in society

The art vultures here and everywhere

Modern day missionaries – the art kind

Saving us on the great white canvas

Invasion of this land or a Treaty

It’s a shared true history – let’s heal

Past injustices, cultural cruelty, cultural genocide

And the cultural pain that is left behind

It’s a shared true history – let us heal

How reconciliation could be the wrong word

On its own and without truth

Native titles process being for the white man

You don’t want me to talk at all

Most of the time – you have your ‘exotic’ pets

You want me to nod, smile and listen to you

And it doesn’t really matter if I don’t hear you

How I have got a voice

And you don’t listen.

Charmaine Papertalk Green is from Wajjarri, Badimaya, and Southern Yamaji people of the MidWest Western Australia. ‘Don’t Want Me to Talk’ is about having a voiceless voice, and how indigenous people are voicing their struggles but no one is listening. Charmaine emphasises that people living in Australia need to acknowledge who the First Nations people of Australia are .

australianbookreview

‘ Spiritual Song of the Aborigine’ – Hyllus Maris  

I am a child of the Dreamtime People

Part of this land, like the gnarled gumtree

I am the river, softly singing

Chanting our songs on my way to the sea

My spirit is the dust-devils

Mirages, that dance on the plain

I’m the snow, the wind and the falling rain

I’m part of the rocks and the red desert earth

Red as the blood that flows in my veins

I am eagle, crow and snake that glides

Through the rainforest that clings to the mountainside

I awakened here when the earth was new

There was emu, wombat, kangaroo

No other man of a different hue

I am this land

And this land is me

I am Australia.

Hyllus Maris was born in Cummeragunja in 1934. With the intent of letting the public know and understand the relationship between indigenous people and Australia. Hyllus wrote ‘Spiritual Song of the Aborigine’ to share what being one with nature is like, speaking through an indigenous viewpoint.

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His story is part of a collection of works called Poems for the Moon. To celebrate the Lunar New Year in 2020 (Year of the Rat), five Asian Australian poets reflect on tradition, legacy, identity and sense of place through verses and voices, poetry beats. Heather Joan Day, Eileen Chong, Ouyang Yu, Jessie Tu, Keith Hung Tran come from diverse Asian backgrounds, offering distinct poetry styles and different cultural experiences navigating a contemporary Australia.

Eileen Chong performs her work Spring Festival - exploring her Chinese heritage and traditions, about food, family and everyday life.

CONTENT WARNING: Adult Themes

Heather Joan Day performs her work Baby BI BI Bi - Island - reflecting on her experiences growing up bi-racial in Australia.

Jessie Tu performs her work The history of Weight Her story is part of a collection of works called Poems for the Moon.

Keith Hung Tran performs his work All the Good in Me. His story is part of a collection of works called Poems for the Moon.

From the gold rush in the 1800s to today's opportunities for skilled migrants: is Australia really the most successful multicultural society in the world?

History of Chinese migration to Australia.

Pocket Compass explores migration to Australia and changing attitudes towards our newest citizens. Their stories reveal what contributes to a migrant's sense of belonging and how that enriches Australian society as a whole.

Travel back in time to witness our long journey to the 24 million people that we have in Australia today.

Asian Century Institute

While a growing share of migrants to Australia comes from Asian countries like China and India, only a very small number come from Indonesia, Australia's nearest and very important Asian neighbor.

Migration Heritage Centre

In 1788, when European settlement began, Australia’s Aboriginal population was about 400,000. Today, over 20 million people live here. Migration has been the main driver for this change. In New South Wales, four out of every ten people are either migrants or the children of migrant.

Asian Immigration to Australia

The maiden speech by the Member for Oxley on 10 September 1996 provided the catalyst for renewed debate on Asian immigration and its significance for Australia. This debate has expanded to countries in the region, and has involved reassertion of the principle of non-discrimination in Australia's migration program through a bipartisan Parliamentary motion, which was unanimously passed.

Merlinda Bobis

Award-winning writer Merlinda Bobis grew up in Albay, Philippines at the foot of an active volcano, which figures prominently in her writing and performance.

Poetry International Web

The Poetry International Foundation is a literary organisation based in Rotterdam, the Netherlands, and encompassing a number of partner organisations worldwide.

Australian Poetry Library

Ouyang Yu was born in Huangzhou, China, in 1955. In 1983 he graduated from Wuhan Institute of Hydro-Electric Engineering.

Matrix Education

Module A 

Themes and Key concepts for Contemporary Asian Australian Poets

Cordite Poetry Review

Asian Australian Diasporic Poets: A Commentary

This ground-breaking anthology collects poems written by Australian poets who are migrants, their children, and refugees of Asian heritage.

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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=86TKK81EwJ4 This cherished timeless poem speaks to the core of the Australian heart with its line "I love a sunburnt country". The picture is a page from MacKellar's own notebook to dispel the rugged / ragged confusion. The above link - you can hear the poet read her own poem.

The love of field and coppice, Of green and shaded lanes. Of ordered woods and gardens Is running in your veins, Strong love of grey-blue distance Brown streams and soft dim skies I know but cannot share it, My love is otherwise. I love a sunburnt country, A land of sweeping plains, Of ragged mountain ranges, Of droughts and flooding rains. I love her far horizons, I love her jewel-sea, Her beauty and her terror - The wide brown land for me! A stark white ring-barked forest All tragic to the moon, The sapphire-misted mountains, The hot gold hush of noon. Green tangle of the brushes, Where lithe lianas coil, And orchids deck the tree-tops And ferns the warm dark soil. Core of my heart, my country! Her pitiless blue sky, When sick at heart, around us, We see the cattle die - But then the grey clouds gather, And we can bless again The drumming of an army, The steady, soaking rain. Core of my heart, my country! Land of the Rainbow Gold, For flood and fire and famine, She pays us back threefold - Over the thirsty paddocks, Watch, after many days, The filmy veil of greenness That thickens as we gaze. An opal-hearted country, A wilful, lavish land - All you who have not loved her, You will not understand - Though earth holds many splendours, Wherever I may die, I know to what brown country My homing thoughts will fly.

I think every Australian knows the second verse - a bit like national anthems - everyone knows the first. I learned this poem some 48 years ago, and it still brings tears.This is not about love of nation - but love of country, there is a difference. When I was a child, I yearned to be English and this poem is one of the things that taught me otherwise.

I know the word is ragged, (isn't it amazing the controversy a single word can bring?) I must say, though that in her own recitation, she seems SO much to be saying "rugged".

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A Full Guide to Writing a Perfect Poem Analysis Essay

01 October, 2020

14 minutes read

Author:  Elizabeth Brown

Poem analysis is one of the most complicated essay types. It requires the utmost creativity and dedication. Even those who regularly attend a literary class and have enough experience in poem analysis essay elaboration may face considerable difficulties while dealing with the particular poem. The given article aims to provide the detailed guidelines on how to write a poem analysis, elucidate the main principles of writing the essay of the given type, and share with you the handy tips that will help you get the highest score for your poetry analysis. In addition to developing analysis skills, you would be able to take advantage of the poetry analysis essay example to base your poetry analysis essay on, as well as learn how to find a way out in case you have no motivation and your creative assignment must be presented on time.

What Is a Poetry Analysis Essay?

A poetry analysis essay is a type of creative write-up that implies reviewing a poem from different perspectives by dealing with its structural, artistic, and functional pieces. Since the poetry expresses very complicated feelings that may have different meanings depending on the backgrounds of both author and reader, it would not be enough just to focus on the text of the poem you are going to analyze. Poetry has a lot more complex structure and cannot be considered without its special rhythm, images, as well as implied and obvious sense.

While analyzing the poem, the students need to do in-depth research as to its content, taking into account the effect the poetry has or may have on the readers.

Preparing for the Poetry Analysis Writing

The process of preparation for the poem analysis essay writing is almost as important as writing itself. Without completing these stages, you may be at risk of failing your creative assignment. Learn them carefully to remember once and for good.

Thoroughly read the poem several times

The rereading of the poem assigned for analysis will help to catch its concepts and ideas. You will have a possibility to define the rhythm of the poem, its type, and list the techniques applied by the author.

While identifying the type of the poem, you need to define whether you are dealing with:

• Lyric poem – the one that elucidates feelings, experiences, and the emotional state of the author. It is usually short and doesn’t contain any narration;
• Limerick – consists of 5 lines, the first, second, and fifth of which rhyme with one another;
• Sonnet – a poem consisting of 14 lines characterized by an iambic pentameter. William Shakespeare wrote sonnets which have made him famous;
• Ode – 10-line poem aimed at praising someone or something;
• Haiku – a short 3-line poem originated from Japan. It reflects the deep sense hidden behind the ordinary phenomena and events of the physical world;
• Free-verse – poetry with no rhyme.

The type of the poem usually affects its structure and content, so it is important to be aware of all the recognized kinds to set a proper beginning to your poetry analysis.

Find out more about the poem background

Find as much information as possible about the author of the poem, the cultural background of the period it was written in, preludes to its creation, etc. All these data will help you get a better understanding of the poem’s sense and explain much to you in terms of the concepts the poem contains.

Define a subject matter of the poem

This is one of the most challenging tasks since as a rule, the subject matter of the poem isn’t clearly stated by the poets. They don’t want the readers to know immediately what their piece of writing is about and suggest everyone find something different between the lines.

What is the subject matter? In a nutshell, it is the main idea of the poem. Usually, a poem may have a couple of subjects, that is why it is important to list each of them.

In order to correctly identify the goals of a definite poem, you would need to dive into the in-depth research.

Check the historical background of the poetry. The author might have been inspired to write a poem based on some events that occurred in those times or people he met. The lines you analyze may be generated by his reaction to some epoch events. All this information can be easily found online.

Choose poem theories you will support

In the variety of ideas the poem may convey, it is important to stick to only several most important messages you think the author wanted to share with the readers. Each of the listed ideas must be supported by the corresponding evidence as proof of your opinion.

The poetry analysis essay format allows elaborating on several theses that have the most value and weight. Try to build your writing not only on the pure facts that are obvious from the context but also your emotions and feelings the analyzed lines provoke in you.

How to Choose a Poem to Analyze?

If you are free to choose the piece of writing you will base your poem analysis essay on, it is better to select the one you are already familiar with. This may be your favorite poem or one that you have read and analyzed before. In case you face difficulties choosing the subject area of a particular poem, then the best way will be to focus on the idea you feel most confident about. In such a way, you would be able to elaborate on the topic and describe it more precisely.

Now, when you are familiar with the notion of the poetry analysis essay, it’s high time to proceed to poem analysis essay outline. Follow the steps mentioned below to ensure a brilliant structure to your creative assignment.

Best Poem Analysis Essay Topics

• Mother To Son Poem Analysis
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• Charge Of The Light Brigade Poem Analysis
• The Road Not Taken Poem Analysis
• Landscape With The Fall Of Icarus Poem Analysis
• The History Teacher Poem Analysis
• One Art Poem Analysis
• The Wanderer Poem Analysis
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• There Will Come Soft Rains Poem Analysis
• Digging Poem Analysis
• The Highwayman Poem Analysis
• The Tyger Poem Analysis
• London Poem Analysis
• Sympathy Poem Analysis
• I Am Joaquin Poem Analysis
• This Is Just To Say Poem Analysis
• Sex Without Love Poem Analysis
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• Dulce Et Decorum Est Poem Analysis
• Emily Dickinson Poem Analysis
• The Flea Poem Analysis
• The Lamb Poem Analysis
• Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night Poem Analysis
• My Last Duchess Poetry Analysis

Poem Analysis Essay Outline

As has already been stated, a poetry analysis essay is considered one of the most challenging tasks for the students. Despite the difficulties you may face while dealing with it, the structure of the given type of essay is quite simple. It consists of the introduction, body paragraphs, and the conclusion. In order to get a better understanding of the poem analysis essay structure, check the brief guidelines below.

Introduction

This will be the first section of your essay. The main purpose of the introductory paragraph is to give a reader an idea of what the essay is about and what theses it conveys. The introduction should start with the title of the essay and end with the thesis statement.

The main goal of the introduction is to make readers feel intrigued about the whole concept of the essay and serve as a hook to grab their attention. Include some interesting information about the author, the historical background of the poem, some poem trivia, etc. There is no need to make the introduction too extensive. On the contrary, it should be brief and logical.

Body Paragraphs

The body section should form the main part of poetry analysis. Make sure you have determined a clear focus for your analysis and are ready to elaborate on the main message and meaning of the poem. Mention the tone of the poetry, its speaker, try to describe the recipient of the poem’s idea. Don’t forget to identify the poetic devices and language the author uses to reach the main goals. Describe the imagery and symbolism of the poem, its sound and rhythm.

Try not to stick to too many ideas in your body section, since it may make your essay difficult to understand and too chaotic to perceive. Generalization, however, is also not welcomed. Try to be specific in the description of your perspective.

Make sure the transitions between your paragraphs are smooth and logical to make your essay flow coherent and easy to catch.

In a nutshell, the essay conclusion is a paraphrased thesis statement. Mention it again but in different words to remind the readers of the main purpose of your essay. Sum up the key claims and stress the most important information. The conclusion cannot contain any new ideas and should be used to create a strong impact on the reader. This is your last chance to share your opinion with the audience and convince them your essay is worth readers’ attention.

Problems with writing Your Poem Analysis Essay? Try our Essay Writer Service!

Poem Analysis Essay Examples 

A good poem analysis essay example may serve as a real magic wand to your creative assignment. You may take a look at the structure the other essay authors have used, follow their tone, and get a great share of inspiration and motivation.

Check several poetry analysis essay examples that may be of great assistance:

• https://study.com/academy/lesson/poetry-analysis-essay-example-for-english-literature.html
• https://www.slideshare.net/mariefincher/poetry-analysis-essay

Writing Tips for a Poetry Analysis Essay

If you read carefully all the instructions on how to write a poetry analysis essay provided above, you have probably realized that this is not the easiest assignment on Earth. However, you cannot fail and should try your best to present a brilliant essay to get the highest score. To make your life even easier, check these handy tips on how to analysis poetry with a few little steps.

• In case you have a chance to choose a poem for analysis by yourself, try to focus on one you are familiar with, you are interested in, or your favorite one. The writing process will be smooth and easy in case you are working on the task you truly enjoy.
• Before you proceed to the analysis itself, read the poem out loud to your colleague or just to yourself. It will help you find out some hidden details and senses that may result in new ideas.
• Always check the meaning of words you don’t know. Poetry is quite a tricky phenomenon where a single word or phrase can completely change the meaning of the whole piece. 
• Bother to double check if the conclusion of your essay is based on a single idea and is logically linked to the main body. Such an approach will demonstrate your certain focus and clearly elucidate your views. 
• Read between the lines. Poetry is about senses and emotions – it rarely contains one clearly stated subject matter. Describe the hidden meanings and mention the feelings this has provoked in you. Try to elaborate a full picture that would be based on what is said and what is meant.

Write a Poetry Analysis Essay with HandmadeWriting

You may have hundreds of reasons why you can’t write a brilliant poem analysis essay. In addition to the fact that it is one of the most complicated creative assignments, you can have some personal issues. It can be anything from lots of homework, a part-time job, personal problems, lack of time, or just the absence of motivation. In any case, your main task is not to let all these factors influence your reputation and grades. A perfect way out may be asking the real pros of essay writing for professional help.

There are a lot of benefits why you should refer to the professional writing agencies in case you are not in the mood for elaborating your poetry analysis essay. We will only state the most important ones:

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As you see, there are a lot of advantages to ordering your poetry analysis essay from HandmadeWriting . Having such a perfect essay example now will contribute to your inspiration and professional growth in future.

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Home — Essay Samples — Literature — Poetry — Judith Wright’s “Australia 1970”: Poem Analysis

Judith Wright's "Australia 1970": Poem Analysis

• Categories: Literary Criticism Poetry

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Published: Sep 19, 2019

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James Carville: Biden Won’t Win. Democrats Need a Plan. Here’s One.

By James Carville

Mr. Carville is a veteran of Democratic presidential campaigns, including Bill Clinton’s in 1992, and a consultant to American Bridge, a Democratic super PAC.

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The Magic of Poetic Devices: Examples that Illuminate Literature

This essay is about various poetic devices and their examples, illustrating how they enhance the quality and depth of poetry. It covers metaphors, similes, personification, alliteration, assonance, onomatopoeia, imagery, hyperbole, and symbolism. The essay explains each device with examples from well-known poems, showing how these tools add layers of meaning and evoke emotions. Poetic devices help transform words into powerful expressions, making poetry a unique and impactful form of art. By understanding these devices, readers can appreciate the richness and complexity of poetic works.

How it works

Poetry, in its essence, is the art of distilling the profound complexities of human experience into a few carefully chosen words. What sets poetry apart from other forms of writing is its unique ability to evoke deep emotions and vivid imagery through the use of various poetic devices. These tools, employed skillfully by poets, add layers of meaning and enhance the aesthetic quality of their work. Let’s delve into some common poetic devices and see how they manifest in poetry to create powerful and lasting impressions.

One of the most recognizable poetic devices is metaphor . This involves making a direct comparison between two unlike things, suggesting that one thing is another to highlight a particular quality. For instance, in William Shakespeare’s “Sonnet 18,” he writes, “Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day? Thou art more lovely and more temperate.” Here, Shakespeare uses a metaphor to compare the beloved to a summer day, thereby emphasizing their beauty and gentleness. Metaphors invite readers to see the world through a different lens, often revealing hidden similarities and deeper truths.

Simile is another common device, similar to a metaphor but using “like” or “as” to make the comparison. Robert Burns’ famous line, “My love is like a red, red rose,” is a perfect example. The simile vividly conveys the freshness and beauty of the speaker’s love by comparing it to a blooming rose. Such comparisons not only create a visual image but also evoke the associated emotions, making the reader feel the intensity of the poet’s feelings.

Personification breathes life into inanimate objects or abstract concepts by attributing human qualities to them. This device can make descriptions more relatable and vivid. In Emily Dickinson’s poem “Because I could not stop for Death,” Death is personified as a kind carriage driver who “kindly stopped for me.” This portrayal of death as a gentle, courteous figure rather than something to be feared provides a comforting perspective on a typically daunting subject.

Alliteration , the repetition of consonant sounds at the beginning of words, creates a musical effect in poetry. This can enhance the mood or tone of the poem and make it more memorable. For example, in Samuel Taylor Coleridge’s “The Rime of the Ancient Mariner,” the line “The fair breeze blew, the white foam flew,” uses alliteration to mimic the sound of the wind and waves, immersing the reader in the maritime setting.

Assonance , the repetition of vowel sounds, similarly contributes to the musical quality of a poem. In “The Bells” by Edgar Allan Poe, the repeated use of the “e” sound in “melancholy menace” enhances the eerie atmosphere of the poem. Both alliteration and assonance are tools that poets use to create rhythm, enhance mood, and make their work more engaging and pleasurable to read.

Onomatopoeia is the use of words that imitate the sounds they describe. This device can make the description more vivid and immediate. Words like “buzz,” “whisper,” and “clang” not only describe sounds but also recreate them in the reader’s mind. In Alfred Lord Tennyson’s “The Brook,” the line “I chatter over stony ways” uses onomatopoeia to mimic the sound of the brook, making the scene more lively and realistic.

Imagery is perhaps one of the most powerful devices, as it involves the use of vivid and descriptive language to create mental images. Through sensory details, poets can evoke sights, sounds, smells, tastes, and textures. In “To Autumn” by John Keats, the lines “Season of mists and mellow fruitfulness, / Close bosom-friend of the maturing sun” paint a rich picture of autumn, allowing readers to experience the scene through multiple senses.

Hyperbole , or deliberate exaggeration, is used to emphasize a point or create a dramatic effect. When used effectively, it can convey the intensity of the poet’s emotions or the magnitude of a situation. In Andrew Marvell’s “To His Coy Mistress,” he writes, “Love you ten years before the Flood, / And you should, if you please, refuse / Till the conversion of the Jews.” The hyperbolic expression underscores the depth of his love and the urgency of the moment.

Symbolism involves using symbols to represent ideas or qualities beyond their literal meaning. Symbols can imbue a poem with deeper significance and connect with the reader on a more profound level. In Robert Frost’s “The Road Not Taken,” the roads symbolize life choices, and the act of choosing one path over another reflects the decisions we make and their lasting impact on our lives.

These examples barely scratch the surface of the vast array of poetic devices available to writers. Each device serves a unique purpose and can be employed in countless ways to enrich the text. Through the thoughtful use of metaphors, similes, personification, alliteration, assonance, onomatopoeia, imagery, hyperbole, and symbolism, poets can craft works that resonate deeply with readers, leaving lasting impressions and evoking a myriad of emotions. The magic of poetry lies in its ability to transform simple words into powerful expressions of human experience, and these devices are the tools that make that transformation possible.

Remember, this essay is a starting point for inspiration and further research. For more personalized assistance and to ensure your essay meets all academic standards, consider reaching out to professionals at EduBirdie .

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A decade after the MH17 tragedy devastated Australian families, tributes burn bright

For Paul Guard, it was a phone call from his sister 10 years ago that turned his life upside down.

"She doesn't normally watch the news, but for some reason, she turned on the news that morning," he said.

"She'd seen that a plane had been shot down over Ukraine and immediately she wondered whether it could've been Mum, Dad's plane."

In the days that followed, the family of Roger and Jill Guard struggled to comprehend how the lives of the vibrant, community-minded Toowoomba-based doctors had been cut short.

They were among 298 people, including 38 Australians, killed when the Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 was struck as it travelled over eastern Ukraine that day.

In 2022, a court in the Netherlands found three men guilty of murdering those on board and sentenced them to life in prison.

The offenders were tried in absentia after Russian authorities refused to hand them over, making it unlikely they will serve their life sentences.

The court found the flight was shot down with a missile launcher from Russia, after it was targeted in the mistaken belief it was a Ukrainian military aircraft.

Grieving son urges world to remember 'love is stronger than hate'

A decade on, those affected by the tragedy are gathering at formal and informal events around the world, including in Canberra and Amsterdam, to remember those lost.

"Over the years, we've very much missed Mum and Dad and I mainly feel sorry for Mum and Dad that they didn't get to experience more of their retirement and spending time with their grandchildren," Mr Guard said.

"They never met my daughters who are now eight and three, so that's obviously quite sad. Mum was very much looking forward to spending time with grandkids."

Even while the grief of his family's loss was raw, Mr Guard made impassioned pleas in 2014 for an end to the conflict in Ukraine and for peace around the world .

It's a message he still hopes the world will hear 10 years on.

"Love is stronger than hate and I think that's a really important message for people to think of in this time of warfare, where Ukraine has only gotten worse, obviously, the actions of Russia are completely abhorrent," he said.

In the wake of his parents' death, Mr Guard has become an advocate for medical charities that work in conflict zones, including Medecins Sans Frontieres, and said they needed more support than ever.

"[They are] there to try to help those who are caught up in these violent conflagrations which really, people are caught up in through no fault of their own and really, especially in places like Gaza right now, are really suffering," he said.

Mr Guard said he was grateful the court case over the downing of MH17 had been able to establish the key facts.

"Unfortunately Russia, right from the start of this whole incident, has been spreading disinformation and malicious conspiracy theories, through its various agents around the world," he said.

"That was a really useful process, for that court to go through and meticulously compile evidence.

"If anyone needed proof of Russia's malicious intent and nefarious action, and also deceptive and dishonourable conduct, then it's all laid out in that report."

In Toowoomba, the local running group his parents were deeply involved in is preparing its own tribute to Jill and Roger Guard, as it unveils a park bench named in their honour.

"It's wonderful that even 10 years on, the club members are still very vocal and appreciative of Dad's contributions, and also my mother, who was always a volunteer at all the races," Mr Guard said.

"She also loved the running community out there and they've returned that love in return."

Anniversary a chance to remember love over 'tragic crime'

Vanessa and James Rizk were just 22 and 21 when the conflict in Ukraine ruptured their family life at Sunbury, just north of Melbourne.

Their parents, Albert and Maree, were taken from the young adults in an instant.

In a statement this week, Vanessa and James Rizk told the ABC the 10-year anniversary of the "dreaded day" was a reminder of the fact that those found guilty over the killing had still failed to take responsibility for the "significant and tragic crime".

The siblings said those who sought to spread disinformation over what occurred on that day would "never dictate our strength, our determination and the love we have for our parents".

"We are so incredibly grateful to the AFP, DFAT and the Australian government, who were relentless in their pursuit of obtaining justice for us and other Australian families," they said.

A sunflower tribute remembers young lives 'full of joy and hope'

On the wall of a quiet corridor at Bacchus Marsh Grammar, west of Melbourne, you can find a framed artwork of an owl.

It's a simple sketch, created in the likeness of a photo above it. Underneath, a caption attributes it to year six student Marnix van den Hende.

It was an artwork in progress that 12-year-old Marnix planned to enter into the Royal Melbourne Show.

But he never got the chance to finish it.

Marnix died on flight MH17, alongside his 15-year-old brother Piers, eight-year-old sister Margaux and his parents Johannes van den Hende and Shaliza Dewa.

The school's principal Andrew Neal said the sudden loss of the young family of five sent enormous shockwaves of grief through the community.

"We were basically, in one sense, trying to come to grips with the situation ourselves, [and] deal with the situation where young people were dealing with grief — often for the first time," he said. 

Mr Neal is still struck by the "sheer stupidity" of the violence that had cost the family their lives, and continued to this day.

"It's hard to fathom that 10 years later, after such an issue where people were killed so tragically, that people still continue to lose their lives on a daily basis in what seems to be an unending conflict, for very little reason," he said.

The hardest moment, which he still vividly recalls, came when Australian Federal Police (AFP) officers visited the school to collect DNA material from the children's lockers, to help them identify remains.

Mr Neal said the officers were "wonderful" in the way they worked discreetly to avoid traumatising the young students at the school, but the process brought home the brutal facts of the situation.

"A family of five who had so much to contribute — three very bright, intelligent, young people whose lives were cut short by this tragedy," he said.

In the aftermath of the tragedy, the wider van den Hende family established a scholarship in the family's name, which supports students who might otherwise not have the chance to study at the independent school.

Ten years on, the school is building new ways to keep the memory of the family alive.

Three sunflowers grown from seeds with links to Ukraine have been encased in perspex — one each for Piers, Marnix and Margaux.

Across the school grounds, too, sunflowers appear on windows, a floral emblem the school plans to adopt for the future to ensure the history is never forgotten.

"The sunflower, I think, is a symbol of hope and it's bright and it's colourful and it's cheerful," Mr Neal said.

"That's the way we want the children to be remembered going forward in the school community.

"There's obviously something tragic and awful that happened to them. But their short lives were full of joy and hope.

"We want our students to be educated to understand that part of their life as fully educated human beings is to try to stop senseless deaths like that."

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