Introduction
The poem ‘Outback’ is written by a well-known Australian poet by the name of Michael Dransfield. ‘Outback’ is about aboriginals losing their land and heritage to European settlers. At the beginning of the poem Dransfield describes the landscape and then the tempo quickly changes when the poet starts to describe what is happening and what may happen in the next few years to come. Within this poem, Australia is represented as a nation which has stolen the aboriginals’ land and heritage and changing the landscape from what it used to be like.
Subject Matter – main idea present in the poem
Throughout this poem Dransfield presents many ideas to the reader, such as the landscape being worn away by Mother Nature and the possibility …show more content…
This is evident in the line ‘your shores are fences built by foreign cash’ which is elaborating the fact that Europeans have changed the landscape to suit their lifestyle. This is also present in the line ‘ripped into beef roads’ displaying the idea that the ground in compacted and hard from these cattle routes. The theme is displayed to the reader in the final lines, ‘what remains is not worth stealing’ which is telling the reader that the Europeans have taken everything from the indigenous people and that nothing that if left is worth …show more content…
A simile is used at the beginning of the poem comparing the ‘worn away’ ‘skin’ to the baron and lifeless ‘MacDonnell Ranges’. Another vivid image made by Dransfield is the use of a metaphor comparing Australia’s ‘shores’ to ‘fences’ which have been ‘built by foreign cash’. The poet also talk about how Australia is ‘ripped in beef road and investments’ this line is used to create an image for the reader of Australia being damaged to create money for the European settlers. These are vivid images created for the reader which give the poem depth and meaning.
Choice of language – sound imagery
Sound imagery also has a large effect on the representations of this poem. The repetition of the word ‘you’ in the first eight lines has an impact on the poem by aiming the start of the poem to Australia and how much the land has changed by the Europeans. ‘Our’ is also repeated at the end of the poem in the line ‘our leaders betray us, [and] sell our heritage’. This repetition in the section of the poem strengthens Dransfield’s statement of the Europeans selling off the indigenous people’s heritage and land. The effect of repetition in the poem ‘Outback’ gives the poem a strong beginning and finish.
Representation of
The poem ‘Outback’ is written by a well-known Australian poet by the name of Michael Dransfield. ‘Outback’ is about aboriginals losing their land and heritage to European settlers. At the beginning of the poem Dransfield describes the landscape and then the tempo quickly changes when the poet starts to describe what is happening and what may happen in the next few years to come. Within this poem, Australia is represented as a nation which has stolen the aboriginals’ land and heritage and changing the landscape from what it used to be like.
Subject Matter – main idea present in the poem
Throughout this poem Dransfield presents many ideas to the reader, such as the landscape being worn away by Mother Nature and the possibility …show more content…
This is evident in the line ‘your shores are fences built by foreign cash’ which is elaborating the fact that Europeans have changed the landscape to suit their lifestyle. This is also present in the line ‘ripped into beef roads’ displaying the idea that the ground in compacted and hard from these cattle routes. The theme is displayed to the reader in the final lines, ‘what remains is not worth stealing’ which is telling the reader that the Europeans have taken everything from the indigenous people and that nothing that if left is worth …show more content…
A simile is used at the beginning of the poem comparing the ‘worn away’ ‘skin’ to the baron and lifeless ‘MacDonnell Ranges’. Another vivid image made by Dransfield is the use of a metaphor comparing Australia’s ‘shores’ to ‘fences’ which have been ‘built by foreign cash’. The poet also talk about how Australia is ‘ripped in beef road and investments’ this line is used to create an image for the reader of Australia being damaged to create money for the European settlers. These are vivid images created for the reader which give the poem depth and meaning.
Choice of language – sound imagery
Sound imagery also has a large effect on the representations of this poem. The repetition of the word ‘you’ in the first eight lines has an impact on the poem by aiming the start of the poem to Australia and how much the land has changed by the Europeans. ‘Our’ is also repeated at the end of the poem in the line ‘our leaders betray us, [and] sell our heritage’. This repetition in the section of the poem strengthens Dransfield’s statement of the Europeans selling off the indigenous people’s heritage and land. The effect of repetition in the poem ‘Outback’ gives the poem a strong beginning and finish.
Representation of