Australian Identity Essay

Through this, the author is employing an informal tone to retell his anecdote, giving readers a sense of comfortability, as if they are close to Sawyer. He then shifts his tone to a harsh and stern one as he speaks about how other people may celebrate Australia Day, aiming his attack towards those who view the occasion as an opportunity to exhibit drunken forms of violence and racism towards those who don’t physically appear Australian. He clearly displays a distaste towards those with this attitude, as quoted “hate at someone based on their skin colour or culture, because its ‘Straya Day’” seems completely unnecessary. Tied in with this, he presents a rhetorical question, “Why do people let themselves get so hot under the collar about these things?” which serves the purpose of compelling the readers to agree with the author, as the answer appears

Australia’s identity has always been a complicated one. Starting with Aboriginal genocide, 1800’s cowboys and villains, two world wars and a bunch of poems describing them, it makes it difficult to conclude on what being an ‘Aussie’ really is. Thankfully, the two thought-provoking poems Nobody Calls Me a Wog Anymore by Komninos Zervos, and My Country by Dorothea Mackellar both use their discerning selection of themes to reflect modern attitudes in some extent. Along with their themes, Nobody Calls Me a Wog Anymore and My Country both use their story to capture the attributes modern Australians possess to some degree.

Arguably, one of the most valuable assets of a poem is how well poetic devices (such as similes and metaphors) can be used to successfully covey the intentions of the poet. No Moe Boomerang by Oodgeroo Noonuccai and Who are We? By Richard G Kennedy are both exquisite poems concerning the changes that took place after the settlement of the British in Australia and the dire effects these changes had on Aboriginal culture and lifestyle. Allusions, rhyme, similes and repetition are all examples of poetic devices used in these poems to reinforce the message. Through many persuasive poetic techniques, the poems Who are We? And No More Boomerang are able to convey the negative experiences of the Aboriginal people as a result of British settlers.

The third aspect that constructs an impression of Australian identity is voice. Voice is the authors' perspective of something that relates to an issue. It is also the viewpoint of the persona coming through to us. In this poem, Patterson is trying to tell us that the horse is being devalued because it is only getting sold for a pound. He says this twice in the first stanza to get the message out to the reader. At this point the poem then describes the qualities and nature of the horse which is supposed to make us feel that the horse should be worth more than just a pound. All this goes into the category of fairness. The author also describes the setting of the outback terrifically, by using different types of language conventions to make the

Dorothea Mackellar’s ‘My Country’ is a poem expressing Mackellar’s deep passion and love for her country, Australia. The whole poem’s intention seems to evoke the sense of praising for the country and express Mackellar’s deep relationship and passion with her land. Mackellar attains this response from the audience by using numerous language techniques such as; Juxtaposition, personification, sound patterns including alliteration and assonance, imagery, and paradox. The use of first person throughout the whole poem suggests that the theme of this poem has been evoked by personal experience.

Today we believe that we live in a society that is greater than the past in acceptance and we have achieve inequality among all people in our country as they are treated right however we are further from the truth than we realize as inequality ravage the land. This is due to the shaky foundation that was built in the past and still affects our minds today. A satirical piece named “Tidings of Comfort and Joy” shows how far we really gone with its satirical elements like juxtaposition, hyperbole, diminution, allusion, and verbal irony. With the use of these satirical element we can find the errors of our ways exaggerated in a comedic story about how we as a community truly view the Aboriginal people. “Tidings of Comfort and Joy” flip the narrative

Additionally, the feeling of that uncertain identity is archived in the poem through the specific speaker’s tone. This tone

From a Tarzan- like, pun-making simpleton to a vigilante fighting for justice in the outback of a dystopian Australia, we really have it all when it comes to our vast selection of native films. Although quite diverse in plot, setting and characters they all broadcast the concept of Australian identity and ideals to the world. There are many concepts that reflect the typical Australian identity such as mateship, larrikinism and the Aussie battler and it is more important know than ever to celebrate what it means to be Australian.

Australia, the best country in the world. From our wonderful exotic beaches down to our friendly and loving true blue community, it has definitely become a hotspot for foreign travellers but is also home to some very wonderful people and amazing sites and historic areas which if ever visited can definitely make you feel closer to our amazing country. But what does it actually mean to be Australian? Being Australian is more than just living in our country, it’s an honour. Many people don’t get the privileges and chances most Aussie’s are given so we take those opportunities and we make something out of them.

Her family, like all migrants had come in the hope of a better life. What she found was a ‘big ugly’, ‘too empty’, unwelcoming land and people. Her poem ‘Australia’ is a harsh accusation of a background nation without any interest in anything outside of its small insular world.

White Australians state “shame when [their] kids they die from colds or from sheer neglect. Shame when [they] live on the river banks. While collectin' [they’re] welfare cheques. Shame when [they’re] blind from trachoma. Shame when [they’re] crippled from blights.” The rhyming scheme in the stanza makes poem flow seamlessly constructing a conversational tone as if the narrator is speaking directly to the audience. This feature purposefully lulls the reader into agreeing with the white Australia’s arguments as it constructs an image that the Indigenous people are refusing to integrate themselves with modern society and suffering the consequences of those decisions. The mention of welfare cheques also contribute to the perspective that white Australians are attempting to mend the lives of Indigenous individuals, however this could not be further from the truth and message of this

Australia is a multicultural terrain made up of individuals from many contrasting backgrounds with disparate attitudes and values. On the surface, it would seem that Australia is fair-for-all and wholly egalitarian, and it is commonly thought that the majority of the people who live here value mateship and friendliness, and though this is true for some of the population, this representation of Australia isn't the truth for everyone. The tapestry that makes up Australia has frayed edges and broken threads, from a distance it looks accomplished and errorless, but close up there are issues. The way women writers represent Australia in texts is diverse.

The Australian Identity, it’s so vague and widespread in its meaning that even Australians themselves cannot give a definitive definition of the term. There are still a few generalised terms related to Australians: laid back, accepting, swimmers, beach goers and barbeque fanatics. Some may include the terms “multicultural” and “equal rights” are all expressions associated with Australia; but is this true?

Bruce Dawe cleverly uses Australian language and the poetic form in his poems “Enter Without So Much as Knocking”, written in 1959 and “Homo Suburbiensis”, written in 1969, to reflect his views of suburban Australia in the 1950s and 1960s and its culture. Dawe’s ideas and attitudes are formed from his personal experiences of post-WW2 Australia which includes the modern living introduced in the suburbs and the commercialism and isolation that it formed. His poem “Enter without so much as knocking” closely links Dawe’s ideas of the new environment suburbia created with the commercialism power structure that came with it. In his poem “Homo Suburbiensis” he effectively explores the isolation and escapism the newly established suburbs post-WW2 Australia thrived on. These views Dawe shares in his poems show the Australian culture of the suburbs post-WW2 including the commercialism, isolation and escapism it brought.

In order to put these poems in proper perspective, we orient the reader with a brief outline of the aborigines in Australia and a short biography of the author before dwelling into the contents.