Belonging In 'Immigrant Chronicles And My Country'
BELONGING SPEECH
Belonging is a part of life that every individual consciously and subconsciously searches for. What does the term ‘belonging’ mean to you. Is it the feelings of acceptance and understanding through the connections that we make to people, places and groups or is just plain old human instinct an inner drive A need that is imprinted into the genetics of people. As an individual we must strive to establish connections that allow us to actualize a sense of belonging. Today I aim to present to you the sources from where belonging can emerge. I will be making references to Peter Skrzynecki’s ‘Immigrant Chronicles’ and ‘My Country’ by Dorothea Mackellar.
Place can be a very important source of belonging for an individual. It is
within these sanctuaries that we form, connect to or create, that we feel a unique sense of acceptance and inclusivity, where comfort and security is abundant. This formation and emergence of belonging through sanctuary is quite clearly represented by Skrzynecki in his poem ‘Felix Skrzynecki’. This poem written through a child’s eyes is an affectionate reflection of how, Peters Father creates and nurtures a small garden, from which he derives sense of belonging in his failed attempt to assimilate into Australian culture after migrating here from Poland. This sense of alienation the father holds pushes him to upkeep this place of belonging presented to us through the hyperbole ‘He swept its paths Ten Times around the world’. Similarly in Dorothea Mackellar’s poem ‘My Country’ we are also presented emergence of belonging from place. Throughout this poem we are presented with the feelings that Mackellar obtains through her strong love and connection to her country. Mackellar reinforces this love through the repetition of the words ‘I Love’ as she describes the landscape of Australia. Love being something Mackellar holds deep within allows her to be able to relate and understand her country and is achieved through the use of the words ‘Core of My Heart My Country’. This both physical and emotional connection allows Mackellar to feel she is accepted and understood through her kinship to her country.
The congregation of individuals to form groups who exhibit the same knowledge and experiences also represents an important source for the emergence of belonging. These groups present the individuals with a feeling of social stability, acceptance and understanding. The poem ‘Migrant Hostel’ describes vividly the experiences of
Belonging is a part of life that every individual consciously and subconsciously searches for. What does the term ‘belonging’ mean to you. Is it the feelings of acceptance and understanding through the connections that we make to people, places and groups or is just plain old human instinct an inner drive A need that is imprinted into the genetics of people. As an individual we must strive to establish connections that allow us to actualize a sense of belonging. Today I aim to present to you the sources from where belonging can emerge. I will be making references to Peter Skrzynecki’s ‘Immigrant Chronicles’ and ‘My Country’ by Dorothea Mackellar.
Place can be a very important source of belonging for an individual. It is
within these sanctuaries that we form, connect to or create, that we feel a unique sense of acceptance and inclusivity, where comfort and security is abundant. This formation and emergence of belonging through sanctuary is quite clearly represented by Skrzynecki in his poem ‘Felix Skrzynecki’. This poem written through a child’s eyes is an affectionate reflection of how, Peters Father creates and nurtures a small garden, from which he derives sense of belonging in his failed attempt to assimilate into Australian culture after migrating here from Poland. This sense of alienation the father holds pushes him to upkeep this place of belonging presented to us through the hyperbole ‘He swept its paths Ten Times around the world’. Similarly in Dorothea Mackellar’s poem ‘My Country’ we are also presented emergence of belonging from place. Throughout this poem we are presented with the feelings that Mackellar obtains through her strong love and connection to her country. Mackellar reinforces this love through the repetition of the words ‘I Love’ as she describes the landscape of Australia. Love being something Mackellar holds deep within allows her to be able to relate and understand her country and is achieved through the use of the words ‘Core of My Heart My Country’. This both physical and emotional connection allows Mackellar to feel she is accepted and understood through her kinship to her country.
The congregation of individuals to form groups who exhibit the same knowledge and experiences also represents an important source for the emergence of belonging. These groups present the individuals with a feeling of social stability, acceptance and understanding. The poem ‘Migrant Hostel’ describes vividly the experiences of