Belonging In Peter Skryznecki's Narrative
Belonging is a perception which can emerge from friends, family, groups or communities. Belonging varies and is a complex concept as everyone has their own individual experience with it. This essay will outline and explore both belonging and not belonging in three of Peter Skryznecki’s poems: Feliks Skyrznecki, St Patricks College and Ancestors, also supported by my two related texts the film Mean Girls by Mark Waters and the song Fast Car by Tracy Chapman.
Peter Skryznecki wrote “ Immigrant Chronicle” which was a range of poems reflecting his feelings towards the disconnection to his polish heritage, detachment from his family and own personal feelings of alienation. His parents were polish migrants, the family came to Australia after World War 2 and when peter was only 5 years old. His poems convey how his perception of belonging and not …show more content…
belonging are fueled by the relationships between him and his friends, family, groups or communities.
The poem Feliks Skyrzynecki deals with his fathers strong sense of belonging and peters opposing feeling of detachment and not belonging. The simile “Loved his garden like an only child” introduces the fathers positive feeling towards his surroundings. This later became evident through his devotion to the garden “ hard hands like cement”. Later on in the poem we can contrast his life before and now “ Two years in Germany forced labour” this quote suggests the difference in attitude he was ‘forced’ to do labour in germany but here he willingly does it because he feels a sense of belonging to home.
The poem then introduces his father on a social level “ they talked of farms and paddocks, they reminisced” this seperates the poet and father, as peter did not share the connection and history these polish men did. Peter becomes an observer not a participant, like in the poem st patricks college the persona is also an observer.
The next line “ remanents of a language I remembered unknowingly” uses an enjambment to emphasize “ unknowingly” this symbolizes the detatchement that peter
Feels to his polish culture.
The concluding line is a metaphor which exemplifies distancing from father and son “ further and further south of hadrians wall” ‘ hadrians wall’ is symbolic to the self imposed wall peter has built to furthermore feel like he does not belong. This can be contrasted with the poem st patricks day, as at the start of the poem there is distancing between mother and son “ as she left me at the office”.
The next poem st patricks college explores the feeling of isolation.
Isolation is a reoccurring theme used in Peter Skryznecki’s poetry. Isolation is shown through the personas different aspirations and thoughts towards the school. In the poem ancestors, use of alliteration also conveys isolation and separating “ standing shoulder, to shoulder” this symbolizes the ancestors having each other to belong to.
The school st patricks college is ironic because it is described as the ideal place for a sense of belonging “ her lady watched with outstretched arms” however this is then belied “ her face overshadowed with clouds” the issue of not being able to see her face symbolizes the uncertainty at this new school. In the poem ancestors this is simalr as the persona can also not make out the faces “ bearded faceless men”.
The personas individual experience of not belonging is primarily outlined in the line “ caught the 414 bus like a foreign student” this use of hyperbole converys his alienation and not belonging as he has caught the bus for 8 years ( later revealed in the poem) and still feels like a ‘foreign
student’.
The final poem ancestors conveys a mysterious experience of not belonging as the persona biologically belongs to the ancestors although is detatched and isolated from them as they haunt him. Rhetorical questions “ who are they?” throughout the poem emphasize his confusion and isolation from the ancestors.
The hyperbole and simileee “ tongue dry, as caked mud” reveals the haunting and anxiety he feels towards them. The persona can not feel a sense of belonging with them because he does not know who they are and feels alienated.
My related text the film mean girls by mark waters, also conveys a sense of alienation. Cady Herron ( the protagonist) is alienated and in one scene eats her lunch in the bathroom cubicle on her own. Mean girls can also be juxtaposed with the poem Feliks Skryznecki as cady and peter both feel a similar sense of belonging, as they come from different countries. This film can be juxtaposed with st patricks college because cady also starts a new school , just like in the poem.
The song fast car by tracy chapman deals with the same themes of the film mean girls as both the song and movie involve issues of love and alcohol. The song not only outlines issues of not belonging to surroundings however the concept of belonging is shown through relationships ( her boyfriend and father).
The perception of belonging is complex because it does vary from person to person, as you can see in this essay that has contrasted different experiences of belonging and not belonging. The different experiences have shown that you need a sense of belonging to have a fulfilled quality of life. Feliks skryznecki is an example of this as he was “ happy as ive ever been” in this new environment which he belongs to.
Peter Skryznecki wrote “ Immigrant Chronicle” which was a range of poems reflecting his feelings towards the disconnection to his polish heritage, detachment from his family and own personal feelings of alienation. His parents were polish migrants, the family came to Australia after World War 2 and when peter was only 5 years old. His poems convey how his perception of belonging and not …show more content…
belonging are fueled by the relationships between him and his friends, family, groups or communities.
The poem Feliks Skyrzynecki deals with his fathers strong sense of belonging and peters opposing feeling of detachment and not belonging. The simile “Loved his garden like an only child” introduces the fathers positive feeling towards his surroundings. This later became evident through his devotion to the garden “ hard hands like cement”. Later on in the poem we can contrast his life before and now “ Two years in Germany forced labour” this quote suggests the difference in attitude he was ‘forced’ to do labour in germany but here he willingly does it because he feels a sense of belonging to home.
The poem then introduces his father on a social level “ they talked of farms and paddocks, they reminisced” this seperates the poet and father, as peter did not share the connection and history these polish men did. Peter becomes an observer not a participant, like in the poem st patricks college the persona is also an observer.
The next line “ remanents of a language I remembered unknowingly” uses an enjambment to emphasize “ unknowingly” this symbolizes the detatchement that peter
Feels to his polish culture.
The concluding line is a metaphor which exemplifies distancing from father and son “ further and further south of hadrians wall” ‘ hadrians wall’ is symbolic to the self imposed wall peter has built to furthermore feel like he does not belong. This can be contrasted with the poem st patricks day, as at the start of the poem there is distancing between mother and son “ as she left me at the office”.
The next poem st patricks college explores the feeling of isolation.
Isolation is a reoccurring theme used in Peter Skryznecki’s poetry. Isolation is shown through the personas different aspirations and thoughts towards the school. In the poem ancestors, use of alliteration also conveys isolation and separating “ standing shoulder, to shoulder” this symbolizes the ancestors having each other to belong to.
The school st patricks college is ironic because it is described as the ideal place for a sense of belonging “ her lady watched with outstretched arms” however this is then belied “ her face overshadowed with clouds” the issue of not being able to see her face symbolizes the uncertainty at this new school. In the poem ancestors this is simalr as the persona can also not make out the faces “ bearded faceless men”.
The personas individual experience of not belonging is primarily outlined in the line “ caught the 414 bus like a foreign student” this use of hyperbole converys his alienation and not belonging as he has caught the bus for 8 years ( later revealed in the poem) and still feels like a ‘foreign
student’.
The final poem ancestors conveys a mysterious experience of not belonging as the persona biologically belongs to the ancestors although is detatched and isolated from them as they haunt him. Rhetorical questions “ who are they?” throughout the poem emphasize his confusion and isolation from the ancestors.
The hyperbole and simileee “ tongue dry, as caked mud” reveals the haunting and anxiety he feels towards them. The persona can not feel a sense of belonging with them because he does not know who they are and feels alienated.
My related text the film mean girls by mark waters, also conveys a sense of alienation. Cady Herron ( the protagonist) is alienated and in one scene eats her lunch in the bathroom cubicle on her own. Mean girls can also be juxtaposed with the poem Feliks Skryznecki as cady and peter both feel a similar sense of belonging, as they come from different countries. This film can be juxtaposed with st patricks college because cady also starts a new school , just like in the poem.
The song fast car by tracy chapman deals with the same themes of the film mean girls as both the song and movie involve issues of love and alcohol. The song not only outlines issues of not belonging to surroundings however the concept of belonging is shown through relationships ( her boyfriend and father).
The perception of belonging is complex because it does vary from person to person, as you can see in this essay that has contrasted different experiences of belonging and not belonging. The different experiences have shown that you need a sense of belonging to have a fulfilled quality of life. Feliks skryznecki is an example of this as he was “ happy as ive ever been” in this new environment which he belongs to.