Belonging In Peter Skrzynecki's Poems
Belonging is a complex concept, with numerous definitions. It is used to define a connection a protagonist has with their environment, physical environment and social environment.
Belonging can result in both a positive and negative experience. The choice to belong or not belong can be forced upon an individual by society. The most common barriers preventing a person from belonging in society in which are highlighted in Peter Skrzynecki’s poems include culture, language religion. Skrzynecki, straddles a dichotomy; that of identification and disconnection.
Green is used as the background as the psychological effect is that it creates comfort and people usually feel comfortable when they belong. A string is used to join the photos together to express the connections of belonging. The photos chosen to represent not belonging are placed on a black background to express a dark and isolated sense of not belonging.
‘We departed
Each morning, shut the house
Like a well-oiled lock…’ …show more content…
This quote from 10 Mary Street uses a simile to highlight the regular activity/routine of the families’ life.
It deals with a sense of belonging to place, the place being their home which represents a fortress/sanctuary for the family. The home is where they feel safe and secure. In photo 1 of the man who appears alone and in a dark place portrays a sense of not belonging. The vector lines of the broken trolley draw your attention to a single post away from the man who is behind the trolley in a corner. Dark shades and colours are also used to display a dark emotion. The feeling of belonging to a place, like the Skrzynecki family, makes people feel secure. The man has no home or sense of security as to that of the Skryznecki family has with their home. He doesn’t have a place where he belongs to, with his only belongings being stored in a
trolley.
‘The curse that damned
A crew-cut, grey-haired
Department clerk
Who asked me in dancing-bear grunts:
“Did your father ever learn English?”
This quote from the poem Feliks Skrzynecki uses a metaphor which represents the difficulty the language posed in Australian society. It was also a barrier for Feliks, he was unable to adapt into Australian society. In other words his culture became a barrier/curse. The barrier caused Feliks and his family to experience the sense of not belonging. The barrier Feliks experiences are similar to that of the yellow duck in image 2. The yellow duck has a stone wall barrier between himself and other ducks. The black ducks are walking along a vector line away from the yellow duck. This creates a sense of not belonging. The yellow duck is alone because of its barrier and unable to get up the wall to be with the other ducks, similar to that of Feliks who has a language barrier causing him to be unable to fit in and feel as though he belongs to society.
“For nineteen years
We lived together…”
This quote from 10 Mary Street uses repetition from the very first line in the poem. The use of repetition reinforces the length of time the family spent in the street and living at the house. A sense of belonging to a place is evident in the line ‘For nineteen years…”. Emphasis is placed on the ‘we’ which highlights the community life of the block. There is a sense of unity in this part of the poem as well as belonging to a place and group. The sense of belonging after being together for many years is also represented in picture 3 of an old couple. The image represents the relationship of Feliks parents. The image is close up of the couple’s faces, focusing closely on their expressions. The aged couple are beaming with happiness and are smiling. They look proud and look as though they have a sense of belonging with each other after the many years spent with each other. This is similar to that of the parents of Feliks, as it talks about years together and ‘we’ forming a sense of belonging with others, in this case a loved one.
“Cherish your old religion
And drink to freedom
Under the White Eagle’s fag.”
This quote from the poem Postcard uses symbolism. The people toast (celebrate) the modern changes and freedom of the Poles from oppression. The white eagle on a red background is the Polish flag which also symbolizes unity and a sense of belonging to a nation and place. This is also represented in a similar context in image 4. A group of people are gathered dressed in masks of their countries flag and also holding a small flag also representing their country. The people are smiling showing pride and honour they have for the nation where they feel they belong to. They are celebrating Australia Day where Australians are given the opportunity to celebrate their country and culture, just like how they celebrate the modern changes and freedom in the poem.
In this essay aspects of belonging and not belonging have been demonstrated. How people can belong and have a connection with their environment, physical environment and social environment. Barriers such as language and culture have also been examined and how they can cause the protagonist to have a sense of not belonging to the above environments. The essay shows how a person’s choice to belong or not belong can be challenged or forced upon by society.
Belonging can result in both a positive and negative experience. The choice to belong or not belong can be forced upon an individual by society. The most common barriers preventing a person from belonging in society in which are highlighted in Peter Skrzynecki’s poems include culture, language religion. Skrzynecki, straddles a dichotomy; that of identification and disconnection.
Green is used as the background as the psychological effect is that it creates comfort and people usually feel comfortable when they belong. A string is used to join the photos together to express the connections of belonging. The photos chosen to represent not belonging are placed on a black background to express a dark and isolated sense of not belonging.
‘We departed
Each morning, shut the house
Like a well-oiled lock…’ …show more content…
This quote from 10 Mary Street uses a simile to highlight the regular activity/routine of the families’ life.
It deals with a sense of belonging to place, the place being their home which represents a fortress/sanctuary for the family. The home is where they feel safe and secure. In photo 1 of the man who appears alone and in a dark place portrays a sense of not belonging. The vector lines of the broken trolley draw your attention to a single post away from the man who is behind the trolley in a corner. Dark shades and colours are also used to display a dark emotion. The feeling of belonging to a place, like the Skrzynecki family, makes people feel secure. The man has no home or sense of security as to that of the Skryznecki family has with their home. He doesn’t have a place where he belongs to, with his only belongings being stored in a
trolley.
‘The curse that damned
A crew-cut, grey-haired
Department clerk
Who asked me in dancing-bear grunts:
“Did your father ever learn English?”
This quote from the poem Feliks Skrzynecki uses a metaphor which represents the difficulty the language posed in Australian society. It was also a barrier for Feliks, he was unable to adapt into Australian society. In other words his culture became a barrier/curse. The barrier caused Feliks and his family to experience the sense of not belonging. The barrier Feliks experiences are similar to that of the yellow duck in image 2. The yellow duck has a stone wall barrier between himself and other ducks. The black ducks are walking along a vector line away from the yellow duck. This creates a sense of not belonging. The yellow duck is alone because of its barrier and unable to get up the wall to be with the other ducks, similar to that of Feliks who has a language barrier causing him to be unable to fit in and feel as though he belongs to society.
“For nineteen years
We lived together…”
This quote from 10 Mary Street uses repetition from the very first line in the poem. The use of repetition reinforces the length of time the family spent in the street and living at the house. A sense of belonging to a place is evident in the line ‘For nineteen years…”. Emphasis is placed on the ‘we’ which highlights the community life of the block. There is a sense of unity in this part of the poem as well as belonging to a place and group. The sense of belonging after being together for many years is also represented in picture 3 of an old couple. The image represents the relationship of Feliks parents. The image is close up of the couple’s faces, focusing closely on their expressions. The aged couple are beaming with happiness and are smiling. They look proud and look as though they have a sense of belonging with each other after the many years spent with each other. This is similar to that of the parents of Feliks, as it talks about years together and ‘we’ forming a sense of belonging with others, in this case a loved one.
“Cherish your old religion
And drink to freedom
Under the White Eagle’s fag.”
This quote from the poem Postcard uses symbolism. The people toast (celebrate) the modern changes and freedom of the Poles from oppression. The white eagle on a red background is the Polish flag which also symbolizes unity and a sense of belonging to a nation and place. This is also represented in a similar context in image 4. A group of people are gathered dressed in masks of their countries flag and also holding a small flag also representing their country. The people are smiling showing pride and honour they have for the nation where they feel they belong to. They are celebrating Australia Day where Australians are given the opportunity to celebrate their country and culture, just like how they celebrate the modern changes and freedom in the poem.
In this essay aspects of belonging and not belonging have been demonstrated. How people can belong and have a connection with their environment, physical environment and social environment. Barriers such as language and culture have also been examined and how they can cause the protagonist to have a sense of not belonging to the above environments. The essay shows how a person’s choice to belong or not belong can be challenged or forced upon by society.