Bruce Dawe
English Speech Bruce Dawe
Life is an ongoing cycle, forever trapped within the consumerism, legalism, and ruthlessness of modern society. Only through our fleeting innocence, purity and the appreciation of our natural world are we able to go beyond society’s harsh expectations and regulations that only end in the destruction of a person’s spirit.
In Enter without so much as knocking Bruce Dawe comments on the materialistic character of Australian society in the 1950’s. During this period of his life Dawe saw the influences of the Americanized way of life, and he didn’t like what he was seeing. As television became widespread, he watched as the world was dominated and manipulated by commercialism and manmade objects. Society found value in a materialistic lifestyle, and pushed spirituality and humanity to the side. He saw that from the moment we opened our eyes we must conform and be silent about it. Only through the innocence and purity of a child and our natural world can we truly escape this. The skateboard is a symbol of this innocence and purity. It depicts the life of my younger brother Isaac. It is a part of who he is and what he does.
I have used the infinity sign to represent this cycle of life. I have drawn the dotted white line to depict a road. The idea of the road is seen throughout the life of the boy in Dawes poem. He grew up with them and he died in one. Just like a road trip there is a beginning and an end. We were born and we must also die. The dominating skull points out the looming inevitability of death.
“Remember, man, though art dust, and to dust though shalt return.”
Bruce Dawe uses this epigraph as a metaphor for birth and death. It tells us what the rest of the poem is about. A life cycle.... everyone’s life cycle.
The infinity sign also suggests to us the pointlessness of consumerism. When we die we cannot bring our material possessions with us.
I have turned the poster ‘KEEP CALM AND CARRY ON’ into a swing tag for the board,
Life is an ongoing cycle, forever trapped within the consumerism, legalism, and ruthlessness of modern society. Only through our fleeting innocence, purity and the appreciation of our natural world are we able to go beyond society’s harsh expectations and regulations that only end in the destruction of a person’s spirit.
In Enter without so much as knocking Bruce Dawe comments on the materialistic character of Australian society in the 1950’s. During this period of his life Dawe saw the influences of the Americanized way of life, and he didn’t like what he was seeing. As television became widespread, he watched as the world was dominated and manipulated by commercialism and manmade objects. Society found value in a materialistic lifestyle, and pushed spirituality and humanity to the side. He saw that from the moment we opened our eyes we must conform and be silent about it. Only through the innocence and purity of a child and our natural world can we truly escape this. The skateboard is a symbol of this innocence and purity. It depicts the life of my younger brother Isaac. It is a part of who he is and what he does.
I have used the infinity sign to represent this cycle of life. I have drawn the dotted white line to depict a road. The idea of the road is seen throughout the life of the boy in Dawes poem. He grew up with them and he died in one. Just like a road trip there is a beginning and an end. We were born and we must also die. The dominating skull points out the looming inevitability of death.
“Remember, man, though art dust, and to dust though shalt return.”
Bruce Dawe uses this epigraph as a metaphor for birth and death. It tells us what the rest of the poem is about. A life cycle.... everyone’s life cycle.
The infinity sign also suggests to us the pointlessness of consumerism. When we die we cannot bring our material possessions with us.
I have turned the poster ‘KEEP CALM AND CARRY ON’ into a swing tag for the board,