Bruce Dawe Homecoming Themes Analysis
1. Dehumanising aspect of war
The anti-war poem ‘Homecoming’ delineates the dehumanising aspect of wars upon the human race as a whole. With the usage of visual imagery throughout the poem, Dawe accomplishes in writing poetry that has an extensive universal appeal underlining the savage but real nature of war. “The noble jets are whining like hounds” produces a simile which accentuates the explicit baleful components of war. The quote produced despises dogs as sympathetic feelers of human emotion. For the deceased soldiers, there will be no great parade and music, only “the howl of their homecoming”. The famous twenty-one gun salute is also ridiculed. “Raises muzzle in mute salute”, further certifies the global idea of dogs as a man’s best friends, who sadly cannot voice their sorrow and grief in words. Even though these soldiers have made the fundamental sacrifice by giving up their lives, the fact that they get little or none what so ever acknowledgment for their heroic act except from their loyal companion; their dog, emphasizes the worldwide concept of war as dehumanising.
2. Senseless life loss
Homecoming by Bruce Dawe illustrates and recounts the tragedies of the Vietnam War in an even-tempered, but negative tone. Dawe establishes the universal theme of senseless life loss in war throughout the poem. The last and finals line of the poem produces an idea of a paradox. “They’re bringing them home now, too late,” because the ultimate chance to save their lives has past and gone. Anyhow, it is also “too early” in the sense as all the soldiers at war are too young, leaving an unfulfilled life behind them. Sadly, these soldiers will never receive the true recognition and acknowledgement for their efforts that would have been given at the end of the war purely because of the fact of the staggering number of soldiers dying in war senselessly. With the aid of the poetic technique of paradox, Bruce Dawe make a final and lasting attempt at clarifying
The anti-war poem ‘Homecoming’ delineates the dehumanising aspect of wars upon the human race as a whole. With the usage of visual imagery throughout the poem, Dawe accomplishes in writing poetry that has an extensive universal appeal underlining the savage but real nature of war. “The noble jets are whining like hounds” produces a simile which accentuates the explicit baleful components of war. The quote produced despises dogs as sympathetic feelers of human emotion. For the deceased soldiers, there will be no great parade and music, only “the howl of their homecoming”. The famous twenty-one gun salute is also ridiculed. “Raises muzzle in mute salute”, further certifies the global idea of dogs as a man’s best friends, who sadly cannot voice their sorrow and grief in words. Even though these soldiers have made the fundamental sacrifice by giving up their lives, the fact that they get little or none what so ever acknowledgment for their heroic act except from their loyal companion; their dog, emphasizes the worldwide concept of war as dehumanising.
2. Senseless life loss
Homecoming by Bruce Dawe illustrates and recounts the tragedies of the Vietnam War in an even-tempered, but negative tone. Dawe establishes the universal theme of senseless life loss in war throughout the poem. The last and finals line of the poem produces an idea of a paradox. “They’re bringing them home now, too late,” because the ultimate chance to save their lives has past and gone. Anyhow, it is also “too early” in the sense as all the soldiers at war are too young, leaving an unfulfilled life behind them. Sadly, these soldiers will never receive the true recognition and acknowledgement for their efforts that would have been given at the end of the war purely because of the fact of the staggering number of soldiers dying in war senselessly. With the aid of the poetic technique of paradox, Bruce Dawe make a final and lasting attempt at clarifying