The tonality of Dawe’s poetry is often very clear in is writing style, which is invaluable in generating an emotional response from the reader, being able to position the reader and highlight points of view other to their own. “Homecoming” makes use of two distinct tones through its course, initially having an impersonal and monotonous manner, feeling like the moaning of a disgruntled worker in a dissatisfactory job. It comes about through the repetition of “they’re”, such as (“they’re) bringing them home… giving them names… zipping them up”, firmly placing the reader over the shoulder of the would-be morticians and separating the dead soldiers, making them sound as if they are mere objects “in green plastic bags”. This changes radically, however, after the corpses are directly described, “curly-heads, kinky hairs, crew cuts, balding
References: 1. Rowe, N, Much More You Could Say: Bruce Dawe’s poetry (2004), p2. Retrieved 21:48, April 26, 2012, from http://escholarship.usyd.edu.au/journals/index.php/SSE/article/viewfile/533/504 2. Brennan, B, Poetry and Politics: In conflict or conversation? Aboriginal poetry, Peter Skrzynecki, and Bruce Dawe (2002), p17. Retrieved 19:26, April 23, 2012, from http://ojs-prod.library.usyd.edu.au/index.php/SSE/article/view/567/536 3. Rowe, N, Much More You Could Say: Bruce Dawe’s poetry (2004), p11. Retrieved 21:48, April 26, 2012, from http://escholarship.usyd.edu.au/journals/index.php/SSE/article/viewfile/533/504 4. Anodyne, in Dictoinary.com. Retrieved 16:44, April 29, 2012, from http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/anodyne?s=t 5. Brennan, B, Poetry and Politics: In conflict or conversation? Aboriginal poetry, Peter Skrzynecki, and Bruce Dawe (2002), p18. Retrieved 19:26, April 23, 2012, from http://ojs-prod.library.usyd.edu.au/index.php/SSE/article/view/567/536