The book The Island at the Center of the World by Russell Shorto was very interesting and gave me a different view on history. I felt the story that was told was very intriguing but it did get confusing at times. There were parts in the book where he would discuss an important person like Adriaen Van der Donck for example in one chapter then he would jump to a new person in the next chapter and then Van der Donck would be mentioned again two chapters later. This was hard to follow because he would jump from person to person and mention many dates that it was hard to keep up with what he was saying. However, regarding his argument that Manhattan is what started America he does an excellent job at proving this. One example of this is “…in…
Bruce Dawe has used a variety of literary devices to represent specific marginalised groups in ways that challenge their reader’s perceptions. Two of his poems; ‘Homecoming’ and ‘Weapons Training’ are key and transparent examples of literary devices being utilised to represent specific marginalised groups. Both of these poems were set during the 1950’s, with Vietnam being written to represent soldiers pre-war and homecoming to represent soldiers returning to Australia. During this time period, the Australian nation lived via a very patriarchal manner, and had the utmost respect and admiration of their soldiers that fought during the world wars. However, it has been noted in Australian history that there was very little to no compassion given towards the returning soldiers from Vietnam; Homecoming is an attack at society for their reverence and respect-or lack of. This represents the marginalised soldiers from the Vietnam War, for the War Veterans from WW1 and WW2 had always traditionally returned home to a hero’s welcome, greeted at the airway and society’s full support to the brave soldiers who had risked and possibly given their lives for the country. Weapons Training is another war poem, but this time targets young soldiers pre-war on what can be assumed as a final addressing before taking into the ranks, this poem however various from the previous, the soldiers would have gone into the War with the expectation of being given thanks and praise for their bravery, instead they were barked at, abused and insulted. Dawe has represented both of the marginalised soldiers in both of the respective poems through his use of literary devices which can all fall under the brackets of a) Imagery and b) language, integrating into some finer details.…
"Let the months and years come, they can take nothing from me, they can take nothing anymore. I am so alone and so without hope that I can confront them without fear" War is a political hotbed. Regardless of the warring nations’ reasons or the outcome, in the wake of the battle, the soldier, or country’s hero, actually becomes the victim. Youth is sacrificed, lives are lost, and the survivors are forever altered.…
Power is a multi-faceted theme that is present in society and is continually being explored through different text types. ‘Lord of the Flies’ by William Golding, ‘Sunday in the Park’ by Bel Kaufman and Nazi Propaganda Poster ‘Long Live Germany’ has all shaped my understanding of power with its inclusion of themes such as totalitarianism and the powerlessness of Intellectual power against physical strength. This had left me to believe that physical strength and absolute control are the stronger forms of power and will act as a more successful way of government.…
War is a battle of not only the physical but also the psychological. In the text, All quiet on the western front, by Enrich Maria Remarque, and the poem Homecoming, by Bruce Dawe, our understanding is challenged through various representations of war such as innocence, srvivl and grief.…
Many of Bruce Dawe’s poems have a heavy message and a bleak meaning relating to society’s weaknesses and downfalls. In his free verse poem “Homecoming” Dawe promotes his ideas, attitudes and values about the Vietnam war to represent his negative perspective of war as a whole. This is evident through Dawes representation of war as a dehumanising conflict in where soldiers are given a lack of respect and honour. Dawe masterfully utilizes imagery, sound devices and irony to also convey his perspective about war.…
The recollection of Wilfred Owen’s poetry epitomise the true depiction of war and consequently the dehumanising ramifications of warfare. Influenced by the extremities and first hand experiences on the battlefield, Owen’s poetry encapsulates the extraordinary human experiences to the degree of unbearable suffering and extreme states of dehumanisation. Owen’s vivid portrayal of war corresponds to his personal endeavour in condemning the misconceptions of war; where he manifests the brutal reality and the detrimental aspects of warfare- the powerful and destructive entity of war; the dehumanising consequences of slaughter; and the abhorrent physiological, psychological and emotional trauma suffered through modern warfare. These aspects are incorporated into the texts which correspond to Owen’s portrayal of suffering and pity; revolving Owen’s poetry on the basis of extraordinary human experiences.…
War is a terrible reality where people commit heinous atrocities that always end in suffering, but unfortunately war is also powerful enough to convince many that “it is sweet... to die for your country”(Owen). Spoken by famous British poet Wilfred Owen, a WWI soldier who sarcastically expressed the constant false interpretations of war, this quote illustrates the simple brainwashing statements that are frequently told to generations of young men in hopes of convincing them to travel down the unfortunate path of war with false assumptions. With similar views, Erich Maria Remarque published the novel All Quiet on the Western Front after WWI through the perspective of Paul Baümer, a German soldier who experiences the true reality of war. Although war is often glorified and patriotic soldiers are fueled by their strong sense nationalism, in reality true horrors and pains of war become overwhelming, ultimately forcing many to find comfort amongst fellow comrades in order to survive.…
In “Homecoming”, poet Bruce Dawe uses vivid visual and aural poetic techniques to construct his attitudes towards war. He creates a specifically Australian cultural context where soldiers have been fighting in a war in Vietnam, and the dead bodies flown home. However the poem has universal appeal in that the insensitivity and anonymity accorded to Precious lives reduced to body bags are common attitudes towards soldiers in all historical conflicts. Although Dawe makes several references to the Vietnam War, the sense of moral outrage at the futile, dehumanising aspects of war is a universal theme. He also speaks on behalf of the mute, dead soldiers who have no way of expressing their suffering and loss of hope. By “speaking for those who have no means of speaking”, Dawe ultimately exposes the brutal hopelessness of soldiers caught up in foreign conflicts and the shocking impact on families.…
With conflict around the world rising exponentially, more and more people are fleeing torture and persecution, sacrificing their identity, in the hope of living a new and safe life in Australia. The Migration Act 1958 requires people who are not citizens and are unlawfully in Australia to be detained. This legislation ensures that asylum seekers arriving in Australia can be detained for unspecific and prolonged periods of time. No one wants to be a refugee: they just want to live a normal life like everyone else but they are powerless to change the situation in their country, to change their circumstances.…
The story of Romeo and Juliet continues to interest and engage viewers and readers to the present day. One of the reasons for this may be that it explores universal themes which are still of interest and concern to everyday people. The play makes us think about issues, such as love, loyalty to one’s family and friends, authority, and fate. Each of these themes is discussed below in relation to the play.…
It was only several weeks ago that a daring incident happened to me that could have impacted me for the rest of my life. Hanging with the wrong crowd and making with the wrong decision could have changed my life forever. That decision was the choice I made to hang with the gangs. In this essay you will find out how getting arrested for hanging out with the wrong people affected me and how gangs’ violence affects today’s society in the United States.…
Wilfred Owens' poetry on war can be described as a passionate expression of Owen's outrage over the horrors of war and pity for the young soldiers sacrificed in it. His poetry is dramatic and memorable, whether describing shame and sorrow, such as in 'The Last Laugh', or his description of the unseen psychological consequences of war detailed in 'The Next War' and 'Anthem for Doomed Youth'. His diverse use of instantly understandable technique is what makes him the most memorable of the war poets. His poetry evokes more than simple disgust and sympathy from the reader; issues previously unconsidered are brought to our attention.…
Power is the control over one’s self or another person or thing. In the poem “Adam and Eve” by Tony Hoagland a man and woman strived mentally for power over each other. Instead of having the happy and loving relationship that couples are “thought” to have, at the first sign of disagreement these two instantly worked against each other to have a personal gain of their own. In this poem the speaker, Adam, and the woman, who is assumed to be Eve, struggle for power over one another to make themselves superior to one another. They use their reactions and emotions against each other to steal and regain power.…
There can be no power without powerlessness. There can be no corruption without power. Whether that power is political, isn’t significant. However, whenever a person holds in their hands something that they never had before, corruption seems to become more of an inevitability rather than a possibility. Nevertheless, the root of that feeling, of something new, comes not from the power itself. Powerlessness is the root of the abuse as it is a sort of reimbursement, plus interest, for all of those times when a person could have done something or longed for, yet never had the power. Corruption can be a form of compensation, money and payback for past or current events. Powerlessness, not power, is truly what corrupts.…