POETRY LOG- AUSTRALIA 1970 by Judith Wright Type of poem This poem appears to be a ballad because of its song-like quality that is supplemented with narration in short quatrains. Background of the poet Judith Wright is an environmentalist and a campaigner for indigenous land rights. Most of her poems reflect her anxiety about the disappearing landscape. Subject Matter Wright artistically expresses her frustration and bitterness towards the Australian population due to its failure to be mindful about the diminishing environment. She hails elements of nature to die fighting and never succumb to the selfish opposition of the human race. Form and Structure The poem is organised in 6 quatrains, each quatrain being a stanza. Enjambment- the run of lines suggests continuity of thought as Wright expresses her bitterness and anger. This element effectively displays the unending nature of these emotions. Caesura- “Die, wild country,”- This intensifies the suspense and drama at the start of the poem thus giving it a theatrical feel. I believe this elevates the poet’s irony in encouraging nature to “die” yet she is endeavouring to save it. Irregular lineation- The varying line lengths echo the poet’s frustration and anger towards the inability of her counterparts to recognise the urgency of environmental degradation. Syntactic Parallelism- The first and third stanza employ similar parallelism and caesura Analogy- “like the eagle hawk”, “like the tiger snake”, “like the ironwood”These creatures and plants are all indigenous to Australia and are characterised as dominant, powerful and mighty. Her comparison of death to this creatures highlights the idea that nature should not gradually diminish in resignation but rather die fighting. Paradox, satire- “I praise the scoring drought, the flying dust, the drying creek”- It is paradoxical that Wright appreciates nature for its continual downfall. In this manner, she mocks her audience in bitter sarcasm, in an effort to urge them to take action and realise their contribution to the exacerbation of environmental decline. Metaphor- “venoms that we make”- establishes a comparison between human actions and the toxicity of venom hence depicting not only the negative implications of our actions on the environment but also the nearing demise that our negligence will eventually cause if we don’t take action. Figurative Language and Style Apostrophe- The poem is addressed to a non-human entity, nature as though it is a human being. This elevates the poet’s passion and activism. Collective pronouns – “we and our” in fourth stanza- reveals her acknowledgement of her contribution to the degradation of nature. Rhyme Scheme and Meter Themes Irregular rhyme scheme and no identifiable meter due to the varying line lengths. I believe the inconsistencies in musicality and rhythmical quality mirror nature’s endeavours to heal from the venoms of human action and return to its normal course but it is constantly poisoned even more due to human negligence and selfishness. Environmental Degradation- Our environment is continually degrading due to human action. If we do not change now, then this agonizing process will heighten thus endangering the wellbeing of the human species at large. Tone and Mood Frustrated and vociferous (forceful) tone The tone is damning and threatening in the first 3 stanzas as she encourages nature to curse its captor. Mood- pressing and exasperated- “pressing” to revel the urgency of the situation. Personal Thoughts and Feelings All in all, a bold reflection of true activism that dares to expose the selfishness and negligence of mankind as regards to the environment that surrounds us- incredibly moving and striking.
