The poem “Australia’s Silenced History” was written by Nola Gregory from Western Australia in November 2016 as a response to a powerful and provoking video called “Stan Grant talking about racism and the Great Australian Dream.” The poem was written so that our nation would not forget that Australia has a dark past. The subject of the poem is Australia’s dark history and how it impacted many people. The theme is the importance of respecting and acknowledging our history so it can be dealt with. The subject matter of the poem Australia’s Silenced History is about the shameful history of Australia. As shown in lines 12 and 13 “Don’t tell us to forget. That’s something we cannot do” Gregory expounds that Aboriginals cannot forget and move on without proper actions being taken as it affected them immensely. The poet conveys that we need to deal with it and accept it so that whole nation can be united. In general, Gregory asserts Australia should not try and hide the truth of its past instead open the books and make the future brighter. The message is conveyed through the themes of rage, …show more content…
These include metaphors, rhetorical questions, similes and descriptive language. For instance, the metaphor on line 37 “It was a living breathing hell” describes the conditions of the Aboriginals and how they were treated. It also portrays their emotions towards the environment they lived in. Additionally, on line 2 the simile “It’s like an unstoppable river” describes history unravelling itself. This symbolises the truth about Australia’s history revealing itself. The poet also uses rhyme in a pattern which is ABCB. This makes the poem more interesting and enjoyable to read. The devices assist express the thoughts and emotions of the Aboriginal people during this period of time. These poetic devices are also used to depict the theme of the poem in a more engaging
Acknowledging the wrongs against Indigenous communities in Australia is critical, as this poem shows. The Stolen Generation was a dark chapter in Australia’s history that still affects Indigenous peoples today. From the late 1800s to the 1970s, thousands of Indigenous children were forcibly removed from their families by the Australian government. The policy was designed to assimilate Indigenous children into White Australian culture, and many suffered abuse and neglect.
In recent years, the issue of Australia Day marking the ‘invasion’ of ‘white man’ has sparked controversy between the Indigenous and non-indigenous populations of Australia. In his article titled “January 26th is the birth of modern Australia – deal with it”, Peter Moore advocates that the date of Australia Day should not be changed and he provides humour and solidarity for those who share his perspective. He does this through heavy use of attacks and generalisations with an informal, aggressive tone. Conversely, Natalie Cromb, with her article titled ‘Australia Day/ Invasion Day debate: #ChangeTheDate – but not right now”, criticizes the idea of the date changing at present time as she attempts to rally supportive readers to stand up to the
Reynolds reveals the moderate and censorship of historic writings in the 19th and 20th century, which achieved for government representation and agendas, in order to ignore the destruction of Indigenous Australian life and culture but praise the lives and pioneering spirits of the explores and colonizers. This Eurocentric vision is exposed as weak and racist and only a facade for foreign affairs. The situation of Australian history, violence, massacre, murder, rejection and dispossession that emphasises the idea that history has been repressed to serve the white political agenda, an “abuse of arbitrary power”. Reynolds uses adjective statements to make the audience question the political motivation for the government’s actions and the purpose of its active policies. Reynolds acknowledges the disillusionment of education, he exposes and counters with evidence that is irrefutable, exposing the atrocities of ‘White invasion’.
The repatriation of indigenous remains in Australia is the process by which human remains are returned to their ancestral communities from museums or private collections. The aim of this essay is to critically assess the arguments within the article written by Dr Denis Byrne titled The Ethos of Return: Erasure and Reinstatement of Aboriginal Visibility in the Australian Historical Landscape. Repatriation and visibility are two serious topics debated between archaeologists, historians, and Indigenous people. The importance of scientific research and understanding is weighed heavily against the desire of Indigenous people to return their ancestors remains to their source communities. This essay critically assesses both the arguments within the
He is trying to spread the message that we influence how we affect the world, emphasising that people are an important part of nature. The poem focuses attention on the different ways immigrants have come to Australia, from the first fleet of ships and canoes to more recent refugees looking for a place to live. The poem discusses the significance of maintaining the bond between people and the land and the need to keep in mind ancestors, such as the first fleet or the aboriginals. Farrant reminds the audience to keep in mind that they are the land and that we can achieve a better future by caring for the land. Farrant uses lines such as ‘you are the forest, the plains of sand.’
The war killed tens and thousands of Australian soldiers, with many wounded, injured or taken as prisoners. The war left a long lasting impact on Australia in many aspects which will be discussed throughout this essay. Australia’s society was significantly impacted by the war both
Each poem or ballad has an individual impact on the way you view Australia. Some texts depict Australia as perfect and flawless while others are written about the horrors
You tell me, and I won’t put it down on the form, No-one will know but you and me”. It’s obvious that the author, Thomas King, is trying to make awareness about the treatment of Aboriginals are facing in
No training? No problem, I’m Australian NO hook sorry Columns “Boldly they rode and well, Into the jaws of Death, Into the mouth of Hell”. Australians are known internationally for our hardened culture, the bush battlers raised against all odds into an incredible mix of strength and boldness.
The poem My Mother The Land by Phill Moncrieff poetically describes the struggles the aboriginal people faced with loss of their country, culture, identity, people and place at the hands of the European people and colonisation throughout history. Overall the poem effectively positions the reader to feel sympathy and empathy toward the aboriginal people and strong antipathy towards the European people furthermore it helps the reader understand the importance of country, culture, identity, people and place to the aboriginal
Oodgeroo Noonuccal’s non-traditional view of Australia in ‘An Appeal’ shows how stereotypes of Australia are not always correct. The poem shows how camaraderie and mateship are not always expressed in Australian lifestyle. It is evident in the poem that not all Australians help each other to get through tough times and Australia is divided into different groups of people and is not equal. ‘An appeal’ shows how the nation stands up for themselves and fight for what is right against the power of the ‘not really’ authoritative people of Australia. The concept of inequality is a crucial part of Oodgeroo Noonuccal’s poem ‘An Appeal’.
Described as “Australia’s Martin Luther King moment” Stan Grant as part of the IQ2 debate series attempted to confirm the legitimacy of that “Racism is destroying the Australian Dream”. Grant pronounced that racism was not only eroding the Australian dream, but lay at its very foundation. Beginning his speech, Grant references the recent controversy involving former AFL player Adam Goodes and the racist butchery which lead to his eventual retirement. Grant talks inclusively about the incident inciting that "When we heard those boos, we heard a sound that was very familiar to us ...
This article discusses the speech given by an Indigenous journalist, Stan Grant who participated in a debate where he spoke for the motion “Racism is destroying the Australian Dream’’. Hence, the main points of this article are mostly evidence given by Grant in his debate to support his idea that the Australian Dream is indeed rooted in racism. One of the main points is that the indigenous Australians are often excluded and disregarded as non-Australians simply due to their race and skin colour. Grant pointed out the incident where AFL player Adam Goodes was publicly jeered and told that he did not belong to his country as he was not an Australian despite the fact that Australia indeed is the land of his ancestors.
In the poem “Treblinka Gas Chamber”, by Phyllis Webb and in the TRC’s “The History”, both texts share a common theme of inhumane treatment towards children within certain cultural and ethnical groups. While the two authors explore distinct historical contexts, both texts are centred on racial segregation with nationalistic motives. Phyllis Webb appeals to a logos strategy through the use of allusion. In her poem, “Treblinka Gas Chamber”, Webb presents fictional and historical examples to display her knowledge and establish her credibility.
Naturally, sing-song tunes grab attention and create an easy way to remember and anticipate subjects within the poem. Rhyming, however, does not end there. The placement of the rhymes can create a spectacular mood to the poem that would not have been conveyed to the audience otherwise. Two forms of rhyming that have been observed are: the AABB rhyming scheme and the ABAB rhyming scheme. While both poems including these rhyming schemes are catchy, the tone and pattern set by the rhyming scheme are entirely different.