Poetry Essay
A poet’s intention is to make their readers look at the world around them in a different way.
How has the poetry you have studied made you look at the world around you in a different way?
The poem ‘An Absolutely Ordinary Rainbow’ written by Les Murray talks about the perception of freedom and choice. It is about the breathtaking feat of a man finding a moment of absolute freedom in a Sydney crowd, and the effect it had on others. The poem ‘The Widower in the Country’ however talks about loss and how when change happens it is not always considered as a good thing because it can bring a life of isolation and loneliness. Murray sets a solemn, serious and lonely mood throughout the poem to express the widower’s feelings.
Les Murray in An Absolutely Ordinary Rainbow, sets the tone of it being a miracle and not being as simple as it seems, “some will say in years to come A halo or force stood around him” this line in particular shows a metaphor that he was like a prophet preaching to the people. A religious motif is also shown to describe that he was like a divine human being and that he was free from everything. People run to see this miracle, a moment of freedom, publicly shared and witnessed. The ideal of feeling this free is something that appeals to many people. The conflicting desires of wanting to fit in and wanting to be your own person, to be free is something most people have felt themselves.
Les Murray writes using first person to personalise this text, making it more emotional and includes the readers into the poem but he withholds most statements and relates what happens in an objective tone. Imagery is used in the poem and this technique creates a visual image for the reader to relate to, “The word goes round… There’s a fellow crying in Martin Place” which helps explain to the reader that he is in Sydney, Martin Place near George Street where crowds are walking past him as he weeps by himself. Personification brings the...