Analysing perspectives – comparing Australian war poems
Homecoming (Bruce Dawe)
Fighting Hard (Henry Lawson)
What is the subject of each poem? (i.e. what is each poem about?)
Provide evidence to support your answer.
The subject of this poem is bringing back the dead soldiers home. This is evident through the lines “All day, day after day, they’re bringing them home, … they’re bringing them home, now, too late, too early”
How does each poet represent war?
Provide evidence to support your answer.
As painful, full of death and sorrow
“… the spider grief swings in his bitter geometry – they’re bringing them home, now, too late, too early”
How does each poet represent Australian soldiers?
Provide evidence to support your answer.
As used resources
“they’re bringing them in, piled on the hulls of Grants”
How does each poet represent the level of respect Australian soldiers do/should receive?
Provide evidence to support your answer.
A high level of respect
“Where dogs in the frozen sunset raise muzzles in mute salute”
What events were happening at the time that might have influenced the poet’s perspective?
Homecoming was written in 1968.
Fighting Hard was published in 1915.
What do you think was each poet’s purpose for writing the poem?
Provide reasons to support your response.
You may like to do some contextual research about the poet to support your ideas.
What emotions are constructed in the poem (tone)? How does this influence your response to the poem (mood)?
Identify the structural elements of the poem. How are they used to convey meaning?
What language features are significant? What meaning/messages do they construct?
Does the poet use imagery? With what effect?
How would you describe the movement of the poem? Consider pace and rhythm. How does the movement contribute to meaning/effect?
Are there any sound devices used in the poem? What is the effect?
Synthesising your ideas
What...