English Speech draft by Wilson Chen
Good morning year 12. Today I am going to talk about how Oodgeroo Noonuccal’s poetry explores the concept of “discovery” to allow us to become stronger and more knowledgeable as human beings.
Discovery is a fact or thing that someone finds out about when it was not known. Discovery can encompass the experience of learning about something for the first time or even relearning something that has been lost. Discoveries can be intensely meaningful- they may be emotional, creative, intellectual, physical or spiritual. They can also sometimes be confronting or provocative and lead us to new worlds or values. My own experience of “discovering’ is my first time came to Australia. I discovered the new things that I haven’t seen it before, like the massive Harbour Bridge and gorgeous opera House.
The first poem I want to discuss is “We Are Going’, this poem mournfully reflects upon the disappearance of traditional Aboriginal ways and the white people’s oppression of the Aboriginal people. Noounccal uses a variety of language and poetic techniques to convey the culture of the Aboriginal experience of modern Australia. The use of the simile “white men hurry about like ants shows the emotional impact of their sacred land being trodden on disrespectfully and how their land has been destroyed. The image of the estate sign that says “Rubbish May Be Tipped Here” on sacred bora ground shows the disregard the white people have for the Aboriginal land. The structure provides reader with new understanding of their thought and feelings as a people, and it is successful in conveying the struggle and sadness of Aboriginal people to an audience that may not fully understand the story.
Similarly, the poem “Last of His Tribe” teaches us- this is like our own discovery- and personalises the experience of the lost culture and customs of the Aboriginal people. The poet again uses a variety of techniques to represent this tragic loss. The...