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A poem about a young Nyoongar man from Western Australia, who was killed in World War I, whose remains are returned to Australia decades later.
'A young man follows a kangaroo track deep into the old people's country. Along the way he meets some spirit creatures ("mambara") who allow him to go on. But after he has hunted down the kangaroo, one mambara is angry and demands a fight ("bakitj").
Alf seamlessly captures human frailty, in all its contradictions, and seizes upon ironies that coexist, merge and jostle for light and space in everyday Nyoongar life. Alf’s storytelling exposes the uncomfortable truths of alcoholism, separation from family, community and land, grief and the profound loss of identity on the everyday life of ...
Jagardoo: Poems from Aboriginal Australia, published in 1978, is the second collection of poems by Noongar playwright and poet Jack Davis, often referred to as the 20th Century's Aboriginal Poet Laureate.
- Summary
- Theme and Setting
- Form and Structure
- Literary and Poetic Devices Used
- Analysis, Stanza by Stanza
- Historical Context
- Tribute to The Poet and The Poem
- Similar Poetry
‘The Man from Snowy River’ by Banjo Patersonis a Bush Ballad, that tells the story of a young man who single-handedly pursues a prizewinning colt and brings back the mob of wild horses. ‘The Man from Snowy River,’ tells the story of a prizewinning racehorse that escapes from its paddock and lives with the wild horses. Following this, a number of ho...
‘The Man from Snowy River’, though revolves around the legend of “The Man” who comes down from the region of Snowy River, and deals with the themes of perseverance, bravery, horsemanship, etc. The story is set in the fictional region of a mountain range inspired by the place Burrinjuck Dam, situated northwest of Canberra in the Australian Capital T...
‘The Man from Snowy River’ is one of the best examples of “bush ballad”, a style of poetry that depicts the life, character, and scenery of the Australian bush. In the poem, the poet describes the story of the man who captures a colt from the mountain, in thirteen stanzas. The poem follows a regular structure and rhyme scheme. It follows the regula...
In‘The Man from Snowy River,’ Paterson has employed literary devices such as Personification, Simile, Metaphor, and Alliteration to describe the perilous yet beautiful Australian landscape. He has used the vernacularlanguage that adds beauty to the poem. The landscape is used as the backdrop in the poem to invoke the sense of horsemanship and tenac...
Stanza One
The first stanza of‘The Man from Snowy River’ opens with the line ‘There was movement at the station, for the word had passed around’ marks the beginning and introduces the story. The “movement” attributed to the commotion would have been created at the station when they discovered that a colt worth a thousand pounds had escaped and joined the wild horses in the mountains. As soon as the words are out, a number of riders from near and far have gathered in front of the homestead. They are a gr...
Stanza Two
In the second stanza of‘The Man from Snowy River’ Paterson introduces us to some of the stockmen who had assembled for the hunt. Amongst these are Clancy and Harrison, two of the characters from Patterson’s poems “Clancy of the Overflow” and “Old Pardon, Son of Reprieve“. They are described as the best horsemen in the area. Their horsemanship is projected in the descriptions “few could ride beside him when his blood was fairly up” and “No better horseman ever held the reins”.
Stanza Three
In the third stanza of‘The Man from Snowy River’, Paterson describes the protagonist of the story. He is a scrawny youngster mounted on an equally scrawny little horse. His fellow companions ridicule him and his horse. But, what they do not know, as the narratorsays, is a sign of steely courage and tenacity in both the rider and his horse. This man with the “bright and fiery eye” is not named by the poet.
‘The Man from Snowy River’, was written between the 1880s and 1890s, a period in which Australia was trying hard to create its identity as a nation. Still, there was a requisite for the Australians to be united for some of the regions were still under British rule. In those times, the people of Australia looked up to the bush for their mythologyand...
“Banjo” Paterson and his poem were commemorated on the Australian 10-dollar polymer note, designed by Max Robinson. The note that was in print between 1993 and 2017, featured Andrew Barton (Banjo) Paterson on the obverse with a horse from the Snowy Mountains region, and a wattle plant, also included is his signature. His poetry was micro-printed in...
One similar thing, the readers of Paterson’s poemscould identify is his great sense of “Australianism”. His pride for the nation could be seen gushing down from Australia’s national song “Waltzing Matilda” to many of his other poems. Some of his notable poems contributing to the Australian consciousness include: 1. ‘Clancy of the Overflow’ 2. ‘The ...
- Female
- March 18, 1991
- Poetry Analyst
Alton Walley is a Whadjuk, Wilman, Kaneang Nyoongar man from the South-West of Western Australia. Alton has been heavily immersed in his culture since he was a young boy, being fortunate enough to have access to, and engage with, a wealth of knowledgeable cultural figures.
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Two teenage Nyoongar brothers, Gidgi and Keek, the river brothers, love to spend their time fishing and swimming in the rivers, waterways and ocean. While they share this passion, the brothers differ in many ways - Gidgi, the eldest, is strong, short-tempered and arrogant; and Keek, always in awe of his older brother, is quiet, humble and ...
