Mackerels wrote “My Country’ during the First World War on a visit to England, where from then on it became one of the best-known Australian bush poems due to its appeal to the sense of patriotism encouraged by the war and post-war nationalism (Kingston, 1986). The poem was believed to have been directly influenced by Mackerel’s experience of life on the land (State Library of New South Wales, 2011). Hope was another internationally known Australian poet who was famous for his “skilful use of traditional verse forms and critique of contemporary values” (University of Sydney, Unknown date).
His poem “Australia” also had a sense of patriotism to it, even though the word choice mostly points out the negative aspects of Australia. Although to this day, the year in which he wrote the poem is still unclear, we know that Hope wrote the poem sometime in- teens 1930 and 1970. Firstly, both poets’ core belief about Australia remains very patriotic with Mackerel’s ideology of Australia staying loyal and true all throughout her poem as opposed to Hope’s “Australia”.
The lines in her poem all build up to the very last part of the last stanza that truly concludes her tribute to Australia: “Wherever I may die, I know to what brown country, My homing thoughts will fly. ” In contrast with Hope’s “Australia”, the only line that really suggests of his devotion towards Australia is, in his second last stanza: meet there are some like me turn gladly omen… ” This line proposes that Hope is reluctant to admit his loyalty to his country but he is still willing enough to admit that he is patriotically Australian.
The first stanza of “My Country’ is about England, lines such as “ordered woods and gardens” and “brown streams and soft dim skies” clearly describe the weather and some characteristics of England. Mackerels acknowledges this love but instead prefers Australia, the “sunburns country’ as she begins to describe. In comparison to Hope’s “Australia”, a fixed verse that speaks of the country as a Juxtaposition – the many inherent flaws of Australia and his patriotic feeling towards the country, Mackerel’s poem definitely brings out a more ideal image of Australia.
This suggests that in the early sass’s; back when Australia first became an independent nation, the people were more prideful of their country in comparison to Hope’s social environment, a few decades afterwards, where the sense of nationalism in the people have faded. Mackerels uses euphoric connotations and other literary devices to or Australia. She describes many of the natural aspects of Australia, inch its mountain ranges, the forest and the seas. Use of repetitive phrase f my heart, my country! ” is involved not only to make it more memory add poignancy to the poem.
Since the poem was written while she WA can therefore be surmised that she misses Australia. Hope too, had a but most of his poem incorporates negative connotations such as me “modern wars” and “cities, like five teeming sores” to describe a more image of suburban Australia that is far different than Mackerel’s des second last stanza of “Australia”, as mentioned briefly before, he wrote some like me turn gladly home From the lush Jungle of modern though Arabian desert of the human mind… ” This part of the stanza, suggests f Australia as a paradox.
Although he dislikes where Australia is going retreating from such an extensive world back to Australia so he could rebuild his connection to the vastness of his mind, the size of which h Arabian Desert (Unknown, Literature Commentary on “Australia” by AY Hope, 2008). Metaphors have also been used by Mackerels to create a meaning in her poem. Three times, she has likened Australia to Jewels jewel-sea,”, “The sapphire-misted mountains”, and “an opal-hearted c Sapphires and opals are precious; they are called so because they are find.
Also, precious stones require cutting and polishing before it shin tit her sense of pride as an Australian because she believes that the country are hard-working people who are assiduous and strong-mind especially, are rich and iridescent, which makes it an apt description encompasses Australia’s goodness, as well as the challenges involved date). Metaphors were also used by Hope to create a different image the first stanza, “A Nation of trees, drab green and desolate grey In the of modern wars… He compared the green and grey of the trees to the of modern wars” to show that he sees Australia as bleak, dull and alma It is also a metaphor for Australia’s tendency to fade into the background chive much attention as green and grey were also worn by soldiers a way of camouflage (Unknown, Literature Commentary on “Australia” Deterrent Hope, 2008). Hope believes that Australia is old: “Last of land A woman beyond her change of life, a breast still tender but within the By comparing Australia to a woman and her breast, I believe that Hop Australia to be young by the world’s standards, but the most empty.
H that Australia utilizes external beauty, but has no inner beauty, even t the capacity to do otherwise (Unknown, Literature Commentary on “Au Deterrent Hope, 2008). Mackerel’s ideology is somewhat similar to Hop mints a glossier picture of Australia, speaking of the country as a tout land where flood and fire are inherent parts of the landscape. Yet, for wilderness and ferocity, it can be a generous land, and those who live a natural connection to the land. This ideology is exemplified in “My C the lines “All you who have not loved her, You will not understand… It advertising Australia to foreigners, as opposed to Hope who is really j Mackerels uses euphony its Tailgating ranges, the tot my heart. My country! ‘ dad poignancy to the pop can therefore be surmise but most at his poem Inc “modern ears” and “cities mage of suburban Status same like me turn gladly Arabian desert of the huh of Austral;d d par ado) from such an Desert (Unknown Hope. Metaphors meaning in her poem TTT jewel-sea,”. ;the sapphire Sapphires opals are finch Also, precious storm country are hard-working encompasses Australia’s date), poetasters were a rhea first stanza. A Manor Ut rounder to shove is ms metaphor for d way of L remolded (Null Deterrent Hope. 2038). HTH woman beyond her Chi. Australia t Australia To he holy. Eng by the capacity to do adhere Derv;en: Hove. Bibb). Paints glossier picture land rehire flood and first wilderness and throat. Natural reinsertion tot the lines “AIL you who ha advertising Australia to t personal observations of Australia to outsiders. After invest “My Country’ by Throated Mackerels and “Australia” by A. D. There is much to be said about Australian landscape and the Australian values in-between time periods.
Mackerels and H meaningful diction and imagery techniques, have created p passed through time into our hands, in the hopes that their shared among the younger generation of today. My Country – Throated Mackerels The love of field and copied, Of green and shaded lanes. Of ordered woods and gardens Is running in your veins, Strong love of grey-blue distance Brown streams and soft dim skies I know but cannot share it, My love is otherwise. I love a sunburns country, A land of sweeping plains, Of ragged mountain ranges, Of droughts and flooding rains.
I love her far horizons, I love her Jewel-sea, Her beauty and her terror – The wide brown land for me! A stark white ring-barked forest All tragic to the moon, The sapphire-misted mountains, The hot gold hush of noon. Green tangle of the brushes, Where lithe liana coil, And orchids deck the tree-tops And ferns the warm dark soil. Core of my heart, my country! Her pitiless blue sky, When sick at heart, around us, We see the cattle die – But then the grey clouds gather, And we can bless again The drumming of an army, The steady, soaking rain.
Land of the Rainbow Gold, For flood and fire and famine, She pays us back threefold – Over the thirsty paddocks, Watch, after many days, The filmy veil of greenness That thickens as we gaze. An opal-hearted country, A willful, lavish land – All you who have not loved her, You will not understand – Though earth holds many splendorous, Wherever I may die, I know to what brown country My homing thoughts will fly. Australia – A. D. Hope A Nation of trees, drab green and desolate grey In the field uniform of modern wars, Darkens her hills, those endless, outstretched paws Of Sphinx demolished or stone lion worn away.
They call her a young country, but they lie: She is the last of lands, the emptiest, A woman beyond her change of life, a breast Still tender but within the womb is dry. Without songs, architecture, history: The emotions and superstitions of younger lands, Her rivers of water drown among inland sands, The river of her immense stupidity Floods her monotonous tribes from Cairns to Perth. In them at last the ultimate men arrive Whose boast is not: “we live” but “we survive”, A type who will inhabit the dying earth.
