Jason McCall, more communally known as Rupert McCall has been called the modern day banjo Patterson and Henry Lawson.
He has the ability to express his emotions though his poetry with a warm and compelling simplicity. He has the ability to combine passion with humor in his poetry which captures the hearts of all true Australians, from school kids to sports fans and blue-collar workers to businessmen. When reading Ruperts poetry its easy to get caught up in the emotion, patriotism and true aussie pride that he has of this beautiful country that exists in his poetry. Rupert McCall is a 26-year-old solicitor who has put his legal career on hold to peruse his number one passion – poetry and creative writing. He went on a tour of the 163 world hotspots as part of his research and mental preparation for his third book entitled Green and Gold Malaria which has already sold 60000 copies.
Rupert has also produced a CD, which has nearly reached gold status. The image that comes across in his poetry is one of a True Blue Aussie. He writes about things in a way that only a true Aussie would understand. His poetry is on topics such as cricket, AFL and proud Australian moments such as the Australian Rugby team winning the World Cup. If an immigrant from Italy was to read Ruperts poetry, they would not appreciate it. Because he writes about Australian issues that only true Australians would understand.
So they would think that he has a screw loose or something. The three poems featured in this anthology are Green and Gold Malaria, The Tubby Little Trooper and A Land of Backyard Cricket. Green and Gold Malaria tells a story of an Australian man who comes home from overseas and goes to the doctor to get the verdict on an allergy he gets when hes witnessing Australians who have done heroic things in there field of expertise. Whether it be the Anzacs in the Anzac day parade or Border making a gutsy ton. The doctor then goes on to tell him that there is no cure for it because its just Good Old Aussie Pride.
If an immigrant from East Timor was to read this poem they would not understandThe message in this poem is that Australians are proud of this beautiful country and the people who live in it and represent it. Throughout this poem there have been three types of poetic devices used. Alliterations have been used in the lines And Matilda sends me waltzing with a billy-boiling shiverBilly-boiling being the alliteration. Another one appears in the line ‘From the beaches here in Queensland to the sweeping shores of Broome sweeping shores being the alliteration this time.
The last alliteration in this poem appears in the line The medical profession call it green and gold malaria . Green and Gold being the alliteration. Another poetic device used in this poem is a personification that appears in the line Well, the Doctor scratched his melon with a rather worried look. The poet using melon as a symbol for the doctors head. The rhyme scheme used in this poem is AABB.
The Tubby Little Trooper tells a story of David Boon arguably Australias bravest cricketer ever to take the field. The poem is written from a teammates point of view who compares the battles he had on the field to war. I think the purpose of this poem is to reflect to the readers the guts and the determination of this great man has to win. There are several poetic devices used in this poem they are a metaphor, in the line he is good old fashioned guts. There are quite a few alliterations in this poem. The lines we are standing sure and strong, This tubby little trooper make his stand, and I shiver Green and Gold and without a word to say all have at least 2 words starting with the same letter in close proximity to each other.
There are two onomatopoeias used in this poem they are located in the lines missiles fly and bullets rattle rattle being the noise bullets make when shot out of a gun. And the other being in the line when his crashing bat salutes the roaring crowd There is two onomatopoeias in this line they are crashing being the noise of bat hitting ball and roaring symbolizing the noise the crowd makes. The rhyme scheme used in The Tubby Little Trooper is AABAAB. This rhyme scheme makes each verse six lines long. The poem A Land of Backyard cricketers was written by Rupert McCall. For him to recite at the First Annual Alan Border Medal Night.
It tells a story that many true Australians could relate to. A story of backyard cricket. It describes the emotions that were present, the rules that excited and the dreams of one day, just maybe wearing the baggy green. At the end of the poem he decides to tape up the old ball mow a wicket and call his mates to play some good hard backyard cricket. The message that this poem presents is that all true Aussie have played backyard cricket at one time in there life and had the dream of playing for their country and getting to wear the baggy green.
The four poetic devices used in this poem are personification in the line An until you knocked his melon off, you hadn’t cleared your name, melon being the personification. There where quite a few similes used in this poem so here are only some of them. Then, sometimes when you took the crease, you’d face like Allan Border face like Alan Border being the simile. As you ‘walked the walk’ like David Boon and ‘talked the talk’ like Richie this line has two similes in it they are Walked the walk like David Boon and Talked the a Talk like Richie.
There is another five lines in this poem that contain at least one simile. Alliterations were used a lot in this poem, actually there is eleven lines that have alliterations in them. Here are some of them Through a window, where I stare upon a yard that needs a mow, window, where being the alliteration. To be bowled by one’s own brother was the ultimate in shame, be bowled by is the alliteration. And just ask Adam Gilchrist if that dream was worth his while has two alliterations in it. These are only a few of the alliterations used in this poem.
The rhyme scheme that the poet used in this poem is AABB. Its very rare to see poetry like Ruperts where its readable where you dont have to sit down for hours and think about what the poem means. The image that Rupert sends across through his poetry is that he is very proud of this country and the people who live in it. As Ruperts publicity increases his poetry will become more and more popular. Rupert McCall will go down in history just as banjo Patterson and Henry Lawson did.Bibliography:Internet
