Australian Poetry
AUSTRALIAN MARGINALISED VOICES
Year 11 students, for your assignment, you will need to cover four elements:
- Author information and a brief biography
- The poem itself
- Analysis and deconstruction of the poetic elements of the poem
- The poem’s relevance to Australian identity and its representation of marginalised voices
Check out the page about POETRY ANALYSIS to help you with your task.
Judith Wright Centre – biography of Judith Wright
‘Metho Drinker’ by Judith Wright
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Oodgeroo Noonuccal (formerly Kath Walker – 1920 – 1993)
Biography Oodgeroo (Britanica)
Student documentary about Oodgeroo including reading of ‘Son of Mine’:
‘Son of Mine’ by Oodgeroo Noonuccal
‘Colour Bar’ by Oodgeroo Noonuccal
Questions about ‘Colour Bar’ and a short analysis of the poem.
‘Last of his Tribe’ by Oodgeroo Noonuccal
Analysis of ‘Last of His Tribe’:
‘No More Boomerang’ by Oodgeroo Noonuccal
Analysis of ‘No More Boomerang’:
‘The Dispossessed’ by Oodgeroo Noonuccal
Oodgeroo recites and talks about ‘The Dispossessed’:
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‘Last of his tribe’ by Henry Kendall
Analysis of ‘The Last of His Tribe’:
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Documentary about Jack Davis, his life, poetry and plays. Davis recites ‘The First-born’ at the beginning of the film:
‘The First-born’ by Jack Davis IN 821.08 INS ‘Inside Black Australia’
Jack Davis’ poetry in context, including analysis of ‘The First-Born’, ‘Land’ and ‘Fire’:
A longer analysis of Davis’ work in context:
‘Aboriginal Australia’ (To the Others) by Jack Davis
‘The Black Tracker’ by Jack Davis IN 820.8 MAC ‘Macquarie Pen Anthology of Aboriginal Literature’ p.58
‘Urban Aboriginal’ by Jack Davis IN 821.08 INS ‘Inside Black Australia’ p.57
‘Integration’ by Jack Davis IN 820.8 MAC Macquarie Pen Anthology of Aboriginal Literature p.59
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Les Murray – feature article in ‘The Australian’
‘The Aboriginal Cricketer’ by Les Murray
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Analysis of ‘Shame’ by Kevin Gilbert (including some biography)
‘Redfern’ by Kevin Gilbert IN 820.8 MAC ‘Macquarie Pen Anthology of Aboriginal Literature’ p.83
An analysis of ‘Redfern’ by Kevin Gilbert
‘Me and Jackomari Talkin’ About Landrights’ by Kevin Gilbert IN 820.8 MAC ‘Macquarie Pen Anthology of Aboriginal Literature’ p.83
‘Song of Dreamtime’ by Kevin Gilbert IN 820.8 MAC ‘Macquarie Pen Anthology of Aboriginal Literature’ p.86
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‘For I come – Death in Custody’ by Lionel Fogarty
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‘Australia’ by Ania Walwicz (at bottom of webpage below My Country) also IN 821.08 PEN ‘The Penguin Anthology of Australian Poetry’
Analysis of ‘Australia’ by Ania Walwicz
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‘Standardisation’ by A. D. Hope
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OTHER THEMES
‘The Tiger’ by Rosemary Dobson
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Bruce Dawe’s poetry (The Sydney Morning Herald)
‘The Not so Good Earth’ by Bruce Dawe
‘No Fixed Address – for Old Harry’ by Bruce Dawe
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Judith Wright (1915 – 2000)
‘South of my Days’ by Judith Wright
‘Drought Year’ by Judith Wright
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‘The Widower in the Country’ by Les Murray
‘Driving through Sawmill Towns’ by Les Murray
‘On Home Beaches’ by Les Murray
Discussion of ‘On Home Beaches’
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Peter Skrzynecki and the story of his immigration to Australia
Peter Skrzynecki and his poetry (YouTube)
‘Migrant Hostel’ by Peter Skrzynecki
Analysis of ‘Migrant Hostel’ (YouTube)
‘The Polish Immigrant’ by Peter Skrzynecki
‘Sailing to Australia’ by Peter Skrzynecki
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Yu Ouyang (1955 – _)
‘The Ungrateful Immigrant’ by Ouyang Yu
Song for an Exile in Australia
‘Post-Colonial’ by Adam Aitken
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Australian culture in poetry:
Defying stoicism – Australian poetry
Representations of Australian identity in poetry