Social Issues Explored in Bruce Dawes Poetry free essay sample

This represents the marginalised soldiers from the Vietnam War, for the War Veterans from WW1 and WW2 had always traditionally returned home to a hero’s welcome, greeted at the airway and society’s full support to the brave soldiers who had risked and possibly given their lives for the country. Weapons Training is another war poem, but this time targets young soldiers pre-war on what can be assumed as a final addressing before taking into the ranks, this poem however various from the previous, the soldiers would have gone into the War with the expectation of being given thanks and praise for their bravery, instead they were barked at, abused and insulted. Dawe has represented both of the marginalised soldiers in both of the respective poems through his use of literary devices which can all fall under the brackets of a) Imagery and b) language, integrating into some finer details. We will write a custom essay sample on Social Issues Explored in Bruce Dawes Poetry or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Bruce Dawe’s poem ‘homecoming’ is littered with imagery throughout the passage. The poem is set in the mid 1950’s, which was historically a very patriarchal time. This sense of accomplishment had been earned through the hard work and sacrifices that soldiers had gone through during the horrific events of world war one and two. Thus, when war veterans- alive, dead or injured- returned from another significant war; Vietnam, a logical person would also expect the same ‘hero’s welcome’ that was given to all the past oldiers. Sadly, this was not the case, and their efforts went on unrecognised. Dawe’s vivid use of imagery is a blatant illustration of this. For example, the soldiers (those they could find) were â€Å"piled on the hulls of Grants, in trucks, in convoys†¦ zipping them up in green plastic bags†. The words ‘Grants, trucks and convoys’, paint the picture that the soldiers are just like cargo, or prod uce, which is usually associated with such vehicles. And the fact that they were ‘piled on’ conveniently. The ‘objects’ that were piled on were not just another cargo, they were human beings, not just any human beings (which in its merit still would not condone their actions) but the bravest of human beings, people who had given their life to help preserve their country, and this treatment is simply insulting. In the next line, Dawe again cuts one deeper at the idea, mentioning they were ‘zipping them up in green plastic bags’. This idea of the ‘green plastic bags’ is associated with garbage. Simply Insolent. The reader’s perception is challenged by this use of language, especially since these events were in living memory of the audience. When the realisation that these Soldiers were treated like ‘garbage’ the audience is struck with a wave of guilt, which has been cleverly constructed by Dawe. Another example of an attack on society’s method of dealing with the situation is the second shortest line in the poem (the primary being the significant â€Å"they are bringing them home†) â€Å"raise muzzles in mute salute†. This line is very cutting, for when the plane carrying the deceased landed in their home, the only mention of any recognition is from the ‘raised muzzles’. The raised muzzles of dogs, which are portrayed by Dawe as the only stable and loyal companions in the nation, snubbing the human race as a whole, for the respect given- or lack of. Furthermore, Dawe has utilised the literary device of language to help give voice to the marginalised soldiers. The main idea created through the use of language is again how ill treated they were, not only on their return but the way their bodies were treated. One key example of language that thrusts a shameful feeling upon their audience is the repetition of ‘they’re’ in the opening of the poem. This repetition emphasises the dryness of their activities involved with war. Additionally, in tandem with such lines as ‘all day, day after day’, the audience feels like the action being described s monotonous- it’s a common task-one that is done conveniently- by ‘zipping’ them (and by describing such actions such as ‘bringing, zipping, tagging and giving’, Dawe has used lively verbs, to juxtaposition their real state of being). In contrast, it is quite the opposite; it is the furthest thing from ‘common task’. They are collecting human corpses. Because in today’s society human life (death) is held with such a high preservance, the news of any unforseen or mass death is a world talking point, and thousands flock from all over the nation to pay their respects, even if they had no contact with the deceased. So when a modern society reads how monotonous these people’s jobs were being taken and the lack of respect to the homecoming of our dead soldiers it is staggering. Another example of a literary device associated with language is the influence and impact of the title; ‘Homecoming’. â€Å"The title is used to contrast the traditional universal implications of the word with shockingly reality of soldiers flown home. † http://www. writework. om/essay/analysis-poem-homecoming-bruce-dawe) It preconceives the idea of some glorious return, or appraisal- as the society had been accustomed to reading, however this assumption is the furthest thing from the true details of the poem. Finally, there most obvious or noteworthy part of this poem is the lack of punctuation and full stops; representing the never ending rest of the war victims, but know, after all the fighting, and their death, they can finally rest, represented by the first and final full stop. Weapons Train ing’, also by Bruce Dawe, is scattered with imagery, imagery that is startling and imposing upon the audience. The images in this poem are â€Å"base, crude and apply to the visceral rather than the heart and never any near the cerebral. † (http://neboliterature. mrkdevelopment. com. au/poetry/dawe/weapons=training. html) The general conceived idea of society is that soldiers when being addressed prior to war, they would be treated with the utmost admiration and commendation for these brave soldiers who are risking their lives for their country. However, this poem negates this way of thinking. Instead these soldiers are ‘barked’ and ‘shouted’ at. As you can imagine, the soldiers would have not been expecting this kind of welcoming, represented in the way the general shouts â€Å"you there what’s the matter/ why are you looking at me are you queer? † This abrupt nature creates the vision of a young men wide eyed/mouth gaping staring at these hands on commander with utter shock and a sense of fear at how they are being addressed. The commander is in a sense, trying to instil mechanical features into the humans, to erase the human error, and thus the soldiers becoming one with their gun, moving like clockwork. So when the general commands â€Å"And when I say eyes right I want to hear/those eyeballs click†, he is attempting to obtain a mechanical-unnatural squadron. Almost as if to kill all of their human identity, symbolising their inevitable end, and raises the question, without any human difference, are they really alive? Humans are separated from animals and to a lesser extent machinery by our ability to think to feel; our individuality. When a soldier-to-be first conjured up the thought of joining, the thought was and would be one of everlasting freedom, and a place to complete heroic acts, but in this passage all these dreams have been crushed- represented when the general commands â€Å"Remember the cockpit drill† it is a monotonous movement, precise natures of the orders, which should be spontaneous, but is instead mechanical. Similarly to Dawe’s other poem, Homecoming, ‘Weapons Training’ is a transparent example of how language can be applied to represent a marginalised group in such a way that has been seen otherwise. The poem is also arguable Dawe’s most evident use of structure to help convey this point. Firstly, language is at the forefront in the second line where the general sates â€Å"and the gentle pitter-patter of falling dandruff†. The use of onomatopoeia here is apparent and the ‘pitter-patter’ sound has been used to represent the tentativeness of the soldiers as they march onwards. A sense of cautiousness has been created throughout the crew, almost as if to signify what the realisation of what they are risking. The ‘tt’ sound is also quite representative of machine-like figures that these soldiers have become, as described in the previous paragraph. Furthermore, ‘dandruff’ has negative connotations in today’s society, representing unhealthy living conditions and contaminated scalp. When today’s audience reads that dandruff is falling as they simply move it is very uneasy feeling in the readers mind. Similarly to Homecoming, this poem lacks in punctuation, the narrator only stopping to catch his breath when he asks a rhetorical insulting question to one of the privates such as â€Å"you a queer† These short pauses serve as a solitary moment where the verbal onslaught commences before the general launches into another volley on insults, commands and war notes. The lack of full stops serves as to resemble a life in the ranks, one that is always ongoing and without rest and respite. Finally, the repetition of ‘dead, dead, dead at the conclusion of the poem is vital. These serve as to be the last words we hear in the poem, and they are hammered into the audience to enforce a reflection on the whole poem negative and sorrowful way (towards the soldiers). Structurally, this is a very unique poem for Dawe. Firstly, it is written in dramatic monologue- the poem starts with ‘And’ as if the general is mid sentence, this beginning really thrusts and imposes on the reader and immediately catches their attention. (Http://lardcave. et/hsc/english. 2ug. dawe. weaponstraining. html) This style of writing in tandem with the Title; Weapons Training’ has an immediate effect on the audience. The audience were assuming the poem would be about these brave faced soldiers given weapons and being taught how to use them whilst a feeling of comradely and admiration flows through the air. Instantaneously these assumptions are once again proved incorrect, and mo re so they are omitted instantly. It is also noteworthy that ‘Weapons Training’ was Dawe’s only rhythmic poem. This is key, as the rhythm and rhyme in this poem serves to exaggerate the fact that as much as society would like everything ‘just-so’ this can’t be the case. Even though the narrator’s speech is rhythmic, what he is saying is very cutting, contradicting the traditional romantic or heroic rhythmic poems. In conclusion, Bruce Dawe’s foremost war poems- ‘Homecoming’ and ‘Weapons Training’ are transparent examples oh how literary devices have been utilised to represent marginalised groups in ways that challenge their readers perceptions. Such literary devices include Imagery, Language are evident and in ‘Weapons Training’ Structure cannot be ignored. ‘Homecoming’ criticises the monotonous actions that are involved with the taking home of deceased soldiers, along with the fact of the respect- or lack of there are handled with on their journey home and also their arrival. ‘Weapons Training’ is a dramatic monologue of what can be presumed as wide eyed young soldiers being addressed by a general before they enter the war zone, which