almost everything there is to know about bruce dawe

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www.ibscrewed.org (Almost) Everything There is to Know About... Bruce Dawe

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Outline of Bruce Dawe's life and selected works.Brief analysis of poems including: - Homecoming - Americanized - Burial Ceremony - A Victorian Hangman Tells His Love - Weapons Training

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Page 1: Almost Everything There is to Know About Bruce Dawe

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(Almost) Everything There is to Know About...

Bruce Dawe

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Timeline of Life

Born in Victoria in 1930, now lives in Toowoomba, Queensland.

He is a contemporary Australian poet. His poems are written in the context of post-war

Australia.

His poetry comments on Australian society and forces reader to question their place in

Australian society.

Dawe’s poetry is accessible to a wide audience and often represents the experience of

the ‘average’ Australian.

1929- 1932 – The Great Depression

1930- Bruce Dawe born in Geelong, Victoria, Australia

1939- World War II begins

1944- Dawe transfers to Northcote District High School and completed the Intermediate

certificate

1954-1978 – his poems collected in the compilation “Sometimes Gladness”

1956- Left school to become a legal clerk. Returned to Melbourne, working as a postman,

Hungarian revolution begins. Olympic Games held in Melbourne. “Burial Ceremony” relies

on both of these

1958- He was unemployed and almost destitute

1959- He joined the airforce and remained there for nine years in the education section

--“Enter Without So Much as Knocking” published- reflecting the values of the 1950’s whilst

remaining true to the materialism of today’s Australia

1962- Offered a contract by the publisher F.W. Cheshire. Stimulated further writing for a

collection entitled “No fixed Address”.

1964- Married his wife, Gloria. Also dedicated his second volume of poetry “A Need of

Similar Name”

1965—“Breakthrough” published

1966- He was posted to Butterworth in Malaysia. Second poetry volume wins the Ampol

Arts Award for creative literature

-- “The Not So Good Earth” is published

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1967- The last hanging in Australia (Ronald Ryan hanged in Victoria) –Referenced by “A

Victorian Hangman Tells His Love”

1968-Dawe left the airforce. Published another collection of poetry “An Eye for a Tooth”

--“Homecoming” written

1964- Conscription in Australia for Vietnam War

1969- Dawe graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree by external study form the University

of Queensland, began teaching at Downlands College. Fourth collection of poetry “Beyond

the Subdivisions” was published at the end of the year.

1970- Anti-Vietnam War moratorium marches held in many capital cities. Dawe’s first

retrospective collection “Condolences of the Season” was published.

-- “Weapons Training” written

1972- Moved to a Lectureship in English at the Darling Downs Institute of Advanced

Education, Vietnam War over

1974—“Pleasant Sunday Afternoon” published

1977 – “Tele vistas” Published

1980- Dawe graduated as a Doctor of Philosophy from the University of Queensland

1982 – “Bedroom Conversations” published

1983- Left his full time lecturing post for a part-time teaching fellowship

1984- Dawe was a writer-in-residence at UQ

1987- “Speaking in Parables” an anthology compiled by Dawe was published

1992- Dawe awarded the Order of Australia for his literature

1993- Retired from full-time teaching

1995- Appointed as first Honorary Professor of USQ in recognition of his contributions to the

university

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Things to Consider When Analysing Poetry

Title of the poem

o Hidden meanings

o Connotations

Voice

o Who is speaking and who they represent

o How the voice is important for achieving the purpose

o The tone of the voice and how it relates to the purpose

Sounds

o Alliteration, assonance, onomatopoeia, repetition, rhyme, rhythm

Structure

o Stanzas, Enjambment

o Point of view, narration

o Thematic structure - where different ideas are developed

Imagery

o Metaphor, simile

o Allusion

o Symbolism

o Contrast, binary opposition

Tone

o Effect on overall mood

o How it contributes to the purpose

Setting

o Symbolism

o Allegory

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Key Questions for Understanding Poetry

Theme

What issues and ideas do you think the poem deals with?

How are these issues and ideas being represented?

Persona

Who is telling the story of the poem? Through whose eyes do we see the characters and

events of the poem?

Briefly describe the thoughts and feelings of the person writing the poem.

Describe the cultural context of the poet. How does this influence their opinion of the

subject of the poem? How is this reflected in their poem?

Mood

What is the governing mood or emotion of the poem: happiness? sadness? anger?

indignation? seriousness? amusement?

Does the mood of the poem change? How is this evident? What effect does this have

on the reader?

Tone

What do you think is the poet’s opinion of the subject of the poem? What do you think

their opinion is of their audience? How is this conveyed?

Language

Do you think the words are well chosen and vivid? Why has the poet selected the

specific words they have?

Is the language colloquial, formal, descriptive etc? What purpose does this serve? How

does this impact on the reader?

Imagery

Has the poet used techniques such as metaphor, simile and symbolism? What is the

purpose of these techniques? How do they impact on the reader?

How does the use of imagery help to convey the poet’s message?

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Sound

What sound devices have been used (e.g. assonance, alliteration, onomatopoeia)? What

effect do they have on the reader?

How do you think the poem should be read aloud: softly? loudly? Justify your answer.

Do you think there are any particular words or phrases that require greater emphasis

than others? Why?

What effect does the rhyming scheme (if any) of the poem have on you?

Rhythm

What rhythm do you perceive in the poem? Is the movement slow, steady, fast?

Is the rhythm constant or does it vary? What impact does this have on the reader?

Form/Structure

How is the poem arranged? Does it have stanzas? How are they organised?

Does the shape or structure of the poem affect its meaning? How?

Personal Response

How does the poem inspire feelings, emotions or reactions?

What does the poet want you to take away from this poem? What message are they

trying to send?

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Poet’s Technique

Technique Definition Example Rhetorical questions A question asked for

effect, not designed to elicit a response.

In lines 3, 4, 6, 16, 22 and 27 of Weapons Training, Dawe’s narrator (the drill sergeant) asks rhetorical questions. The questions such as “…are you a queer?” and “…what are you laughing at” are designed to demonstrate the harsh tone of the sergeant. The questions encourage the men to reflect negatively on their intelligence and masculinity, strengthening their reliance on the orders of their commanding officer. The use of rhetorical questions here also demonstrates that the narrator does not care about the responses of the men; the narrator does not want the men to think for themselves, simply to respond automatically (like weapons).

Colloquial language Informal language; language that denotes familiarity. Can also be more specific (such as Australian colloquial language).

On lines 1, 4, 9-10, 19-20, 21, 23 (among others) of The Not So Good Earth, Dawe’s narrator utilises colloquial language. The use of diction such as “For a while there” helps to create a casual tone to the poem. This supports the recount of the personal anecdote (i.e. contributes to the idea that the narrator is telling a story to a friend) and demonstrates the desensitisation of the Australian audience to the scenes they are exposed to on the television. The casual tone created by the use of colloquial language contrasts with the serious nature of the television program which encourages the reader of the poem question the morals of the narrator. Weapons Training - “you’ve copped the bloody lot”

Compound words The formation of a new word by joining two words together.

Dawe uses compound words for a variety of reasons, for example to add rhythm to a particular line, to create a paradox or to draw parallels to a particular discourse. In Enter Without So Much As Knocking, Dawe uses

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compound words from lines 10 to 13. The words ‘set-up’, ‘well-equipped’, ‘smoothly-run’ and ‘economy-size’ are all reflective of language commonly used in advertising. The combination of the compound words with the use of neologisms such as ‘Anthony Squires-Coostream-Summerweight Dad’ serves to reinforce the theme of consumerism and constructs the protagonist’s family members as products, illustrating Dawe’s opinion about the corrupting nature of the consumer-driven post-War Australian society.

Emotive language Language designed to elicit a strong emotional response from the reader; usually highly descriptive in nature.

Burial Ceremony

Diction Specific choices in words or phrases; often figurative language. It is appropriate to analyse diction when you can discuss the connotations of particular word choices.

Contrast The opposite of a simile; when a poet describes the differences between two things.

Burial Ceremony - Contrast between the Australian people and the revolting students in Hungary

Mood The atmosphere created by the poet that elicits an emotional response from the reader.

A Victorian Hangman Tells His Love - Eerie, sickening, off-putting and shocking

Tone Refers to how the poet feels about the subject of their poem.

Burial Ceremony - Satirical tone, then changes to sombre tone A Victorian Hangman Tells His Love - Empathy for the ‘bride’ - person being hung - Sinister tone for middle part

Suspense The build-up of events to capture the attention of the audience until the outcome is revealed

Americanized - Mother walking in

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Setting The place, time and culture in which the action takes place

Burial Ceremony - Australia, Hungary Weapons Training - Training camp, Vietnam Homecoming - Vietnam, Australia

Characterisation The process by which an author makes a character real to readers

Weapons Training - Dialogue of the drill sergeant shows him to be brutal

Narration The voice of the person telling the story. An unreliable narrator provides an interpretation of the events that is somehow different from the interpretation of the author, usually as the result of young age, inexperience, or insanity.

Weapons Training - Narrated by the sergeant A Victorian Hangman Tells His Love - Narrated by the hangman The Not-So-Good Earth - Australian kid in their living room

Point of view The mental position from which things are viewed, perception of events in the poem

The Not-So-Good Earth - Australian kid in their living room with their family watching TV

Repetition The repeated use of particular sounds, words, phrases, sentences, etc to structure a text.

Weapons Training - “You're dead, dead, dead” Homecoming - “they’re high, now, high and higher” - “home, home, home”

Hyperbole A boldly exaggerated statement that adds emphasis without intending to be literally true. Used for serious, ironic or comic effect.

Anaphora The repetition of the same word(s) at the beginning of adjacent lines, sentences or stanzas

Homecoming - “They’re picking them... They’re bringing them... they’re zipping them... etc” Americanized - “She loves him... She loves him... She loves him...” Burial Ceremony - “Under the muffling... Under the bright... Under the recurring... etc”

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Punctuation/syntax Marks that show the structure and organisation of sentences The grammatical arrangement of words in sentences

Weapons Training - Almost no punctuation to show aggression and brutality

Parenthesis () [] {} Also called brackets. Separate an idea that is connected to the rest of the text, but would not suit the flow of the writing

Ellipsis ... Pause. Incomplete sentence, leaves the reader wondering and thinking about the ideas expressed

Homecoming - “the desert emptiness...” Burial Ceremony - “remains a quaint local custom...” - “compliment of their death...”

Em Dash “-“ A pause or break in reading, similar to parenthesis

Americanized - “... electronic brains/ - what child of simple origins could want more?”

Capitalisation There are two types: 1. When words are written in completely upper case letters. Creates emphasis. Indicates anger, shouting or panic. 2. When the first letter is capitalised, and the remaining letter are written in lower case. Suggests personification of the object, giving in human qualities.

Americanized - “an invalid called the World”

Extended Metaphor A sustained comparison in which part or all of a poem consists of a series of related metaphors

Americanized - Mother: USA; child: smaller country A Victorian Hangman Tells His Love

Symbolism When a person, object, image, word or event is used to evoke a range of additional meaning

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beyond its literal significance and suggests something greater than itself.

Metaphor A comparison between two unlike things without using the words “like” or “as.” It asserts the identity of dissimilar things. Two seemingly unlike things are linked in the form of implicit comparison to suggest some kind of identity. Creates dramatic effect.

Weapons Training - “elephant ears”

Simile An explicit comparison between two things using the words “like,” “as,” “appears,” “than” or “seems.” The differences between the two things add to the effect of the simile.

Homecoming - “tremble like leaves from a wintering tree” - “they tilt towards these like skiers” A Victorian Hangman Tells His Love - “sink into the generous pool of public feeling as gently as a leaf”

Imagery Descriptions that appeal to the readers senses, suggesting mental images of sights, sounds, tastes, feelings or actions. Conveys sensory impressions, emotions or moods

Weapons Training - “breath hot on your stupid neck” -

shows readers how close they were to

danger, building fear

Allusion A brief reference to a person, place, thing, event or idea from literature to enrich the author’s work. It implies reading and cultural experiences in the reader. Provides an emotional and intellectual context.

Biblical allusion A brief reference to a person, place, thing, event or idea from the Bible, which conjures up Biblical authority to enrich the author’s

A Victorian Hangman Tells His Love - “The last three members of our holy family”

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work. It implies reading and cultural experiences in the reader. Provides an emotional and intellectual context.

Personification A form of metaphor in which human characteristics are attributed to non-human things. Familiar human behaviours and emotions are assigned to animals, inanimate objects and abstract ideas.

Homecoming - “noble jets” - creates irony and there are no longer soldiers to fly them. Forgets the noble soldiers.

Dehumanisation Degrading people and making them inferior, taking away human qualities

Weapons Training - Dehumanisation of the enemy - Soldier’s “elephant ears” A Victorian Hangman Tells His Love - “The journalists are ready with the flashbulbs of their eyes”

Consonance A type of near-rhyme that involves having identical consonant sounds preceded by different vowel sounds.

Alliteration The repetition of the same consonant sounds in a sequence of words, often at the beginning of the words. Emphasises key words and adds rhythm.

Americanized - “fat, friendly features” - “popping him on his plastic pot” - “formidable footsteps” - “beat with bat’s wings” - “frightening fact”

Assonance The repetition of internal vowel sounds in nearby words that do not end in the same, emphasising important words in the line.

Onomatopoeia The use of a word that resembles the sound it denotes.

Weapons Training - “click” - “pitter-patter”

Comedy A work intended to interest, involve and amuse the reader, in which no terrible

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disaster occurs and ends happily for the main characters

Irony A statement expressing the opposite of what is really meant, whereby the reader is expected to realise the true meaning. Uses contradictory statements. A statement which, when taken in context, can mean the opposite of what is written literally.

A Victorian Hangman Tells His Love - Marriage is a happy day, a beginning; death is sad, the end Homecoming - Title suggest loving welcome, yet the soldiers received none

Satire A form of sarcasm. Witty language used to convey insult or scorn.

Americanized - darkly satirical tone

Sarcasm A strong form of irony that intends to hurt someone.

Historical criticism Criticises the behaviour of society in the past with respect to the events of the time

Burial Ceremony - Criticising the attitudes of the Australian people during the Hungarian Revolution

Rhyme Similar sounds on the last syllable of nearby words.

Weapons Training - ABBA rhyme scheme - “the magazine man its not a woman's tit worse luck or you'd be set too late you nit” Homecoming - Rhyming couplet:

“telegrams tremble like leaves from a wintering tree/ and the spider grief swings in his bitter geometry”

Enjambment When a sentence in a poem continues over onto the next line or stanza

Weapons Training - “with the unsightly fat/ between your elephant ears” - “for the sake of argument you’ve got/ a number-one blockage...” Americanized - “...scream and run/ Along the street”

Rhythm The arrangement of Note the use of compound words in:

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words based on the order of stressed and unstressed syllables

- Americanized - Burial Ceremony - Homecoming

Structure The organisation of syntax, stanzas, lines, rhyme in the poem.

Weapons Training - No stanzas - shows relentless yelling Burial Ceremony - Three-line stanzas, except for last stanza, which has six lines, followed by a single line on its own

Juxtaposition Two things are placed together to highlight their differences and compare and distinguish them

Contradiction Between two opposing ideas, or ideas that are at odds. Both cannot be true

Paradox A seemingly self-contradictory statement which in fact expresses the truth

Homecoming - “frozen sunset” A Victorian Hangman Tells His Love - The hangman is sympathetic and doesn’t want to hang them, yet does it anyway

Oxymoron A condensed form of a paradox in which two contradictory words are used together. Produces a rhetorical effect.

Burial Ceremony - “shining excrement”

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Americanized

Extended Metaphor:

The mother is the USA and the child is a smaller country. It highlights how the

smaller country is dependent on America, like a small child to their mother. It shows

that the USA is controlling, but out of ‘love.’ The smaller country seeks to please the

USA and become like them. Shows America to be overbearing, overpowering, does

not give independence, stifling the smaller country, condescending, believe its

superior and patronising.

Tone:

Satirical

Sounds:

Rhyme

o ABC CBA pattern

Alliteration

o “popping him on his plastic pot” - emphasis on the fact that he cannot even

perform bodily functions alone

The country is dependent on America for absolutely everything

o “formidable footsteps” - shows how the mother dominates and the child is

fearful of her

The smaller country feels dominated by America and fearful

o “beat with bats’ wings” - emphasises the fear the child feels

o “the frightening fact sinks in”

Shows that the country realises too late the restrictions America

paced on them, limiting their ability to grow and develop

independently

She loves him too much and in the wrong way - instead of nurturing,

she is stifling him

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Structure:

Enjambment

o “children scream and run/ along the street”

Stanzas

o Each stanza is three lines long

Syntax:

Ellipsis

o “She loves him...” - The pause invites readers to see that the child does not

necessarily return the affection, but much merely accept it.

o “Shoosh... shoosh...” - Silencing the child - not allowed to make decisions

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Burial Ceremony

Written in response to the Hungarian Revolution as historical criticism.

Structure:

Three-line stanzas

o No rhyme

Last stanza - break in pattern with six lines, then single line at end

Focus changes after “elsewhere breathless”

o First part: focus on Australian attitude. Satirical tone

o Second part: focus on issues in Hungary. Sombre tone.

Rhythm: “beat, drum, beat:

Enjambment

Syntax:

Ellipsis - pause to reflect on situation

o “remains a quaint local custom...”

o “compliment of their death...”

Language:

Compound words - add rhythm

o ticker-taped, beauty-queens, nation-states, smoke-blackened

Diction

o Trivia

o Gloriously living

o Fretful barrage

o Brute siesta

o Quaint

Emphasis:

Anaphora: “Under the...”

Paradox: “shining excrement” “bright inconsequence”

Repetition: “Bury them” “Beat, drum, beat”

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Homecoming

Published in 1968

Written during the Vietnam War.

Present continuous verbs - show that it was happening constantly, unrelenting

“hulls of Grants, in trucks, in convoys” - indicates a large number of dead - so many

vehicles needed to carry them

“green plastic bags” - soldiers treated like rubbish, none of the respect they deserve

Deep-freeze lockers - not natural, opposite of the environment

Tan Son Nhut - Air base during the Vietnam War, mainly an American air base

“curly heads, etc...” shows different types of soldiers - no reference or respect to

actual soldiers or their status

“higher...” going to heaven

“chow mein” - Traditional Chinese noodle dish - shows the countryside is a mess of

bodies all mixed together. Also shows that the Australians generalised Asia as “over

there” and distanced themselves from the war, hence were so uncaring

“home, home, home” - Home has connotations of love and warmth, yet their

greeting was cold and unwelcoming.

“howl” - mourning or sorrow

“the mash, the splendour” - imagery of explosions and gunfire

“dogs” - the soldiers were reduced to dogs - dehumanisation - the soldiers received

no respect from humans and were not recognised for their sacrifice. Respect only

comes from the lowest parts of society.

“wide web of suburbs” - imagery of a spider’s web - not a pleasant welcome, but

cold death

“leaves from a wintering tree” - simile - shows that the news is sad and cold and

empty, like winter. Connotations of death - no life. Dead are falling like leaves from a

tree.

“too late, too early” - shows that it was too late to save the lives of the soldiers, but

their deaths were too early, too young to die. They did not finish their work - the war

was still going. Creates a paradox.

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A Victorian Hangman Tells His Love

Published in 1967

- Written in response to the hanging of Ronald Ryan (1967), the last man to be hanged

in Australia.

- Conviction and penalty attracted significant media attention and protests from the

public.

Poem is an extended metaphor, comparing hanging ceremony to a marriage

ceremony

“Dear one” - Intimate address like in a love letter. He longs for the death to be more

private, showing the desires of the hangman.

The hangman is representative of the will of the State, a figurehead

“Victorian” - from title - shows it to be an archaic ritual. Also, the last man to be hung

in Victoria was Ronald Ryan.

“two-piece track-suit” - compound words - add rhythm

“you have dreamed about this” - young girls dream of getting married, yet he is

actually having nightmares about his death

“some gross bee” - dehumanisation

o Sinister tone: “if I must bind... distract us from our end”

“I would dispense with” - show the lack of agency or decision-making

power

“Let us now walk a step” - walking down the aisle”

“this noose” - like ‘this ring with which...’ - wedding

“There. Perfect” - Caesura - Suggests he is a perfectionist and loves his work. It is like

a ritual

“officially prescribed darkness” - shows the government’s involvement”

“raised to the simple alter” sacrifice/ marriage altar

“new life” - religious - irony - idea of afterlife.

“sink into the generous pool of public feeling” - people will feel sorry, but soon

forgotten - idea of drowning.

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Simile: “as gently as a leaf” - creates irony - the hanging is sudden, unlike a leaf

falling

Language: formal and old-fashioned - suggests that hanging are outdated

The Not So Good Earth

Published in 1966

Sorry!

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Weapons Training

Published in 1970

Purpose:

Link to Homecoming.

Ideas

o Highlights the brutality of war

o Demeaning attitudes in the army

o Inhumane - shows that soldiers and the enemy are not treated as humans

o There is no hope during war, just death all around

Setting:

Presumably a military camp

Australian soldiers - using Australian slang

Vietnam war

Characters:

Narrator - the drill sergeant

o Strict expectations from soldiers

Soldiers - Australian

o Submissive, robotic and inhumane

o New to the army and inexperienced

Action:

The sergeant is training the soldiers to use their weapons of war

It is assumed that the soldiers simply accepted and absorbed the instructions

o “open that drain you call a mind”

Also explores how soldiers were dehumanised and themselves became weapons, as seen in

the title. “Weapons” indicates the machine-like manner the soldiers must adopt. “Training”

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shows that it is being drilled into them. The title suggests that they are training to use their

weapons, but reading the poem shoes that the men themselves are the weapons.

The poem begins mid-sentence, showing that the commands of the sergeant are

constant and relentless - the soldiers do not even get a chance to think or speak.

o Immediately gets the reader’s attention

o Introduces the idea of the soldiers being machines and conforming to the

demands of the army

Rhetorical questions

o Create a tone of bullying and aggression.

o Stereotype of a drill sergeant - shows authority - he is in charge.

o Highlights brutality

“and do you know what you are?”

“falling dandruff” - shows that they would be living in far less luxurious conditions,

lacking basic things like showers.

“unsightly fat” - sign of a luxurious life that must be life behind.

o Insulting them to ‘show them who’s boss’

Structure:

Lack of punctuation shows that the sergeant is relentless in his commands. Suggests

urgency - it is rushed out and shows that he is shouting - senseless yelling. This sets a very

commanding, brutal tone for the poem. Any pause would be seen as hesitation: a sign of

weakness. They are forced to accept his authority and don’t get a chance to refuse.

This tone shows the urgency of training them to deal with war

Tells them to do everything “just like I said” - reiterating his authority.

The poem is divided into one stanzas to reflect the continuous stream of instructions and

yelling.

Enjambment - “with the unsightly fat/ between your elephant ears” - signifies

the rush and urgency of the commands

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Metaphor - “elephant ears” - reference to the look after their heads had been

shaven. Banal metaphor - shows the soldiers to be subordinate, and reflects the

character of the sergeant.

Sexual euphemisms:

“cockpit drill”

“crown jewels”

“turn the key in the ignition”

Used to show that they may lose their sexual functions in the

battle

Makes the men insecure and obedient to the sergeant

“woman’s tit”

Derogatory to woman - vulgar and hateful

Racism:

“little yellows”

“fish-sauce breath”

“Charlies”

Aggravates the soldiers to encourage them to hate the enemy

Demeans the Vietnamese people to make it easier for the soldiers

to kill them

Teaching them to hate and kill

Imagery

“breath hot on your stupid neck” - shows readers how close they were to

danger, building fear

Colloquial language

“you’ve copped the bloody lot”

“queer” - cliché

“your tripes are round your neck”

Onomatopoeia

“click” “pitter-patter”

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Introduction to the idea and metaphor of the soldiers as machines and

conforming to commands

Even their blinking is regimented

Tripes: intestines

Rhyme for emphasis

“the magazine man its not a woman's tit worse luck or you'd be set too late you nit”

Telling them to be brutal and remain focused, not to be gentle, but aggressive.

Emphasises the brutality Repetition

o “You’re dead, dead, dead” - shows that their lives depend on his orders

and they must be obedient to survive. Drills the final message into their

brains

The final line has correct punctuation, emphasising the last point to make it sink in.

Break in poem:

o “... considerably reduced? |break| allright now suppose...”

First part: breaking the soldiers’ spirits

Second part: inspiring fear in the soldiers