This is ESL Willoughby and here is our extended response to the focus question.
In the area of study for the poems which were written by Peter Skrzynecki, immigrants’ perspective of Australian society is revealed in one of Skrzynecki’s poem “Migrant Hostel”. The poet describes the trematic life experience of leaving their homeland and arriving in a new culture in the poem “Migrant Hostel”.
As an immigrant, his life experience and the society influenced his perspective. We can see these in the poem through how the composer view Australian government and life in “Migrant Hostel”.
The migrant hostel is insecure and represents on transitionary stage in their lives. It uses the simile “like a homing pigeon circling to get its bearing” in the migrant hostel never quite sure when they would leave or where they would go. Their futures are not control in their hands. The poet uses the simile of “like a bird of passage” to express this perspective. Peter reveals his perspective of Australia through his personification of the barrier at the hostel. The barrier is symbolic of their feeling of alienation and their sense of being different, there is no freedom for them. The barrier “like a finger pointed in reprimand or shame. The barrier and personification reflect the perspective of Australian society.
“Post Card” reveals the composer’s perspective of his parent’s homeland Warsaw and of issues relating to his Polish heritage. This perspective is one of quilt, frustration and fear of isolation. This image of old town Warsaw gives negative feeling and emotionless to Peter, because has never been there. This perspective is communicate through the use of repetition in “I never knew you” allows us to know that he knows Warsaw indirectly from his parents. He doesn’t feel real connection with the picture of Warsaw. And he can’t get common culture with his parents. The use of rhetorical question “what’s my choice to be” reveals his uncertainty and indecision of his mix culture but he doesn’t expect an answer. The personification of “A lone tree whispers” indicates a sense of hope for the future. He cannot ignore the fact of his heritage.
"Chronic Ward" reveals of perspective of guilt and frustration of the mental people .These mental people have the same feeling as immigrant in Migrant Hostel of fear of isolation from the Australian society .These perspective reveals through using the first personal pronoun “we” they seen them like a group .They have same situation ,same feeling .Also they want to get attention and care for them ,understand what they feel that is a wish of better life .The perspective here is the same with the immigrants perspective .
‘The moon takes across our eye in the making and sleep “, shows they have no control of time .Similar to the immigrant in the hostel .Both of them have gone through dramatic pasts, try to find the better life with peace and stability.
Also “confusion “,”mistake”,”falters”,”slip” are examples of negative subject language in Chronic Ward influence the tone or mood of the poem. The tone is one of fear, scariness, uncertainly, physical pain and mistakes that are the same feeling with the immigrants in the Migrant Hostel.
Thank You
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