The text makes use of first person throughout, more so in the second half where the generality of the imagery is demonstrated as well as the first mention of an emotion “sorrow”. There is no specific structure maintained across the whole of the text, which allows for a more particular writing style distinctive to the poet. Due to the relatively vexatious tone the poem reads at a steady pace preventing the possibility of obliviously skipping through.
Dawe employs irony in the title ‘Boat-People’, which refers to the immigrants from Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos in 1970s, however, Dawe’s ancestors are also categorised as ‘Boat-People’, since they themselves were immigrants from England and Scotland. Furthermore, the use of irony engages the reader’s attention and to develop deeper levels of meaning and context in the poem. The leading stanza is an introduction to the thematic structure or setting of the poem’s plot. Dawe applies personification in “west of sorrow Lay that land… indicating that the land (Australia) portrays a feeling of sorrow because of the sudden movement of immigrants, moreover the Australians are anxious about their land being dominated by these people.
The repetition of first person ‘we’ is present to emphasise the importance of not only an individual, but the whole resident’s perception of the foreigners, as a result, it forces the reader to empathise with the poet. On the other hand, the poet reveals his sympathy towards the immigrants through the use of rhetorical question, when he questions the reader “What else were we to do, for whom the north meant persecution, misery and death? The Australians had no choice, but accept the immigrants, because they did not want to send them back to a place where the living standards are insufficient and were wars occurred frequently. Additionally, Dawe, himself is an anti-war person which may have caused him to experience sympathy and uncertainty. Negative connotation is also utilized in this quote, as the cynical terms ‘misery’ and ‘death’ demonstrates the consequences that would occur if these powerless immigrants are captured by their Government.
The Term Paper on World War 1 Poets
World War I was the first major war in which virtually every country took part. Because of the large number of countries involved in this war, there were many casualties by the time everything returned to normal. This war had a long lasting impact on just about everything. During the four years of the war (1914-1918) the number of known dead has been placed at approximately 10,000,000 and about ...
The immigrants had no authority to settle into Australia, since they derive from an impoverished country which meant that they possessed no wealth or visa. In addition, Dawe explains that the immigrants were gratified to leave their country and set off to another area, as shown in “Even so, the maps they gave us…” The map is a symbolic of searching for a new place and through the use of maps, it allows them to step closer to their final destination, where they could find shelter and security.
Further on, Dawe describes the immigrants, where simile is applied in “Like a troubled beast…”, suggesting that in Dawe’s perception they are regarded as a beast, who is desperately and eagerly searching for a home, but is in fear incase their existence is discovered by their government. Moreover, the reader becomes aware of the condition they have encountered throughout their journey to Australia “and every wave that cheated us of rest… The use of metaphor simply implies that the immigrants had a rough expedition, due to substandard hygiene and great distance from their country to Australia. Also, it portrays the tension between the wave and the noise, which has stolen away the sleep of the Australians. Towards the end of the poem, Dawe displays a solemn tone in “Now, here, in this…land we must wait…” indicating his concern and unfortunate for his country, where he believes more immigrants would settle on his land “Once more upon the vicissitudes of fate…”.
The poet declares that it is his country’s destiny to accept the immigrants and that their lives have changed since the arrival of the immigrants. The level of immigration increased substantially over the life of the Australian Government, causing an impact on the economy, population, employment and environment. Dawe may seem like he is unpleasant with the influx of immigrants, yet as the reader further reads on, they become aware that the poet is not literally against the migrants populating to Australia.
The Term Paper on Illegal Aliens Immigration Immigrants Country
Beware! America is being invaded by aliens! Not the little, green, Martian type you see in science fiction movies, but the real thing. I'm talking about the illegal type who come in every day and every night, by land and by sea. Estimates have shown that as many as 500, 000 illegal aliens make it across the border every year (Morganthau 67). Illegal immigration causes many problems in the United ...
