australia -2.pdf

Australia

1. AUSTRALIA
A D HOPE

2. Author Introduction
•Alec Derwent Hope(1907-2000) was an influential
Australian poet and essayist.
•Born in Cooma, New South Wales, Australia.
•Educated at the University of Sydney and University of
Oxford.
•Hope’s poetry is characterized by its classical forms and
satirical tone.
•Major works include The Wandering Islands(1955), A
Late Picking(1975), and Collected Poems 1930-1970.
•Known for his critical stance on modernist poetry and his
views on Australian society and culture.
•Awarded several honors including the Order of Australia.

3. Poem Introduction
•Written in 1939, "Australia" is one of A.D. Hope's
most well-known poems.
•It presents a critical view of Australia, contrasting its
physical vastness with cultural and intellectual
barrenness.
•The poem reflects Hope's classical influences and his
satirical style.
•It is often studied for its rich use of imagery and its
provocative themes.

4. A Nation of trees, drab green and desolate grey
In the field uniform of modern wars,
Darkens her hills, those endless, outstretched paws
Of Sphinx demolished or stone lion worn away.
They call her a young country, but they lie:
She is the last of lands, the emptiest,
A woman beyond her change of life, a breast
Still tender but within the womb is dry.
Without songs, architecture, history:
The emotions and superstitions of younger lands,
Her rivers of water drown among inland sands,
The river of her immense stupidity
Floods her monotonous tribes from Cairns to Perth.
In them at last the ultimate men arrive
Whose boast is not: "we live" but "we survive",
A type who will inhabit the dying earth.
And her five cities, like five teeming sores,
Each drains her: a vast parasite robber-state
Where second hand Europeans pullulate
Timidly on the edge of alien shores.
Yet there are some like me turn gladly home
From the lush jungle of modern thought, to find
The Arabian desert of the human mind,
Hoping, if still from the deserts the prophets come,
Such savage and scarlet as no green hills dare
Springs in that waste, some spirit which escapes
The learned doubt, the chatter of cultured apes
Which is called civilization over there.

5. Summary
•ThepoemopenswithadescriptionofAustralia'sharshanddesolatelandscape.
•HopedepictsAustraliaasan"archaicland"thatisunchangingandresistantto
progress.
•Theimageryofdrynessandemptinesssymbolizestheculturalandintellectualvoid.
•Hopecontraststheland'snaturalbeautywithasenseoflifelessnessandstagnation
initsculturalidentity.
•ThepoemconcludeswithacriticalviewofAustralia'spotential,suggestingitis
unfulfilled.

6. Themes
Cultural Critique:
•Hope critiques what he perceives as Australia's lack of cultural and intellectual
depth.
•The poem suggests a sense of disappointment with Australia's cultural
development.
Nature vs. Human Impact:
•The harsh, arid landscape is a metaphor for the sterility of Australia's cultural
life.
•Emphasizes the contrast between the natural environment and human
endeavors.
Isolation:
•Highlights both physical isolation from other countries and metaphorical
isolation in terms of cultural development.
•Suggests a feeling of being cut off from the richness of global intellectual and
artistic traditions.

7. Analysis
Tone:
•The tone is contemplative and critical, often tinged with irony and satire.
•Hope's language conveys a sense of disappointment and frustration.
Imagery:
•Vivid imagery such as "drab green and desolate grey" paints a bleak picture of the landscape.
•Descriptions of the land as "dry" and "archaic" emphasize sterility and stagnation.
Structure:
•The poem follows a traditional structure with regular meter and rhyme.
•The use of classical forms reflects Hope's literary influences and contrasts with the modernist free verse of
his contemporaries.

8. Figures of Speech
Metaphor:
•The entire landscape is metaphorically described as a "self-devouring desolation."
•Compares Australia to an "island continent" that is isolated and barren.
Simile:
•"As dry as the boughs of a dead tree" emphasizes the lifelessness of the land.
Alliteration:
•Phrases like "Time’s emptiness" and "Silent, surly" use alliteration to enhance the poem’s musical
quality and thematic focus.
Personification:
•The land is personified as a "woman beyond her change of life," suggesting a loss of vitality and
potential.

9. Other Poetic Devices
Symbolism:
•The dry, harsh landscape symbolizes the cultural
and intellectual barrenness Hope perceives in
Australia.
Irony:
•The title "Australia" suggests a celebration of the
nation, but the poem itself is a critique.
•Irony is present in the contrast between the
potential richness of the land and the perceived
cultural poverty.

10. Other Poetic Devices
Juxtaposition:
•Hope juxtaposes the natural beauty of
Australia with the stark emptiness of its
cultural life.
•The contrasting images serve to highlight
the poem's critical message.
Repetition:
•Repetition of themes related to emptiness
and desolation reinforces the poem's somber
tone.

11. Historical and Cultural
Context
•Written during a time when Australia was
grappling with its national identity.
•The 1930s and 40s saw a rise in Australian
literature seeking to define and critique the
national character.
•Hope’s classical education and exposure to
European literary traditions influenced his
critical perspective.
•The poem reflects broader anxieties about
Australia's cultural position in the world and its
future development.

12. KEY POINTS
•A.D. Hope's "Australia" remains a significant and
provocative poem.
•Through vivid imagery and critical tone, Hope challenges
readers to reflect on the cultural and environmental aspects
of the nation.
•The poem continues to be relevant in contemporary
discussions about Australian identity and literary heritage.
•It serves as a powerful example of how literature can
critique and influence cultural perceptions.

13. Critical Reception
•"Australia" has been praised for its bold critique and
powerful imagery.
•Some critics have found Hope's perspective too harsh or
dismissive of Australian achievements.
•The poem is considered an important work in Australian
literature, contributing to debates about national identity
and cultural development.
•Its lasting relevance is seen in continued discussions
about Australia’s cultural and intellectual landscape.

14. THANK YOU