How to write an accurate text-analysis paragraph

… a paragraph which could fit into an English essay

In his poem Homo Suburbiensis, how does Bruce Dawe portray his perception of the Australian Identity?

In his poem Homo Suburbiensis, what language techniques does Bruce Dawe use to portray his perception of the Australian Identity?

Question: In his poem Homo Suburbiensis, how does Bruce Dawe portray his perception of the Australian Identity?

In his poem Homo Suburbiensis, what language techniques does Bruce Dawe use to portray his perception of the Australian Identity?

1. Statement (or topic) sentence:

In his poem Homo Suburbiensis, Bruce Dawe uses a variety of poetic techniques to portray a clear image of the suburban life of a typical Australian family.

(idea / concern / opinion / point of view)

Character / personality / self / distinctive values and attitudes

Sentence 2? What next? You should give specific detail about the “identity” (ie: the value / attitude)

In his poem Homo Suburbiensis, Bruce Dawe uses a variety

of poetic techniques to portray a clear image of the

suburban life of a typical Australian man. The idea the

suburban man is a down-to-earth (‘true blue’)

Aussie bloke… is conveyed throughout the

poem homo suburbiensis.

• The importance of ordinary man… and the idea that Australian’s celebrate the down-to-earth ‘true blue’ Aussie bloke… is a perception which is conveyed throughout the poem Homo Suburbiensis.

• Dawe shows that ordinary suburban Australian men find solitude and peace and “me time” in a backyard. The place (outside the house – away from the wife and kids) lets him collect his thoughts and reflect on his life. (…in this case the place is a vege garden – in another text by another composer – it might be a shed in the backyard).

• Bruce Dawe established the suburban man’s characteristics from the first line “One constant in a world of variables.”

Techniques= contrast (of singular and plural + the same and variety… evokes that this man is an unchanging character in a world of variety and change. In his garden he can be himself (constant) and keep the rest of the world at bay.

Analysis of poem – focusing on the “ideas about the Australian identity”

• The vegetable patch is both ordered and wild. “________________________________” and “______________________” are contrasting images which metaphorically represents the quiet reflections of the persona.

• And all the things he takes down with him there. Techniques =

Ambiguity “The only things he takes down with him to this place of tranquility are his thoughts.”

Alliteration “Th” and “T” in “The only things he takes down with him to this place of tranquility are his thoughts.”

A clear image in ‘Homo Suburbiensis’ is that of the

typical Australian bloke, who comes home after work

and relaxes in his backyard as the day ends. The

man is a suburban householder with an ordinary

Australian life standing alone in his backyard on a

quiet evening among his vegetables. The simple

everyday language used by Dawe “____________

________________________” evokes the idea that

suburban man is ______________.

• The cumulative imagery in “compost” and “rubbish”

suggests that Dawe is both celebrating suburbia,

while in some ways puts down the suburban

householders dreams.

• Dawe develops a sympathetic tone towards the

persona –

“lost in a green confusion” as even in the retreat of

his backyard he is “lost” or stuck in the lifestyle of

suburbs.

• The peace, beauty of nature and freedom he encounters in is

backyard allows the persona to relax in his middle class life. To

be an ordinary bloke in Australia, it is typical for men to hide

their concerns and troubles. Quotes???

“_________________________________”

“___________________________________”

• Dawe represents that the persona needs an escape from the

pressures of suburban life, highlighted in the list of nouns

“TIME, PAIN, LOVE, HATE, AGE, EMOTION, and LAUGHTER”.

• Dawe depicts the down-to-earth simplicity of Australian life

being reflected in the simple afternoon experience in a suburban

back yard.

• The garden represents the mind which is chaotic when

wild, but is also beautiful and fertile - like a vegetable

garden. The man's thoughts, as represented by the garden,

may seem chaotic but there is also a sense of order - in

“one constant” “the compost box” and “the back fence”.

• The title, Homo Suburbiensis, is a parody of scientific

classification methods: Man of the Suburbs.

• The poet views the man as a scientist would a view a

specimen: interested, but with detachment, and perhaps a

quiet joy in the beauty of it all.

•The title, Homo Suburbiensis, is an allusion to scientific classification methods: Man of the Suburbs.

•The title suggests that Australian suburban man is a particular species – with specific personality characteristics and patterns of behaviour. The title suggest that the Aussie Suburban man lives in a habitat which is contained and unique. The title further suggests that the behaviour and characteristics of Homo Suburbiensis are “constant” and predictable.

• Aussie blokes usually hang-out in the back yard when they want to collect their thoughts.