Trance
Identify the technique in the line “The night air prepares its exit”
Personification
What is the poem alluding to through its symbolic use of ‘the eyes’?
Domestic violence and persona’s emotional state.
Is this poem autobiographical?
Yes.
Is this poem in a tercet or quatrain structure?
Tercet.
What is this technique used to describe the door gap? ‘stretched and lipless grimace’
Metaphor/personification
How is the reader positioned to react (CARDI)?
Disrupt, Reveal, Challenge.
Does this poem show an individual or collective Indigenous perspective?
Both – personal response to death as well as collective funerary practice of the culture.
Name a technique that displays the persona’s identity.
Metaphor of the eyes, emotive language.
Name the prominent techniques that have been used to describe her father.
Personification and metaphor.
Identify the tone that’s been created by the abandoned town.
Emptiness, sadness and loss.
How are different rooms shown to be off limits to the girl?
The closed doors, the strict structure.
What’s the effect of the metaphor of “warriors in the mirage”?
Shows the warriors were and are a formidable force that cannot be ignored.
What do the sun, heat and fire represent in the poem?
The transformative nature of fire, as well as passion for her man and their relationship.
The persona is able to see ‘the eyes’ staring back at her. What’s the effect?
Strengthens the allusion to the power of choices and sight.
List how this poem reveals and affirms the poet’s culture and identity in this poem.
Reveals lost history and connections due to the S.G, affirms strong connection with the land and their history.
How is the storm imagery significant in this poem?
Thunder: danger, sinister feel of the echoes of laughter, mirrors the disappointment they felt in the forsaken town. Hysterical wind.
Why does this poem highlight moments and memories?
Memories are central to a person’s identity and are put together to make up their persona. We remember moments due to details.
How is ‘Unearth’ an extended metaphor?
The earth being ‘unearthed’ to show her people continue to be aware of past events, their treatment and loss of cultural heritage.
What is significant about the poem’s structure?
It emphasises the physical aspect in the first part, and the pituri haze ‘trance’ in the second. External/Internal.
What’s the effect of the repetition/anaphora of ‘will she choose’?
It shows the persona in control of her decisions and the effect her choices will have on her.
Explain one way the poet shows the cultural connection between the land and her people.
Tree personified as her father, the land and nature acting as nurturing elements.
What does the tumbleweed represent, and why is it seen at the start and end of the poem?
Represents the circle of life and death, rebirth, migration and completion. Symbolic of new life.
Start and end – shows messiness of removal process.
How are trees symbolic in this poem? ‘like a dying tree’.
Trees represent wisdom, being used to show the grandmother’s knowledge and life. Each are as enduring as the other.
Describe the effect of the colour of the poinciana tree’s flowers.
They’re fiery red, symbolic of passion, and also blood.
Explain the importance of the ghost gums in this poem. Bonus points for a technique and example.
They represent the connection between the living and the dead, a natural dissolving of boundaries. Technique: metaphor ‘river of trees’.
Identify the technique in the example and explain its connection to identity and culture: ‘her hand hovers above the plate’.
Alliteration of ‘h’, showing the persona’s hesitance and indecision. Contemplating actions and reactions and their repercussions – reflects Indigenous rights and history.
Explain the cultural significance of stories, as expressed through the metaphorical gift of ‘leaves’.
Stories passed down through generations, contribute to identity of their people, their history, etc.
Explain why the wind is personified and the effect it has on the tone of the poem.
The wind is personified to not be able to stir movement, which creates an eerie atmosphere – people used to live there but now don’t. Empty.
Explain the significance of the title in relation to culture and identity.
Keys unlock doors, of which there are many closed to the child. Symbolic of opening new chapters, closing others. Cultural differences (Caucasian vs Indigenous heritage), bridging the gap through love.
Detail the impact that inclusive language has on the poem’s main message.
Collective identity, fighting for their heritage, shows that they are united and are inviting other cultures to join their fight to expose the truth of the past.