Bruce Dawe Essay -- Australian Poets Poetry Poems Essays

Bruce Dawe Bruce Dawe is a prominent Australian poet born in 1930, in Geelong. His experiences as a laborer, postman, gardener, and in particular his 9 years as a sergeant in the Royal Australian Air Force, have enabled him to recollect and articulate his memories into a renowned compendium, Sometimes Gladness, which has been described as â€Å"perhaps the most successful book of verse by a contemporary Australian poet†. His anthology contains a variety of poems. The three I will be discussing include The Day that They Shot Santa Claus, The Wholly Innocent, and Homo Suburbiensis, all of which focus on life (or the lack of it) and its ups and downs. The Day That They Shot Santa Claus tells a story through the eyes of a bystander; obviously in central Melbourne (the reference to Bourke St). It elaborates not the death of Santa Claus, but rather the consequences of the event. It tells of extreme sadness after the death of the highly prominent symbol of innocence, happiness and festive spirit, key themes of this verse. The speaker is portrayed very sadly, (yet in a way...