1. Parody an Australian poem of your
choice.See
Rahaus example.
2. Write a script for a puppet play entertaining children with
Australian poetry.
3. Present a selection of your own original poetry.
4. Perform before an audience some oral or choral poetry to
demonstrate its qualities.
5. Prepare a wall frieze timeline showing
developments in Australian poetry to highlight major poets.
6. Prepare an epic poem set in the future which narrates the literary
events since the 20th century.
7. Prepare an html site on an Australian poet of your choice,
highlighting his or her major influences, themes and
achievements.
8. Contest all the following statements:
a. "Poetry is emotion recollected in tranquillity.".
b. In what other ways do poets help us understand reality?
c. "Poets have chosen to write about worlds larger than their own
visible world."
d. "Australian poetry will never again fire the masses; it will
inevitably please only a coterie."
Research and Creativity
9. Research rhythm, metre and scansion and report your
discoveries.
10. Compare New Zealand and Australian poetry.
11. Negotiate a task with your teacher to extend your creative
writing.
G. Smith 1998.
Another From Snowy River . . .
"True Australian Identity" by Quentin Rahaus is a poem critical of Paul Keating the self styled leader of the new movement for an Australian identity as the republic. The title is a pun on the famous "true believers" quote of the same Prime Minister meaning that he believes the whole of the genuine Australian history and concern for "the aussie battler" is summed up in him and his government's policies.
The poem verse by verse attacks the Keating policies on multiculturalism, Asian neighbours, changing the flag, etc. Rahaus uses sarcasm heavily - "our clever Keating" - open criticism of his policies and politics - "obsessive haste for change", and other devices to carry his message. Using the rhythm and meter scheme of arguably Australia's most famous traditional poem, Banjo Paterson's "The Man from Snowy River" to enshrine his criticisms is meant to be itself funny and ironic as the title.
The poem is tedious. Some forced rhymes, some pertinent topical-at-the-time references, and misquotations of Keating's own famous sayings like "prime the pump" do give it a facetious appeal but in the end it is a forced and sustained attempt to achieve little more than poke fun. The depressing pessimistic tone underlying it all is itself a disincentive to find fun in the poem. It is an undergraduate pastime not a memorable poem since it is so derivative.
©G. Smith 1999