Judith WrightS Poetry Essay Research Paper In

Judith Wright.S Poetry Essay, Research Paper

In reference to Judith Wright’s poetry as being of a unique and distinctive style, in particular

Wright is well known for her use of two subjects, that being the ‘Australian aspect’ where in her

work she commonly relates to the old traditional style of Australia’s history and the harsh

landscape that is well known as an Australian trait. Three examples of this distinctive style of

writing is ‘Remittance Man’, ‘South of my Days’ and ‘Legend’. The other of Wright’s favoured

topics is the ‘Womens view’ or the feminist side of life, in which Wright creatively relays the

way a women perceives certain aspects of a subject compared to that of a man. there is also the

clear presence in all her feminist poems the indication of the womens traditional role in society

today and in particular the past. Three examples of this style is ‘Women to Man’, ‘To Another

Housewife’ and ‘Eve to her Daughters’.

Whilst all of Wright’s poetry has it’s own way of giving the lasting impression of these two

aspects, in particular the poem Remittance Man stands out clearly in my mind as one of Wright’s

most qualified examples of the Australian style. Even in the opening lines of this poem there is

the subtle indication of that impression that Wright so strongly feels for Australia and the people,

‘The spendthrift, disinherited and graceless’ this English outcast i.e The Remittance Man, has no

real class or presence of a respectable character, yet these three dishonorable words refer directly

to that almost traditional idea of what the Australian man was in the past. Once it is established

that this Remittance Man is not wanted in England however happily retreats to the shores of

Australia and finds self contentment with this almost opposite lifesyle where he feels no

jugdement is put on him, no more restrictions or unacceptable behaivour that he so frequently

disgraced his family with.

The main ideas of this poem is the constant comparison between the cold, formal aspect of

England to the harsh, laid back way of Australia, which is still a commonly perceived way that is

seen today. In the first stanza the line ‘backtracks in the summer haze’ gives the instant idea of

the Australian landscape that shows Wright’s direct idea of what she distinguishes this as. This is

just the first in a numerous amount of lines that account for the typical view of Australia. There is

also a strong sense that Australia is the favoured compared to that of England, not just by the

Remittance Man but in Particular through the writing Wright’s opinion seems clear, which is also

justified in her other Australian poems. Though England seems to have no real qualities in this

poem there is also subtle criticism to the refined English culture that Australians ironically are

renound to be the complete opposite in manner and in the social ettiquette that exists strongly in

England.

However once the English aspect is left behind The Remittance Man abandons his old life and is

released from the formal ties he hated so much. The ‘blind-drunk sprees’ were in the past and the

‘track to escape to nowhere’ was everything that Australia could offer him. Yet Wright still

cleverly intervenes with his memories of shame that presented the English ‘pale stalk of a wench’

which was replaced by ‘black Mary’s eyes’ the indication of an Aboriginal. The constant contrast

of the two opposites is referred to throughout the entire poem showing the powerful idea that

Wright is putting to her readers. The images of the landscape are also one of Wright’s strong

passions that she refers to countlessly particularly the Australian landscape. All of Wright’s

Australian poems reflect the heritage and nature that is of Australia, there is also the use of the

past to show the traditional role that is what our country is well known for. In particular in this

poem the strong conflicting nature of England and Australia show the ironic twist that history

shows that Australia was where all the convicts were deported to from England however in the

Remittance Man’s mind this was his ticket to paradise.

The rugged beauty of the Australian environmement is where the Remittance Man finally lays to

rest, ‘That harsh biblical country of the scapegoat’. Though the Remittence Man found his

hapiness and self satisfaction this was not seen by those of his family, in particular, the Squire his

brother feels a vague sense of care for his brother that he feels has led a shameful and wasted life.

This ending for the poem leaves the reader in a neutral state of mind where there is an unsureness

of hapiness or rather should it be questioned that this Remittance Man was a failure and never

amounted to anything, however jugdement of this character is of only some importance the main

idea is to identify Wright’s image of her faint indication through the poem that she feels more for

Australia than that of England.

On the other

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