Enter Without So Much As Knocking

“Bruce Dawe’s poem is a scathing reflection on contemporary Australian lifestyle.”

Discuss the poem, Enter Without So Much As Knocking and how it has enlightened your
understanding of the ways in which poetry can serve as social commentary.

Bruce Dawe’s poetry is a scathing reflection on contemporary Australian lifestyle, which is

conveyed through his poem, Enter Without So much As Knocking (EWSMAK). By
incorporating his issues of a consumer-driven society and materialism, he has conveyed that
poetry can serve as a social commentary through his passion of instigating change in
Australian society.

Dawe has expressed his issue of materialism through the use of various literary devices. He
has incorporated irony and exaggeration as a means of expressing humour, in order to show
the negative aspects of life. The extreme exaggeration is conveyed in the line, “NO
BREATHING EXCEPT BY ORDER. BEWARE OF THIS. WATCH OUT FOR THAT”, as he conveys
the rules that govern our lives. The irony is shown in the line, “Probity & Sons, Morticians,
did a really first-class job on his face (everyone was pleased)...”, which conveys his death to
be one of the happiest parts of the poem. The poet also creates a sense of falseness,
conveyed in the line, “Hello, hello, hello all you lucky people and he really was lucky because
it didn’t mean a thing to him then...”, in order to express his idea of pop culture. These
techniques of humour, through irony and exaggeration, and a sense of falseness in order to
enhance pop culture have helped make the poem serve as a social commentary by
expressing Dawe’s issue of materialism.

Through the implementation of a variety of literary devices, the poet has conveyed his issue
of a consumer-driven society. By using various adjectives, and word choice, the poet has
conveyed this issue in the lines, “his included one economy-size Mum, one Anthony Squires-
Coolstream-Summerweight Dad, along with two other kids straight off the Junior
Department Rack.” This statement, lacking love and emotion, dehumanises his family, who
are reduced to materialistic consumer beings, thus taking the poem back to a material level.
Another technique used by Dawe is enjambment, in order to express his issue. “I’m telling
you straight Jim, it’s Number One every time for this chicken, hit wherever you see a head
and kick whoever’s down...” These lines help convey the issue of a consumer driven society
and poetry as a social commentary, as they suggest a business approach to life, in which
there is a lack of compassion to the fellow man thus making us self-possessed.

In conclusion, Bruce Dawe has conveyed that poetry can serve as social commentary
through his two significant issues of materialism and a consumer driven society, and various
literary devices. He has shown the materialism taking place in the lives of everyday people
and the growing consumer-driven society through his scathing reflection on contemporary
Australian lifestyle, Enter Without So Much As Knocking.