Australia

a sunburnt country…
Australia
Hope (1907-2000)
• Alec Derwent Hope was born in Cooma, NSW in
1907.
• He was educated at Sydney University and Oxford.
When he graduated he was an English teacher in
the NSW school system and then became a lecturer
• In 1968 he retired to devote himself to his writing.
• Work is rich in biblical, literary and mythological
allusions, but also is highly relevant to the time in
which he lived.
• His poetic voice is often witty, authoritative,
sardonic and satiric.
• Much of his work approaches modern life with
disdain although his stance softened in his later
work.
My country
(1904)
Mackellar (1865-1968)
• She was a third generation Australian. Her Grandparents arrived in Sydney, from
Scotland, on the 21st. May 1839.
• Her education consisted of private tuition at home until she attended lectures at the
university.
• Travelling overseas to countries such as England, Europe, America and the East, with
her family was also considered part of her education. Due to this exposure to different
cultures, she became fluent in many languages.
• Family, country properties in the Hunter Valley, and near Gunnedah, were places she
loved to visit. The rural communities respected, and always considered the Mackellar
family to be generous to local needs. Dorothea was a proficient horsewoman, and was
proud of her ability to ride side- saddle, even in the rough country terrain. A story is
told of how, after a drought was broken, Dorothea danced barefoot in the rain.
• Politics became a long- term interest. After 1902, women could vote in the New South
Wales state elections on equal terms with men. Her diaries record her interest and
concerns of that period, in particular, the discussion on the need for conscription in
the lead up to World War I.
• Through out her life, even though an active interest in the community, politics and the
arts was maintained, there was always a deep concern for her family's needs as well.
• She died at the age of eighty-two after suffering an extended period of ill health.
• “My Country” is one of the poems better known by Australians. It was written by
Dorothea at the age of twenty-two while she was living in England, and missing her
home country, Australia.
1. Annotate each poem.

2. Fill out the table considering the following:

• How the Australian landscape represented in each poem. Give examples.

• Identify poetic devices such as: sound effects (for example, alliteration and
onomatopoeia); figurative language (for example, similes, metaphor,
personification); and the use of rhyme and rhythm used to create images.
Consider the effect created by these techniques.

• The context in which each of the poets was writing, and how that may be
significant for his or her representations, and also the factors that might
influence your own context and responses.

• Similarities and differences exist in the two poems in terms of structure, style,
and tone.

3. Write a paragraph comparing the two poems (200 words)

“How do the poems “My Country” and “Australia” use descriptions of the
Australian landscape to construct representations of the Australian identity?
 Remember:
T Topic sentence: this answers the question in one basic
sentence and outlines your reasons.

Body:
P o State your first point/reason
E o Give evidence from the poem
o Elaborate and explain the evidence
E

C Concluding sentence: summarises the paragraph, links back

to topic sentence.