Bruce Dawe Speech

The poem ‘Life Cycle’ traces the life of an Aussie Rules Football supporter from birth to death – hence the title ‘Life Cycle’. ‘Life Cycle’ essentially explains that you are born and raised in a house with a family who influence your every move and important lifestyle choices. Dawe demonstrates how something as simple as sport can be more important throughout a person’s entire life Poetry expresses an individual’s most intense emotions in the least amount of words.
In the poems ‘Enter Without So Much As Knocking’ and ‘Life Cycle’ Bruce Dawe expresses what the true Australian perspective is in his straight forward way of telling people what living in Australia is like. Dawe highlights Australian society in the 1960’s in his poem ‘Enter Without So Much As Knocking’ through its episodic structure, simple colloquial language and a combination of the figurative techniques to address the increased commercialism and apathy in the 1960’s. Dawe writes of a rapid trip through one man’s life from birth to death and seems to emphasise a life with little meaning. nd shared by everybody whose lives basically revolve around football. Another way Dawe shows the perspective that Australians love sport is his use of biblical allusion, showing that football supporters form their own religion or covenant as represented in the poem by stating “and the covenant is sealed”. Another method of proving how passionate Australians are about their love for sport is by ANZAC allusion. Comparing players to soldiers and warriors highlight the level of respect that they are shown to have for their beloved football club.
Thus, the poem is a light-hearted look at the importance of football to the Victorians. than religion, so much to even say that it replaces it. He explains, through the constant use of colloquialism, that some Australian families have sport engraved into their daily routine and use it to bond with each other. “Oohh you bludger” is an accurate example of this because it is a kind of slang that is learned from the family as a child There is a laconic rather cynical tone that pervades this poem; life is gone before you know it.

The Latin caption at the top translates to the grim reminder that we will all die – “remember, man that thou art dust, and unto dust shalt thou return. ” This suggests that ‘we are all mortal and therefore, whatever striving we do, there are larger questions that the striving should be related to, and that striving just out of sheer, blind self interest is very destructive striving. ’ He presents life as standardised, commercialised and rather predictable and unappealing. This is an episodical poem that stereotypically deals with an average ‘him’. He’ as observed by Dawe is born in his mother’s arms and remains innocent, but tainted by society. The title is a metaphor for people who barge through life without taking the time to think about whom they are and what they are doing. Whether it is members of a team, or fans cheering for a certain team, sports have always bonded people of different backgrounds together with a common goal. The way players participate in a sport and interact with team members helps to build the players self-identity. Australians and their love for sport is a perfect example of this.
Bruce Dawe presents what he thinks the Australian perspective is in his poems. He implies that Australia lives through sport. That sport is a religion and is worshiped. That sport is in every true Aussies life from birth to death yet he also pushes the perspective that there is something wrong with 1960’s Australian society. Thank you. They are born into their love for a team or sport and follow it their entire life. Many different sporting events or themes are used to bring complete strangers together and in doing so, help improve the way people see each other or themselves.
Sports are events that have been around in some form or another for many years. Throughout time, they have gradually evolved into their current state, and will surely continue to be around for years to come. This is because they always have, and always will be a positive influence on society and individuals. One positive factor of sports is the fact that they draw people together. The perspective that Australians love sport is very obvious and correct because it is shown in so many ways, like sport campaigns at chools, at working or any number of things. Bruce’s Dawe’s poem ‘Life-Cycle’ proves this. Dawe seems to be saying there is something very wrong with a society that insists that material things, and the pursuit of money to afford them, are important. The lengthy description of what isn’t in the grave is intended to make the realistic point that none of those things are ultimately of any importance. Fledged member of the rat-race, obsessed with status, completely insincere, selfish and ruthless Ironically, Dawe’s comments are very realistic.
After the man’s death, Dawe continues the attack on a society obsessed with appearances, even to the point where the reality of death is glossed over and prettified. The body of the poem seems to attack the sort of consumer society that twentieth century man is obsessed with. It deals with, and follows the life of one representative of this type of society, and shows how from birth he is conditioned to accept the materialistic standards of this society. When the boy has become a man he has lost the quality of wonder and become another fully