We have to do a poem analysis for our upcoming SAC, and so I thought if anyone else was doing Literature we'd pile up our responses , as seeing others work is the best way of learning imo.
Here's mine. This is a response to "Enter Without So Much As Knocking" by Bruce Dawe.
"What is the purpose of life? Is there any meaning to our quotidian actions? Or is everything ultimately pointless, as the existentialists would argue?" Although such philosophical questions are not explicitly stated in Enter Without So Much as Knocking, one cannot help but think that Dawe, throughout his critique of a narcissistic, nihilistic society plagued by the tugs and pulls of capitalism, ponders such issues. "Memento, homo, quia pulvis es, et in pulverous revertis", he states, inviting the reader to contemplate the pettiness and futility of an existence dominated by materialistic values.
The title of the poem elicits a sense of surprise, of spontaneity. Written in an informal, conversational tone, it sets the mood for the rest of the piece. Dawe suggests herein that human lives being without developed egos, without distinct authority. The first stanza then juxtaposes the culturally significant event of a newborn's birth with explicit references to consumerism and its impact on the psychological development of a young child. "First thing he heard was Bobby Dazzler on Channel 7", a direct critique on the artificial, mechanical entertainment the protagonist was surrounded by, testifies to his. Furthermore, the impact of capitalism is highlighted by the labels that family members have been given. The quote "Economy-size Mum, one Anthony Squires-Coolstream-Summerweight Dad" paints a picture of a world that demands a dehumanised uniformity from its civilian, and Daw drives this contention throughout the poem.
The second and fourth stanzas expound on the nihilistic and dehumanised views that this society embodies. Capital letters in "WALK.DON'T WALK. TURN LEFT" present a vision of a dystopian community, a uniform system in a "spontaneity vacuum", so devoid of free will and imagination that its residents are ordered about their everyday actions. The poem demonstrates that this causes frustration and anger - "(beep beep and BEEP)" and ultimately a degradation of character so profound that only the hyperbole "money-hungry, back stabbing miserable so-and-so" could, in Dawe's opinion, represent it. Furthermore, the protagonist is willing to ignore the barrier of his conscience when he feels guilty about his actions. "A man can't help but feel a little soiled,himself,at time, you know what I mean"" is a rhetorical device used by Dawe to highlight this notion.
Between these two stanzas, however, the reader is offered a reprieve from this society, in the form of an adolescent daydream. The use of words such as "unadulterated" and "pure" transports one into a sanctuary for the teenage protagonist, a place where he can feel at peace. Imagery like "fringe of sky" and "on a clear night" elicit a sense of wonderment and awe, deep appreciation for the simple beauty of nature. Dawe then contrasts this with a simile which comments on society's vicarious behaviour. "Like kids at the circus who never go quite close enough to the elephant to get kicked". Why, asks Dawe, does society, as a collective whole, not experience things the way they are, rather than confine reality with fallible structure and subjective notions? The reader is left to ponder such a question.
The protagonist suffers a fatal accident, shifting the thematic paradigm of the poem back to a nihilistic one. Irony is used by Dawe here, as the name of the morticians, "Probity and Sons", is a reference to honesty, which is in stark contrast with the ludicrous manner in which the protagonist has lived his life. Even in death, the reader is presented with a deeply rooted superficiality - the corpse is given a "healthy tan", which suggests that outward appearance is the greatest asset in this society's version of human identity. Yet, for all the protagonist's shortcomings, Dawe reinstates that in the end, his life was of no avail, utterly futile and meaningless. "Six feet down nobody interested. Blink, blink. CEMETERY. Silence."
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