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'Sense, Shape, Symbol is an investigation of Australian poetry. It explores the ways in which poets succeed, or fail, in their attempts to bring their experience to life.
Their primary raw materials are the five senses - sight, sound, smell, taste and touch - the means by which we all experience our world.
Poets also like to experiment with the shape of their writing, starting with the qualities of vowels and consonants, of syllables, and of rhyme, metre and rhythm.
Working poets make particular use of the metaphor, of the connections that they suggest between normally unlike things, to express their response to their subject.
The collection explores the work of five poets who have played an important, influential part in the development of Australian poetry: Judith Wright, Oodgeroo Noonuccal, David Malouf, Les Murray and Mark O’Connor.
The final chapter looks at some of the common concerns that can create conflict in our lives, such as gender, race, age, and socio-economic status, and other issues that create fear and that encourage hope.
The collection is intended to allow readers to become familiar with the techniques that poets use, and to develop their own poetic writing in an informed way.' (Publisher's blurb)
Contents
- Introduction, single work criticism (p. 1-2)
- Sense - The Poet's Raw Materials, single work criticism (p. 3)
- Sonnets IV : The Five Senses : Backyard Afternooni"To see is to credit that clouds are incorrigible drifters,", single work poetry (p. 4)
- The Colours of Lighti"This is not easy to understand", single work poetry (p. 4-5)
- Sunset Sky Near Coober Pedyi"Streak, dash, fluff, apricot radiation,", single work poetry (p. 6)
- Carnationsi"From the green cartridge an explosion of", single work poetry (p. 6)
- Bert Schultzi"Bert Schultz on his West Coast farm", single work poetry (p. 7)
- Admiring the Handiworki"it's just the right size", single work poetry (p. 8)
- Sonnets IV : The Five Senses : At the Gravel Crossingi"It is the sound of gravel in my jaw, it is the river sound", single work poetry (p. 11)
- The Night-Ridei"Gas flaring on the yellow platform; voices running up and down;", single work poetry (p. 11)
- There is a Haunting Music Round the Bay (for Anthony Lawrence)i"There is a haunting music round the bay -", single work poetry (p. 12-13)
- Windy Gapi"As I was going through Windy Gap", single work poetry (p. 13)
- The Singer in the Female Wardi"The singer in the female ward", single work poetry (p. 14)
- Drums in the Suburbi"Saturday afternoons", single work poetry (p. 15)
- Sonnets IV : The Five Senses : Earth Floweri"The smell of rain chambers into my apertures", single work poetry (p. 18)
- My Mother's Gardeni"Banksias, lemon gums, golden wattle: fire-prone", single work poetry (p. 18)
- The Smell on the Landingi"Where the decay begins, the sun", single work poetry (p. 19)
- Smells of the Wheatbelti"Yes, the smell of hay being cut when slightly damp,", single work poetry (p. 20)
- The Signsi"The smell of eucalyptus oil", single work poetry (p. 21)
- Bunsi"I hate the smell", single work poetry (p. 21)