Bruce Dawes poems Essay

Bruce Dawes verse forms explore the impacts of consumer culture and are an indictment of the growing materialism in forward-looking society. In Enter Without So oftentimes As Knocking (1962), Dawe portrays a world dominated by consumerism, which has black market to conformity, and eroded the individuality of more people. The base that our view of the world can only be seen by means of television and that our experience of life is restricted and controlled by it is highlighted in the satirical poem, Tele Vistas.(1977) This idea is revisited in The Not So Good Earth.(1966) Television in consumer society is the prime source of information and entertainment. Dawe expresses his concern that we have become desensitized to human measly because it is presented to us as entertainment.The central message of the satirical poem Enter Without So Much As Knocking by Bruce Dawe is that you are dissipate and unto dust you shall return. Dawes biblical allusion emphasizes that it doesnt matte r how many consumer items and materialistic things are bought, everybody ends up the same way, back to dust again. Society is portrayed as the product of the consumer age and human life is determined as a by-product, lacking in real value and soon rendered obsolete. Dawe suggests that contemporary society is treasonably and superficial. The intertextual reference to Bobby Dazzler epitomizes this an empty smile behind the welcoming faade reinforced through the superficial clich all you lucky people undercut by Dawes mocking tone in and he really was lucky because it didnt mean a thing to him.The family is defined in terms of what they look same(p) in advertising jargon the mother is economy size. Consumerism now defines identity or lack of individuality. This brings the idea that in order to belong to a consumer based society, the individual must conform. This idea is reinforced through negative listing in he was old enough to be realistic the likes of every other godless money-hun gry back-stabbing miserable so-and-so. The derogatory labeling is a clichd reference to the gossiping and derisive comments that characterize the materialistic culture Dawe is criticizing in his poem.Tele vistas (1977) is another satirical poem where humans are identified on the terms of brand names of communication companies, Sanyo-orientated, Rank-Arena bred. This use of metaphor reinforces how identity is mold byconsumer culture their character/personalization is determined by their choice of technology. The modern god is television and its viewing content is being satirized heavily by Dawe. This poem thoroughly ridicules the dominance of television media in our lives. Reality is defined by media constructs relationships and human conversation comes second.Through Dawes indictment of consumer culture, he raises the issue that modern society lacks identity, individuality and purpose and that contemporary Australians are typically co-dependent on television for basic human inte raction, a faulty tube led to their conflict. The romantic cliches juxtaposed with references to television suggest that the relationship of the couple would not have occurred without TV. The demise of the relationship is foreshadowed through the juxtaposition of ever-faithful with an rhyming metaphoric reference to World at War in the final lines of the poem. Dawe suggests that relationships built on shared consumerism are ultimately shallow and unstable.The Not So Good Earth, like Tele Vistas, is centered on the commonplace activity of watching television. Dawe expresses his concern that individuals have become desensitized to human suffering because it is presented as entertainment. Vivid mental imagery of human suffering is juxtaposed with the upbeat tone to describe the satisfaction achieved by a good quality picture. This is made evident through the phrase, victimization the contrast knob to bring them up dark, all those screaming faces. Life footage is depicted as a produc t like a movie to be judged on its value to the consumer through, on the quieter parts where theyre just starving away. It is a very satirical poem that creates black humor.Through the characters masterful insensitivity and absence of either empathy or sympathy, Dawe expresses amazement at the complacency of people in our society. A metaphoric and satirical reference is made by the poet commenting on the destruction of less privileged communities We never did find out how it finished up Dad at this stage tripped over the main lead in the dark, hauling the whole set down smack on its inscrutable face, 600 million Chinese without a trace. The light tone that focuses on the loss of the TV trivializes the loss of life referred to in these lines. By adopting the voice of a consumer Dawe parodies consumer culture and exposes the insensitivity that accompaniesshallow materialistic values.Enter Without So Much As Knocking (1962)outlines how consumer culture has eroded the individuality of people. This is also evident in Tele Vistas (1977) as Dawe portrays that life can only be seen through a television screen, not through common encounters. The Not So Good Earth (1966)is a very satirical poem that creates black humor through the idea that society has become desensitized to human suffering due to consumerism.