Jack Davis

Jack Davis’ poetry captures the unique Aboriginal relationship with the land. Explore this statement with reference to at least ONE OF Davis’ poems.

‘The First-born’ by Jack Davis is a free verse poem. This poem is about the relationship of the land and Aboriginal people and also what it means to Jack Davis. ‘Land’ is also another free verse poem written by Jack Davis. This poem is about the beauty of the land and how the white people know nothing about the dreamtime stories and the beauty of the land. Jack Davis is an Aboriginal poet who wrote poems in the 1930s. His poems explore the relationship of Aboriginal people and the land.

‘The First-born’ has three stanzas of equal length with four lines in each stanza. A regular stanza structure and rhyme scheme contributes to the grieving voice of the land. There is a rhyme scheme, ABAB, which is consistent throughout the whole poem.

Davis uses figurative language to appeal to the five senses. Imagery is created with the use of simile and personification. The word ‘first-born’ gives the image that reflects the title which suggests Aboriginal people were the original inhabitants. Personification is used throughout the poem which gives an emotive voice to the land and suggests a close connection between land and Aboriginal people. The land is represented as a mother to the aboriginal people which emphasises their connection to the land for example ‘brown land, sighing’, ‘womb’ and ‘ears’. A violent simile is used which highlights the insistent nature of the question about what has occurred for instance ?. Rhetorical questions are used emphasising the lands grief and confusion as highlighted in “And the light of their being barely aglow?” and “Where are the laws and the legends I gave?” Alliteration and repetition is used throughout the poem. The use of alliteration emphasises what has been lost and replaced, the image of death and darkness creates a tone of condemnation and further emphasises the dimming of traditional Aboriginal culture. Alliteration occurs with these words such as “being barely”, “laws and the legends” and “death and the neglect of my dark proud race”. “Long, long and why, why” are examples of repetition. This repetition used enhances the emotive quality. The persona demands in an imperative tone empathy for the Aboriginals dispossession. The main message of the poem delivered by Jack Davis is shown as the land is being depicted to the aboriginal people.

The land being depicted towards the aboriginal people is the main message that Jack Davis is trying to put across.

The poem ‘Land’ has only one stanza with eleven lines. There is a rhyme scheme of AABBCC that is constant in most of the poem. “Oh white man! How can I make you understand this love of land” is in the indigenous person’s perspective and the tone gives a sense of desperation and plea to white people emphasised by the exclamation mark. “It has the touch of a child’s fingertips to a mother’s lips” is an example of personification. The land is compared to a child or baby and the effect of this use of personification indicates the land to indigenous people is innocent, naïve, pure, the need for nurturing,

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