Satire has the power to persuade and influence the reader to view the poets/authors viewpoint and used to expose various flaws within society such as foolishness, corruption, or racism. Bruce Dawe, a poet famous for his use of satire, criticises aspects of his society during the end of the 1960s, and the start of the 1970s in the following poems; “ A Victorian Hangman tells his love,” a poem criticising blind obedience of such a cruel and inhuman act, and “Weapons Training,” of how our attitude to certain races changes when at war and how cruel and harsh we can become.
Bruce Dawe is widely recognised as Australia's most popular poet, born in Fitzroy, Victoria in 1930 and was educated at Northcote High School, Melbourne. “Dawe writes with …show more content…
In the line where the hangman starts to put the noose around the victim, Dawe uses this moment to use irony in referring to a wedding ceremony; “ This noose with which we’re wed is something of an heirloom, the last three members of our holy family were wed with it.”
Its only after reading this a couple times do u see the really irony, that three other people were hung just before. The hangman refers to the noose as an heirloom which brings the connotation of a wedding ring.
In the line where the hangman is just about to pull the lever to let Ronald “ into a new life.” He talks about how Ronald will sink into the public; “ You will sink into the generous pool of public feeling as gently as a leaf”
This is clever irony by Dawe as well as a simile as the connotations of a leaf dropping gently is peaceful and slow. This peaceful drop is compared to someone's body as they get hanged which is ironic as the movement is more of a quick awful jerk. When a leaf hits water it leaves no ripple, so the hangman is implying that his death is insignificant which is ironic as, in reality, it was significant in stopping capital
Bruce Dawe is widely recognised as Australia's most popular poet, born in Fitzroy, Victoria in 1930 and was educated at Northcote High School, Melbourne. “Dawe writes with …show more content…
In the line where the hangman starts to put the noose around the victim, Dawe uses this moment to use irony in referring to a wedding ceremony; “ This noose with which we’re wed is something of an heirloom, the last three members of our holy family were wed with it.”
Its only after reading this a couple times do u see the really irony, that three other people were hung just before. The hangman refers to the noose as an heirloom which brings the connotation of a wedding ring.
In the line where the hangman is just about to pull the lever to let Ronald “ into a new life.” He talks about how Ronald will sink into the public; “ You will sink into the generous pool of public feeling as gently as a leaf”
This is clever irony by Dawe as well as a simile as the connotations of a leaf dropping gently is peaceful and slow. This peaceful drop is compared to someone's body as they get hanged which is ironic as the movement is more of a quick awful jerk. When a leaf hits water it leaves no ripple, so the hangman is implying that his death is insignificant which is ironic as, in reality, it was significant in stopping capital