New True Anthem

The New True Anthem

The New True Anthem by Kevin Gilbert critiques Australian’s lack of patriotism. It alludes to the way the new occupants of Australia have defaced the physical and conceptual value of Australia’s natural beauty and history. Gilbert uses many techniques and ideas to convey his feelings about this matter, including Hyperbole, Imagery and enjambment. These skills and techniques riddle the poem as well as many others.

The use of Hyperbole is one of the more prominent techniques used, as it is one of the most useful techniques to convey his cause. The phrases “You pollute all the rivers” and “Litter every road” are hyperboles because they exaggerate the truth so as to prove a point. They’re obviously not literal as of course not every river or road is or was polluted. The use of this technique strengthens Gilbert’s belief that Australians show no respect for the land they commandeered and highlights the problem of pollution to both land and sea. The use of hyperbole here leaves a greater mark on the readers mind than that …show more content…
The use of metaphor here makes it easier for Gilbert to express his feelings for what the Australian’s have done, obviously disapproving of it referring to the items as their shame, A true patriot would not show such disrespect of their residence. Another example of metaphor would be “Humanity locked in chains”, It Isn’t necessarily literal. This phrase could be taken too ways, It could be taken literally if you think he is tagging the indigenous Australians as “humanity”. Or “Humanity” could be referring to the concept the concept of Humanity. And how the whites didn’t employ it when dealing with the indigenous, treating them inhumanely, thus restraining the use of humanity like one would do with chains. The metaphors present more reason for Gilbert to think that “we” do not respect the country and are thus