A Comparison of Civilization by Oodgeroo Noonuccal and Beds Are Burning by Peter Garrett
In the Australian culture, there have been many debates about the
rightful ownership of Australian land and about whether the Aborigines
have the right to retain the land taken from them. Further more,
indigenous writers have expressed anger and protest towards the loss
of their culture to white civilization. Peter Garrett and Oodgeroo
Noonuccal are two artists who seek to raise the issues of the native
land title and the oppression of Australian Aborigines. "Civilization"
by Oodgeroo Noonuccal is a poem, which comments on the effects of
white civilization on Aboriginal people and "Beds are Burning" by
Peter Garrett comments on the issue of native land title. Throughout
the two texts, various poetic techniques such as imagery, irony, tone
and point of view, as well as poetic form are used to express deeply
held views about the values and issues raised. Both texts,
"Civilization" and "Beds are Burning" reflect anger and protest
towards the various injustices suffered by the Aboriginal culture
since the colonial invasion in 1788.
The title of the song "Beds are Burning" suggests things about the
song itself and what it means. "Bed is burning" comes from a proverb,
"lying in a burning bed",. This proverb means that a person is
ignoring a crisis that surrounds them and eventually this crisis will
destroy or overwhelm them. The lyricist has created the imagery of
burning beds, implicit in the title of the song, to express the deeply
held view that post colonial Australia is in the grip of a crisis
concerning land ownership and who it really belongs t...
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...presenting well, but this does not
equate with happiness. This is stated when the persona says, "You too
surely have much to change" The reader is left with a strong
impression that they could incorporate some of the ideas and values of
the Aboriginal culture to better their own way of life.
"Civilization" by Oodgeroo Noonuccal and "Beds are Burning" by Peter
Garrett both powerfully raise cultural issues regarding the injustices
endured by the Aborigines since colonization in 1788. The texts use
different types of poetic techniques, some of which are; irony, tone,
imagery and point of view. These are needed to draw the reader into
the texts and to help them to sympathize with the Aborigines whose
land was taken from them and who endure the oppression of living in a
culture, whose beliefs and values, the do not share.
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