“Outback” as written by Australian poet Michael Dransfield is a protest poem about the destruction of Australia due to the machinations of man. Dransfield represents Australia as a land of beauty that is dying at the hands of its human inhabitants who are represented to be materialistic as they care more about the potential profits that may ensue than the environment. This representation of Australia and its occupants is achieved through the subject matter of the poem, its structure, theme and the visual techniques incorporated. The subject matter of the poem is how Australia will be left in ruins as a consequence of mining. This poem acts as a protest; it condones mining as he doesn’t wish his home country to be left “mined and gutted” like so many…show more content… Betrayal of the nation’s leaders and betrayal of the citizens who won’t “protest” as “profit eases consciences”. In his eyes all Australians are guilty and as much to blame as those who initiate this destruction as they cower within the safety of silence and don’t dare speak out. Dransfield incorporates many visual techniques in his poem to illustrate the significance and gravity of the situation. One of the techniques he utilizes is similes. Visual imagery is also manipulated to create the most impact. He writes that the aboriginals forced from their land to cities “with promises of jobs” ease their “homesickness” by being “cauterised by cheap wine”. He could have simply stated that they felt a warmth or burn when drinking it but instead he used the word “cauterised” which means to burn for healing purposes. This word choice illustrates their pain more effectively than if he had bluntly said it. Michael Dransfield through his use of subject matter, structure, theme and visual poetic techniques has created a poem that is effective in representing Australia the way he wants it to be perceived. He represents it as a “last wild place”, one of which that may be ruined
