Peter Skrzynecki Analysis

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Peter Skrzynecki uses many poetry techniques to reveal his message about adjusting to life in Australia. Peter was born and raised in Germany in 1945 and migrated to Australia when he was 4 years old. The voyage to Australia took 4-weeks by ship. Peter grew up in Sydney and began his poetry work at the age of 22. In acknowledgment to Peter Skrzynecki’s 14 books and his influence to the Australian Multicultural Literature, Peter was awarded the Medal of Order of Australia in 2002. Felik Skrzynecki, St Patrick’s College and 10 Mary Street will be the poems used in finding poetry techniques and relating them to his experience with adjusting to life in Australia.

The first poetry technique that has been used in three of Peter’s poems is Symbolism.
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Similes are “a figure of speech involving the comparison of one thing with another thing of a different kind” according to the New Oxford American Dictionary. Peter Skrzynecki uses many similes in his poems to create empathy and compassion. In the poem dedicated to his dad, Felik Skrzynecki, Peter says, “Loved his garden like an only child”. An only child to his/her parents means the world and this quote really emphasizes how dependent his father’s garden is on bringing him happiness. A simile that has been used in the poem St Patrick’s College, is “caught the 414 bus like a foreign tourist”. Foreign tourists will often stand out and have no idea of where they are heading or what they are doing. This illustrates the sense of belonging peter is feeling as he catches the same bus that he has been catching for eight years of his school life. In the poem 10 Mary Street Peter talks about the relationship he has with his home life and how that is one place he can be where he feels as if he belongs. It is evident that the garden is a place of belonging and recouping as Peter and his father both like spend time at it. Peter says, “I’d ravage the backyard garden like a hungry bird”. This demonstrates how the garden is a place where Peter can come home after school and recuperate after a day full of exclusion. Peter uses similes in his poems to show comparison between two things to …show more content…
Repetition is defined in the New Oxford American Dictionary as, “the action of repeating something that has already been said or written”. In the poem, Felik Skrzynecki, Peter is trying to make it obvious how much time has pasted. Peter says, “Growing older” and “At thirteen”, this is proof of repetition as Peter is making clear that time has past since they have moved to Australia. The poetry technique of repetition is also evident in the poem, St Patrick’s College. The repetition that can been seen is when Peter says, “What was best, and “The darkness that surrounded me wasn’t for the best”. Peter starts the poem with the first part of the repetition and then finishes the poem with the second part of the repetition. This emphasizes how much Peter is trying to make his point about his mother sending him to St Patrick’s College and wanting what was best. Until Peters mother feels like Peter is in darkness but Peter is still yet to let his light shine. Similar to the poem Felik Skrzynecki, Peter also is trying to make clear how much time has pasted in 10 Mary Street. Peter says, “For nineteen years” and once again, “For nineteen years”. This verifies how much time has pasted and how Peter is trying to make it sound as if he belongs and is accepted by his by is new country even though he is finding it difficult. Peter Skrzynecki uses repetition to try and