Ancestors

Ancestors How does this dream of ancestors link with the theme of belonging that the poet explores in the poem' Throughout the poem Ancestors, the poet Peter Skrzynecki explores his own subconscious mind by presenting an image of his own ancestors. As these mysterious ancestors are shown to be able to easily affect his mind, Skrzynecki reveals the rejection he feels when he attempts to connect with his ancestors, and the insecurity that consumes his mind as he thinks of his predetermined future. The poet portrays his ancestors as obscure creatures, revealing that he feels powerless in trying to connect with his past ancestors and therefore does not feel a sense of belonging. The strong use of imagery in the first stanza effectively creates a negative mood for the poem, as the oxymoron ‘bearded, faceless men’ creates a disturbing image of his dreamscape. By also using imagery in stating that his ancestors and ‘standing shoulder to shoulder’, Skrzynecki strongly conveys the message that his ancestors are metaphorically creating a barrier preventing him from feeling accepted, and therefore causing him to feel disconnected. Further use of imagery is prevalent in the third stanza as Skrzynecki states that the ancestors are creating a ‘circle around you’, likening his ancestors to predators ‘circling their prey’. By creating this image, the poet reveals his feelings of the pressures of conformity as the circle of ancestors cause him to question ‘To what star do their footprints lead’. The murky mood of poem is also set by the poet to convey the message that the poet feels insecure in the presence of his ancestors in his dreamscape. Descriptive words such as ‘darkness’ and ‘shadows’ create a negative mood to the entire dreamscape, as these descriptions connotate obscurity. Throughout the entirety of the poem, Skrzynecki repeatedly questions his ancestors, without ever receiving even a hint of a reply. The poet seems to feel rejected and excluded as he asks ‘what secrets do they whisper into the darkness’. The poet feels frustrated at never finding out the truth about his ancestors as they never reveal anything ‘why do they never speak’ and they never allow him to connect with them ‘why do you wake as their faces become clearer-‘. This highlights the disconnection and rejection the poet feels as he tries to connect with ancestors to learn about both his past and his future.