Distinctively_Visual

Distinctively Visual: Elias Shinwari Discuss how Lawson and Paterson use language techniques in order to create their visions of the Australian landscape. Distinctively visual images which can be seen, or perceived in the mind can shape the responder understanding of relationship with others plus the world. Such interpretations, as seen in Henry Lawson’s short stories, “The Drovers’ Wife”, “In a Dry Season” and Banjo Paterson’s “Clancy of the overflow” have been illustrated in both visual and literary images. The purpose of such distinctively visual texts can be both entertaining and didactic making the responder aware of the perspective of the author and their context. Henry Lawson’s short stories “Drovers’ Wife and “In a Dry Season” as well as Banjo Paterson ballad “Clancy of the Overflow” illustrate experiences of the Australia outback. These include disdain for the modern city in Henry Lawson’s and Banjo Paterson’s texts and adulation of the bush in Paterson ballad and disdain for the bush in Lawson’s texts and the effects it has on the people living in that environment good or bad. Both men have been influenced in some way by the bush which has affected the way they have described the Australian landscape. Lawson was born on the Grenfell goldfields in New South Wales on June 1867. He lived in the bush until his parents got separated 1883 and Lawson moved with his mother in Sydney. Though the time in the bush he was brought up in bush poverty, suffered hardship of bush life and personally knew the characters and lifestyles he wrote about, giving him a first class but largely negative understanding of the bush. Banjo Paterson was born at the property "Narrambla", near Orange, New South Wales. Paterson's family lived on the isolated Buckinbah Station until he was 5. When Paterson's uncle died, his family took over the uncle's farm in Illalong, near Yass. He saw horsemen from the Snowy Mountains country take part in picnic races and polo matches, which led to his fondness of horses and inspired his writings. Banjo Paterson was also a very successful man who was able to live well from his writing, and as a lawyer. This influenced his optimistic style of writing for the Australian landscape. Lawson in the “The Drovers’ Wife” and the “In a Dry Season” uses many techniques to convey his vision of the Australian landscape. Lawson description of the land and the people creates his image of the bush. Patterson uses many figurative techniques in his poem “Clancy of the overflow” to illustrate his idea of the Australian Landscape. Lawson describes the landscape in both “The Drovers’ Wife” and “In a Dry Season” as a monotonous and isolated. Lawson uses this throughout the story, visual techniques to create a direct image of a stark and harsh environment. Such as in the Drovers’ Wife “Nothing to relive the eye saves the darker green of a she-oak which are sighting above the narrow, almost waterless creek”, the use of this quote emphasis the sparseness of the Australian landscape. Lawson in addition describes the people in the bush with empathy and compassion in both “The Drovers’ Wife” and “In a Dry Season”. This is evident when Lawson is describing the Drover Wife, the use of plosives in the quote “the gaunt sun-browned bush-women” emphasis the harsh effects of the Australian environment to the bush-women. Lawson does this again when he is describing the Drovers’ Wife children in the quote “Four ragged, dried up looking children” the visual imagery in the quote is parallel to the land in that it describes them as ragged and dried up which are very similar to the Australian environment. It also highlights their strength and fortitude in their harsh surroundings which explains Lawson’s bleak, monotonous view of the bush. There is similarity in the way Paterson describes the character in his ballad “Clancy of the Overflow”. When Paterson is describing the drover in the quote “Clancy rides behind them singing” the use of imagery creates a sense of calmness in the Australian environment. This creates a positive perspective of Paterson view on the Australian landscape, which he sees it as a beautiful place to live in. In contrast Lawson generates his dislike of the Australian landscape with the way he utilizes his Narrative style in the “The Drovers’ Wife”. For example “The bush consists of stunted, rotten native apple trees” this lacking unsentimental voice lends Lawson images credibility as factual recounts of a landscape experienced by the narrator. This is also evident in the short story “In a Dry Season” where Lawson illustrates that he detests the bush. For example “Draw a wire fence ..... And add some scattered sheep running away from the train. Then you’ll have the...... NSW western line form Bathurst on” This gives us an impression of monotony and sparseness as the persona travels on the train. Lawson’s tone in his narration conveys his image of the bush; this is often cold and unsentimental when Lawson is discussing the bush. Lawson creates a negative, harsh image of the Australia landscape. The tone “In the Dry Season” is dismissive as the narrator finds nothing of worth or interest in the outback. This is evident in the colloquial vernacular “Yer wanter go out back, young man, if Yer wanter see the country” he replies “I don’t wanter; I’ve been there” This enforces the negative image of the outback. There is also a lack of figurative techniques throughout “The Drovers’ Wife”. The rarity of similes and metaphors strengthen their visual impact. “At every flash of lightning, the cracks between the slabs gleam like polished silver”. This simile is the only example of a figurative technique in the short story. This lack of figurative techniques maintains the realism of Lawson’s images of the Australian landscape. But “In a Dry Season” there is figurative language. For example when Lawson uses the metaphor “an animated mummy of a swagman” which is implying the drying affect the environment has had on this man in the Australian landscape, emphasising once again his dismayed for the Australian bush. Lawson also employs an anaphora when describing the area in which the Drovers’ Wife lives, “bush all round – bush with no horizon, for the country is flat”. The direct nature of this quote highlights the sparse emptiness of the landscape, the bare language emphasising and mirroring the lack of interest the landscape holds. This is dissimilar to Paterson’s use of techniques to create his vision of the bush. Paterson applies his idea of the Australian landscape by employing rich detailed descriptions with multiple adjectives in his poem “Clancy of the Overflow”. Throughout the poem “Clancy of the Overflow” Paterson uses several positive adjectives, for example “splendid of the sunlit plains” and “wond’rous glory” using these positive adjectives Paterson is emphasising his image of the Australian landscape as a positive image. Paterson also creates his image of the Australian landscape by contrasting his image of the city to the bush. In the quote “Foetid air and gritty of the dusty, dirty city” the use of plosives highlights the city to be negative compared to the bush. This creates a dirty, uninviting and monotonous place, giving the bush a more positive image. Paterson also uses the image of Clancy in the quote “Clancy rides behind them singing” through this image of Clancy singing Paterson creates a light hearted image of the bush. Which gives the Australian landscape more of a positive image compared to Lawson bleak image of the bush. As well as there is use of personification in “The murmur of breezes” by using this Paterson has created a familiar and sentimental feeling for the Australian landscape. This in contrast with another personification in “Ray of sunlight struggles feebly” this has a juxtaposing effect to the other quotation in that it creates a struggling and unsentimental feeling for the city this emphasises that the Australian landscape provides more peace of mind than the city areas. To sum up Lawson use of language techniques creates a bleak, stark view of the Australian landscape this is juxtaposed to Paterson’s vision of the bush which is of a positive image where he compares it to the horrid, foetid lifestyle of the city.