Enter_Without_so_Much_as_Knocking

Extended Response Question: This poem was written in 1959, 3 years after the introduction of television. How does Dawe show that its negative societal influence has already begun' Dawe has used several methods to convey the negative societal influence of television in its early years of being implemented. He reflects in the poem “Enter without so much as knocking” that the influence of television can lead to several ramifications. As such, the ongoing advertisements for materialistic goods are frequently portrayed to society; in particular to the younger generations as they are have a tendency for being naive, gullible and innocent. Dawe expresses his pessimism towards consumerism as he contemplates the domination, greed and consequences it accumulates on an individual’s life. He conveys in the poem that young citizens of the Australian society are continually being exposed to consumerism at earlier ages through television advertisements. This is evident in the poem as it quotes “Hello, hello, hello all you lucky people and he really was lucky because it didn’t mean a thing to him then…” The use of cynical tone utilised in the first stanza denotes that the baby is being negatively pioneered into the materialistic world through consumerism. In addition, this quotation reinforces that the establishment of television has evidently caused numerous negative societal influences to arise within the contemporary society. It can be stated that consumerism originates from the dominance of television through commercials, thereby having a negative outcome on society. Another technique that Dawe has used in the poem to suggest that television has had negative influences is a metaphor. This is portrayed in the poem as Dawe describes the child’s family as products that have lost their identity through the world of consumerism. Consequently, there is no individuality amongst the public to distinguish one another. This is seen in the poem as it quotes “one economy-size Mum, one Anthony Squires-Coolstream-Summerweight Dad, along with two other kids straight off the Junior Department rack.” The metaphor utilised in the poem conjures the thought that television has caused a vast number of negative outcomes after its commencement in 1956. Through Dawe’s cynical portrayal of poetic techniques, it can be concluded that the establishment of television can be conveyed as a significant negative influence on society. As such, he demonstrates its negative influence through the materialistic world which evidently leads to gluttony, self-indulgence and greed. James Grasso