Module A - Asian Australian Poets HSC English Quotes PDF

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Asian Australian Poets HSC English Quotes...

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Module A: Language, Identity and Culture Language has the power to both reflect and shape individual and collective identity. In this module, students consider how their responses to written, spoken, audio and visual texts can shape their self-perception. They also consider the impact texts have on shaping a sense of identity for individuals and/or communities. Through their responding and composing students deepen their understanding of how language can be used to affirm, ignore, reveal, challenge or disrupt prevailing assumptions and beliefs about themselves, individuals and cultural groups. Students study one prescribed text in detail, as well as a range of textual material to explore, analyse and assess the ways in which meaning about individual and community identity, as well as cultural perspectives, is shaped in and through texts. They investigate how textual forms and conventions, as well as language structures and features, are used to communicate information, ideas, values and attitudes which inform and influence perceptions of ourselves and other people and various cultural perspectives. Through reading, viewing and listening, students analyse, assess and critique the specific language features and form of texts. In their responding and composing students develop increasingly complex arguments and express their ideas clearly and cohesively using appropriate register, structure and modality. Students also experiment with language and form to compose imaginative texts that explore representations of identity and culture, including their own. Students draft, appraise and refine their own texts, applying the conventions of syntax, spelling and grammar appropriately and for particular effects. NOTES: CONTEMPORARY AUSTRALIAN POETS –> published in 2013, first ever anthology of Asian Australian Poetry

This is Where it Begins – Merlinda Carullo Bobis Home – Miriam Wei Wei Lo Translucent Jade – Maureen Ten (Ten Ch`in U) New Accents – Ouyang Yu Mother – Vuong Pham Circular Breathing – Jaya Savige

Language has the power to both reflect and shape individual identity. Context

Evidence

Technique

Analysis

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HOME “No lying awake, wondering what woman or child / in what sweatshop has made these pyjamas I wear.”

Tonal shit and accumulation of no Cumulative listing

Tonal shift and accumulation of “no” shows the negative aspect of the world that are not part of home. Cumulative listing shows the extent of the goods made in Eastern sweatshops, explores the exploitation of the East by the West, something she is unwilling to be a part of.

TRANSLUCENT JADE “Sometimes I felt an imposter. / Sometimes I thought it reflected hidden aspects I could own”

Contained clauses, no enjambment Negative connotation – imposter Anaphora - for emphasis Reflective tone -> I thought-I felt

Bobis explores the role of storytelling and the importance of language as a means to construct our identity. The poem question where she truly began to form our own sense of identity.

THIS IS WHERE IT BEGINS “This is where it begins. / Story, word, gesture / all under my skin. At six years old, perhaps five.”

Present tense High modality- more certain – this is where it began Low modality – perhaps, experience itself that matters, not when it happened Repetition Metaphor

After asking his mother what her passion was in life, the persona is offered a surprising answer, contradicting what he

MOTHER “‘Teaching was my passion,’ she says, ‘high

Direct voice of mother Metaphor

Negative connotation of imposter allows readers to reflect on Ten`s inner conflict and the complexity of culture in shaping ones identity. Through reflection, Ten highlights how her feelings towards her name has changed as shown through the use of contained clauses and lack of enjambment to highlight how these are two separate moments, these moments are juxtaposed to show that these feelings have changed. This is further explored by using anaphora of sometimes at the start of the sentences to emphasise the conflicting feeling. Repetition of “This is where it begins. I am six years old, perhaps five,” in contrast with “This is where it begins. / Story, word, gesture / all under my skin. At six years old, perhaps five.” Bobis explores the role language has played through storytelling as means of constructing her identity. The repetition of “This is where it begins,” suggests that there is a number of places in which ones engagement with language and storytelling originate and that identity has multiple sources. The stories she was told as a child are ‘under her skin’, this metaphorically highlight the stories shaping her individual identity . The metaphor is used to highlight how adding one piece to a puzzle, in this case his past or identity , the image can change entirely. Pham’s own identity is shaped as he reflects

Meriam Wei Wei Lo`s skilful use of various language techniques in "Home" portrays the complex idea of home for anyone who has experienced dislocation or uncertainty about their identity. She does this through expressing her uncertainty of home due to feeling torn between her Eastern and Western heritage. Language is used to display the inner conflict that comes with making sense of how different aspects of our lives come together to shape our sense of self. Ten shows the complex and sometimes conflicting nature of individual identity through the feelings she had about her traditional Chinese name.

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believed he knew about her. Upon discovering this ‘new’ piece of information, he uncovers a new understanding of his past and how his upbringing contributed to his current identity as a teacher himself.

school.’/ I smile in agreement. And as I do / jigsaw puzzle pieces of memory / lock together, my past made whole.”

on the sacrifices made by his mother. The text invites readers to emphasise and understand the migrant experience as language solidifies and individuals identity. Through the text we come to understand how Pham`s experience as a foreigner and the sacrifices made by his mother shaped his individual identity. Through the text, we come to greatly appreciate the enormous sacrifice of all migrants who sacrificed their own passions for the hope of providing their children with every opportunity to succeed.

Language has the power to both reflect and shape collective identity. Context Not only does Bobis explores the importance of language in constructing

Evidence THIS IS WHERE IT BEGINS “No storytelling is not lonely,

Technique Reflective tone Repetition of they

Analysis Bobis uses a reflective tone in “No storytelling is not lonely, not as we claim,” to display how language through

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our identity, she highlights how these stories has the power to connect us to people and culture across time and place.

not as we claim” …. “They have never left, they who ‘storytold’ before us, they who are under our skin.”

Metaphor Juxtaposition of alone and our

Pham’s own identity is crystallised as he considers the sacrifices made by his mother. The moving between past and present through the poetic voice takes us to alternative places as we consider the hardships but also profoundly beautiful sacrifices of Asian immigrants and the impact this has on their children.

MOTHER “so I could learn to spell ‘persistent’ correctly— / praying that I might speak an unbroken English tongue / and never be confined / to the labours of factories”

Irony: mother is persistent English tongue: challenges of English Enjambment, long sentence: accumulates ideas of how hard his mother worked, long sentence makes it overwhelming to read. Short line at end: places emphasis how this could have been his future

storytelling is not a lonely act as it has the ability to connect us to various people and culture across time. “They have never left, they who ‘storytold’ before us, they who are under our skin,” further highlights this through the repetition of they, this explores the idea that stories told by our loved ones provide us with insight into our identity and our culture, connecting us to our collective. The juxtaposition of alone and our explores the power of language as stories have the ability to connect us to the collective, even if we read alone. Language allows Bobis as an Asian-Australian to maintain and renew ties with her ancestral homeland Pham reflects on his mother’s sacrifices and challenges in the hope of providing him with every opportunity to succeed. The irony of persistent in so I could learn to spell ‘persistent’ correctly— / praying that I might speak an unbroken English tongue / and never be confined / to the labours of factories,” highlights Phams gratitude towards his mothers persistent attitude to provide him with a better life. The use of enjambment in unity with the long sentence creates a overwhelming feeling when reading allowing readers to reflect on the sacrifices made by immigrants, the long sentence allows readers to feel the uncomfortable hardships experienced by his mother. The short line at the end ‘to the labours of factories’, emphasises the harsh reality of what could have been his future if it wasn’t for his mother sacrifices. When Pham’s says “Teaching was my passion” he reveals uncertainty about her identity through this new information. The use of past tense in the dialogue of “was” leads the reader to believe that the mothers gave up this passion. Through this Pham resonates the idea that our identity is a multifaceted concept that is shifted and warped by ideas that lead ourselves to believe. Often our identity is deeply personal and cannot be completely exposed to those around us, revealing that the idea of

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Yu explores the barriers language can create, recognising that it is often used to separate migrant communities from their newly adopted homelands. Discussing the loss of his M.A. candidacy, he reflects on the deep pain this division has caused him and other migrants.

NEW ACCENTS “And they, the professors, rightly, lost a genius in me / With their English / And my Anguish”

Tone of loss They – microcosm of white Australia or academia Use of pronouns Parallel syntax Lack of punctuation

Savige uses language to reflect on the collective experience we have as Australians of looking to Europe for ancient culture and not appreciating what we have at home. That is, until we are confronted by our culture in a foreign setting.

CIRCULAR BREATHING “I want to bolt up the stairs of the fountain / and claim that sound as the sound of my home — / but stop when I recall how rarely I slow to hear / the truer player busking in King George Square.”

I – highlights effect it has on persona Pause- indicates change in tone Tone – guilt from not appreciating his culture

individual identity is complex in nature, shifting with each with occupancy in our lives. Through language we come to understand the hardships faced by immigrant parents. English and Anguish – he still calls his English anguish, the anguish still lives inside him -> lack of finality (highlighted by lack of punctuation) They, the professors – microcosm of white Australians or academia Use of pronouns highlight the barriers between them and him, even though he is a professor himself now, he still sees it as “their” and “my”, he still doesn’t fully fit in Lost a genius in me – tone of loss Parallel syntax of With their English and my English the repeated sentence or clauses provides emphasis to the barriers and hardships faced by foreigners Yu displays the barriers faced by foreigners through language and the pain it has caused Saviges` dedication to Indigenous poet Samuel Wagon Watson explores how our upbringing and place shapes us and connects us to one another, however we only realise this once we are away from it. Quote by Sam: “I don’t see myself as an Australian poet until I`m actually performing outside of Australia.” The repetition of I reveals the significant effect the music has had on the persona, this is however contrasted with the pause and tonal shift. The poets guilt and embarrassment from not appreciating his culture unless he is in a foreign setting.

Language can be used to affirm, ignore, reveal, challenge or disrupt prevailing assumptions and beliefs about themselves, individuals and cultural groups. Context Ten, by adopting a more anglicised name over her original Chinese name, demonstrates the power language (here, her name) has to either affirm

Evidence TRANSLUCENT JADE “My grandfather made me a gift when I was born. / I used it for a while until another gift, my

Technique Past tense – initially had the name Visual imagery – Auditory imagery

Analysis Gift – ambiguity, marks her arrival, gift of significance Used it for awhile – fleeting attention Flashed in view, sparkled– brighter, visual imagery Sparkled and sang- auditory imagery, sibilance

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or ignore one’s cultural identity.

Wei Wei Lo challenges the assumption that migrants cannot thrive in their newly adopted lands.

Savige uses language here to disrupt prevailing assumptions about the ‘ancientness’ of Europe in comparison to the ‘newness’ of Australia. Simultaneously, he challenges assumptions about Asian-Australian identity by crafting a poem without overt references to Asia.

mother’s, / flashed in view. […] her gift sparkled and sang, replaced the other.”

Sibilance

HOME Final stanza “with the blue plumbago waving defiantly through the natives, the climbing white jasmine rampant over the fence, and the mulberry tree, that foreigner so completely at home, growing taller each year.” CIRCULAR BREATHING “A drone as deep as unexcavated ruins, far older / even than the Forum: Armani, Ray-Ban, Dolce / & Gabbana, all sink at once into equivalence.”

Botanical imagery Metaphor

Ruins – historical allusion Listing of Italian brands are equal in value to historical ruins

-> emphasizes the physicality of the gift Tens use of language techniques display her excitement of her new name and dismissal of her Chinese name, ignoring her cultural identity Wei Wei Lo`s use of botanical imagery represents the idea that a foreigner can live and flourish in foreign land, as the poet can herself as the plants used adapt to different environments to survive.

Emphasizes how our upbringing and place shapes and connects us to one another, however perhaps we only realize this when we are away from it

Displays how Indigenous culture is far more ancient than Rome, its unexcavated -> we don’t know much about Indigenous culture yet His identity is shaped by his Australian influences

Yu gives voice to a Chinese migrant here in order to reveal the prejudice levelled at those who struggle to speak the dominant language.

NEW ACCENTS “When I first arrived in Australia / They tried to fool me around because I couldn’t // Speak “Anguish”

Tonal shift before speak anguish Pronoun – they represents Australian Fool - verb: conveys sense of vulnerability of being in a new country Anguish – ironic Homonyms/homophones (?) of

Yu poignantly highlights the social prejudices faced by Asian Australian migrants through a powerful demonstration of the detrimental consequences of the language barriers faced by himself and his peers.

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Anguish- English...