‘Off the Map’
by David Malouf

‘Off the map’ by David Malouf explores the imaginative landscape of the persona and gives the impression that the inhabitant is travelling on a journey. The physical landscape appears to be a war zone in which the persona wants to escape, creating a landscape of their own within their mind.

David Malouf was born in 1934 in Queensland. His father was a Lebanese-Christian and his mother was an English-Jew. He studied at the University of Queensland until 1955 when he graduated.
(http://www.contemporarywriters.com/authors/?p=auth66 Retrieved: March 8, 2011.)
The poem is a journey of the imaginative landscape of the persona. The anaphora of vowels throughout the poem gives connotations of movement and travelling, for example ‘rode’, ‘climb’ and ‘wade’. The inhabitant starts off in what seems to be a war zone environment. Lines such as,’bronze Anzacs dozing’ and ‘at ease between wars’ convey this type of landscape. However, as the poem progresses the landscape changes as the imaginative landscape of the persona is explored. This change in landscape is indicated by the line ‘out into a dream’. As the poem progresses so too does the journey of the imaginative landscape of the persona. Cumulative imagery conveys the landscape of which is explored in the mind of the persona. For example, ‘black piers, bright water, silos moonstruck’. This conveys the ability of inhabitants to create their own landscapes and that the inhabitant does not always have to be present within their physical landscape. They can explore their mind and create the type of landscape they desire.
Our imaginative landscape has the ability to take us into the unknown, into a landscape that is completely new and unfamiliar. Malouf conveys this idea throughout the poem ‘Off the Map’ as the persona explores their imaginative landscape. The simile ‘pointing nowhere like saints practising stillness in a ripple of grain’, indicates that the inhabitant is lost with their imaginative landscape. This links to the idea that inhabitants have the ability to create an unknown place and escape their physical surroundings.
The imagery of the war at the beginning of the poem in comparison to the imagery of the imaginative landscape that the persona explores indicates that the inhabitant may want to escape their physical environment and journey into a more desired one. In addition, this reveals the inner landscape coming into play. The fact that the inhabitant wants to escape their physical landscape and create an environment with their own imagination, indicates that the inhabitant is not comfortable or content within their physical landscape.
The use of the simile, ‘They thunder across country like ‘daredevils boys’, in stanza 4, again creates an image of war; of soldiers running across the land. ‘Daredevils boys’ give connotations of brave and courageous soldiers. This suggests that the persona is exploring a landscape that relates to their physical landscape, although is more positive as they create an image of themself in a positive way i.e. as a ‘daredevil’.
Overall, the poem shows that the relationship between the inhabitant and the landscape can be both negative and positive. In the persona’s physical landscape, a negative relationship was indicated through the use of the imagery of war. The imaginative landscape however, conveyed a positive relationship between the inhabitant and the landscape. It was the persona’s desired landscape as opposed to their physical surroundings and it created a sense of freedom.

‘Off the Map’ is similar to 'Holy Thursday' by William Blake. Both poems incorporate an imaginative landscape in which the persona explores to escape their natural world. In ‘Holy Thursday’ the imaginative landscape is portrayed in the last stanza. The persona describes a more desired landscape in which there is justice and equality and the inhabitants (children working in factories) of the physical landscape no longer have to endure any more suffering. Similarly, ‘Off the Map’ conveys an imaginative landscape. The persona explores a more pleasant environment to that of their physical surroundings. They escape the landscape of war and explore a more desired environment in which their mind takes them.

‘Holy Thursday’ by William Blake is set in England during the 18th century. The poem conveys the injustice and mistreatment of the children in England at this time and depicts the lush, rich landscape of England.

William Blake was a British poet, painter, visionary mystic, and engraver, who illustrated and printed his own books. He was born in Soho, London in 1757 and this is where most of his life was spent. He died in 1827.
(http://kirjasto.sci.fi/wblake.htm Retrieved: March 7, 2011)

In the poem, Blake conveys the idea that inhabitants within a landscape can make it undesirable and ugly, although the physical landscape itself may be beautiful.

In the first stanza, Blake asks a series of rhetorical questions which immediately requires the reader to think about the statements he is making. The contrast of imagery created from the questions in this stanza helps to shape the message that Blake is trying to convey, which is, the injustice of the children within this rich and luscious landscape. An example of the contrasting imagery is ‘In a rich and fruitful land’ and ‘Babes reduced to misery’. The land is portrayed as rich meaning wealthy, and fruitful indicating the lush vegetation and agriculture that the land provides. The contrast of this imagery to the imagery of ‘Babes reduced to misery’, which refers to the young children who were forced to work in factories under horrible conditions, indicates the inequality evident in this landscape. The line ‘Fed with cold and usurous hand?’ gives connotations of a harsh, unloving environment and again adds to the inequality present in this landscape.

Stanza 2 is also a series of rhetorical questions. This stanza depicts the poet’s disbelief, conveying that he is overwhelmed and taken back by the poverty and conditions that these children live in (the children working in factories during 18th century England). The juxtaposition between the first two lines, ‘Is that trembling cry a song?’ and ‘Can it be a song of joy?’ refers to the expectations of these children- although their lives are miserable they are expected to sing a song of joy. The use of these rhetorical questions also displays the uncertainty of the persona and indicates that he finds this landscape hard to interpret in that the inhabitants (the children) are exposed to such harsh treatment in such a beautiful landscape. The use of the exclamation mark in the line, ‘It is a land of poverty!’, expresses the anger of the persona towards the mistreatment present within this landscape.
The persona goes on to describe the horrible conditions in which these inhabitants (the children) are expected to work in. He describes the conditions as dark and cold stating, ‘and their sun does never shine’ and ‘It is eternal winter there’. In addition the alliteration of ‘bleak and bare’ gives a frustrated and poignant tone.

The last stanza differs from the rest of the poem. It gives a sense of hope and talks about another world in which there is justice and equality. This explores the persona’s imaginative landscape, which is a much more positive landscape compared to the environment described throughout the poem.

This poem relates to the ‘Sydney and the Bush’ by Les Murray and ‘Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening’ by Robert Frost. All of these poems convey the same idea that the inhabitants can impact upon a landscape having the power to make it beautiful or ugly. In ‘Sydney and the Bush’ Murray portrays the idea that colonisation impacted on the natural landscape and its inhabitants, in that it changed and altered the physical landscape and changed the traditional way of life for the original inhabitants (Indigenous Australians). The Indigenous Australians experienced injustice, just as the children described in ‘Holy Thursday’ have. Similarly, in ‘Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening’, Frost indicates that the environment is beautiful and tranquil although suddenly daunting as it has been isolated and there are no inhabitants within the landscape. This is similar to ‘Holy Thursday’ in that the landscapes described in both poems are beautiful; however, due to the interaction between the inhabitant and the landscape it has caused the environment to appear ugly.

'In the Forest' by Thomas Shapcott

‘In The Forest’ by Thomas Shapcott describes the impact that the actions of man-kind have upon the natural landscape, in particular the inhabitants within the landscape.

Thomas Shapcott is an Australian poet, writer, novelist, playwright, editor, librettist, short story and teacher. He was born on the 21st of March near Brisbane and was educated at the University of Queensland. He has won many awards for his literature and poetry.

(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Shapcott . Retrieved: March 7, 2011.)

Shapcott conveys a sense of anticipation and worry throughout the poem. He conveys this through the structure of the stanza’s including rhythm and flow. The poem starts off with short, jolted sentences. This immediately sets the tone of the poem which is stressful and anxious. An example of this is, “Wait for-the axe sound in the forest. The birds wait. The lizards pause and wait.” These lines portray the anticipation of the animals in this environment awaiting the arrival of the humans who chop down trees and destroy their natural landscape. The short sharp sentences build the suspense, particularly in the first stanza where it is most evident. This indicates that the relationship of these humans within the landscape is destructive and has a negative impact upon the original inhabitants within this environment (the animals). However, the relationship conveyed between the animals and the landscape is a close and personal connection as they fear the destruction of their environment by humankind and they know what is coming.
Throughout the poem an image of fear is created. The use of personification is used consistently throughout the poem to indicate the feelings of the animals within the landscape. The lines, “the birds are nervous”, and “the tree is tensed” create this sense of fear in the poem and relate to the impact of man-kind on the inhabitants within the environment. This indicates that these animals are not comfortable in their natural surroundings do not feel safe. Rather they worry and fear the arrival of these humans into their natural habitat, as they know that they will destroy the environment in which they live in.
Throughout the poem the persona changes. In the first half of the poem the persona is of the animals who are the natural inhabitants of this environment. The mood changes with the persona, revealing the different attitudes and relationships between the inhabitants and the landscape. When the persona is from the animal’s point of view the mood created is a fearful, stressful and anxious. This indicates that these inhabitants are vulnerable within their environment and are uncomfortable in their surroundings. The persona then changes to that of the humans or the people with axes that destroy the landscape. The mood is uncaring and inconsiderate. The persona describes the outcome of the destruction on the landscape without any emotion or consideration towards the landscape. This indicates that the relationship between the humans and this landscape is uncaring and the humans do not appreciate their surroundings.
Connotations of death are created throughout the poem, further emphasising the destruction of this landscape. An example of death created throughout the poem is “the skull of the forest in opened up”. This gives the viewer an image of pain and suffering, but primarily death. This line indicates that the forest is no longer a protected and lush environment; rather it is exposed and sparse making it vulnerable. This inevitably impacts upon the inhabitants within the landscape (the animals) as their environment has now changed and they may not be able to live in this environment or will have to adapt to the new outcome. The message from this is that inhabitants can impact upon the landscape of other inhabitants and change the way they live and interact within their natural environment.
This poem is similar to some of the poems we have already studied in that it relates to how the impact of human activity can destroy and change the natural environment. The same message is portrayed in ‘Flames and Dangling Wire’ and ‘Australia’. However the poem contrasts in comparison to many of the other poems as it does not focus on the way the environment can have an effect upon the inhabitant as conveyed in poems including, ‘The Surfer’ and ‘The Late Ferry’.

Sydney and the bush by Les A. Murray

This poem talks about the European colonisation and how it has impacted upon the Australian landscape and the natural inhabitants- the indigenous Australians.

Leslie Allan Murray was born on the 17^th of October, 1938, in the small country town of Nabiac on the North Coast of NSW. He attended primary and early high school in Nabiac, then moved to Taree High School. He studied at the University of Sydney and joined the Royal Australian Navy Reserve to obtain small income. He has published almost 30 volumes of poetry as well as two verse novels and collections of his prose writings.

 (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Les_Murray_(poet). Retrieved: March 4, 2011)

Throughout the poem Murray conveys a strong sense of destruction of the physical landscape and denomination and power over the inhabitants within the landscape. He uses the metaphor, ‘when Sydney and the Bush first met’, referring to ‘Sydney’ as the European settlers and the ‘Bush’ as the Indigenous Australians. This line is used repeatedly throughout the poem to convey the changes and impacts that colonisation has had upon the land and the original inhabitants over time.

He uses the juxtaposition of fire and earth, and white and black in stanza 2 to compare the Europeans to the Indigenous Australians. The word fire refers to the European settlers and gives connotations of hell. This gives the audience the impression that these ‘new comers’ have had a negative impact upon this landscape and its inhabitants. It creates an image of destruction and domination. Earth is representative of the Indigenous Australians as they are the natural inhabitants on this land as opposed to the European settlers.

Murray also uses personification throughout the poem. An example of this is ‘she is a warders’ shop’. This conveys a personal connection to the landscape although in a negative sense. It refers to the land as being a 'warders’ shop', indicating the domination and control that the European immigrants have had on this landscape and gives connotations of the land being a jail.

The repetition of the word back in the line, ‘the bush went back and back’, conveys that the natural bush environment was being overrun by buildings and European development. It indicates a sense of domination over the land by the European migrants and how the bush landscape has been destroyed and minimised as a consequence of industrialisation. It also conveys how the Aboriginal inhabitants have been impacted upon as a result of the settlement, as their landscape has been destroyed.

In comparison to other poetry we have studied, ‘Sydney and the Bush’ explores a different message. Many of the other poems explore the areas of how we as society destroy our own landscapes and the contrast and uncertainty of landscapes. They also talk about how the landscape can impact upon us in a negative way, i.e. natural disasters. ‘Sydney and the Bush’ explores the message of how new inhabitants change and destroy the natural landscape and take over land that is not theirs. On the other hand it is similar to some of the poems in that it talks about the impact of the inhabitants on the landscape and how change can have consequences as conveyed in ‘Flames and Dangling Wire’.