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’.
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