Shrzynecki Essay

How have the Shrzynecki’s perspective of Australia altered in the first 3 poems? How has language been used to convey this?

Change can occur in many different forms, one of the most powerful being a change in perspective. It can alter images of people, place, and even their path in life. The poems “Crossing the Red Sea”, “Migrant Hostel”, and “10 Mary Street”, by Peter Shrzynecki, show a migrant families change in perspective of Australia as their experiences grow. The use of language has allowed their thoughts and emotions associated with their migration and new home land, to be explored. Similes, religious symbolism and bird imagery are just some of the techniques used to further the readers understanding of this traumatic journey in a families life.
The journey to Australia and the anticipation of a new home is the main theme in “Crossing the Red Sea”. This poem deals with the varying emotions that the migrants face as they “watch a sunset they woul...