Belonging Essay
Belonging Essay
Belonging can come in very many forms. Belonging can come from people, places, groups, communities and the larger world. Through this nourishment of belonging a sense of understanding arises and when the choice is made to prevent belonging a sense of not belonging is established. This is illustrated by Peter Skrzynecki’s poetry from the Immigrant Chronicles, Neighbours by Tim Winton.
The poem Postcard can be seen in context with the Immigrant Chronicles in addressing feelings of detachment and a sense of isolation through lack of understanding towards heritage and culture. This is expressed through Skrzynecki’s confusion over his cultural and personal identity as well as his sense of belonging through heritage. “I stare at the photograph.” Skrzynecki is a second-generation migrant; therefore his sense of belonging is clouded by a heritage he is estranged in contrast to Peter’s parents.
The postcard “haunts” the persona creating the negative connotation of fear. This suggests that through not understanding the postcard he cannot identify with it. “Warsaw, Old Town, I never knew you” Stanza two encapsulates the persona’s detached attitude. The utilisation of imagery is generic, “Red buses on a bridge” which conveys the lack of emotional meaning and the personas detached attitude “and something like a park” towards his heritage. Through the use of apostrophe, the city of Warsaw is personified, “Warsaw, Old Town, I never knew you” emphasising that the persona knows of Warsaw through the third person. This effectively establishes the importance of the city to his parents ”my Father will be proud… Beloved Ukraine” and how they nourish their understanding of their previous home in contrast to the lack of understanding Peter has towards his heritage, which prevents his belonging.
The migrants “shelter” Warsaw because it defines the cultural identity and sense of belonging through heritage and nourishing an understanding towards Warsaw. This
Belonging can come in very many forms. Belonging can come from people, places, groups, communities and the larger world. Through this nourishment of belonging a sense of understanding arises and when the choice is made to prevent belonging a sense of not belonging is established. This is illustrated by Peter Skrzynecki’s poetry from the Immigrant Chronicles, Neighbours by Tim Winton.
The poem Postcard can be seen in context with the Immigrant Chronicles in addressing feelings of detachment and a sense of isolation through lack of understanding towards heritage and culture. This is expressed through Skrzynecki’s confusion over his cultural and personal identity as well as his sense of belonging through heritage. “I stare at the photograph.” Skrzynecki is a second-generation migrant; therefore his sense of belonging is clouded by a heritage he is estranged in contrast to Peter’s parents.
The postcard “haunts” the persona creating the negative connotation of fear. This suggests that through not understanding the postcard he cannot identify with it. “Warsaw, Old Town, I never knew you” Stanza two encapsulates the persona’s detached attitude. The utilisation of imagery is generic, “Red buses on a bridge” which conveys the lack of emotional meaning and the personas detached attitude “and something like a park” towards his heritage. Through the use of apostrophe, the city of Warsaw is personified, “Warsaw, Old Town, I never knew you” emphasising that the persona knows of Warsaw through the third person. This effectively establishes the importance of the city to his parents ”my Father will be proud… Beloved Ukraine” and how they nourish their understanding of their previous home in contrast to the lack of understanding Peter has towards his heritage, which prevents his belonging.
The migrants “shelter” Warsaw because it defines the cultural identity and sense of belonging through heritage and nourishing an understanding towards Warsaw. This