My country poem annotation australian landscape poetry. My country is an iconic patriotic poem about australia, written by dorothea mackellar 18851968 at the age of 19 while homesick in england. After travelling through europe extensively with her father during her teenage years, she started writing the poem in london in 1904 and rewrote it several times before her return to sydney. My country mackellar opens her poem with a gentle description of the english countryside, tinted with green and shaded lanes, a greyblue distance, and soft dim skies. In conjunction with the unveiling, there was an exhibition of a series of 34 water colour paintings by jean isherwood illustrating the writers most famous poem, my country. My country the love of field and coppice, of green and shaded lanes. Isobel marion dorothea mackellar obe was an australian poet and fiction writer. Of ordered woods and gardens is running in your veins, strong love of greyblue distance brown streams and soft dim skies i know but cannot share it, my love is otherwise. Ms mackellar continues, even though she does not need to. Which country is the poet describing in the first verse and how does she feel about it. She was a young woman at the time, and writing pieces that she sent to magazines for. This week, as ive been walking, the words of dorothea mackellars poem about the country, have been going through my head, so i thought i might share two extracted stanzas today. Andrew mcleans rich illustrations bring the poem to life, and will help it resonate with a new generation of young australians and those who love australia. My country was added to the national film and sound archives sounds of australia registry in 2009 my country.
Poets australia dorothea mackellar, my country, photos. Dorothea mackellar the analysis perhaps this is why the poem my country is one of the most well known australian. I love a sunburnt country, a land of sweeping plains, of ragged mountain ranges. Dorothea mackellars my country state library of nsw. However, when examined a little closer, it becomes apparent that mackellar s country is actually a metaphor for her and her life. My country is a poem about australia, written by dorothea mackellar 1885 1968 at the age of 19 while homesick in the united kingdom.
Dorothea mackellar poems by the famous poet all poetry. Dorothea mackellars my country voices of david l page. Dorothea mackellar was born in sydney in 1885 into a wellestablished, wealthy family, and was educated privately at the university of sydney. However, when examined a little closer, it becomes apparent that mackellars country is actually a metaphor for her and her life. Isobel marion dorothea mackellar better known as dorothea mackellar, obe 1 july 1885 14 january 1968 was an australian poet and fiction writer. Dorothea mackellar my country australian poetry close. Core of my heart wikisource, the free online library. Comment on the structure of the poem rhymeverseschange in locationrepetition. Poetry analysis workshop for close reading activity with australian poet dorothea mackellars poem my country. Dorothea mackellar my country belonging free essays. My country is an iconic patriotic poem about australia, written by dorothea mackellar 18851968. After travelling through europe extensively with her father during her teenage years she started writing the poem in london in 1904 and rewrote it. Her education was comprised of private home tutoring until she attended university of sydney. The watercolours were eventually put on permanent display in the gunnedah bicentennial regional gallery.
My country is an iconic nationalistic poem about australia written by dorothea mackellar in 1908. The rhyme scheme in this poem is abcb, with end rhyme in both the verses and the chorus. This cherished, timeless poem by dorothea mackellar clearly describes the australian landscape, which is an important part of identity. She wrote a version of it that she called core of my heart when she was homesick on a visit to england.
I love a sunburnt country, a land of sweeping plains, of ragged mountain ranges, of droughts and. Upon initial examination of the poem my country, one might think that this is simply a patriotic poem written by a young woman who feels a great bond to the land around her. My country by dorothea mackellar 18851968, written in 1904 recited by dorothea mackellar. The love of field and coppice, of green and shaded lanes. My country dorothea mackellar hunter valley stories. The love of field and coppice of green and shaded lanes, of ordered woods and gardens is running in your veins. It was on this day in 1908 that dorothea mackellars beloved poem, my country was first published the spectator in london printed it under its original title, core of my heart. They are from the second verse of my country written by a homesick young australian, dorothea mackellar 18851963 in about 1904.
Dorothea mackellars my country analysis a standard. Critical analysis of my country by dorethea mackellar. My country is a poem about australia, written by dorothea mackellar 18851968 at the age of 19 while homesick in the united kingdom. Dorothea mackellars my country essay 707 words bartleby. The whole poems intention seems to evoke the sense of praising for the country and express mackellars deep relationship and passion with her land. This poem deals with nature descriptions about australia. Of ordered woods and gardens is running in your veins, strong love of greyblue distance.
How does dorothea mackellars famous poem, my country relate to australian identity. Comments about my country by dorothea mackeller senneth klessor 3142020 12. I love a sunburnt country, a land of sweeping plains, of ragged mountain ranges, of droughts. The three words in the wide brown land sculpture come from the famous poem my country, by dorothea mackellar. Her poem my country is widely known in australia, especially its second stanza, which begins. My country official dorothea mackellar website poetry archive.
She is best remembered for her poem, my country, with the immortal line i love a sunburnt country this is the. This great australian poem is perfect for looking at the fantastic and varied australian landscape, which is both terrifyingly harsh and amazingly beautiful. Analysis of the poem my country by oscar krahnvohl essay. At 19 years old she wrote a poem, my country, the second verse of which is perhaps the best known stanza in australian poetry. My country poem dorothea mackellar poems best poems. The genre is part of bush poetry and does not tell a story. Analysis dorothea mackellars my country is a poem expressing mackellars deep passion and love for her country, australia. Personification i love a sun burnt country which familiarizes the following stanza on australia, the idea of australia not just being a piece of land, but to posses similar characteristics of a person. I know to what brown country my homing thoughts will fly.
I love a sunburnt countrya land of sweeping plains,of ragged mountain ranges,of droughts and flooding rains. The three words in the wide brown land sculpture come. Strong love of greyblue distance, brown streams and soft, dim skies i know, but cannot share it, my love is otherwise. Her poem my country is perhaps the best known australian poem. Australia, as country audio of a song based on the poem my country. Dorothea mackellars my country is a poem expressing. My country poem analysis australian landscape poetry. My country the love of field and coppice of green and shaded lanes, of ordered woods and gardens is running in your veins.
Poetry analysis worksheet of an iconic poem about australia written in 1904. Students learn about the poem my country written by dorothea mackellar, and write their own poem inspired by their local area. My country text published in the chronicle adelaide, south australia 28 july 1932 p. My country dorothea mackellar state library of nsw. The watercolours were eventually put on permanent display in. My country by dorothea mackellar famous poems, famous. Core of my heart later my country would become the poets most iconic achievement as a writer, marking a pinnacle in her literary career and creating a lasting landmark in australias literary heritage. In my country there are literary poetic devices which makes the poem easier to remember and provide poetic form, specifically alliteration and onomatopoeia. My country is an iconic patriotic poem about australia, written by. Welcome to the official dorothea mackellar website. I love a sunburnt country, a land of sweeping plains, of ragged. List all the features that the poet admires about the australian landscape.
My country, by dorothea mackellar pennys poetry pages. Comprehension questions on my country by dorothea mackellar 1. Personification is presented, by referring to the land as she or her. I love a sunburnt country, a land of sweeping plains, of ragged mountain ranges, of droughts and flooding rains. A selection of 94 poems by a well known australian poet written from 1905 to 1926. My country by dorothea mackellar 1885 1968 the love of field and coppice, of green and shaded lanes. This famous poem later retitled my country is believed to have been directly inspired by dorothea mackellars experience of life on the land, and her love of the allyn river district, nsw. I love a sunburnt country july 03, 2017 a poem written by dorothea mackellar in 1908, the words to my country is one that is recited for school and remembered. My country is a rhyming poem, fourteen stanzas in length. The landscape is important to australians because of its diversity which provides a very wide range of lifestyles and occupations, culture and history. The poem was first published in the london spectator on 5 september 1908 titled as core of my heart.
She travelled broadly with her parents and also become fluent in spanish, french, german and italian. One can imagine that this is out of love because she still has more to say. My country by dorothea mackellar famous poems, famous poets. The opening two stanzas describe the british landscape, but this is not the country the young dorothea mackellar yearns for. Ive always loved the passion and the power of dorothea mackellars my country. My country dorothea mackellar my country is an iconic nationalistic poem about australia written by dorothea mackellar in 1908. Sheena kajal stickland patel this poem my country by dorothea mackellar makes me think about how lucky we are to live in australia and have all the beautiful scenery, landscapes and natural features like uluru, the coast and many more. Three years later, it was included in mackellars the closed door and other verses, under the nowfamiliar title my country. My country is a poem about australia, written by dorothea mackellar at the age of 19 while homesick in the united kingdom. A poetess, and third generation australian who loved australia and the australian countryside. With a memoir and eight colour plates of australian paintings. My country mackellar wikisource, the free online library. Sometime before 1908, while on a visit to england, a homesick young australian woman put her thoughts down on paper in a poem she called core of my heart. Early in 1908, a young dorothea mackellar 18851968 sat down to write out the final draft of a poem she had been working on for four years.
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