Bruce Dawe Essay

Bruce Dawe's poems “Weapons training” and “Homecoming” offer insight into Australian soldiers’ experiences during the Vietnam War and display their struggle. Dawe’s exploration of the war’s brutal harshness causing dehumanisation in both of these poems has had an immense impact on Australian society by exposing the decline of human morality. Despite their similarities, Dawe confronts readers with differing messages to showcase the complexities of war.

Dawe critiques the dehumanisation of soldiers in both poems: The repetition in “ They’re picking. They’re bringing. They’re zipping. they're tagging. they're giving” which is from “Homecoming”displays how the bodies were being dehumanised, by recognising the use of “they’re” it is evident that

Whereas ‘Homecoming’ focuses on the aftermath of the war and society's response to the loss of the soldiers, ‘Weapons training’ concentrates on the dehumanising process of military conditioning where the soldiers are trained to become weapons. This can be observed in “ why are you looking at me are you queer?” which is from “ Weapons training”. The sergeant intentionally used a rhetorical question to humiliate the soldier he was speaking to. During the 1950s being called this term was taken as an insult, making the soldier feel shame and guilt for their actions. By degrading the soldiers this would lead them to become weapons, with nothing that could hurt them, this was the sargents goal. With the soldiers so emotionally detached to the situation because of the dehumanisation, they would be able to kill the enemy with no guilt attached. Displaying Dawes motive behind writing the poem, to reveal the brutal dehumanisation process. In “ Homecoming” Dawe focuses on the aftermath of the war. This is through the simile “the howl of their homecoming rises, surrounding them like their last moments ( the mash, the splendour)”. This “howl” emphasises the intense grief and agony felt by those awaiting the homecoming of the fallen soldiers. This evokes empathy and sorrow among the audience and society. Dawe also challenges society by displaying their detachment to the dead soldiers, creating meaning in the text. Showcasing how homecoming focuses on the repercussions of the war on society. Therefore, Dawe had written both poems with different motives to explore the consequences of war and the effect it had on the soldiers and