Municipal Gum
The author of the poem Municipal Gum is Oodgeroo Noonuccal, who is an activist who campaigned for Indigenous Australian’s rights but is also known for her poetry. The poem was written in 1966. The poem is about a gum tree that represents the indigenous Australians that were displaced and taken away from their families. This essay explores the effective representation of Indigenous Australians, and the poem’s theme is displacement, and the tone is mournful. The Author effectively explores the theme and tone. The poet was able to do this because she used a variety of poetic features including an extended metaphor, enjambment, and apostrophe.
The poem features an extended metaphor to portray the theme of the poem. She believes that the gum tree does not belong in a city street, just as how, indigenous Australians do not belong in other locations. Instead, they should be with their families. Extended metaphors are used because it brings emotion, and the reader can create connections within the poem. The poem states “Gum tree in the city street, / Hard bitumen around your feet”. Thus, extended metaphor is an effective way to bring emotion and let the reader make connections within the poem.
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Noonuccal uses this to further express the displacement of the gum tree. She believes that the Indigenous Australians were taken away from their families. Apostrophe is important because it highlight the importance of an object and adds emotion. Apostrophe helps the reader to feel mournful and sad by using it in these lines “O fellow citizen / What have they done to us?”. Thus, apostrophe is an effective way to express emotion and tone to the reader throughout the