The Australian Identity In My Country By Dorothea Mackellar

Literature has the strength bring to light the numerous characteristics of a country, ultimately, highlighting aspects its national identity. Every nation possesses its own distinction, in particular however, the unique context of the Australian Identity is often defined by the nations unique landscapes, phenomena, shared values, and connections. This is explicitly exposed through the poem “My Country” written by Dorothea Mackellar as she effectively illustrates the multiple aspects of the Australian identity with a focus on the collective love and correlations to the land. The composer supports this notion to a high extent through the poem as viewers explore the euphoric experiences she faced whilst staying in Australia. These experiences

At the beginning, Mackellar shares this deep sense of belonging through the subjective language of “I know I cannot share it, my love is otherwise” which suggests her personal connection to Australia. This idea is emphasised by the emotive language of “my love is otherwise” which reveals that whilst living in England, Mackellar yearned for something else out there and as a result, found Australia calling her name. This creates meaning as it expounds how connection to land is crucial to the Australian Identity as by finding her true home, Mackellar finally felt as if she belonged. The repeated use of “love” creates the idea that she connects to her country passionately and is unconditionally loyal as a result. Furthermore, the effective use of the first person language in “I” and “my” enhances this concept as it causes the audience to comprehend how the composer feels deeply about this disconnection to place of origin internally. The language through these lines significantly present readers with the opportunity to reflect on their own home by forcing the audience to question their relationships with their current nation. This provides insight into the Australian Identity as yet again, this notion of belonging to country is explored. Although

The composer demonstrates the Australian identity by describing the nations diverse landscapes and phenomena via the calm sweeping plains and harsh mountain ranges in contrast the unpredictable weather conditions. Mackellar exemplifies this weather through the alliteration within the line, “I love a sunburnt country.” as it strengthens the idea of the intensity of the heat. Thus, it suggests the harsh weather which is often associated with the Australian Identity and reveals the uniqueness of the nation. On top of this, the metaphor of “sunburnt country” is used to once again describe the severe and oppressively hot weather that is linked with Australia's rural areas. This antagonising weather conveys the message of the adversities of Australia, bringing forth the idea of natural hardships versus the rewards that Australia has to offer. In addition, this view bestows the reader with the opportunity to discover Australia’s natural phenomena including the contrast between “doughts and flooding rains.” Furthermore, the harsh word of “sunburnt” is juxtaposed to the line “a land of sweeping plains,” to express her reverence for the area and the serenity it can bring, despite the extremities of the scorching heat. This enables the responder to recognise the