The Widower In The Country Analysis

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Discoveries and discovering can offer new understandings and renewed perceptions of ourselves, others and our world. Ladies and gentlemen of the HSC panel, thank you for providing this opportunity for me to speak to you on the concept of discovery, and share my thoughts on how this area of study can be explored through texts. The discovery process is a crucial way we can help people arrive at the truth and overcome confusions and uncertainties that have a negative impact on the quality of life. Michael Gow’s play Away and Les Murray’s poem “The Widower in the Country” are two texts that present personal experiences of conflict because of the difficulty of accepting reality, and discover the real problems and issues that they are either unaware of or simply choose to ignore. Both texts demonstrate the challenge of overcoming emotional obstacles, whether it is the death of a loved one or a dysfunctional relationship. Only through discovering the truth …show more content…

The poem portrays the daily routine of a countryman who is struggling to discover any form of enjoyment or contentment in his life after the loss of his wife. Throughout, the poem the persona discovers how repetitive and tedious life can be without his loving wife to be there to support him every step of his life. Murray illustrates a strong feeling of grief and agony in “The Widower in the Country” through the use of first person narration. This is evidently portrayed in “I’ll get up soon, and leave my bed unmade”. Through the use of first person narration, the composer is able to express the persona’s monotonous and repetitive life each day. The discovery of life after the death of his wife has ultimately transformed him into an individual who lacks motivation and enthusiasm in life anymore. This is reinforced in the quote, “Leave my bed