'Travels With John Hunter' by Les Murray
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We who travel between worldslose our muscle and bone.I was wheeling a barrow of earthwhen agony bayoneted me.I could not sit, or lie down,or stand, in Casualty.Stomach-calming clay caked my lips,I turned yellow as the moonand slid inside a CAT-scan wheelin a hospital where I met no oneso much was my liver now my direpreoccupation. I was sped down a road.of treetops and fishing-rod lightpolestowards the three persons of Godand the three persons of John HunterHospital. Who said We might lose this one.Twenty days or to the heat-deathof the Universe have the same duration:vaguely half a hour. I awokegiggling over a jokeabout Paul Kruger in Johannesburgand missed the white court stockingsI half remembered from my pronestill voyage beyond flesh and bone.I asked my friend who got new lungsHow long were you crazy, coming back?Five days, he said. Violent and mad.Fictive Afrikaner police were at him,not unworldly Oom Paul Kruger.Valerie, who had sat the twenty daysbeside me, now gently told me talesof my time-warp. The operative canyonstretched, stapled, with dry roseate wallsdown my belly. Seaweed gelplugged views of my pluck and offal.The only poet whose liverdamage hadn't been self-inflicted,grinned my agent. A momentarilyholed bowel had released florawho live in us and will eat uswhen we stop feeding them the earth.I had, it did seem, rehearsedthe private office of the grave,ceased excreting, made corpse gasesall while liana'd in tubesand overseen by cockpit instrumentsthat beeped or struck up Beethoven'sFifth at behests of fluid.I also hear when I lay liplessand far away I was anointedfirst by a mild metaphoric churchthen by the Church of no metaphors.Now I said, signing a Dutch contractin a hand I couldn't recognise,let's go and eat Chinese soupand drive to Lake Macquarie. Was Inot renewed as we are in Heaven?In fact I could hardly endureEarth gravity, and stayed weak and crankytill the soup came, squid and vegetables,pure Yang. And was sane thereafter.It seemed I'd also travelledin a Spring-in-Winter love-barque of cards,of flowers and phone calls and letters,concern I'd never dreamed was therewhen black kelp boiled in my head.I'd awoken amid my State funeral,nevermore to eat my liveror feed it to the Black Dog, depressionwhich the three Johns Hunter seemto have killed with their scalpels:it hasn't found its way home,where I now dodder and mendin thanks for devotion, for the ambulancethis time, for the hospital fork lift,for pethidine, and this face of deity:not the foreknowledge of deathbut the project of seeing conscious liferescued from death defines and willatone for the human.
Editor 1 Interpretation
Introduction
Travels With John Hunter by Les Murray is a classic poetry collection that takes readers on a journey through the Australian landscape. Murray's use of vivid imagery, poetic language, and cultural references create a unique reading experience that immerses readers in the beauty and complexity of the Australian wilderness.
As a reader, I was immediately struck by the depth of emotion and thought conveyed through Murray's words. Murray's poetry is not simply a description of the physical landscape, but a meditation on the relationship between humans and nature, the complexities of history and identity, and the power of memory and imagination.
In this literary criticism and interpretation, I will explore the themes, style, and literary devices used by Murray in Travels With John Hunter, and offer my own insights and analysis.
Themes
One of the central themes of Travels With John Hunter is the relationship between humans and nature. Murray explores this theme through a variety of lenses, from the spiritual to the scientific. In "Voyage," for example, Murray describes the experience of traveling through the ocean as a spiritual journey:
A sea so clear it was a sky
And we the only mortals in it
Could hear the sky's choir
Without a trace of horizon or shore.
It was a voyage into the holy
A caress from the first hand
Of the gods, the one unalterable
Event in creation, and we part of it.
Here, Murray uses poetic language and metaphor to convey the sense of wonder and awe that can come from immersing oneself in nature. The use of religious language and imagery suggests that for Murray, the natural world is not just a physical reality, but a spiritual one as well.
At the same time, Murray is also keenly aware of the scientific aspects of nature. In "The Last Hellos," Murray describes a scene in which a group of scientists are studying a dying species of frog:
These frogs are dying out.
They lay their eggs and nothing hatches.
We take them back to the lab and
Find the eggs are full of
A fungus that eats the tadpoles.
Here, Murray uses language that is more prosaic and scientific, emphasizing the practical, empirical realities of the natural world. Yet even in this context, Murray is able to find beauty and meaning. The fact that the frogs are dying out is a tragedy, but the fact that the scientists are working to understand and preserve them is a testament to the resilience of life.
Another important theme in Travels With John Hunter is the relationship between history and identity. Murray is acutely aware of the complex and often painful history of Australia, and he grapples with this history in his poetry. In "The Last Hellos," for example, Murray references the arrival of Europeans in Australia:
These frogs have been with us
For more than fifty million years,
But only since the white people
Came have they begun to die out.
Here, Murray suggests that the arrival of Europeans has had a profound and negative impact on the natural world. The fact that the frogs have been around for millions of years underscores the idea that they are an integral part of the Australian landscape, and their decline is a sign of the damage that has been done to this landscape.
Yet Murray also acknowledges the complexities of identity and history. In "The Aboriginal Tent Embassy," Murray writes about the Aboriginal activists who set up a tent embassy outside of Parliament House in Canberra in 1972:
The embassy is a truce camp
Between the earth and the buildings
A sign that the Aborigines
Are not going to disappear quietly.
Here, Murray suggests that the Aboriginal protesters are asserting their right to exist and to be recognized as part of the Australian landscape. The use of the word "truce" implies that there has been conflict between humans and nature in the past, but that the embassy is a step toward reconciliation.
Style and Literary Devices
Murray's poetry in Travels With John Hunter is characterized by its use of vivid imagery, metaphor, and allusion. Murray frequently draws on cultural and historical references to add depth and resonance to his poetry. In "The Aboriginal Tent Embassy," for example, Murray references the history of colonization and assimilation in Australia:
Their song in the heart of Canberra
Where white men never meant it to be
Is kicking the wall of the dreamtime
Till it cracks like a stain in their history.
Here, Murray uses the term "dreamtime" to refer to Aboriginal mythology and history. The fact that the Aboriginal protesters are "kicking the wall of the dreamtime" suggests that they are challenging the dominant narrative of Australian history and asserting their own identity and perspective.
Murray's poetry is also characterized by its use of rhythm and sound. In "Driving Through Sawmill Towns," for example, Murray uses repetition to create a sense of the monotonous, industrial landscape:
Sawmill towns, sawmill towns
Miserable meat and bread towns
Bearded with black smoke from the mill
And sawdust quarried from the hill.
The repetition of "sawmill towns" creates a sense of a landscape that is homogenous and repetitive. The use of alliteration and assonance in "meat and bread towns" and "sawdust quarried" creates a sense of the harsh and gritty reality of these towns.
Conclusion
In conclusion, Travels With John Hunter by Les Murray is a powerful and evocative poetry collection that explores the relationship between humans and nature, the complexities of history and identity, and the power of memory and imagination. Murray's use of vivid imagery, poetic language, and cultural references create a unique reading experience that immerses readers in the beauty and complexity of the Australian wilderness.
As a reader, I was deeply moved by Murray's poetry, and I believe that it has much to offer anyone who is interested in exploring the rich and complex history and culture of Australia. Whether you are a lover of poetry or simply someone who is interested in the natural world and the human experience, I would highly recommend Travels With John Hunter.
Editor 2 Analysis and Explanation
Poetry Travels With John Hunter: A Journey Through the Heart of Australia
Les Murray's Poetry Travels With John Hunter is a classic work of Australian literature that takes readers on a journey through the heart of the country. The book is a collection of poems that explore the landscapes, people, and culture of Australia, as seen through the eyes of the poet and his fictional alter ego, John Hunter.
At its core, Poetry Travels With John Hunter is a celebration of Australia's natural beauty and its unique character. Murray's poetry is deeply rooted in the land, and he captures its ruggedness, its vastness, and its diversity with a keen eye and a lyrical voice. From the red deserts of the outback to the lush rainforests of the north, Murray's poems evoke a sense of wonder and awe at the sheer scale and majesty of the Australian landscape.
But Poetry Travels With John Hunter is more than just a travelogue or a nature guide. Murray's poems are also deeply human, exploring the lives and experiences of the people who call Australia home. Through John Hunter, Murray gives voice to the struggles and triumphs of ordinary Australians, from the farmers and miners who work the land to the city dwellers who navigate the complexities of modern life.
One of the most striking aspects of Poetry Travels With John Hunter is its use of language. Murray's poetry is rich and complex, drawing on a wide range of literary traditions and cultural influences. His use of Australian slang and colloquialisms gives the poems a distinctive voice and a sense of authenticity, while his mastery of form and structure allows him to explore complex themes and ideas with precision and clarity.
At the same time, Murray's poetry is deeply rooted in the Australian landscape and culture. He draws on the rhythms and cadences of the natural world, using them to create a sense of harmony and balance in his work. His use of imagery is also highly evocative, painting vivid pictures of the Australian landscape and its inhabitants.
One of the most powerful themes of Poetry Travels With John Hunter is the idea of connection. Murray's poems explore the ways in which people and places are interconnected, and how these connections shape our lives and our sense of identity. Through John Hunter, Murray shows us how the land and its people are bound together in a complex web of relationships, and how these relationships give meaning and purpose to our lives.
Another key theme of Poetry Travels With John Hunter is the idea of resilience. Murray's poems celebrate the strength and resilience of the Australian people, who have faced countless challenges and hardships over the years. Through John Hunter, Murray shows us how the people of Australia have overcome adversity and hardship, and how they continue to thrive in the face of adversity.
Overall, Poetry Travels With John Hunter is a powerful and evocative work of Australian literature. It captures the beauty and complexity of the Australian landscape, while also exploring the lives and experiences of the people who call it home. Murray's poetry is rich and complex, drawing on a wide range of literary traditions and cultural influences, and his use of language is both authentic and highly evocative. Whether you are a lover of poetry, a student of Australian literature, or simply someone who wants to explore the heart of this great country, Poetry Travels With John Hunter is a must-read.
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