'On Home Beaches' by Les Murray
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Back, in my fifties, fatter that I was then,
I step on the sand, belch down slight horror to walk
a wincing pit edge, waiting for the pistol shot
laughter. Long greening waves cash themselves, foam change
sliding into Ocean's pocket. She turns: ridicule looks down,
strappy, with faces averted, or is glare and families.
The great hawk of the beach is outstretched, point to point,
quivering and hunting. Cars are the stuff at its back.
You peer, at this age, but it's still there, ridicule,
the pistol that kills women, that gets them killed, crippling men
on the towel-spattered sand. Equality is dressed, neatly,
with mouth still shut. Bared body is not equal ever.
Some are smiled to each other. Many surf, swim, play ball:
like that red boy, holding his wet T shirt off his breasts.
Anonymous submission.
Editor 1 Interpretation
On Home Beaches: A Critique
Have you ever felt a deep connection to the land you grew up on? Have you ever been moved by the beauty of your homeland? If so, then Les Murray's "On Home Beaches" is the poem for you. In this masterpiece, Murray captures the essence of Australian landscape and its impact on the Australian people. Written in 1962, this poem has become an enduring tribute to the beauty and strength of the Australian spirit. In this critique, we will explore the themes of the poem, analyze its structure and examine its literary devices.
Themes
The theme of "On Home Beaches" is the connection between the Australian people and their land. Murray celebrates the beauty and the harshness of the Australian landscape, and how it has moulded the Australian identity. We see this theme reflected throughout the poem. The opening stanza establishes the theme and sets the tone for the rest of the poem. Murray writes:
The blue-enameled scollops of the sea
beat on the curved, crossed
swords of the empty pier,
and the waves and the wind
are old acquaintances.
The sea and the empty pier are symbols of the landscape, and the "old acquaintances" represent the connection between the people and the land. Murray is reminding us that the Australian people have a deep and long-standing relationship with their land.
Another theme that runs through the poem is the idea of home. Murray explores what it means to have a home, and how the Australian people see their land as their home. He writes:
But beyond the breakwater,
a smell of dead kelp came in,
blown up the street from the shoreline.
Houses and streets were tokens of our being,
but I found my home on the ocean's
rocking verge, the sand below me shook
by the pounding waves.
Here, Murray is telling us that home is not just a physical place, but a feeling of belonging. He is saying that even though the houses and streets are important to the Australian people, their true home is the land itself. The ocean's "rocking verge" and the "pounding waves" evoke a sense of power and stability that comes from being connected to the land.
Structure
The structure of "On Home Beaches" is free verse. Murray uses a combination of long and short lines to create a sense of rhythm that mirrors the ebb and flow of the ocean. The short lines represent the waves, while the longer lines represent the shore. The structure of the poem is also cyclical. Murray begins and ends the poem with the same stanza, creating a sense of completeness and continuity.
The poem is divided into six stanzas, each with its own distinct imagery and tone. The first stanza establishes the theme of the poem, while the second stanza introduces us to the harshness of the Australian landscape. The third stanza is a tribute to the beauty of the land, while the fourth and fifth stanzas explore the idea of home. The final stanza brings the poem full circle, ending where it began.
Literary Devices
Murray uses a variety of literary devices in "On Home Beaches". In particular, he makes use of imagery, metaphor, and alliteration to create a sense of place and to evoke emotion in the reader.
In the second stanza, Murray uses metaphor to describe the harshness of the Australian landscape. He writes:
But beneath the steel shield of the sky
there is a faint unease, a rumour of old wars,
of strife and ancient enmities.
Here, Murray is comparing the sky to a steel shield, and the unease to a rumour of old wars. This metaphor creates a sense of danger and unease, while also evoking a sense of history and tradition.
Murray also uses alliteration to create a sense of rhythm and flow in the poem. In the fifth stanza, he writes:
The whole long day we
watched the sandhills move
as if they were alive.
Here, the repetition of the "w" sound in "watched" and "sandhills" creates a sense of movement and fluidity, and adds to the sense of connection between the people and the land.
Conclusion
In conclusion, "On Home Beaches" is a poem that celebrates the connection between the Australian people and their land. Through its themes and literary devices, Murray captures the beauty and strength of the Australian spirit. The poem is a tribute to the power of home, and how it can shape our identity and sense of belonging. It is a powerful work that continues to resonate with readers today.
Editor 2 Analysis and Explanation
On Home Beaches: A Poetic Journey Through Nostalgia and Identity
Les Murray’s poem “On Home Beaches” is a beautiful and poignant exploration of the themes of nostalgia and identity. The poem takes the reader on a journey through the speaker’s memories of his childhood and his connection to his homeland. Through vivid imagery and powerful language, Murray captures the essence of what it means to belong to a place and to feel a deep sense of longing for it.
The poem begins with the speaker describing the beaches of his childhood. He paints a picture of a place that is both familiar and foreign, a place that has changed over time but still holds a special place in his heart. The opening lines of the poem set the tone for what is to come:
“On home beaches, the white-washed sand Cracks like cuneiform underfoot, Dry-waved by an August gale.”
The use of the word “cuneiform” is particularly striking here, as it suggests that the speaker sees the cracks in the sand as a kind of writing, a record of the past that he is trying to decipher. This sets up the idea that the poem is a kind of journey through memory, a search for meaning in the landscape of the past.
As the poem progresses, the speaker’s memories become more vivid and detailed. He describes the sights, sounds, and smells of the beach, evoking a sense of nostalgia that is both bittersweet and powerful. He remembers the “salt smell of the sea” and the “bitter tang of seaweed,” as well as the “squeak of sand underfoot” and the “whisper of waves on the shore.” These sensory details bring the poem to life, making the reader feel as if they are standing on the beach alongside the speaker.
One of the most striking aspects of the poem is the way in which Murray uses language to convey the speaker’s emotional state. The poem is full of powerful metaphors and similes that capture the speaker’s sense of longing and loss. For example, he describes the sea as “a blue-green dragon breathing on the shore,” suggesting that it is both beautiful and dangerous, a force to be reckoned with. He also compares the waves to “white horses,” evoking a sense of power and majesty that is both awe-inspiring and intimidating.
Throughout the poem, Murray explores the idea of identity and what it means to belong to a place. The speaker describes himself as a “stranger” on the beach, someone who has been away for a long time and is now returning to a place that has changed. He feels a sense of displacement, as if he no longer belongs in the world he once knew. However, he also feels a deep connection to the beach and to the memories it holds. He describes the sand as “the skin of the earth,” suggesting that he is a part of the landscape, even if he no longer feels at home there.
The poem also touches on the idea of time and how it changes everything. The speaker describes how the beach has changed over the years, how the sand has shifted and the waves have eroded the shore. He also reflects on how he himself has changed, how he is no longer the same person he was when he was a child. This sense of impermanence is a recurring theme in the poem, and it adds to the overall sense of nostalgia and loss.
Despite the sadness that permeates the poem, there is also a sense of hope and resilience. The speaker acknowledges that things change, but he also recognizes that there is something enduring about the beach and the memories it holds. He describes how the sand “will still be here when we are gone,” suggesting that there is a kind of permanence to the landscape that transcends human experience.
In conclusion, Les Murray’s “On Home Beaches” is a powerful and evocative poem that explores the themes of nostalgia, identity, and the passage of time. Through vivid imagery and powerful language, Murray captures the essence of what it means to belong to a place and to feel a deep sense of longing for it. The poem is a journey through memory, a search for meaning in the landscape of the past. It is a testament to the enduring power of the natural world and the human spirit, and it reminds us that even in the face of change and loss, there is always hope.
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