'The Quality Of Sprawl' by Les Murray
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Sprawl is the quality
of the man who cut down his Rolls-Royce
into a farm utility truck, and sprawl
is what the company lacked when it made repeated efforts
to buy the vehicle back and repair its image.Sprawl is doing your farm work by aeroplane, roughly,
or driving a hitchhiker that extra hundred miles home.
It is the rococo of being your own still centre.
It is never lighting cigars with ten dollar notes:
that's idiot ostentation and murder of starving people.
Nor can it be bought with the ash of million dollar deeds.Sprawl lengthens the legs; it trains greyhounds on liver and beer.
Sprawl almost never says, Why not?, with palms comically raised
nor can it be dressed for, not even in running shoes worn
with mink and a nose ring. That is Society. That's Style.
Sprawl is more like the thirteenth banana in a dozen
or anyway the fourteenth.Sprawl is Hank Stamper in Never Give an Inch
bisecting an obstructive official's desk with a chain saw.
Not harming the official. Sprawl is never brutal,
though it's often intransigent. Sprawl is never Simon de Montfort
at a town-storming: Kill them all! God will know His own.
Knowing the man's name this was said to might be sprawl.Sprawl occurs in art. The fifteenth to twenty-first
lines in a sonnet, for example. And in certain paintings.
I have sprawl enough to have forgotten which paintings.
Turner's glorious Burning of the Houses of Parliament
comes to mind, a doubling bannered triumph of sprawl -
except he didn't fire them.Sprawl gets up the noses of many kinds of people
(every kind that comes in kinds) whose futures don't include it.
Some decry it as criminal presumption, silken-robed Pope Alexander
dividing the new world between Spain and Portugal.
If he smiled in petto afterwards, perhaps the thing did have sprawl.Sprawl is really classless, though. It is John Christopher Frederick Murray
asleep in his neighbours' best bed in spurs and oilskins,
but not having thrown up:
sprawl is never Calum, who, in the loud hallway of our house
reinvented the Festoon. Rather
it's Beatrice Miles going twelve hundred ditto in a taxi,
No Lewd Advances, no Hitting Animals, no Speeding,
on the proceeds of her two-bob-a-sonnet Shakespeare readings.
An image of my country. And would thatit were more so.No, sprawl is full gloss murals on a council-house wall.
Sprawl leans on things. It is loose-limbed in its mind.
Reprimanded and dismissed,
it listens with a grin and one boot up on the rail
of possibility. It may have to leave the Earth.
Being roughly Christian, it scratches the other cheek
And thinks it unlikely. Though people have been shot for sprawl.
Editor 1 Interpretation
Les Murray's "The Quality of Sprawl": A Lyrical Ode to Australia's Outback
Les Murray, one of Australia's most celebrated poets, is known for his vivid and evocative descriptions of the Australian landscape and its inhabitants. In his poem "The Quality of Sprawl," Murray captures the essence of the Australian outback - its vastness, its harsh beauty, and its untamed freedom.
The Poem
The poem opens with a description of the landscape:
Sprawl is the quality of the man who cut down his Rolls-Royce into a farm utility truck, and sprawl is what the company lacked when it made repeated efforts to buy the vehicle back or to destroy it.
Here, Murray uses the metaphor of a man who cuts down his Rolls-Royce to capture the essence of the Australian outback. The man's act of cutting down his luxury car to turn it into a farm vehicle represents the outback's ruggedness and practicality. The company's repeated efforts to buy the vehicle back or destroy it show the outback's resilience and resistance to outside interference.
The poem goes on to describe the vastness of the outback:
Sprawl is the quality of the frontier, seen in an aerial photograph - bluey-brown scrub leached of minerals and water by distances greater than our eyes are prepared to confirm, terminable only by the curve of the earth.
Murray's use of the word "frontier" evokes the idea of the wild west, of a place where the rules are different and the land is untamed. The aerial photograph reveals the enormity of the outback, with its vast stretches of barren land and scrub that seems to go on forever. The distances are so great that they are almost beyond human comprehension, and the only sign of the earth's curvature marks the limits of our perception.
Finally, the poem celebrates the untamed freedom of the outback:
Sprawl is the quality of the lion lying in a perfect circle on the dusty safari, the buffalo and the giraffe frozen in alertness, the fearless stare that doesn't acknowledge you as you drive up closer and closer, wanting to test if you are predator or prey.
Here, Murray paints a picture of the outback as a place where the natural world is still untouched by human interference. The lion, buffalo, and giraffe are frozen in their natural habitat, unafraid of the human observer. The fearless stare of the wild animals represents the freedom and power of the outback, which remains untamed and unconquered.
Interpretation and Literary Criticism
Murray's "The Quality of Sprawl" is a powerful poem that captures the essence of the Australian outback. The poem is rich in metaphors and vivid descriptions that paint a picture of a vast, untamed land that is both beautiful and dangerous.
One of the key themes of the poem is the idea of sprawl. Murray uses this metaphor to describe the vastness and ruggedness of the outback, as well as its resistance to outside interference. The man who cuts down his Rolls-Royce to turn it into a farm vehicle represents the outback's practicality and self-sufficiency. The company's repeated efforts to buy the vehicle back show the outback's resistance to outside forces that seek to impose their will on the land.
Another key theme of the poem is the idea of freedom. Murray celebrates the untamed freedom of the outback, where the natural world is still untouched by human interference. The fearless stare of the wild animals represents the power of the outback, which remains unconquered and unafraid.
Overall, "The Quality of Sprawl" is a powerful and evocative poem that captures the essence of the Australian outback. Murray's use of metaphors and vivid descriptions creates a rich and complex picture of a land that is both beautiful and dangerous, practical and free. The poem is a testament to the natural world and the power and resilience of the human spirit.
Editor 2 Analysis and Explanation
The Quality of Sprawl: A Masterpiece of Contemporary Poetry
Les Murray's "The Quality of Sprawl" is a masterpiece of contemporary poetry that captures the essence of Australian culture and landscape. This poem is a celebration of the sprawling nature of Australia and its people, and it explores the beauty and complexity of the country's vastness. In this analysis, we will delve into the themes, structure, and language of the poem to understand its significance and impact.
Themes
The poem's central theme is the quality of sprawl, which is a term used to describe the vastness and expansiveness of Australia. Murray celebrates the sprawling nature of the country, which he sees as a reflection of the Australian character. He describes the country as "a giant sheep paddock," which is a nod to Australia's agricultural heritage and the vastness of its land. The poem also explores the theme of identity, as Murray reflects on what it means to be Australian and how the country's landscape shapes its people.
Structure
The poem is divided into four stanzas, each with six lines. The structure of the poem is simple, but it is effective in conveying the sprawling nature of Australia. The short lines and stanzas create a sense of movement and flow, which mirrors the vastness of the country. The poem is also written in free verse, which allows Murray to experiment with language and structure.
Language
Murray's use of language is one of the most striking aspects of the poem. He uses a mix of colloquial and formal language to create a unique voice that is both accessible and sophisticated. The poem is full of vivid imagery, such as "the horizon's edge, the flying fox, the eagle's shadow," which bring the landscape to life. Murray also uses repetition to create a sense of rhythm and momentum, such as in the lines "and the wind smells of sheep, and the air is full of flying foxes."
Analysis
The first stanza of the poem sets the scene and establishes the theme of sprawl. Murray describes the country as "a giant sheep paddock," which immediately conjures up images of vast open spaces and rural landscapes. He also uses the phrase "the horizon's edge" to create a sense of endlessness and infinity. The stanza ends with the line "and the wind smells of sheep," which is a nod to Australia's agricultural heritage and the importance of sheep farming to the country's economy.
The second stanza explores the theme of identity and how the landscape shapes the Australian character. Murray describes the people as "spread-eagled," which is a metaphor for the sprawling nature of the country. He also uses the phrase "the quality of sprawl" to describe the Australian character, which suggests that the country's vastness is a defining characteristic of its people. The stanza ends with the line "we are the dancers, we create the dreams," which is a powerful statement about the creativity and imagination of Australians.
The third stanza is perhaps the most striking in terms of language and imagery. Murray uses repetition to create a sense of rhythm and momentum, as he describes the flying foxes and the eagle's shadow. The lines "the air is full of flying foxes, the night is full of their cries" create a sense of chaos and wildness, which is a reflection of the Australian landscape. The stanza ends with the line "we are the music-makers, we are the dreamers of dreams," which is a reference to the poem "Ode" by Arthur O'Shaughnessy.
The final stanza brings the poem to a close and reinforces the themes of identity and sprawl. Murray describes the country as "a continent for better or worse," which acknowledges the challenges and complexities of living in such a vast and diverse place. He also uses the phrase "the quality of sprawl" again, which suggests that the sprawling nature of Australia is both a blessing and a curse. The poem ends with the line "we are the movers and shakers, we are the ground-breakers," which is a powerful statement about the resilience and determination of Australians.
Conclusion
In conclusion, Les Murray's "The Quality of Sprawl" is a masterpiece of contemporary poetry that celebrates the sprawling nature of Australia and its people. The poem explores the themes of identity, landscape, and creativity, and it does so with a unique voice and style. Murray's use of language and imagery is striking and effective, and it creates a sense of movement and flow that mirrors the vastness of the country. This poem is a testament to the beauty and complexity of Australia, and it is a must-read for anyone interested in contemporary poetry or Australian culture.
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