Journeys- A Righteous Day and A Road Not Taken
Journeys are a multi-faceted concept which can result in both positive and negative outcomes. “A Righteous Day” (1988) by Mudrooroo and “A Road Not Taken” (1916), both explore an inner journey as an implication of a physical journey. Composers of both poems have effectively articulated this inner self-realisation through a variety of language devices.
Mudrooroo’s “A Righteous Day” encompasses a positive outcome of confidence as a result of a negative experience and their inner journey due to white settlement, particularly on such day as 26th January 1988 (Bicentenary of European Settlement). First person narration has been utilised, as seen in “I shall let my fist be clenched in songs;” to allow the reader to empathise with the composer and understand the journey first hand from the persona. Anaphora is repetitively seen in “Today, I shall…” to emphasise the author’s seriousness and determination as an implication of the journey of multiple generation of Aboriginal’s experienced due to the arrival of the first fleet.
An oxymoron has been utilised in “keep my violence passive in anger”, this portrays to the reader of the confused mind and phases of the journey. The utilisation of the juxtaposition in “with the leaders who walk on slits and stumble” compares the politicians to clowns, which goes to emphasise the composer’s emotions of the political powers as a mockery. As the poem progresses there is a steady building of pace which is metaphorical to the building of determination and strength. “The red and black along the golden path” alludes to the Aboriginal flag, further symbolising the journey of the people. In the final stanza, “for today, this is our day and don’t forget it!” illustrates the use of parallelism which adds rhythm and flow to the poem, while simultaneously repeating on the “today” and “our” to demonstrate the positive determination and outcome of this inner journey.
Similarly, Frosts “Road Not Taken” corroborates an inner journey as a
Mudrooroo’s “A Righteous Day” encompasses a positive outcome of confidence as a result of a negative experience and their inner journey due to white settlement, particularly on such day as 26th January 1988 (Bicentenary of European Settlement). First person narration has been utilised, as seen in “I shall let my fist be clenched in songs;” to allow the reader to empathise with the composer and understand the journey first hand from the persona. Anaphora is repetitively seen in “Today, I shall…” to emphasise the author’s seriousness and determination as an implication of the journey of multiple generation of Aboriginal’s experienced due to the arrival of the first fleet.
An oxymoron has been utilised in “keep my violence passive in anger”, this portrays to the reader of the confused mind and phases of the journey. The utilisation of the juxtaposition in “with the leaders who walk on slits and stumble” compares the politicians to clowns, which goes to emphasise the composer’s emotions of the political powers as a mockery. As the poem progresses there is a steady building of pace which is metaphorical to the building of determination and strength. “The red and black along the golden path” alludes to the Aboriginal flag, further symbolising the journey of the people. In the final stanza, “for today, this is our day and don’t forget it!” illustrates the use of parallelism which adds rhythm and flow to the poem, while simultaneously repeating on the “today” and “our” to demonstrate the positive determination and outcome of this inner journey.
Similarly, Frosts “Road Not Taken” corroborates an inner journey as a