Preview

Peter Skrzynecki Analysis

Good Essays
Open Document
Open Document
1004 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Peter Skrzynecki Analysis
“The poems of Peter Skrzynecki convey a sense of both alienation and the hope for a brighter future. Discuss with reference to at least 3 poems.”

Belonging is a broad but complex perception that highlights our sub conscious need to feel a connection with something. A sense of belonging or not belonging can produce a strong emotional response within us. The poems Feliks Skrzynecki, St Patricks College and Postcard by Peter Skyrzynecki adopt the common themes of alienation and hope for a brighter future. The theme of alienation is more decisively depicted in the poems Feliks Skrzynecki and St Patricks college, in which the persona is in a continuos battle to find his true identity and in doing so ‘let his light shine’. On the other hand, the poem Postcard is somewhat a collision of the speaker’s two world’s, his own quest to belong and embrace the Australian culture whilst also trying to hang onto his Polish heritage. The composer emphasises these themes through the implementation
…show more content…
The poem is somewhat the beginning of a brighter future for the speaker as it ties together all his feelings experienced in earlier poems, which therefore enables him to ‘let his light shine’. Even though the speaker has been constantly neglecting his Polish heritage, this poem displays the composer alluding to the fact that he will connect with it in the future.This is highlighted in the quote ‘we will meet before you die’. The technique of high modality in the quote enables the responder to grasp a clear idea on the certainty of the speaker having a future connection with his Polish heritage. This also highlights the speaker engaging in the beginning of something new as the previous poems have highlighted a cultural alienation which is somewhat embraced is the poem, signifying his hope for a brighter future and

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Good Essays

    The two poems by Peters Skrzynecki, “Feliks Skrzynecki” and “10 Mary Street” paint a picture of a migrant family where the father and son have different perceptions of their belonging as a result of their different cultural experiences. In addition, their feelings about belonging change over time. This changing sense of belonging is conveyed effectively through a variety of poetic devices such as: imagery, metaphors, similes and hyperboles.…

    • 1152 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    A sense of self can emerge where you belong in the world. Peter’s connection to the new world results in a disconnection from a relationship with his father and his Polish heritage in Feliks Skrzynecki. A technique used to show this is irony. Peter struggles to learn Latin but in doing that he forgets his first Polish word, a symbolic loss of parent’s heritage, this is shown in the last stanza of the poem, ‘stumbling over tenses in Caesar’s Gallic War, I forgot my first Polish word’.…

    • 469 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Although the notion of ‘belonging’ entails a need for acceptance by others, the first barrier one must face is coming to terms with one’s own identity. This essay, I will explore two interrelated issues. First, it is the inability to reconcile one’s identity that prevents one from belonging. Second, it is only through engaging with one’s surrounding that a better sense of self may be achieved. These themes are expressed in Peter Skrzynecki’s suite of poems, the Immigrant Chronicles (1975), where the author’s sense of alienation from both his Polish and Australian heritages stems from his own ambivalence towards his identity. In particular, the poems In the Folk Museum, and 10 Mary Street articulates his internal struggles during his teenage…

    • 1286 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Skryznecki’s poem ‘Feliks Skryznecki’ explores the concept of a man’s belonging is determined by relationships that build understanding. Skryznecki’s culturally independent father chooses to separate himself from a blended community and keep a relationship with a garden “loved his garden like a only child” that represents his homeland in Poland. His strong connection with his garden shows his choice to not have a relationship with Australian culture but instead seek solace in his isolated world. Skyrznecki outlines the connection of the man and his garden with the use of hyperbole “swept its paths ten times around the world” and “years walking its perimeter”. Skryznecki uses italics as a hint of dislocation between him and his father “the formal address I never got used to” the relationship between Skryznecki loses touch with his father as he begins to lose touch with his polish culture and begins to form a relationship with his Australian culture “forgot my first polish word”, this separates Skryznecki and his father drawing them further apart over time although his father aspired his son to keep the relationship with his polish culture “repeated it so I never forgot” and keep his relationship with his father.…

    • 815 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    The poet’s house includes warmth and intimacy. It symbolises new opportunity for the poet’s family. The address 10 Mary Street provided the family sense of security, stability and reliability after they arrived at an unfamiliar country facing unpredictable physical and emotional change. This address evokes the poet’s old memories about living with his family and the house provided them a shelter from the unfamiliar country. The theme of “Felik Skrzynecki” highlights the displacement between different generations with distinctive heritage can affect a person’s identity. Different types of belonging such as belong to mother country Poland and Australian community, are conveyed by describing the lifestyle of his father and the adaptation the poet faced. In addition, the poet explores the idea of family members respecting each other despite their different perceptions of the Australian culture.…

    • 770 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Belonging is the perceptions held by one’s self which enables them to be connected with others. It is the way of acceptance, having security, fulfilment and a connection in association to people, places, groups, communities and the world itself. The sense of belonging is affected by many factors such as understanding, choices, culture, relationships, and experiences. Due to these factors, it can be harder for some people to overcome the barriers of belonging, but may also be easier for others. In the poem, “St Patricks College” by Peter Skrzynecki, and “Refugee Blues” by Wystan Hugh Auden, it demonstrates how belonging can be difficult for some people. Whereas in the poem, “Feliks Skrzynecki” also by Peter Skrzynecki, it contrastingly shows how others find it easy to belong, even if they find it hard in other factors.…

    • 1108 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Peter Skrzynecki explores his perceptions and ideas of belonging in the anthology of poems from “Immigrant chronicle”. The concept of belonging is conveyed through the represent action of people, relationship, ideas, place, events and societies. In the text responders may experience and understand all the facts of belonging or not belonging, this awareness may be influenced by the different ways perspectives are created through the voice of Peter Skrzynecki. The language techniques express and free verse structure his perception of belonging.…

    • 678 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    A perfect related text needs to encapsulate the masses, to inspire the uninspirable, and to expose a true sense of belonging that is neither superficial nor false. Ladies and Gentlemen would you say belonging is fundamental to all human beings, including yourself? Macquarie dictionary defines belonging as ‘happiness felt in a secure relationship’ but in reality, belonging is a precursor to knowing and accepting one’s self. Through comparing different texts I have come to the realisation that a sense of belonging comes from a sense of identity, both cultural and personal. This concept is epitomised within Kate Woods, ‘Looking for Alibrandi’ film and further developed within Peter Skrzynecki’s poems Feliks Skryznecki and St Patricks College.…

    • 1114 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    Peter Skrzynecki’s persistent desire to connect/belong to his cultural heritage is carried forth in various poems, such as Feliks Skrzynecki and St. Patrick’s College. Cultural barriers determine whether the composer/responder is able to belong, and shows the ways in which he attempts to belong. The continual desire to belong to…

    • 1293 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Peter Skryznecki

    • 769 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Peter Skrzynecki demonstrates the complexity to belong through the poem ‘Felicks Skrzynecki’ and his father’s affiliation with a place as he writes “ loved his garden like an only child’ . Simile conveys that Felicks sense of belonging is derived from the comfort of his garden; he has paternal feelings towards it like a father connects to his child. In comparison this establishes the alienation of peters relationship with his father. Skrzynecki conveys he feels displaces and his sense of cultural identity is marginalised when he writes “ pegging tents, further and further south of Hadrians wall’ Metaphor conveys Peter’s education has resulted in him moving further away from his cultural heritage and his father, instigating his loss of association with Poland. The complexity of belonging conveyed when Skrzynecki compares the separate lifestyles of him and his father, “ happy as I have never been” Adjective ‘happy’ foregrounds his uncertainty of moving away from his culture as well as the awe he feels in regards to his father living a happier lifestyle. Skrzynecki further conveys he does not belong when he comments “shook hands violently” and “never got use to the formal addressing of my father, Felicks Skrzynecki” negative connotations of ‘violently’…

    • 769 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    For some people, belonging can be establish through actions and hard work overtime but it seems to be difficult to maintain due to obstacles preventing to accept what is in front of them and relationship. In one of Skrzynecki's poem ‘ 10 Mary Street’ it displays the individual's daily life of him trying to connect to the world. He had shown the connection of feeling belonged through this quote “Tended roses and camellias , Like adopted children” by using his garden it reinforce…

    • 226 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    Peter Skrzynecki

    • 640 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Peter skrzynecki uses the idea of belonging in he’s poems by using many language structures and poetics devices for example in he’s two poems feliks skrzynecki and St Patricks college…

    • 640 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Feliks Skrzynecki

    • 736 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Feliks Skrzynecki, composed by Peter Skrzynecki, is an affectionate, yet puzzled poem of the persona’s father, as seen through the eyes of the composer. The first stanza beings with the line, ‘My gentle father’ showing the reader that not only does this show some sort of affection and admiration the composer had for his father, but also some detachment. In the verse, it states the father’s devotion to his tasks stems from his sense of belonging to his garden; ‘Loved his garden like an only child’. This this tells the reader that his father took pride into his garden as if his son was merely nothing. Showing a strong connection lost between son and father. “Spent years walking its perimeter”, perimeter may represent some sort of boundary or barriers that the composer’s father had to face or endure endless loneliness.…

    • 736 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Belonging is an instinctive factor in human nature which is embedded in everyone. The sense of belonging or not belonging can have a significant impact on a person’s life, their personality and their position in society. A person may find a strong sense of belonging through representations of symbolic places, relationships or events. Through these different aspects which create a sense of belonging, a strong individual identity can also be formed. Peter Skrzynecki explores these concepts in his poem “Feliks Skrzynecki” and presents the idea that there does not always have to be a conflict between an individual’s desire to belong and their duty to themselves. In this poem, Skrzynecki demonstrates how Feliks’ bond with his home country of Poland and his desire to continue to belong there, play a defining role in shaping his own individual identity in his new country, Australia. He retained his individual identity throughout the many experiences in his life and it is this strong sense of personal awareness that fuelled the desire to further strengthen his sense of belonging with Poland, as opposed to Australia. Through this motion, Skrzynecki demonstrates how Feliks does not feel obliged to change his identity in order to feel a part of or fit into his new society. He does not have a distinct desire to belong to his new life, rather he chooses to surround himself with what reminds him of Poland – his home country in this new environment, hence eliminating the conflict of the individual’s duty to themselves and their desire to belong. Along with this, Skrzynecki is also able to portray how his father’s behaviour has affected him by making it difficult for Skrzynecki to develop his own sense of belonging in Australia. This representation of a significant place is shown through Feliks’ garden…

    • 1220 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Feliks Skrzynecki Analysis

    • 1269 Words
    • 6 Pages

    Feliks Skrzynecki is the poet’s father and this poem is a tribute to his dignity and stoicism in the face of loss and hardship. Felix’s individual journey from Europe to Australia, from one culture to another, echoes through the poem and it is clear that the impact of the journey is as strong for the son as it is for the father.…

    • 1269 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Good Essays