Distinctive Voices †A.B. Paterson Poetry Essay

A number of distinctive voices are used in ‘Clancy of the Overflow’ by A.B. Paterson to paint an evocative picture of Australian society and to juxtapose images of the Australian bush against images of life in the city. The purpose of this poem is to highlight the unique characters of the Australian bush and to allow the reader to romanticise with the Australian bush. The pervading tone of the poem expressed by the clerk narrator is envy of the pleasures he imagines Clancy to experience living and working in the bush and derision of aspects of the city. The distinctive voices in the poem include the clerk narrator, the laconic character of Clancy, the ‘shearing mate’, the bush and finally the city. Paragraph 2 – Explain the distinctive voices of Clancy and the shearer and what they convey about the Australian bush (focus on craftsmanship/techniques and effect). Paragraph 3 – Explain the distinctive voice of the clerk narrator and what he conveys about the Australian bush and life in the city (focus on craftsmanship/techniques and effect). Paragraph 4 – Explain the distinctive voice of the bush and how it is used in a positive way to reinforce Paterson’s view (focus on craftsmanship/techniques and effect). Paragraph 5 – Explain the distinctive voice of the city and how it is used in a negative way to reinforce Paterson’s view (focus on craftsmanship/techniques and effect). Summary (Conclusion) – a final statement about the use and effect of distinctive voices in this poem.