Hi all, extremely sorry for the last minute ask as exam is tomorrow. Would anybody be able to give me a rough essay mark /20 and some feedback on my text? Would be much appreciated!
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English Common Module Draft Essay
To what extent does Kenneth Slessor represent the tension between individual and shared human experiences?
Essay Response
Poetry is a literary art form that uses form and stylistic features to evoke emotion and create vivid depictions of the human experience. Kenneth Slessor’s works explore a range of individual and collective human experiences, and examine the relationship between subjective perception and common facets of human life, focusing on the Modernist notion of the interaction between the subconscious mind and it’s surroundings. Slessor is reflective of the growing disillusionment and existential questionings of the Early to Mid-20th century, as his poems disjoin themselves from post-romantic ideas, and begin to posit Modernist philosophies such as emphasis on subjective experience, the aesthetic value in the mundane, and the search for meaning amongst absurdity.
By highlighting the interplay between shared and individual experiences, Slessor illustrates how a universal moment can be reinterpreted through a subjective lens. In Wild Grapes, Slessor explores the withered expanse of orchards as a metaphor for a broken memory, examining how his perception influences his universal experience of loss. He contrasts the qualities of a distant memory to a current reality, conveying the fragmented nature of memory through the evanescing vividness of his recollection. Slessor’s initial recollection of the memory utilises Pastoral Imagery to embody life and sustenance, however, slowly fades into a desolate orchard, which creates a metaphor for the effect of time fading his memory of “Isabella”. This idea is further supported by the excerpt “Here’s where cherries grew that birds forgot” which juxtaposes lucid floral imagery against the desolation of “forgot” embodies the transformative nature of memory that influences his experience of the collective human ordeal of loss. Furthermore, the rhetorical question “Kissed here – Or Killed here – But who remembers now?” invites the reader to consider how his lens is warped by a fragmented memory, depicting how his individual struggle to memorise a distant persona transforms the universal experience of loss into a personalised account where he questions the very basis of the memory. Slessor’s subjective portrayal of a collective experience illustrates how external influences such as time are the factors that ultimately decide our human experience, but shows the duality of the experience, through the dichotomy of a negative fragmented memory and the comfort in the fact it may not have been a pleasant one.
Kenneth Slessor explores collective experiences and the instability of modern life, urging individuals to find meaning amongst their absurdity. Slessor conveys the shifting perspective of hardship throughout the poem, highlighting disdain and glossing over prosperity, essentially backward romanticism. The poem William Street explores this concept through the lens and influence of an urban environment. Slessor utilises the metaphor “Red globe of light, the liquor green” to initially represent humanity’s momentary indulgence in transient pleasures. Employing a symbol in “liquor green”, Slessor emphasis that humanity’s search for meaning during tribulations is found through the escape of these fleeting experiences, reflecting how individuals in the post Great Depression era found purpose in within absurdity. The concept of searching for meaning is further reiterated through the consistent enjambment, where it creates a flowing, dynamic poem, metaphorical for the search for meaning being constant. The use of enjambment can be seen coupled with historical allusion in the quote “Red globe of light, the liquor green”, Where Slessor conjoins the allusion to Red light districts with the run-on nature caused by the comma not completely punctuating the thought. Through this, he illustrates how economic hardship has driven people to the demoralising career of prostitution but finds aestheticism in the fact it creates a vivid nightlife, mirroring the modernist propensity to find beauty in the mundane.
Through his representation of subjective perception of collective experiences amidst global absurdity, Kenneth Slessor ultimately posits the idea that individuality is indispensable in finding meaning, and that individual calling is the way to find comfort. William Street’s representation of collective experience such as the desire to escape increasing societal pressure represents the absurdity of modern life, and Slessor shows how amidst this absurdity, he has found meaning in appreciating urban landscapes. The refrain “You find it ugly, I find it lovely” is repeated at the end of every quatrain, which demonstrates how Slessor has recognised the absurd landscape of post-war Australia, where escapist behaviours are widespread. However, in this, Slessor feels prompted to recognise the beauty and calls himself to recast urban places as spaces pivotal to the Australian identity. His chosen calling to recast urban places as cultural exchanges is seen through the extract “goes deeper than a stream” where Slessor clearly intends to portray the city in a positive light, reflective of how he felt called amongst absurdity. Similarly, in Wild Grapes, he demonstrates the call to find meaning through the persona’s desire to re-piece his fragmented memory of Isabella. His call to repiece this memory is evident in the quote “Of dark hair swinging and silver pins,” which utilises visual imagery to create a memory of Isabella. Through this, the narrator enacts a personal calling to memorialise her, creating a revival that resists the destructive passage of time
In conclusion, Kenneth Slessor’s poetry illustrates how individual perception shapes the experience of collective human realities, particularly amidst the absurdities of modern life. Through poems such as Wild Grapes and William Street, Slessor demonstrates that meaning is found not in the external world itself, but in the subjective engagement with memory, environment, and fleeting experiences. By highlighting the interplay between personal calling and shared experiences, Slessor ultimately seeks to convey the idea that individuality is indispensable in navigating experiences, and it creates the meaning and identity we shaped ourselves around.
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English Common Module Draft Essay
To what extent does Kenneth Slessor represent the tension between individual and shared human experiences?
Essay Response
Poetry is a literary art form that uses form and stylistic features to evoke emotion and create vivid depictions of the human experience. Kenneth Slessor’s works explore a range of individual and collective human experiences, and examine the relationship between subjective perception and common facets of human life, focusing on the Modernist notion of the interaction between the subconscious mind and it’s surroundings. Slessor is reflective of the growing disillusionment and existential questionings of the Early to Mid-20th century, as his poems disjoin themselves from post-romantic ideas, and begin to posit Modernist philosophies such as emphasis on subjective experience, the aesthetic value in the mundane, and the search for meaning amongst absurdity.
By highlighting the interplay between shared and individual experiences, Slessor illustrates how a universal moment can be reinterpreted through a subjective lens. In Wild Grapes, Slessor explores the withered expanse of orchards as a metaphor for a broken memory, examining how his perception influences his universal experience of loss. He contrasts the qualities of a distant memory to a current reality, conveying the fragmented nature of memory through the evanescing vividness of his recollection. Slessor’s initial recollection of the memory utilises Pastoral Imagery to embody life and sustenance, however, slowly fades into a desolate orchard, which creates a metaphor for the effect of time fading his memory of “Isabella”. This idea is further supported by the excerpt “Here’s where cherries grew that birds forgot” which juxtaposes lucid floral imagery against the desolation of “forgot” embodies the transformative nature of memory that influences his experience of the collective human ordeal of loss. Furthermore, the rhetorical question “Kissed here – Or Killed here – But who remembers now?” invites the reader to consider how his lens is warped by a fragmented memory, depicting how his individual struggle to memorise a distant persona transforms the universal experience of loss into a personalised account where he questions the very basis of the memory. Slessor’s subjective portrayal of a collective experience illustrates how external influences such as time are the factors that ultimately decide our human experience, but shows the duality of the experience, through the dichotomy of a negative fragmented memory and the comfort in the fact it may not have been a pleasant one.
Kenneth Slessor explores collective experiences and the instability of modern life, urging individuals to find meaning amongst their absurdity. Slessor conveys the shifting perspective of hardship throughout the poem, highlighting disdain and glossing over prosperity, essentially backward romanticism. The poem William Street explores this concept through the lens and influence of an urban environment. Slessor utilises the metaphor “Red globe of light, the liquor green” to initially represent humanity’s momentary indulgence in transient pleasures. Employing a symbol in “liquor green”, Slessor emphasis that humanity’s search for meaning during tribulations is found through the escape of these fleeting experiences, reflecting how individuals in the post Great Depression era found purpose in within absurdity. The concept of searching for meaning is further reiterated through the consistent enjambment, where it creates a flowing, dynamic poem, metaphorical for the search for meaning being constant. The use of enjambment can be seen coupled with historical allusion in the quote “Red globe of light, the liquor green”, Where Slessor conjoins the allusion to Red light districts with the run-on nature caused by the comma not completely punctuating the thought. Through this, he illustrates how economic hardship has driven people to the demoralising career of prostitution but finds aestheticism in the fact it creates a vivid nightlife, mirroring the modernist propensity to find beauty in the mundane.
Through his representation of subjective perception of collective experiences amidst global absurdity, Kenneth Slessor ultimately posits the idea that individuality is indispensable in finding meaning, and that individual calling is the way to find comfort. William Street’s representation of collective experience such as the desire to escape increasing societal pressure represents the absurdity of modern life, and Slessor shows how amidst this absurdity, he has found meaning in appreciating urban landscapes. The refrain “You find it ugly, I find it lovely” is repeated at the end of every quatrain, which demonstrates how Slessor has recognised the absurd landscape of post-war Australia, where escapist behaviours are widespread. However, in this, Slessor feels prompted to recognise the beauty and calls himself to recast urban places as spaces pivotal to the Australian identity. His chosen calling to recast urban places as cultural exchanges is seen through the extract “goes deeper than a stream” where Slessor clearly intends to portray the city in a positive light, reflective of how he felt called amongst absurdity. Similarly, in Wild Grapes, he demonstrates the call to find meaning through the persona’s desire to re-piece his fragmented memory of Isabella. His call to repiece this memory is evident in the quote “Of dark hair swinging and silver pins,” which utilises visual imagery to create a memory of Isabella. Through this, the narrator enacts a personal calling to memorialise her, creating a revival that resists the destructive passage of time
In conclusion, Kenneth Slessor’s poetry illustrates how individual perception shapes the experience of collective human realities, particularly amidst the absurdities of modern life. Through poems such as Wild Grapes and William Street, Slessor demonstrates that meaning is found not in the external world itself, but in the subjective engagement with memory, environment, and fleeting experiences. By highlighting the interplay between personal calling and shared experiences, Slessor ultimately seeks to convey the idea that individuality is indispensable in navigating experiences, and it creates the meaning and identity we shaped ourselves around.
