Singing White Australia By Oodgeroo Noonuccal Poem by Dr Ian Inkster

White Australia by Oodgeroo Noonuccal

Taken from her collection, The Dawn Is At Hand, this is the briefist of poems by one of Australias's greatest poets. it is stark, direct and uncompromising, perhaps not the characteristics of much classical poetry, but absolutely desired by all political poets whose lves surround their verse and whose verse involves whole communities or genders or even civilizations.

Note the apt reference to Rudyard Kipling, whose verse and essays stories strongly supported white colonialism, misadventure and violence. For my own ironic approach to Kipling see my contributions to Poemhunter under 'If' and Song of the White Man.

Ian Inkster