Tahlia+Ryan-Worth

TAHLIA RYAN-WORTH

AUSTRALIAN CULTURAL PERSPECTIVES - 'THE MAN FROM SNOWY RIVER'

====In the ballad ‘The Man from Snowy River’ written by Banjo Patterson, it strongly demonstrates the highlights and hardships of the Australian outback and culture. Attitudes towards both the bush/outback and the animals is a repeated component throughout Patterson’s ballad. ‘The Man from Snowy River’ clearly shows numerous values, representations and attitudes. The way Patterson uses the technique of imagery both helps and enables the audience to imagine the setting. One of these values in this ballad is that horses, being a strong animal, are valued and are of high importance to the community and individuals. This value is supported by the drovers’ demonstrations of gathering to capture a single horse, which ran away to be free with a group of wild horses. This poem is very popular with Australian history. This is most probably because of the way in which the value of the horses and history are represented and compliment each other. An attitude in Patterson’s ballad is the way the men are raised to respect and be one with nature. This attitude is explored by one man, the Man from Snowy River and his horse, which was negatively judged by the old man as he was smaller than all the other drovers’ horses. However, both man and his horse were raised in the bush and have adapted, to country and the environment, this is also an attitude of respect for the nature and its harsher conditions in the Australian outback. The terrain is represented as unforgiving and challenging as it says, “any slip was death …”. The aspect of mateship is highly represented, which is shown in the appearance of the horsemen – strong, determined and fearless. This ballad concisely and correctly described and gives a clear visual of the Australian history and all the elements contained.====



JADEN AND TAHLIA

Tahlia Macbeth