Oodgeroo applies metaphorical writing to represent the key themes in We are Going and The Dawn is at Hand. The key themes of the two poems were defeat and opportunities. Oodgeroo used the word dawn in the title of the poem as a metaphor of a new beginning for the Aboriginal society. In lines 5 to 8 Oodgeroo wrote, “Sore, sore the tears you shed / When hope seemed folly and justice dead… Look up, dark band / The dawn is at hand”. From these lines the reader comprehended that “dawn” (opportunities), was at the “dark band’s” (Aboriginal community) hand. Contrasting to this, in We are Going the Aboriginal community was described as “the quiet daybreak paling the dark lagoon” and “shadow-ghosts creeping back as the camp fires burn low”. (17-18) Aborigines were described as being “nature” in We are Going, and it is known that nature cannot be demolished by mankind. However, in line 7 to 8, it was stated that although Aborigines “belong here” they “are as strangers here now”. The last line emphasised that the Aboriginal community accepts defeat and “we [they] are going”. (25)
Imagery within Oodgeroo’s poems allows the audience to comprehend the extent of rejection of the white people to the indigenous community. In We are Going, the Aboriginal were described as “a semi-naked band subdued and silent”. (2) These words underlined the fact that the Aborigines felt rejected and were withdrawn when they entered the white society. “Rubbish May Be Tipped Here” was the most powerful line in the poem. (6) This line was so significant because the lands and homes of the indigenous community were rejected and were compared to a place where waste and litter could be dumped. In We are Going, Oodgeroo further explains how the white men are taking over the land and rejecting the Aborigines. This was clearly evident from the line “many white men hurry about like ants”. This indicated that the actions of the white men were very decisive and purposeful. In The Dawn is at Hand, the white and the indigenous society were not labelled and separated unlike in We are Going. In The Dawn is at Hand, Oodgeroo explained that the “dark and white [are] upon common ground”. (17) This illustrated the lack of rejection and the sense of “sharing the same equality”. (21)
Oodgeroo uses diverse language choices to distinguish the past and present worlds of the contemporary Aboriginal society. In We are Going, Oodgeroo makes references to the history of the indigenous society by using words such as “eagle…emu…kangaroo”. (22) These animals are significant to the Aboriginal society for they are the main characters in “the wonder tales of Dream Time, the tribal legends told.” (12) Also Oodgeroo used words like “corroboree” and “bora ring” to let the reader understand that the white people and the indigenous are different people. (10) Throughout The Dawn is at Hand, Oodgeroo only used modern day language choices. Though Oodgeroo did not use any cultural words in this poem, the reader was still able to recognise that the subject of the poem was the indigenous community from words like, “dark brothers” and “brotherhood”. (1, 3) By using everyday words the reader was able to more easily associate to the poem compared to We are Going. The motive that Oodgeroo has by varying the language choices is to distinguish the unpleasant past of the aboriginal society and the present world where it is “mate-ship wise” and is “a friendly land”. (13, 19)
The tone expressed in We are Going and The Dawn is at Hand, both written by Oodgeroo of the Noonuccal, emphasises the different perspectives of the contemporary Aboriginal society. The Dawn is at Hand held an optimistic tone throughout the poem. Oodgeroo metaphorically uses the word ‘dawn’ to send a message to the indigenous people that it is a new beginning and that “the shame of the past is over at last” and “the ban and bias will soon be gone”. Oodgeroo on the other hand uses imagery in We are Going to set a sorrowful tone to the poem. Oodgeroo described the indigenous community as “gone and scattered” and this proved that the rejection from the white people immensely affected the indigenous community. The tone in these poems was essential in displaying to the reader the sorrowful past of the Aborigines, however, also presenting the optimistic perspective that the future still holds hope and opportunities for them.
