Nobody Calls Me A Wog Anymore - 1137 Words

Australia’s identity has always been a complicated one. Starting with Aboriginal genocide, 1800’s cowboys and villains, two world wars and a bunch of poems describing them, it makes it difficult to conclude on what being an ‘Aussie’ really is. Thankfully, the two thought-provoking poems Nobody Calls Me a Wog Anymore by Komninos Zervos, and My Country by Dorothea Mackellar both use their discerning selection of themes to reflect modern attitudes in some extent. Along with their themes, Nobody Calls Me a Wog Anymore and My Country both use their story to capture the attributes modern Australians possess to some degree. The passionate writer, Komninos Zervos, has been renowned for his upfront, realistic and modern themes shown in his work. The entirety of his most prominent poem Nobody Calls Me a Wog Anymore is based on a theme which identifies the discrimination a Greek Australian faced due to his ethnicity in the country â€Å"Assert my identity Say, ‘hey!’ ‘Aus tra li a!’ ‘Look at me!’ Whether you like it or not I am one of you† (Line 13-18) Speaking from his experiences with hate and discrimination, Komninos positions us to feel as if an apology is necessary. But why? Surely there has to be a reason to make us feel this way. Looking at the final stanza of this poem, we can experience how he feels now, in modern Australia. â€Å"hey Australia I like you lots Since you stopped calling me ‘me wog mate kevin’ And started calling me ‘the Australian poet, Komninos!’† (LineShow MoreRelatedLooking for Alibrandi3765 Words   |  16 PagesLOOKING FOR ALIBRANDI – QUOTES (1992 Puffin edition) â€Å"My mother was born here so as far as the Italians were concerned we weren’t completely one of them. Yet because my grandparents were born in Italy we weren’t completely Australian.† (p. 7) â€Å"It makes me feel I will never be a part of their society and I hate that because I’m just as smart as they are.† (p. 8) â€Å"The room isn’t like the living rooms of my parents†¦ but I like it. Because my mother and I are stamped all over it.† (p. 10) â€Å"Telecom wouldRead MoreAustralian Identity Essay1565 Words   |  7 PagesAdventurous. Loyal. Free. Proud. These are the typical words Australians use to describe themselves, to identify themselves as different from the rest of the world. But who is an Australian? Someone that was born in Australia? Only people we choose to call Australian? People with great achievements that we choose to take credit for? Only people that love sport and vegemite? Or maybe only people with â₠¬ËœAussie’ accents? The Australian population is a proud one indeed, proud of their nation, their achievements