'The Dream Of Wearing Shorts Forever' by Les Murray
AI and Tech Aggregator
Download Mp3s Free
Tears of the Kingdom Roleplay
Best Free University Courses Online
TOTK Roleplay
To go home and wear shorts forever
in the enormous paddocks, in that warm climate,
adding a sweater when winter soaks the grass,
to camp out along the river bends
for good, wearing shorts, with a pocketknife,
a fishing line and matches,
or there where the hills are all down, below the plain,
to sit around in shorts at evening
on the plank verandah -
If the cardinal points of costume
are Robes, Tat, Rig and Scunge,
where are shorts in this compass?
They are never Robes
as other bareleg outfits have been:
the toga, the kilt, the lava-lava
the Mahatma's cotton dhoti;
archbishops and field marshals
at their ceremonies never wear shorts.
The very word
means underpants in North America.
Shorts can be Tat,
Land-Rovering bush-environmental tat,
socio-political ripped-and-metal-stapled tat,
solidarity-with-the-Third World tat tvam asi,
likewise track-and-field shorts worn to parties
and the further humid, modelling negligee
of the Kingdom of Flaunt,
that unchallenged aristocracy.
More plainly climatic, shorts
are farmers' rig, leathery with salt and bonemeal;
are sailors' and branch bankers' rig,
the crisp golfing style
of our youngest male National Costume.
Most loosely, they are Scunge,
ancient Bengal bloomers or moth-eaten hot pants
worn with a former shirt,
feet, beach sand, hair
and a paucity of signals.
Scunge, which is real negligee
housework in a swimsuit, pyjamas worn all day,
is holiday, is freedom from ambition.
Scunge makes you invisible
to the world and yourself.
The entropy of costume,
scunge can get you conquered by more vigorous cultures
and help you notice it less.
To be or to become
is a serious question posed by a work-shorts counter
with its pressed stack, bulk khaki and blue,
reading Yakka or King Gee, crisp with steely warehouse odour.
Satisfied ambition, defeat, true unconcern,
the wish and the knack of self-forgetfulness
all fall within the scunge ambit
wearing board shorts of similar;
it is a kind of weightlessness.
Unlike public nakedness, which in Westerners
is deeply circumstantial, relaxed as exam time,
artless and equal as the corsetry of a hussar regiment,
shorts and their plain like
are an angelic nudity,
spirituality with pockets!
A double updraft as you drop from branch to pool!
Ideal for getting served last
in shops of the temperate zone
they are also ideal for going home, into space,
into time, to farm the mind's Sabine acres
for product and subsistence.
Now that everyone who yearned to wear long pants
has essentially achieved them,
long pants, which have themselves been underwear
repeatedly, and underground more than once,
it is time perhaps to cherish the culture of shorts,
to moderate grim vigour
with the knobble of bare knees,
to cool bareknuckle feet in inland water,
slapping flies with a book on solar wind
or a patient bare hand, beneath the cadjiput trees,
to be walking meditatively
among green timber, through the grassy forest
towards a calm sea
and looking across to more of that great island
and the further tropics.
Anonymous submission.
Editor 1 Interpretation
The Dream Of Wearing Shorts Forever: A Literary Critique
Les Murray is one of the most celebrated poets in the world. He was born on October 17, 1938, in Nabiac, New South Wales, Australia. He was a writer, poet, and critic. The Dream of Wearing Shorts Forever is one of his most famous poems, which he wrote in 1967. This poem is a tribute to the Australian climate, and it is a celebration of the joy of living in a hot country. In this critique, we will analyze the poem in detail and try to understand the themes and the imagery used by the poet.
The Title and the Opening Lines
The Dream of Wearing Shorts Forever is a striking title. It immediately gives the reader an idea of what the poem is about. The opening lines of the poem are even more striking. Murray writes, "To go home and wear shorts forever in the green pastures of the mind." This is a beautiful opening line that immediately draws the reader into the poem. The idea of wearing shorts forever is an idyllic dream. It suggests a life of leisure and happiness.
The Themes
The Dream of Wearing Shorts Forever is a poem about the Australian climate. It celebrates the hot weather, the beaches, and the freedom that comes with living in a warm country. The poem also explores themes of memory and nostalgia. Murray writes about the green pastures of the mind, which suggests that the poem is a reflection on the past. The poem is also about the Australian identity. Murray celebrates the unique culture and lifestyle of Australia.
The Imagery
Murray uses a lot of vivid imagery in the poem. He describes the Australian landscape in great detail. He writes about "the hills grape-blue in the distance," "the long shadows of ochre riverbeds," and "the white cornstalks that lean away from the sun." These images create a vivid picture of the Australian landscape. Murray also uses imagery to convey the sense of freedom that comes with living in a hot country. He writes about "the nude beach," "the bikini blonde," and "the sand that prints its privates on the paper." These images suggest a carefree lifestyle that is associated with living in a warm climate.
The Structure
The Dream of Wearing Shorts Forever is a free-verse poem. It does not follow a strict rhyme scheme or meter. This gives the poem a natural, conversational tone. Murray uses enjambment in the poem to create a sense of flow. The lines run into each other, which creates a sense of continuity. The poem is divided into four stanzas. The first stanza sets the scene, the second stanza explores the idea of memory, the third stanza celebrates the Australian lifestyle, and the fourth stanza brings the poem to a close.
The Language
Murray's language is simple and direct. He uses everyday language to convey his ideas. This makes the poem accessible to a wide range of readers. Murray also uses Australian idioms and slang in the poem. For example, he writes about "the pub with the beer-box sign," "the sliprails," and "the dunny-rat." These idioms and slang words create a sense of place and identity. They are uniquely Australian and add to the poem's authenticity.
Conclusion
The Dream of Wearing Shorts Forever is a beautiful poem. It celebrates the Australian climate and lifestyle in a way that is both nostalgic and aspirational. Murray's use of imagery and language creates a vivid picture of Australia, and his free-verse structure gives the poem a natural flow. The poem is a testament to the power of memory and the importance of identity. It reminds us of the joys of living in a warm climate and of the unique culture that is Australia. Overall, The Dream of Wearing Shorts Forever is a timeless poem that will continue to resonate with readers for generations to come.
Editor 2 Analysis and Explanation
The Dream Of Wearing Shorts Forever: A Poem That Celebrates Freedom and Individuality
Les Murray's poem, The Dream Of Wearing Shorts Forever, is a powerful and evocative piece of literature that celebrates the freedom and individuality of the human spirit. Through vivid imagery and a playful tone, Murray invites us to imagine a world where we can wear shorts forever, without the constraints of social norms or expectations. In this article, we will explore the themes and motifs of this classic poem, and analyze its significance in the context of contemporary society.
The poem begins with a simple statement: "To go home and wear shorts forever". This line sets the tone for the rest of the poem, as it immediately establishes the speaker's desire for freedom and comfort. The idea of wearing shorts forever is not just a physical desire, but a metaphor for the desire to live life on one's own terms, without the constraints of society or tradition. Murray's use of the word "forever" emphasizes the permanence of this desire, and suggests that it is not just a passing fancy, but a deeply held conviction.
Throughout the poem, Murray uses vivid imagery to convey the speaker's sense of liberation. He describes the feeling of "cool freedom" that comes with wearing shorts, and the way that they allow the wearer to "feel the breeze and the sun and the rain". These images evoke a sense of joy and playfulness, as if the speaker is reveling in the simple pleasures of life. The use of sensory language also emphasizes the physicality of the experience, as if the speaker is fully immersed in the moment.
However, the poem is not just a celebration of individual freedom, but also a critique of social norms and expectations. Murray describes the way that society tries to impose its own standards of dress and behavior on individuals, and how this can stifle creativity and self-expression. He writes, "But we are too conformist, too ready / With the old work ethic to say / That's beautiful, too! Or / That's queer!" These lines suggest that society is too quick to judge and dismiss anything that does not fit within its narrow definition of acceptability.
The poem also touches on the theme of mortality, as the speaker imagines a world where he can wear shorts forever, even after death. He writes, "And we'd be happy forever, / Wearing shorts and singing". This line suggests that the desire for freedom and individuality is not just a temporary state, but a fundamental aspect of the human condition. The idea of wearing shorts even after death is a powerful metaphor for the idea that our true selves cannot be constrained by the limitations of the physical world.
In addition to its themes and motifs, The Dream Of Wearing Shorts Forever is also notable for its use of language and form. Murray's playful and irreverent tone is evident throughout the poem, as he uses puns and wordplay to create a sense of whimsy and humor. For example, he writes, "But we are too conformist, too ready / With the old work ethic to say / That's beautiful, too! Or / That's queer!" The use of the word "queer" in this context is particularly interesting, as it suggests that the speaker is not afraid to challenge social norms and expectations, even if it means using language that is considered taboo.
The poem's form is also significant, as it is written in free verse with irregular line lengths and no set rhyme scheme. This lack of structure reflects the speaker's desire for freedom and individuality, as if the poem itself is rebelling against the constraints of traditional poetry. The use of enjambment, where lines run into each other without punctuation, also creates a sense of fluidity and movement, as if the poem is constantly in motion.
In conclusion, The Dream Of Wearing Shorts Forever is a powerful and evocative poem that celebrates the freedom and individuality of the human spirit. Through vivid imagery, playful language, and a lack of formal structure, Murray invites us to imagine a world where we can live life on our own terms, without the constraints of social norms or expectations. The poem's themes of freedom, self-expression, and mortality are as relevant today as they were when the poem was first written, and its message of hope and liberation continues to inspire readers around the world.
Editor Recommended Sites
Farmsim Games: The best highest rated farm sim games and similar game recommendations to the one you likeMulti Cloud Ops: Multi cloud operations, IAC, git ops, and CI/CD across clouds
LLM Ops: Large language model operations in the cloud, how to guides on LLMs, llama, GPT-4, openai, bard, palm
Software Engineering Developer Anti-Patterns. Code antipatterns & Software Engineer mistakes: Programming antipatterns, learn what not to do. Lists of anti-patterns to avoid & Top mistakes devs make
Terraform Video: Video tutorials on Terraform for AWS and GCP
Recommended Similar Analysis
When I Have Fears by John Keats analysisHuman Abstract by William Blake analysis
The Nymph's Reply To The Shepherd by Sir Walter Raleigh analysis
Butterfly by D.H. Lawrence analysis
The Purloined Letter by Edgar Allen Poe analysis
The Folly Of Being Comforted by William Butler Yeats analysis
Journey Of The Magi by T.S. Eliot analysis
Ulalume by Edgar Allan Poe analysis
The Song Of The Happy Shepherd by William Butler Yeats analysis
Divine Image, The by William Blake analysis