'The Dream Of Wearing Shorts Forever' by Les Murray
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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.
Editor 1 Interpretation
The Dream Of Wearing Shorts Forever: A Literary Criticism
Are you looking for a poem that perfectly encapsulates the essence of youth and the longing to hold on to it forever? Look no further than Les Murray's "The Dream Of Wearing Shorts Forever," a masterpiece of modern poetry that explores the themes of nostalgia and the inevitability of growing old. In this literary criticism, we will delve deeper into the meaning of this poem and how it speaks to the human experience.
The Poem
Firstly, let's take a look at the poem itself. "The Dream Of Wearing Shorts Forever" is a free-verse poem consisting of twelve stanzas of varying lengths. The poem's speaker begins by reminiscing on his youth, describing how he and his friends would play cricket in the sun while wearing shorts. He then transitions to his current state as an older man, lamenting how his body has changed and how he can no longer indulge in the same activities he once did. However, the poem's final stanza introduces a note of hope, as the speaker declares that he will continue to dream of wearing shorts forever, even if his body has other plans.
The Themes
The poem's title alone hints at the central theme of the transience of youth. The dream of wearing shorts forever is not just a literal desire to wear a specific article of clothing indefinitely; it represents the speaker's yearning to hold on to the carefree days of his youth. The poem's opening stanza sets this tone perfectly: "To go home and wear shorts forever / in the enormous paddocks, in that warm climate / adding a sweater when winter soaks the grass." The speaker is describing an idyllic, never-ending summer where the worries of adulthood are absent.
However, this idealistic vision is disrupted by the reality of aging. The speaker notes how his body has changed, how he can no longer play cricket like he used to, and how he has to "[run] on legs and feet of meat that [feel] like stone." The contrast between the carefree youth and the limitations of age is starkly portrayed. The poem's title is now revealed to be a dream, an unattainable desire in the face of the unstoppable march of time.
Despite this recognition of the inevitability of aging, the poem's final stanza offers a glimmer of hope. The speaker declares that he will continue to dream of wearing shorts forever, even if his body has other plans. This final stanza can be read as an act of defiance against the natural order of things. The speaker refuses to be bound by his physical limitations and instead chooses to embrace the youthful spirit within him.
Interpretation
So what does this poem mean? On one level, it can be read as a simple lament on the passing of youth. The speaker's nostalgia for carefree days spent playing cricket is a universal feeling, one that many readers will be able to relate to. However, the poem goes deeper than mere sentimentality. It touches on the fundamental human desire to hold on to what we love, even as we know it must inevitably slip away from us.
The contrast between the speaker's youthful memories and his current state as an older man can also be read as a commentary on the human condition. We all experience the passage of time, and we all have to confront our own mortality. The poem's final stanza can be seen as a call to embrace life in the face of this reality. The speaker chooses to dream of wearing shorts forever, even as his body ages, and in doing so, he chooses to live life to the fullest.
Style and Technique
Les Murray's writing style is marked by its accessibility and vivid imagery. The poem's opening stanza, in particular, is a masterclass in descriptive writing: "To go home and wear shorts forever / in the enormous paddocks, in that warm climate / adding a sweater when winter soaks the grass." The reader is immediately transported to the speaker's idyllic vision of a never-ending summer. Murray's use of enjambment and varied line lengths also adds to the poem's lyrical quality.
The poem's use of metaphor is also worth noting. The "legs and feet of meat" that the speaker runs on are a stark contrast to the lithe, youthful bodies he remembers from his cricket-playing days. This metaphor serves to emphasize the physical limitations of aging and the inevitability of bodily decay.
Conclusion
"The Dream Of Wearing Shorts Forever" is a poem that speaks to the universal human experience of growing older. Les Murray's use of vivid imagery and metaphor serves to drive home the poem's themes of nostalgia and the inevitability of aging. However, the poem's final stanza offers a glimmer of hope, as the speaker chooses to embrace life in the face of his physical limitations. This poem is a true masterpiece of modern poetry, one that will continue to resonate with readers for generations to come.
Editor 2 Analysis and Explanation
The Dream of Wearing Shorts Forever: A Poetic Masterpiece by Les Murray
Les Murray, the renowned Australian poet, has left an indelible mark on the world of literature with his thought-provoking and evocative works. Among his many celebrated poems, "The Dream of Wearing Shorts Forever" stands out as a masterpiece that captures the essence of Australian culture and identity. In this 2000-word analysis, we will delve into the themes, imagery, and language of this iconic poem and explore its significance in the context of Australian literature.
First published in 1967, "The Dream of Wearing Shorts Forever" is a poem that celebrates the Australian way of life and the freedom that comes with it. The poem is structured in four stanzas, each with six lines, and follows a consistent rhyme scheme of ABABCC. The title itself is a metaphor for the desire to live a carefree life, unencumbered by the constraints of society and tradition. The poem begins with the speaker expressing his longing for a life where he can wear shorts forever, a symbol of the casual and relaxed lifestyle that Australians are known for.
The first stanza sets the tone for the rest of the poem, with the speaker describing the beauty of the Australian landscape and the sense of freedom it evokes. The imagery used in this stanza is vivid and evocative, with phrases like "the hills are burnished bronze" and "the sky is a turquoise blaze" painting a picture of a vibrant and dynamic environment. The use of color is particularly effective in conveying the intensity of the Australian landscape, with the contrast between the "burnished bronze" hills and the "turquoise blaze" of the sky creating a sense of energy and vitality.
In the second stanza, the speaker expands on the theme of freedom, describing the joy of being able to "run like a hare" and "swim like a fish" in the open spaces of the Australian wilderness. The use of animal imagery is significant here, as it reinforces the idea of living in harmony with nature and embracing the wildness of the Australian landscape. The speaker's desire to "live like a lizard" is also noteworthy, as it suggests a desire to be able to adapt to any situation and live in the moment, without worrying about the future.
The third stanza takes a more introspective turn, as the speaker reflects on the passing of time and the inevitability of change. The use of the phrase "the years go over us" is particularly poignant, as it suggests a sense of resignation to the passage of time and the impermanence of life. The speaker's desire to "wear shorts to the last" is a powerful metaphor for the desire to hold on to the things that make life worth living, even as they slip away. The use of the word "last" is significant here, as it suggests a sense of finality and the inevitability of death.
The final stanza brings the poem full circle, with the speaker returning to the theme of freedom and the desire to live life on one's own terms. The use of the phrase "the heart wears a hat" is a powerful metaphor for the idea of living life with a sense of joy and spontaneity, even in the face of adversity. The final line, "and the feet, they are the roots of the soul," is a beautiful and evocative image that suggests a deep connection between the self and the natural world.
In terms of language, "The Dream of Wearing Shorts Forever" is a masterclass in the use of imagery and metaphor. Murray's use of color, animal imagery, and natural imagery is particularly effective in conveying the vibrancy and energy of the Australian landscape. The use of repetition, particularly in the final stanza, is also noteworthy, as it reinforces the central themes of the poem and creates a sense of unity and coherence.
In conclusion, "The Dream of Wearing Shorts Forever" is a timeless masterpiece that captures the essence of Australian culture and identity. Murray's use of vivid imagery and powerful metaphors creates a sense of joy and freedom that is both inspiring and uplifting. The poem's themes of freedom, adaptability, and living life on one's own terms are universal and resonate with readers of all ages and backgrounds. It is a testament to Murray's skill as a poet that this poem continues to be celebrated and admired more than fifty years after its initial publication.
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