It was once said that poems, though brief and whatever quality, serve as a look into the eyes of the poet. They are expressions of the poet's emotions and thoughts through purpose, subject matter, themes, tone, messages and style. The poems of Australian Kenneth Slessor are powerful in illustrating his identity not just superficially as a poet, but also as a normal man with his own concerns, living his everyday life - a civilian. Firstly they are effective because they are of his own style and interests, illustrating Slessor as an individual poet and person. Secondly, through manipulation of their components, Slessor's poems reveal much detail of his personality and mentality as a normal man. In addition, they reflect the influences in his civilian life such as family, education and associates. Lastly, the actual efficiency of Slessor's manipulations fundamentally reflects his skill and therefore identity as a poet.

Slessor's poems are unlike the traditional ballads of Patterson and Lawson favoured in Australian society during his day. Slessor steers clear of common 'bush and stockm

Slessor's intelligence is also exemplified in his poems' deep messages and serious themes. Slessor discusses the effect of time and aging in 'Captain Dobbin', in which the retired character desperately perpetuates his old seafaring days by recreating a similar environment and lifestyle. Time passing and memory is explored through the abandoned orchard in the atmospheric 'Wild Grapes'. Multi-layered, critics claim it also deals indirectly with the long forgotten rape and murder of a Mulligan girl symbolised as the grapes. This explains the strong sexual and violent overtones of 'musket-shot', 'eating their flesh' and 'kissed here-or killed here'. Slessor's poems also portray a cynical man with little faith in humanity's goodness. In 'Wild Grapes' his accusations were man's inhumane treatment of others and fixation with sexuality whilst in 'Country Towns' it was the idleness of people. The macrocosm of 'Beach Burial' is the universal issue of man's preoccupation with war and violence. Slessor asserts it only leads to mass death - 'convoys of dead sailors come'. There is also a total annihilation of individuality, emphasised in "Unknown seaman" and collective terms like 'they'. Slessor's expansive vocabulary shows he is a well-read man. In 'Captain Dobbin' he uses many uncommon terms like 'marish' and shows understanding of science with 'lithograph' and 'hydrostatics'.

Additionally, since Slessor's poems are of his own style and interests, many inferences on his personality and mentality can be made. The mere fact Slessor's poems do not conform to traditional Australian poetry also reflects his disdain of the Australian lifestyle and culture, or lack thereof as he seems to suggest. This is more explicitly exhibited in his poem 'Country Towns' through his sardonic tone. Seemingly it is a humourous description that is Slessor's generalization of the typical Australian country town and its people. Though it begins by directly addressing the subject respectably as if to praise- 'Country towns, with your willows and squares', as the poem progresses we realise the purpose is to ridicule them for their profound lack of culture. Use of capitalization and quotation marks to give a mocking, exaggerated effect patronises their only signs of it - the singular 'School of Arts', a visit from the "Great Golightly Family" and the pubs with "1860" signs. Slessor accuses the people of laziness through the drowsy imagery in the third stanza plus the

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Approximate Word count = 1654
Approximate Pages = 7 (250 words per page double spaced)