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Les Murray
3
On Home Beaches
By Les Murray
Les Murray
- Leslie Allan Murray
- born in Nabiac on the North Coast of New South Wales, and grew up in the neighbouring district of Bunyah.
- Mother died when he was 12-impacted his writing.
- After 4 years of attending University of Sydney, he
left without a degree!
- Won the Grace Leven Prize for poetry in 1965.
- Married and had five children.
- Poetry editor of many well known poetry publishers
in Australia.
- Preferred rural life and values.
- Roman Catholic
On Home Beaches
Back, in my fifties, fatter than I was then,
I step on the sand, belch down slight horror to walk
a wincing pit edge, waiting for the pistol shot
laughter. Long greening waves cash themselves, foam change
sliding into Ocean's pocket. She turns: ridicule looks down,
strappy, with faces averted, or is glare and families.
The great hawk of the beach is outstretched, point to point,
quivering and hunting. Cars are the stuff at its back.
You peer, at this age, but it's still there, ridicule,
the pistol that kills women, that gets them killed, crippling men
on the towel-spattered sand. Equality is dressed, neatly,
with mouth still shut. Bared body is not equal ever.
Some are smiled to each other. Many surf, swim, play ball:
like that red boy, holding his wet T shirt off his breasts.
Summary
This poem is mainly about body image. There is an exteme importance on body image in this day and age especially when one steps on a beach, such as in the poem. "On Home Beaches" describes the crippling humiliation that both men and women face when it comes to debuting their bodies. The imagery that Murray uses to portray the feelings that the characters are experiencing are all related to the seaside.
Social Context
This poem is filled with the idea of a very
judging public. The eye of our peers and even
strangers is ALWAYS watching us. Waiting to tell
us our flaws. This makes people extremely self-concious
in this day and age about our looks. The poem explains
the anxiety of stepping in front of others in a bathing
suit even as an adult.
Works cited
"Les Murray." Pete Gall's Pulp Theology. Web. 27 Apr 2011.
Connolly, Margaret . "The Poet Les Murray." Les Murray. Les Murray, 2010. Web. 27 Apr 2011.
Murray, Les. "On Home Beaches." Les Murray. Subhuman Redneck Poems, 1996. Web. 27 Apr 2011.