(Good Morning)

Judith Beveridge is a poet of great detail and her poetry is especially powerful as
it forces us to see the world from a new perspective. Through the poems
Domesticity of Giraffes and Fox in a Tree Stump, Beveridge conveys an
underlying theme of the value of life by sharing her observations and feelings
towards issues of gender inequality and reverence for nature.

In Domesticity of Giraffes, Beveridge influences our opinions by offering us her

perspective towards the issue of gender inequality through strong allegories
veiled in a superficial natural world and by exhibiting the giraffes quality of life
under the rule of an ideologically empowered bull. The motif of the wire is
throughout the poem in, Endlessly licks the wire and wire-cripple, which
implies the oppression of the female giraffe and consequently women, as the
female is domesticated, tamed and completely in service of the man while
being confined to the wire, a symbolic societal separation of genders. It forces
us to recognise the devalued life of a housewife, restricted to the enclosure of her
home while she longs for some fulfillment of her own true nature as Beveridge
contrasts the giraffes restricted world with the ideal world of the giraffe seen
through the metaphor of the buildings, She ruminates, towards the tall
buildings she mistakes for a herd. This compels us to perceive the debasing
quality of her captivity as the tall buildings symbolize the ambitions women are
unable to pursue, the interaction with humans she desires and the benefits of
society devoid from the life of women because of the restrictive wire. Our
preconceptions towards gender inequality are further altered as Beveridge
exposes the devalued life of the doe and the monotonous and languorous nature
of womens domesticated work seen through the repetition of hour after bitter
hour. Gender imbalance is finally reinforced as the poem references the bull
urinating indolently while the female shows subservience as she drinks his
urine. This confronting imagery and the allegorical nature of these circumstances
presents the inequality between genders and their solely practical relationship
as the bull is oblivious to the females desire for freedom and instead uses his
phallic symbol to exert dominance over the female.

Fox in a Tree Stump presents more literal moral meanings through the eyes of
a naturalist towards the issue of reverence for nature. The theme of gender
inequality reoccurs in this poem through My uncle drove off as the uncle
delegates all responsibility to the female persona despite being the adult and
more competent person. We are again impacted by Beveridges stereotypes of
the brutal, dominant male and the complaint female. The use of first person and
the indication of a personal relationship with the uncle through My uncle
accentuate the vulnerability of the child as her uncle, whom she feels a sense of
security in the presence of, has abandoned her in a vast earth seen through the
repetition of harder and harder earth. The abandonment of the persona in
such a harsh environment displays the pragmatic attitude of the uncle but also
the unnatural presence of humans in the bush. The persona however, is
extremely moral and sympathetic towards the fox seen through the metaphor of
Fox-hairs of dust sweated in my palms as she imagines the blood of the fox
is already on her hands. This forces us to see the value of the foxs life differently
as Beveridge teaches us that we must respect all forms of life including that of a
pestiferous fox seen in the hyperbole, Rang like a shot, a shot so loud it shook
out a flock of galahs from their trees. This captures the significance of the
foxs death by placing it at the center of all natural disturbances and the sound
imagery of an artificial sound such as a gunshot juxtaposes with the natural
environment, conveying the abnormality of killing foxes for the persona.

Judith Beveridges poetry therefore helps us see the world with new eyes by
illuminating humanity through strong allegories and imagery disguised in a
natural world and through the perspective of a naturalist which in turn changes
our temperament towards gender inequality and reverence for nature.
(Good Morning) by sharing her in a superficial natural
Judith Beveridge is a poet observations and feelings world and by exhibiting
of great detail and her towards issues of gender the giraffes quality of life
poetry is especially inequality and reverence under the rule of an
powerful as it forces us for nature. ideologically empowered
to see the world from a In Domesticity of bull. The motif of the
new perspective. Giraffes, Beveridge wire is throughout the
Through the poems influences our opinions poem in, Endlessly
Domesticity of Giraffes by offering us her licks the wire and
and Fox in a Tree perspective towards the wire-cripple, which
Stump, Beveridge issue of gender implies the oppression of
conveys an underlying inequality through the female giraffe and
theme of the value of life strong allegories veiled consequently women, as
the female is own true nature as the tall buildings
domesticated, tamed Beveridge contrasts the symbolize the ambitions
and completely in service giraffes restricted world women are unable to
of the man while being with the ideal world of pursue, the interaction
confined to the wire, a the giraffe seen through with humans she desires
symbolic societal the metaphor of the and the benefits of
separation of genders. It buildings, She society devoid from the
forces us to recognise the ruminates, towards the life of women because of
devalued life of a tall buildings she the restrictive wire. Our
housewife, restricted to mistakes for a herd. preconceptions towards
the enclosure of her This compels us to gender inequality are
home while she longs for perceive the debasing further altered as
some fulfillment of her quality of her captivity as Beveridge exposes the
devalued life of the doe drinks his urine. This female. Fox in a Tree
and the monotonous and confronting imagery and Stump presents more
languorous nature of the allegorical nature of literal moral meanings
womens domesticated these circumstances through the eyes of a
work seen through the presents the inequality naturalist towards the
repetition of hour after between genders and issue of reverence for
bitter hour. Gender their solely practical nature. The theme of
imbalance is finally relationship as the bull is gender inequality
reinforced as the poem oblivious to the females reoccurs in this poem
references the bull desire for freedom and through My uncle
urinating indolently instead uses his phallic drove off as the uncle
while the female shows symbol to exert delegates all
subservience as she dominance over the responsibility to the
female persona despite child as her uncle, whom humans in the bush. The
being the adult and more she feels a sense of persona however, is
competent person. We security in the presence extremely moral and
are again impacted by of, has abandoned her in sympathetic towards the
Beveridges stereotypes a vast earth seen through fox seen through the
of the brutal, dominant the repetition of harder metaphor of Fox-hairs
male and the complaint and harder earth. The of dust sweated in my
female. The use of first abandonment of the palms as she imagines
person and the indication persona in such a harsh the blood of the fox is
of a personal relationship environment displays the already on her hands.
with the uncle through pragmatic attitude of the This forces us to see the
My uncle accentuate uncle but also the value of the foxs life
the vulnerability of the unnatural presence of differently as Beveridge
teaches us that we must and the sound imagery of a natural world and
respect all forms of life an artificial sound such through the perspective
including that of a as a gunshot juxtaposes of a naturalist which in
pestiferous fox seen in with the natural turn changes our
the hyperbole, Rang environment, conveying temperament towards
like a shot, a shot so the abnormality of killing gender inequality and
loud it shook out a foxes for the persona. reverence for nature.
flock of galahs from Judith Beveridges poetry
their trees. This therefore helps us see
captures the significance the world with new eyes
of the foxs death by by illuminating humanity
placing it at the center of through strong allegories
all natural disturbances and imagery disguised in