An
Aboriginal Mother’s Lament by Charles Harpur
(Essay Prepared for my UG English Students - Dr.Suresh Frederick)
Introduction:
“An
Aboriginal Mother’s Lament” is a poem written by Charles Harpur. This is
written in the form of a dramatic monologue. Charles Harpur (1813-1868) was an
outstanding Australian poet in the early days of Australia. In this poem,
Harpur brings out the plight of an aboriginal mother. The words “aboriginal”
and “aborigine” are used by the invaders to designate the indigenous people of
Australia.
In
this poem, “An Aboriginal Mother’s Lament”, Harpur presents the plight of an
aboriginal mother. The aboriginal mother is escaping from the murderous white
people, with her child, who is just a toddler. She has to go still some more
distance, so that she can be safe from the “unsparing” white men. The white men’s
hands are wet with murder. The mother carries her child unnoticed by the white
men into the dark forest. She treads on, even though thorns pierce her feet, in
the darkness.
“O
moan not …..” is like a refrain in a song. Moaning is a
low sound made by a person expressing physical or mental suffering. The mother
is also suffering along with the boy, mentally and physically, but she prefers
to console the child first. She says that she is willing even to part with “the
braid”, which was given to her as a gift by her deceased husband, so that she
can get a “palmful of water” for her child. Here the poet presents the plight
of the aboriginal mother, whose only objective is to save her child.
The
baby jumps up in happiness, when he hears his father’s name. But the mother
asks the baby not to “spring”, on hearing his father’s name, because he is no
more. The father is “smouldered” into ashes under the “blasted gum”. He has
been killed and his body is charred and blasted by the fire. In that very big fire,
he was slaughtered along with his relatives.
The
mother feels that, she would have also died with her husband, but she has to
live only for the sake of her small child. She urges her child to listen to the
death cry. She wants to escape from these bloodthirsty people. She is unable to
forget her husband who died bleeding on the roaring fire.
The mother recollects her husband’s
fame. Now, no one can hear the loud noise made by him with the thomahawk (a type of
axe used by the natives of
Australia) in his hand. Now, none can see his
ability to use the spear, because, he was killed brutally by the white men. His
leadership in the family and to the community is lost. His hunting call will
not be echoed in the mountain, any more.
At last, the mother finds hope in
the child. She is willing to barter the valuable braid given by her beloved
husband to save her child by getting him a “palmful of water”.
Conclusion:
“An
Aboriginal Mother’s Lament” is full of pathos (a quality that evokes pity or
sadness). This poem also expresses maternal love as well as love for the
spouse.
