We Are Going

by Oodgeroo Noonuccal

NATA REENA BINTI ZAINUDDIN D20151070662

RADHIATUN NURFATEHAH BINTI FAKHRUZROZI D20151070659
SALIKA BINTI SALAMAT D20151070647
SITI NUR FAQIHAH BINTI IMRAN D20151070660
BIOGRAPHY
Born as Kathleen Jean Mary Ruska.
Born 3rd November 1920 in Minjerribah (North
Stradbroke Island) Queensland, Australia.
Particularly known as poet, and she is the first
Aboriginal Australian to publish a book of verse.
Australian poet, political activist, artist, educator and
campaigner for Aboriginal rights.
Was a member of political party such as Communist
Party of Australia, Australian Labor Party and
Australian Democrats.
Board member of Federal Council for the Advancement
of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders (FCAATSI).
 Among her most notable works are Understand the Old One, We Are
Going and Municipal Gum.
Died on 16th September 1993.
ANALYSIS/INTERPRETATION
THEMES
COLONIZATION
The poet revolves around the colonization
of the white people towards them.
From the line They came here to the place
of their old bora ground, where now the
many white ants hurry about like ants,
shows how the white men were busy going
around conquering the place.
How the white men did not respect their
culture because they have taken over their
bora ring place and turn it into a garbage
place according to the line 6 and 7 which is
notice of the estate agent reads : 'rubbish
my be tipped here.', Now it half covers the
traces of the old bora ring.
 OPPRESSION
The oppression of the white men towards the tribe can be seen
through the three words of the title itself which is we are going
It really shows that their rights as aboriginals, the natives of the land
were taken away and it changes their lives as they say that they will
leave their old ways and be cast upon a low unwanted class forever.

DISPOSSESSION
From the line We are strangers here now, but the white tribe are
strangers. We belong here, we are of the old days shows how the
tribe are saying that they are the real natives of Australia and not
the white men and that now that they are the past.
The poem really shows that they were in pain.
 FIGURES OF SPEECH
Anaphora
Several phrases or verses begin with the same word or words.
We are as strangers here now, but the white tribe are the strangers.
We belong here. We are the old ways.
We are the corroboree and the bora ground

Metaphor
Expressions that have different meaning from its usual significance but there is
similarity between them.
We are the old ceremonies

Hyperbole
Phrase that exaggerate one aspect of reality.
We are the lightening bolt over the Gaphembah Hill, quick and terrible
 Personification
Giving human qualities on non living things or ideas.
The laughing games
The wandering camp

Simile
Comparison between two unlike things.
Many white men hurry about like ants.
 TYPES OF WORK
This poem is social protest poetry.
We Are Going is a politically didactic poem that some other poets denied it as
being poetic; instead it was called as propaganda.
We Are Going is a political poem, giving an aboriginal perspective on
colonization in Australia by that time.

The fears of aborigines and the pain of dispossession.

Criticizes western societies colonisation on the indigenous world and their old
bora ground.
Line gone now and scattered, she refers to the way the white men had gone
through civilisation and the development pushed the subdued and silent tribe
out of their home, old bora ground.
The line the many white men hurry about like ants actually is a simile and it
criticizes the white mens connection or their view on the land.
 The quote rubbish May Be Tipped Here and line now it covers half the
traces of the bora ring, the connotation of rubbish is definitely insignificant.
There is a mocking sense created by oodgeroo as the white man knew the
land belongs to aborigines but they sabotage it on purpose.
Another criticism on the white man can be seen from the line the scrubs are
gone, the eagle is gone, the bora ring is gone, the corroboree is gone, and we
are going.

The phrase We Are Going is both the title and the last line of the poem.
The title it suggests mobilisation of the Aboriginal people and the last line it
suggests the despair of the indigenous people because they lose their land.
The dwindling line length from stanza 1 to stanza 2 also indicates a waning,

Oodgeroo has written a powerful poem as a cry for help and the readers can
really feel the dispossession of the speakers of the poem.
Oodgeroo has created a readily communicable of history in a form of We Are
Going.
REFERENCES

https://www.enotes.com/homework-help/what-mean-by-simile-metaphor-
61097
http://www.yourdictionary.com/personification
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/oodgeroo_noonuccal