Peter Skrzynecki and Belonging
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“Belonging is something we must struggle to attain sometimes at a great cost.” Peter Skrzyneckis poems “Feliks Skrzynecki”, “Ancestors” and “St Patricks College” are examples of how much sacrifice and torment can be involved before someone can feel they belong to a place or situation. Belonging cannot be forced upon us. It originates within us and influences our sense of identity but it also relies upon our reactions to our environment, to how we are accepted or rejected by others. It is this acceptance or rejection that helps to form our own sense of identity and therefore; belonging.
Linked to this concept is the poem “Feliks Skrzynecki” which portrays the poets conflicting feelings of belonging to his fathers values and beliefs and the influences of the outside world. The first line “My Gentle Father” uses possessive pronouns and emotive words to describe his father and the close relationship they share. Another way of portraying this is shown in stanza four of the poem. Tone is used in this stanza to depict the poets admiration towards his father.
“Loved his garden like an only child” is a simile used to create a deep sense of belonging his father has with it. The “garden” symbolises the fathers sanctuary, a place where he belongs and feels content. By using “his” a possessive pronoun reveals that the garden belongs to the father and also depicts that the son doesnt belong in his fathers world. Another example of this is shown in stanza three where the poet talks about his father and his Polish friends. “They reminisced” illustrates a whole other life/world where the father and his friends can relate to their past which the poet cannot relate because he doesnt share their past. This gives a sense that the poet is an outsider.
The last stanza depicts the poet slowly disconnecting with his Polish background as he forgets his first Polish word. The third line shows his fathers attempt to unite the poet with his first language. However in the last two lines a metaphor is use to describe the poet and his fathers connection slowly drifting apart. This depicts that the poet is losing his culture which is a part of him.
A comparable text is “Ancestors” which portrays the poets failure and struggle to identify with his past and cultural background. The use of “blood” an allusion in the line “The wind taste of blood”, depicts that the connection the poet has with his ancestors is through blood, which is something within us. However alliteration is used in the first stanza in the lines “Standing, shoulder to shoulder”, creates a barrier to generate a feeling of isolation the poet has with the united ghostly figures. The questioning tone created by words such as “why, where” and “what” further symbolises