Jan 4, 2010

Drought Year | Summary

Lines 1-4: These lines depict the drought-benighted landscape. “Embered” and “burned” vividly describe the hot, dry air. The word “bear” in line three can be read in at least two ways: 1) the lime-scrub cannot bear the heat or 2) the lime-scrub cannot bear fruit. “Lime” suggests a certain tartness, which contributes well to the dry scene, and the “Mooni” of dried-up Mooni Creek brings to mind a picture of a waterless moon, a desert landscape where every year is a drought year.

Line 5: The “dingoes’ cry” gives the drought conditions a sense...