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Judith Wright explains the problem of using symbolism from the Australian landscape that might not be understood by other cultures. For example, to use a waratah as a symbol risks alienating most of the rest of the world who know very little about Australian flora and fauna. She says that the difficulties for early Australian poets was that this was a landscape without 'echoes’, which could be a real stumbling block for the development of a symbolist poet.
Curator’s notes
A lively discussion between Judith Wright and ABC broadcaster John Thompson that can only enhance our appreciation of her poetry. Her work mirrors her life and the issues she’s always grappled with, such as the disappearance of the local Aboriginal people, who were marginalised and then destroyed by her ancestors and others who came as the first European settlers. Her passion for the environment had its origins in her early years as a young daughter of the land.
