Notes

"A Bush Christening' is a fascinating humorous poem enjoyed by all ages. As such, it is worthy of inclusion in a national anthology for high school students to use. The poet, Banjo Patterson, has successfully utilised language, sound devices and comedy style to produce an entertaining piece suitable for high school students. Patterson's powerful comedy style is a key factor in this piece of literature.

The comedy style contained within 'A Bush Christening' deeply enhances its entertainment value. Classic misunderstanding, the North Queensland setting and the entertaining retell of events engage the audience and create humorous cultural assumptions. For example, the comedic centrepoint, misunderstanding, is shown in Stanza 4, Line 4 'What the divil and all is this christenin' (Stanza 4, Line 4). The young boy's confusion continues in Stanza 5, Line 4 'It must mean something very like branding' (Stanza 5, Line 4). This misinterpretation is very entertaining for the audience, as they know what a christening is, and the boy does not. This comedic feature ties in with unexpected humor, as the audience predicts what will come of the misunderstanding. As the poem is set in North Queensland, it creates humorous cultural assumptions of North Queenslanders. Therrefore, the subject matter of Patterson's 'A Bush Christening' is perfect for use in Queensland high schools.

'A Bush Christening' utilises symbolic devices to work as an effective piece of writing. Powerful