Womanist Expressions in the Poetry of Judith Wright and Oodgeroo Noonuccal

Judith Wright and Oodgeroo Noonuccal, two well-known poets of Australia, consider woman to be the moral fiber of society playing an integral role to build the other life-sustaining relationships. Woman, they assert is the real maker of a “family” and her soul is steeped in the values and ideology of the society. But the tragedy lies in the fact that she is devoid of the real happiness of life. The poetic works of both the poets reveal their profound sympathy for women and their struggle to realize their desires and ambitions, both inside and outside. Dealing with the disappointment, senselessness and torment of women in a patriarchal society they depict how patriarchal attitudes are bred through various socialization processes like family, marriage, religion and education. Their poetry deal with the roles played by women that placate their life with love and care revealing also the difficulty faced in search of finding their identity and individuality. The poets view love as an ideology and also as one of the primary means through which women are subordinated and suppressed to the extent of losing their identity. However, both the poets also salute the hidden strength in women capable of bringing revolution when the appropriate time comes. Their expressions reveal that women need to voice their suffering, break the chains of the patriarchal system and develop a new set of values to liberate them from male prejudice placing them on equal terms. Both the poets have cross-culturally tried to educate women to take a stand against their suppression and oppression and show their determination to resist further exploitation to ascertain human status.