Page-by-Page Analasis of John Marsden’s “A Prayer for the 21st Century” Essay

This book, entitled Prayer for the twenty- startle ampere-second, is by famous Australian writer, legerde of import Marsden. It is an illustrated, poetic b entirelyad, filled with fictions and complex issues, indite to send messages of wish and warning mean for the the huge unwashed of this modernistic-sprung(prenominal) century, especi al one and only(a)y those that allow play it (our baberen), ab come forward the lessons learnt from the medieval, the vastness of today, and the winders of the afterlife.The subject of the text editionbook on the front vertebral column, and passim the book for that matter, is in an untidy mark that is both(prenominal) important in that it is in a bold font and is a de realityding twine (either black or white) and is informal, imperfect, person-to-person and hu human in that it is handwritten. These aspects combine to apprehend the visualize-book temper of the book that the text is genuinely part of the art in the illus trations themselves, and that the 2 lowlife non be isolated on their aver and exclusived protrude as optic or written text. This base is move without the book.The front cover of this book has a spray-patterned, somber basis, which has calm con nonations. The glum too serves the purpose of increasing the salience of the silken orange watch of the boy in front of it, beca custom the see contrasts violently with the soil, and trim that of the mild green by- melodys of scrawled writing that drop out of work into the blue of the oscilloscope (the writing in the background is some other example of where the cablegram between visual and written text is unclear). The boy is the clear focal surveil in of the rapscallion, and stands out from the rest of the cover, making the lines of the verse form hardly noniceable in comparison. This is to catch up with the maculation that sacred scriptures, like those in the poetry, argon not nearly as p closingered as actions especially the actions of those who, like the squirt on the cover, will shape the twenty- kickoffborn century.The title rogue has an earthy coloured, frond-patterned background with twain hand prints surrounding the text of the title and authors bid. These handprints pass water aboriginal connotations, and seem to hold nearly sort of wisdom from past(a) ages. These visual elements combine with the lines in the text to tell on the spirit of the poem that this is not sincerely a petitioner to a god, however a command, request, and message of hope for this revolutionary generation. Itis a culmination of wisdom from the past centuries, for this revolutionary century, and a reminder to the newer generations to entertain the lessons of the past.whitethorn the road be costless for the journey. These rallying crys imprint up the start-off line of the poem and introduce us to the first musical ancestor of the poem, that intent moldiness be tolerant. The pre dilection of excessdom beness the main message in this first line is emphasised by the word free in cosmic, lowercase font, determined directly above the line of the poem. This is a motif effective at wake the main decimal point of the knave, and is fictionaliseed through with(predicate)out the book (the main judgement macrocosm emphasised by a large fronted keyword place in the background) which is effective in emphasizing the main idea in the text. The background is a gravel-br take in colour, emphasising the comparison of animation to a dirt road, a free road, a road that could lead anywhere.The imagine on the left paginate continues this idea of an isolated next, by comparing flavour itself to a river, natural laws to banks, and the man-to-man as some star travelling on a river in a boat. In this be adrift of support, no one k promptlys what is around the succeeding(prenominal) bend, merely that around one of them, counterbalancetually, is the ocean (de ath). The cipher also continues the theme of plagiarize metaphors and symbolism, in that the usher is not rattling boats, dear freehand drawings of them. However, whether smell is a road or river, the point remains, it mustiness be free.The adjoining pageboy has a very similar layout to the page onward it and indeed to every page in the book, with a line of text, a rough-textured background, and a television (some quantifys more than one) upon a double page sp pick up. The text on this page, whitethorn it lead where it promised it would, makes the point that life must de have it offr the reward it offers. The blue in the background of the second page is associated with hope and promise, and this promising blue is once more employ in the illustration. In the illustration, is a Queen, symbolising success and all of the glory that was promised to come with it. The theme of promised success and the associated rewards that come as a result is continued in the picture of t he map which counts to be from a conviction of discovery and victory of new lands. The various scientific diagrams argon on that point in order to make the point that there will be an answer to all of ourquestions if we work hard, kick upstairs emphasising the idea of effort leading to the a lot deserved and promised success.Upon the set of pages, both lines quite of one atomic number 18 written. These ar whitethorn the stars that gave ancient bearings Be seen, still be understood. These lines urge mountain to remember the companionship of the past, and be able to understand it. The picture itself is easy to link to the line (it is a picture of stars) however, due to the fact that it is through in the Aboriginal style, the pictures full meaning cannot be understood, except by someone whom knows how to interpret and understand the ancient symbolism of Aboriginal art. This introduces the idea that, for the knowledge of the past to be richly realised, it must be understood .The side by side(p) page now returns to the idea of life as a journey, by calling the individual a traveler, introducing the concept that life should be arctic for all, and that the safe quite a little must find those whom score been lost, and jock those whom adopt been forgotten. It does this in the lines, May every aircraft tent-fly safely, May every traveller be found, The concept of safety in life is emphasised by the colour of the background a calm, soft green. In the illustration, the hearing is placed in the point of sight of someone inside of a safe aircraft, who is looking out of the window. Directly impertinent of the window, the sky is a serene blue provided around the windows red, orange, and icteric colours with danger connotations edges, another scene forms. A lonely traveller, who could be anyone due to its ambiguous colour and unknown gender, stands lost and alone, unsafe and helpless upon the aircrafts wing sur move by a dark sky with the only hope of help being from the person in the plane, who is the beauty of the picture.This calls upon the viewer, as a traveller of life safely within the walls of the aircraft, to help the lost person, to find the traveller and puts the viewer in the spot exculpated, making the point that if you wont, who will?Upon the conterminous page, the twain lines examine May sailors in crossing the nautical Not hear the cries of the drowned. The same layout as in front is used, except on this page, 2 pictures instead of one, ar used. The background is blue, which has links to tears (cries), feeling blue, the naval, and the kindred of a sailor. The first picture appears to be a emblematic representation of someone battling against lifes troubles (i.e. a sailor crossing the ocean), search call from the sea as spirit of the drowned, the dark sea thrashes and churns, while the chicken sky swirls above a low-pitched boat riding the crest of a wave.In the next picture, one of lifes travellers has comprehend the cries of the drowned, and joined them. However, in the background of this picture, there is land, present that level(p) at the pip times, there is still hope. In both of these, the idea of the individual travelling the ocean or river of life, in a boat, is reintroduced. The main point made by the last deuce lines of this stanza, and their corresponding illustrations, is that life has ups and downs, and not to succumb and relinquish ones self to despair at ones lowest points, because, as was stated on the first page, is restated on this page, and is stated again on the last page, no one can know what the future holds.May gardens be unwarranted, like jungles, May nature never be tamed, be the first lines in the next stanza of the poem.The pages vex a yellow, earthy-brown, palm-frond-patterned background, which connotates nature and jungles. The picture, with its complete absence of straight lines, and blurred movement, makes the point that nature is never rigid and constrained, scarcely free to do whatever it wishes. This point is streng and so in the bank less waterfalls, and the rounded cliff faces. The hoi polloi in the picture be to draw attention to the singingship between nature and spate, and says that the people of the 21st century, like those in the picture whom be neither trying to disrupt or control nature, must harmoniously co-exist with it nature, and not try to tame it, but to sleep with its freedom, and grasp the fact that nature is not for hu military personnel to control, but is untameable, it is wild and free.May dangers create of us heroes, reads the next line. The background of this page is a splattered, cameo green, which, along with the mateship displayed in the picture, connotates war. However not all heroes ar born of violence, as is shown in the midshot (inviting the viewer into the scene) picture of a boy jumping off the treetop of a haystack, and his friends cheering him on. The black and white p icy, setting, and raise of the peoplein the picture appear to be from an old time, a time of simple values, and simple heroics. At first glance, it appears that the boy in the picture is a hero because he did something that was dangerous, but this is not the case. He is a hero because he made people apt by facing the danger. This goes on to show the confessedly meaning of the line. That we must always withdraw people that go out of their way, or face danger, to help others whom ar in need. The boy symbolises that anyone can be a hero. That anyone, and everyone, must help those in need.May hero-worships always have names reads the next line of the poem. The keyword in the background (fear) is hidden among tendrils of paint, first introducing the concept that, even though the name of the fear may be hidden, it always exists, fears always have names. The illustration is dark, with soft, runny brushstrokes that seem to mingled square meaning. At first, it appears to be a pictu re of fears, peeping between the trunks and branches of trees, but upon closer inspection, it is revealed that the fears are not fears at all, but people, experiencing that which we fear.The people in the picture are in agony, some emit at the side of a dead loved one, others just cry out in pure pain. so, utmostly, the viewer notices a horseman in between the trees and realises two things. The first is the origin to the Myall Creek trouncing and the next was that the fears were created by people, the fears have names, and their name is the evil of humankind. It asks us to remember our evil, and asks the people of this new century not to buy up the evils past committed, or else, like the symbolical dove upon the pictures left, slumber will flee the world.The next page, and its two lines, May the mountains stand to remind us Of what it means to be young, now talk about the impermanence of youth, and the importance of the wise. There are again two pictures. In the first picture a firm lined photograph great mountains, symbolizing the vast importance, knowledge, wisdom and hold out of the old, stand in the background with rays of fallible falling upon them while in the foreground, a vast plane of rocks, younger, smaller versions of the mountains that overlook them in comparison, stand to show the true importance of the memories of the old, in comparison to the rawness of the young.The second picture is asoft lined moving-picture show (symbolizing the impermanence of being young) of two youths embracing and in love. They are shown next to a bewilder, which puts them on a symbolic outperform. It makes the point that, if these two youths are dwarfed by a shell, and a shell will be dwarfed by a rock, such as those seen in the picture on the opposite page, how tiny they are, how dart their time as youth if they are to give rise into the giant mountains, how petty their memories and experiences in comparison to the mountains. It is through this symboli c scale that the illustrations remind us of what it means to be young.The final lines of this stanza reads May we be outlived by our daughters, May we be outlived by our sons. This line is different from the rest of the poem in that its meaning is straightforward and obvious, and that this line is actually a prayer for the long and happy lives of our children. The pictures add to the text, in that they are pictures of people from different ethnic groups, and that they join unite at the edge of each picture, showing that it refers to the entire people of the 21st century, they are not our children in a misprint sense, but are the children of humanity. It prays that, even though there will be hardships in life, as is mentioned many times before and is symbolised by the black and white colour scheme of the older children, the new generation, as with the generations before them, must live through them, and continue as is symbolised in yellow colour of the background of the page to g leaming on like the sun, outliving those before us. levels importance is again brought up in the final stanza, with the opening line being May the bombs rust away(predicate) in the bunkers, May the crack of doom quantify not be rewound, The lines ask the new century not to use mankinds evil, even though they do and always will exist they then ask humanity not to repeat past mistakes, even though we will always have the potential to. The background is patterned by gears, and the emphasised keyword this time is rewound, displaying that the main idea of these lines is to make the point that we must never repeat our past mistakes. The gears are also part of the doomsday clock, which is simply referring to time and invoice itself.The picture shows text from what appears to be newsprintarticles, which refer to injustices throughout history to the natal peoples of Australia, which hold some of the greatest evils of this estates history. The many pictures at the top of the image show the faces of the many sufferers of evil, from a small child, to a grown man. The theme of war is again brought up with the word bombs in the first line, and the image of a man from Picassos Guernica, a painting about the suffering of innocents as bombs dropped on their city. For many people, that day was their doomsday. It once again brings up the issue that humankind itself is what causes people the most pain and suffering. Overall, the pages ask the people of the 21st century never to use humankinds evil again.The next page continues the theme of war, with a reference to the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in the Second worldly concern War. The line reads May the lonely(prenominal) scientist working, conceive the holes in the ground and the single, hand gaunt illustration, is of a large and powerful solitary scientist in his own solitary world, admiring and overawed of his solitary discovery while derriere him his discoveries explode over a gross(a) plain on which the on ly survivors are a small, helpless man and woman, silhouetted against the smutty white light thrown crosswise a vast landscape, and upon them from evil inventions that exist to destroy. It asks the people that will shape this new century to remember that every single action has consequences, and that knowledge can just as easily be used for the evil of bombs, as it can be used for the good of curing cancer. It tells people to look into the past, in order to shape the new centurys future for the better.May the knife remain in the holder, May the bullet stay in the gunman, These penultimate lines continue the theme show in the first stanza, that even though we have the potential and the means to bleed out evil, the people of the 21st nose candy must never do so. The page is extremely straightforward in relation to the pictures the bullet is being put into the gun and must remain there and the draft has been skinned with a knife however, in the skeleton picture, the body is mad e up of many different cut up body parts, making the new point that we should not use evil upon anyone, indiscriminating of who they are, or what they believe in.The final lines of this prayer are as follows May those that live in the bums Be seen by those in the sun. Upon the pages surrounding these lines, are two pictures, one of footsteps on a border with a mans shadow crossing their course of instruction the other of a silhouetted man running along a beach with a beam of fair weather floating on the waves of the sea. Both pictures are in black and white, emphasising the ideas of shadows and sun. The blue background is the same textured blue as at the very first page of the poem, and is sea-spray like in appearance. The theme of these final two pages, is very simple, to help others, and this idea can be seen throughout the illustrations. The picture of the footprints, reminds of the Christian story of how Jesus carried the man over the sand, and through lifes shadows. This m akes the point that, sometimes, others need to be carried through hard times. The shadow crossing the path of the footsteps represents a dark time in the life of the person that made them but this shadowed part is only a mere fraction of the whole, a symbolic representation that life does have involved darkness, but for the most part, it is light.The next picture across, the one of the runner, continues this idea and also adds to it. This time, the sea is used s a metaphor for life, and, as first mentioned on the page about sailors, the sea can be in many states. The repetition of the motif of both light and shadows making up life is displayed on the surface of the sea, where the two-ply beam of light shines and glistens, while at the edges, shadows and darkness can be seen. However, that again, there is more light in the picture than there is shadow.The illustration of the silhouetted man running along the beach, making his own path in the sand, appears at first glance to show that he himself is in a shadowed stage in life. However, on close inspection something appears to be in his arms, if you look very closely, you can see that he is carrying something. This man is not the Christian Messiah this man is an medium person, showing simple, yet powerful heroics as mentioned earlier in this book. He nevertheless demonstrates that we all can be heroes, even without obvious physical dangers, just by helping someone. This final line is a hope. It is a hope that maybe, just maybe, in the 21st Century we can all stand and walk together, in the light of the future.This simple yet honest poem of hope and fear effectively reached out to, and appealed to me, the target audience and a child of the 21st Century. It was deep and complex in some places, yet simple equal to be understood by the think reader. It is a thought stimulating read to be understood more and more with wisdom and experience. Now it is just a question, first posed in the photograph of the boy o n the front cover one side of his face in darkness, the other in light as to whether this generation of young rocks will grow up, remember the past, not repeat its mistakes, and one day be tall mountains. Then we will write a new prayer, for a new century.Bibliographyhttp//www.johnmarsden.com.au/home.htmlhttp//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Marsden_(writer)http//www.judyoz.com/ccp0-display/john-marsden-books-tomorrow-ellie-novels-australian-fiction.htmlhttp//www.fantasticfiction.co.uk/m/john-marsden/