Bora Ring

by, Judith Wright


The song is gone; the dance
is secret with the dancers in the earth,
the ritual useless, and the tribal story
lost in an alien tale.

Only the grass stands up
to mark the dancing-ring; the apple-gums
posture and mime a past corroboree,
murmur a broken chant.

The hunter is gone; the spear
is splintered underground; the painted bodies
a dream the world breathed sleeping and forgot.
The nomad feet are still.

Only the rider's heart
halts at a sightless shadow, an unsaid word
that fastens in the blood of the ancient curse,
the fear as old as Cain.


Author:

Judith Wright (1915–2000) was a renowned Australian poet, environmentalist, and activist, celebrated for her exploration of nature, Indigenous culture, and social justice. Her works, such as "The Moving Image" (1946), "Woman to Man" (1949), and "The Two Fires" (1955), reflect her deep connection to the Australian landscape and her advocacy for environmental conservation and Indigenous rights. 

Wright's poetry often intertwines themes of love, loss, and the human relationship with the natural world, making her a significant voice in Australian literature. While "Bora Ring" laments the destruction of Indigenous traditions, her broader body of work continues to inspire through its lyrical beauty and moral urgency.

Historical Context: 

This historical context highlights the devastating impact of British colonization on Indigenous Australians. Before colonization in 1788, Australia was home to a thriving Aboriginal population, estimated between 300,000 and over one million people. These Indigenous communities had diverse societies, languages, and complex hunter-gatherer economies.

Following colonization, Aboriginal Australians suffered massive population decline due to introduced diseases, violent conflicts, and land dispossession. Many scholars argue that these events, including massacres and forced removals, amounted to genocide. By 1901, when Australia became a federation, the Aboriginal population had fallen to around 90,000.

Government policies in the 19th and 20th centuries further oppressed Indigenous Australians. Protection Boards controlled their movements, employment, and personal lives. The Stolen Generations policy forcibly removed Aboriginal children of mixed heritage from their families, aiming to assimilate them into white society. The Australian Human Rights Commission later recognized this as genocide.
Some scholars argue that cultural genocide continues today through policies that undermine Indigenous traditions, land rights, and autonomy. While controversial, these discussions highlight ongoing struggles for Aboriginal recognition, justice, and cultural preservation.



Line -By -Line Explanation: 

Here’s a line-by-line breakdown of Judith Wright’s Bora Ring:

"The song is gone; the dance is secret with the dancers in the earth,
the ritual useless, and the tribal story lost in an alien tale."

Explanation: The traditional cultural practices of Indigenous Australians—song, dance, ritual—have been lost, buried with the people who once performed them. The poem highlights the abandonment of these sacred traditions, which have been rendered useless in the face of colonization. The "alien tale" refers to the foreign narratives imposed by colonizers, overshadowing the Indigenous story.

"Only the grass stands up to mark the dancing-ring; the apple-gums posture and mime a past corroboree, murmur a broken chant."

Explanation: Nature remains as the only witness to the cultural practices that once took place. The grass marks the circle of the Bora ring (the ceremonial site), while the apple-gums (trees) "mime" or imitate the past corroboree (traditional dances). These trees, like nature itself, continue to "murmur" the fragmented echoes of the songs and dances, preserving a broken memory of Indigenous culture.

"The hunter is gone; the spear is splintered underground; the painted bodies a dream the world breathed sleeping and forgot."

Explanation: The hunter (representing the Aboriginal people) is gone, and the spear, once vital to survival, is now buried, broken, and forgotten. The "painted bodies" likely refer to the ceremonial body paint of the Aboriginal people, now a distant, forgotten image—"a dream" that the world, in its slumber of ignorance, has forgotten.

"The nomad feet are still."

Explanation: The nomadic lifestyle of Indigenous Australians has been disrupted. The feet that once wandered the land in harmony with nature are now still, symbolizing the displacement and loss of a way of life.

"Only the rider's heart halts at a sightless shadow, an unsaid word that fastens in the blood of the ancient curse, the fear as old as Cain."

Explanation: The final lines describe a rider (possibly a settler or descendant of colonizers) who, despite their presence in the landscape, is halted by the "sightless shadow" and the "unsaid word." These could symbolize the lingering, intangible guilt and unresolved consequences of colonization. The "ancient curse" references the curse of Cain from the Bible, who was marked with guilt for killing his brother. This alludes to the lasting stain of colonization—the "fear as old as Cain" that continues to haunt the colonizers and the land itself.



Summary:

Judith Wright’s poem "Bora Ring" is a poignant reflection on the loss of Indigenous Australian culture and its deep connection to the land. Written in the mid-20th century, the poem mourns the disruption and erasure of Aboriginal traditions, rituals, and spiritual practices caused by colonization. Through vivid imagery and a somber tone, Wright captures the profound sense of absence and cultural dislocation that followed the displacement of Indigenous peoples.

The poem begins with a description of the "Bora ring," a sacred ceremonial ground once used for initiations, dances, and cultural practices. Now abandoned and overgrown, the site stands as a haunting reminder of what has been lost. The imagery of grass standing where dancers once moved evokes a powerful sense of emptiness, as if the land itself remembers the people and their traditions, even as they fade from memory.

Wright emphasizes the spiritual bond between the Aboriginal people and their land, suggesting that the earth holds the echoes of their songs, stories, and rituals. The line "the hunter is gone; the spear is splintered underground" symbolizes the destruction of Indigenous culture, with traditional tools and practices buried and forgotten. The poem contrasts the vibrant past with the silent present, highlighting the depth of cultural loss and critiquing the colonial forces that caused it.

In its closing lines, the poem reflects on the enduring presence of the past, even in its absence. Though the land has changed, it still carries the memory of its original caretakers, suggesting that the legacy of Indigenous culture remains embedded in the soil. The poem ends on a reflective note, acknowledging the irreversible loss of a rich and ancient culture while urging readers to remember and honor what has been lost.

Ultimately, "Bora Ring" is a powerful meditation on the impact of colonization, the resilience of cultural memory, and the enduring relationship between people and the land. Through her evocative language, Judith Wright invites readers to reflect on the importance of preserving and respecting Indigenous histories and traditions.


Themes:

Judith Wright’s "Bora Ring" explores profound themes centered on the loss of Indigenous Australian culture and its deep connection to the land. The poem reflects on the devastating effects of colonization, the resilience of cultural memory, and the sacred bond between people and nature. Below is a detailed analysis of the themes, enriched with lines from the poem for better understanding:

1. Cultural Loss and Erasure:

The central theme of the poem is the profound loss of Indigenous traditions and cultural practices due to colonization. The Bora ring, once a sacred site for rituals, dances, and initiations, now lies abandoned and forgotten. Wright mourns this loss with the lines:
“The song is gone; the dance is secret with the dancers in the earth.”
The once-vital aspects of Aboriginal life have been silenced, and the empty Bora ring becomes a symbol of cultural devastation, reflecting the displacement and erasure of a rich heritage.

2. Sacred Connection to the Land:

The poem emphasizes the sacred relationship between the Indigenous people and the land, which is portrayed as a living entity that remembers its caretakers. Wright writes:
“The grass stands up to mark the dancing ring; the apple-gums posture and mime a past corroboree.”
These lines suggest that the land itself retains the memory of the ceremonies and traditions once held there. The abandoned Bora ring and imagery of buried tools reflect how the natural world continues to carry echoes of the songs, dances, and stories of its original inhabitants, even in their absence.

3. Resilience of Memory:

Despite the physical erasure of culture, Wright suggests that memory endures. The poem portrays the land as a silent witness to the past, holding onto the legacy of its people. This is captured in the line:
“The hunter is gone; the spear is splintered underground.”
Here, the tools of traditional life may be buried, but their memory lingers, symbolizing the resilience of cultural identity. Wright reminds readers that even in the face of destruction, the past cannot be entirely erased.

4. Impact of Colonization:

Through subtle yet powerful imagery, Wright critiques the devastating consequences of colonization. The settlers’ failure to respect the spiritual and cultural significance of the land is highlighted in the poem’s desolate tone. The line:
“The ritual useless, and the tribal story lost in an alien tale,”
underscores how colonization replaced Indigenous traditions with foreign narratives, severing the sacred bond between the people and their environment. Wright’s critique highlights the irreversible damage caused by these colonial forces.

5. Mourning and Reflection:

The poem carries a deep sense of mourning as Wright laments the irretrievable loss of a vibrant and ancient culture. However, her reflection is not just a lament but also a call to honor what remains. The final lines urge readers to acknowledge and preserve the stories of the past:
“Only the rider’s heart halts at a sightless shadow, an unsaid word.”
Wright’s work invites readers to remember and reflect on the enduring legacy of Indigenous culture while mourning the consequences of its suppression.


In "Bora Ring," Judith Wright offers a poignant meditation on themes of cultural loss, the sacred connection to the land, memory’s resilience, and the lasting effects of colonization. Through her vivid imagery and reflective tone, Wright not only mourns the past but also emphasizes the importance of remembering and respecting the legacy of Indigenous Australian culture. The poem remains deeply relevant, encouraging readers to reflect on the significance of preserving cultural heritage and understanding the stories of those who came before.

"Bora Ring " as a postcolonial poem: 

Judith Wright’s Bora Ring is a poignant postcolonial poem that mourns the loss of Indigenous Australian culture following European colonization. The poem highlights the destruction of Aboriginal traditions, the erasure of their history, and the lingering guilt of the settlers. Through powerful imagery and symbolism, Wright not only laments this cultural loss but also critiques the colonial mindset that sought to replace Indigenous heritage with an “alien tale.” The poem serves as both an elegy and a call for recognition of the past.

1. Loss of Indigenous Identity

The Bora ring, once a sacred site for Aboriginal initiation ceremonies, is now abandoned, representing the erasure of Indigenous traditions. The lines “The song is gone; the dance is secret with the dancers in the earth” signify how Indigenous culture has been buried—both literally and metaphorically—by colonial forces. The once-vibrant practices have become distant memories, lost with the passing of generations.

2. Colonial Erasure of History

Wright emphasizes how colonial narratives have replaced Indigenous stories. The phrase “the tribal story lost in an alien tale” suggests that Aboriginal history has been overwritten by a foreign, imposed culture. This reflects the broader postcolonial theme of historical revisionism, where the dominant colonial power dictates what is remembered and what is forgotten.

3. Nature as a Witness

While human memory may fade, the landscape continues to hold traces of the past. The apple-gums and grass symbolically stand as silent witnesses to the lost traditions, “posturing and miming a past corroboree.” Even though the Indigenous people have been displaced, nature subtly preserves their presence, reminding future generations of what was once there. This reflects the postcolonial idea that the land itself carries history, even when written records do not.

4. Colonial Guilt

The poem subtly acknowledges the guilt of the settlers who played a role in the erasure of Aboriginal culture. The line “an unsaid word that fastens in the blood” suggests an unspoken but deeply ingrained awareness of wrongdoing. This guilt, though often unexpressed, lingers within the colonial consciousness, much like a stain that cannot be removed.

5. Fear of the ‘Other’

The poem concludes with the phrase “the fear as old as Cain”, drawing a biblical parallel to guilt and exile. Cain, who committed the first murder, was cursed to wander in fear, much like the settlers who, having displaced the Indigenous people, now live with an unshakable sense of unease. This fear reflects the broader postcolonial idea that colonizers, despite their dominance, are haunted by the violence and injustice of their actions.

Conclusion

Bora Ring stands as a powerful postcolonial critique of the effects of colonization on Indigenous Australians. Through its themes of cultural loss, historical erasure, and colonial guilt, the poem mourns the destruction of Aboriginal traditions while subtly holding settlers accountable for their role in this displacement. By using vivid imagery and deep symbolism, Judith Wright not only preserves the memory of what was lost but also encourages reflection on the lasting consequences of colonization.

Symbols: 

Judith Wright’s "Bora Ring" is rich in symbolism, reinforcing its themes of cultural loss, spiritual connection, and the impact of colonization. Below is a detailed exploration of the key symbols in the poem:

1. The Bora Ring:

The Bora ring is the central symbol of the poem, representing the sacred ceremonial ground of Aboriginal Australians. It was a place of initiation, rituals, and communal gathering, but in the poem, it is abandoned and overgrown, symbolizing the loss and erasure of Indigenous culture. The line:
“The grass stands up to mark the dancing ring”
highlights how the land itself remembers what once took place there, even as the ceremonies are forgotten. The Bora ring becomes a powerful emblem of cultural dispossession and forgotten heritage.

2. The Grass:

The grass, described as standing tall and reclaiming the Bora ring, symbolizes nature’s endurance and its role as a keeper of memory. While the people and their traditions have been displaced, the grass metaphorically stands as a marker of what once was, preserving the traces of history.This imagery conveys the idea that the land holds the stories of the past, even in silence.

3. The Apple-Gums:

The apple-gums are symbolic of nature's ability to "remember" and mimic the past. In the line:
“The apple-gums posture and mime a past corroboree,”
the trees are personified as if performing the rituals themselves, keeping the memory of the corroboree alive. They symbolize the enduring presence of cultural memory in the natural world, even when human traditions have been erased.

4. The Spear:

The spear, described as “splintered underground,” is a symbol of the destruction of traditional ways of life. It represents the tools of hunting and survival that were integral to Aboriginal culture, now buried and forgotten. The spear’s burial also symbolizes the silencing of Indigenous practices and the deep cultural loss inflicted by colonization.

5. The Song and Dance:

The poem refers to the “song” and “dance” as being lost, symbolizing the disappearance of Aboriginal traditions, stories, and spiritual practices. These elements were central to the cultural and spiritual identity of Indigenous Australians, and their absence highlights the devastating cultural void created by colonization:
“The song is gone; the dance is secret with the dancers in the earth.”

6. The Rider:

The rider in the poem’s final lines is a symbolic figure representing the modern, disconnected individual—perhaps a settler or a descendant of colonizers—who pauses but fails to fully comprehend the depth of what has been lost. The “sightless shadow” and “unsaid word” evoke a sense of guilt, unease, or the inability to fully grasp the spiritual and cultural significance of the land’s history.

7. The Shadow:

The “sightless shadow” is a powerful symbol of absence and forgotten memory. It represents the intangible presence of the past—something that lingers but is no longer fully visible or understood. The shadow is a reminder of the spiritual and cultural void left behind after colonization.

8. The Earth:

The earth, described as holding the dancers and the spear underground, symbolizes the burial of culture, tradition, and memory. It also represents the land’s role as a keeper of history, preserving what has been lost even if it is no longer visible to the human eye.

9. The Blood of the Ancient Curse:

The line “that fastens in the blood of the ancient curse, the fear as old as Cain” introduces a biblical allusion to the story of Cain and Abel, where Cain is cursed for murdering his brother, symbolizing guilt, exile, and an unbreakable bond to the violence of the past. In the poem, this curse reflects the deep, ongoing trauma and suffering caused by colonization, passed down through generations. The “blood” symbolizes the violence that continues to affect the Indigenous people, connecting them to a history of displacement and loss, much like Cain’s enduring legacy of fear and alienation.

The symbols in "Bora Ring"—the Bora ring, grass, apple-gums, spear, shadow, and the blood of the ancient curse—collectively convey the themes of cultural loss, resilience of memory, and the sacred connection to the land. Through these symbols, Judith Wright crafts a powerful, evocative depiction of the erasure of Indigenous culture, while also emphasizing the land’s role as a silent witness to history. These symbols enrich the poem’s meaning, inviting readers to reflect on the legacy of colonization and the importance of honoring and preserving Indigenous heritage.


Literary Devices:

Judith Wright’s Bora Ring is rich in literary devices that enhance its emotional depth and thematic impact. Below are some of the key literary devices used in the poem:

1. Imagery:

Wright uses vivid imagery to evoke a strong sense of place and loss. The image of the Bora ring, overgrown with grass and abandoned, brings to life the erasure of Indigenous culture. Similarly, the depiction of the “apple-gums” and the “splintered spear” serves to conjure the physical remnants of Aboriginal life and the land’s role in preserving memory:

“The grass stands up to mark the dancing ring.”
“The apple-gums posture and mime a past corroboree.”

2. Personification:

Wright personifies elements of nature, such as the apple-gums, which “posture” and “mime” a past corroboree. By attributing human actions to trees, she suggests that nature itself keeps the memory of Indigenous traditions alive, even when the people are no longer there to perform them.

3. Symbolism:

The poem is heavily reliant on symbolism, with various natural elements representing deeper themes. For example, the Bora ring symbolizes the lost cultural heritage of Aboriginal Australians, while the spear, buried underground, represents the silencing of Indigenous practices and tools.
The Bora ring itself symbolizes both cultural loss and the land’s role as a silent witness to the past.
The burial of the spear is symbolic of the erasure of traditional ways of life.

4. Allusion:

Wright alludes to biblical themes, specifically the story of Cain and Abel, in the line “the fear as old as Cain.” This biblical allusion draws attention to the long-standing nature of violence, guilt, and inherited trauma, tying the historical suffering of Indigenous Australians to a deeper, timeless curse of human violence and wrongdoing.

5. Juxtaposition:

Wright juxtaposes the beauty of nature with the tragedy of cultural loss, creating a stark contrast between what was once vibrant and what remains. The lush imagery of the land and the dead, abandoned Bora ring highlight the disconnection between the land’s natural beauty and the loss of its original cultural significance:

“The song is gone; the dance is secret with the dancers in the earth.”

6. Repetition:

Repetition is used throughout the poem to reinforce key themes, such as the disappearance of culture and the enduring presence of the land. The repeated reference to “the grass” and “the earth” emphasizes how the land preserves memories of what was lost, even as the human presence fades:

“The grass stands up…”
“The earth is full of song…”

7. Tone:

The tone of the poem is somber and reflective, as Wright mourns the destruction of Indigenous culture. This is evident in the melancholy language and the desolate imagery used throughout the poem, conveying a deep sense of loss and grief.

8. Metaphor:

Wright uses metaphor to enhance the theme of memory and cultural loss. For instance, the land is portrayed as a silent keeper of memories, with the Bora ring and the buried spear acting as metaphors for the forgotten past and the irreversible nature of cultural erasure.

9. Alliteration:

The use of alliteration in lines like “splintered underground” adds to the poem’s rhythm and creates a sense of continuity, tying together the imagery of decay, memory, and loss.

In summary, the literary devices in Bora Ring work together to amplify the poem’s exploration of cultural loss, the role of nature in preserving memory, and the emotional weight of colonization. Wright’s use of imagery, symbolism, personification, and other devices serves to deepen the emotional resonance of the poem, making it a powerful reflection on the enduring impact of colonization on Indigenous Australian culture.


                          Presented By: Aninda Manna 

                          
        


                                      

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