Poem Analysis - Past Carin

Introduction: A Landscape of Emotional Exhaustion

Henry Lawson's "Past Carin'" paints a stark and desolate picture of life in the Australian outback, focusing on the emotional toll exacted by relentless hardship. The poem’s tone is overwhelmingly one of weary resignation, bordering on numbness. The speaker, a woman whose life has been marked by loss and struggle, has reached a point of emotional exhaustion, a state where she is "past carin'." While the poem maintains this tone of resignation throughout, there are subtle moments where the undercurrent of past sorrow still faintly echoes.

The Relentless Cycle of Suffering: A Grim Theme

One of the primary themes is the relentless cycle of suffering and loss that defines the speaker's existence. The poem details a litany of hardships, from natural disasters ("flood and fever, fire and drought") to personal tragedies ("childbirth, sickness, hurt, and blight"). The repetition of "Through" at the beginning of several lines in the second stanza emphasizes the unending nature of these trials. The speaker is trapped in a loop of adversity, seemingly with no escape.

Emotional Numbness as a Survival Mechanism

A second prominent theme is emotional numbness as a survival mechanism. The repeated refrain "Past carin'," serves as a mantra, a declaration of the speaker’s detachment from the pain that once consumed her. This numbness is not presented as a positive state, but rather as a necessary defense against the overwhelming weight of her experiences. The line "My eyes are dry, I cannot cry, / I’ve got no heart for breakin’" poignantly illustrates this emotional desiccation. The speaker has been forced to suppress her feelings to endure the seemingly endless hardships.

The Outback's Isolation and Despair

The theme of isolation and despair is woven throughout the poem, mirroring the harsh landscape. The opening stanza immediately sets a scene of desolation, with "great black crows" circling and another "milker's" dying. This imagery evokes a sense of impending doom and loneliness. The speaker's separation from her husband, who is "drovin’ in the great North-west," further underscores her isolation. The vastness of the Australian outback becomes a symbol of her emotional distance and the feeling of being utterly alone.

Symbols of Hardship: The Land and Its Toll

Recurring symbols and vivid images underscore the poem’s themes. The "siding brown," the "tank’s clay bed," and the "dusty clearin’" are potent symbols of the harsh Australian landscape and the relentless struggle to survive within it. These images emphasize the physical and emotional toll that the land exacts on its inhabitants. The image of the children, both those who died and those who survived, becomes a symbol of both loss and the speaker’s resilience, even as she claims to be "past carin’." Is the "caring" truly gone or simply buried so deep it seems that way?

Conclusion: A Portrait of Resignation and Endurance

"Past Carin'" is a powerful portrait of a woman worn down by a life of hardship in the unforgiving Australian outback. While the poem primarily conveys a sense of resignation and emotional numbness, it also hints at the underlying strength and endurance required to reach such a state. The speaker's detachment is not a sign of weakness, but rather a testament to her ability to survive in the face of overwhelming adversity. The poem leaves the reader with a lingering sense of the profound cost of survival, and the enduring human capacity to adapt, even to the point of emotional detachment.