Composition

When analysing a poem, it is always best to start by looking at the outer composition and the inner composition. This will give you a general idea about the poem before focusing on details. The same principle applies to “The Past” by Oodgeroo Noonuccal too.

Outer composition

The poem is comprised of 27 lines or verses, of various lengths and with no rhythm or rhyme (free verse). In some editions, the poem appears divided into three stanzas of 6, 16 and 5 lines, while in others it was published as a single stanza poem.

When you look at the outer composition, it is also important to notice that the poem has a certain musicality even if it is written in free verse. Furthermore, the differences in the length of the lines help signal certain breaks in the lyrical...