Word Bank

Masks, Identity, Motif, Uncertainty, Opposite Paths

Brief Explanation

Eyes is a reoccurring motif which reflects on the masks we wear to face different and difficult situations.

This somewhat abstract poem describes a woman deciding which pair of ‘eyes’ she will ‘wear’ today. It is clearly implied that the different pairs of ‘eyes’ she is choosing between each represent a different attitude.

Identity in Eyes

ACE uses poetic language to affirm her Aboriginal and individual identity. The different eyes in the poem represent different identities

• "the eyes of terror"

• "the eyes of submission"

• "the eyes of wonder and contempt"

• "the eyes filled with compassion"

• "the eyes filled with rage"

Any eye has the ability to heal or soothe her pain. Picking the wrong one may be harmful but picking the right one may strengthen her and allow her to find her identity.

Religious Allusions

The story of Saint Lucy

Lucia of Syracuse (283–304), known as Saint Lucy was a Roman Christian martyr, meaning someone who died for their religious belief. She is venerated as a saint in Christianity. According to one story, a disappointed suitor accused Lucy of being a Christian, which was illegal at the time, and she was executed in Syracuse, Sicily, in 304 AD.  

Another version has Lucy taking her own eyes out in order to discourage a persistent suitor who admired them. When her body was prepared for burial in the family mausoleum it was discovered that her eyes had been miraculously restored.[7] This is one of the reasons that Lucy is the patron saint of those with eye illnesses. Cobby Eckermann was brought up with these stories by her adoptive Lutheran family.

Many of the paintings depicted her feature her gouged eyes on a plate. Her story has become a symbol of martyrdom - self-sacrifice for either others or a greater good. Cobby Eckermann is alluding to the everyday sacrifices that all women make and the martyrdom they face. But unlike St Lucy, she ends the poem by choosing the "eyes of rage". There are racist stereotypes of the angry black woman in lots of media. In this poem, Cobby Eckermann is embracing the rage. Therefore this can be seen as a rejection of the 'Christian' teaching of St Lucy, getting in touch with her Aboriginal roots and embracing more authentic emotions and identity. It could also be read as a call to action for all women - to stop being self-sacrificing 'martyrs' and focus on satisfying their own needs before others'.  

Annotations

Analysis Table

Our sense of self and individual identity is a process that evolves and changes depending on circumstances and past life experiences. We see the way the past can affect our sense of self in the poem Eyes. When ACE uses the language of contrast and juxtaposition in the line; from a plate on the kitchen table . . “will she choose eyes of wonder or contempt” the plate symbolises the subject’s choices and the options or wonder or contempt represent the possible attitudes and identities will she present to the world. The depiction of a woman actively choosing who she will be for the day reflects a fluid and changing approach to individual identity and symbolises the choices and sacrifices the persona in the poem makes to face her daily life. Furthermore the high modality language of “the eyes of terror she has thrown away” “the eyes of submission are blinded now – she avoids the eyes of shame”, further emphasises the concept of choices and eyes she has to view the world through. Her rejection of terror and submission indicate that she no longer gives strength to the ‘terror’ and ‘shame’ in her life and evokes a feeling of empowerment. ACE's sophisticated use of poetic language and techniques in the poem Eyes means she is able to effectively reveal the complexity of her individual identity and the way that past experiences impact on the choices we make about what identity we will present to the world.