In "The Forest Hit By Modern Use", Les Murray conveys ideas about change in many ways. It conveys the ideas that changes made by man can be unnatural and that changes can have destructive effects on the environment. In the poem, the destruction from deforestation is described. It is clear to see that Les Murray is strongly against deforestation and believes that our forests are being exploited.
Throughout the whole poem, there is imagery dealing with the unnaturalness of the changes caused by man. In the second stanza, "Dense growth that were always underbrush expand in the light" shows that the plants that are usually covered by the taller trees that have now been cut down, are exposed to light, an image that usually does not occur. In the third stanza, "Now the sun's in, through breaks and jags culled slopes are jammed with replacement", shows again the unnaturalness of the changes caused by man.
Deforestation in Amazonia, seen from satellite. Th...
English: Australian poet Les Murray, photographed ...
Forest lake in summerWhile the image of the sun coming in is usually positive, in this case it is an unnatural image and the saplings that are being jammed together is also unnatural. They are too close together and so will not be able to grow to their full potential. However, this is done to try and squeeze as much out of them (the saplings) as possible. Humans are trying to get as many new saplings in so at a later time, they can be cut down again. In the very last stanza, we can again see how changes caused by humans can be unnatural. "On a stump, a sea eagle eats by lengths their enemy, a coil-whipping dry land fish, and voids white size to make room for it." Not only does this show the deforestation, but it also shows man's greed. The eagle continues to eat...