Monologue

1. Monologue By Hone Tuwhare

2. I like working near a door. I like to have my work-benchclose by, with a locker handy. Here, the cold creeps in under the big doors, and in thesummer hot dust swirls, clogging the nose. When thebig doors open to admit a lorry-load of steel, conditions do not improve. Even so, I put up with it,and wouldn’t care to shift to another bench, away fromthe big doors. As one may imagine this is a noisy place with smokerising, machines thumping and thrusting, people kneading, shaping, and putting things together.Because I am nearest to the big doors I am the farthestaway from those who have to come down to shoutinstructions in my ear. I am the first to greet strangers who drift in through the open doors looking for work. I give them as muchinformation as they require, direct them to the offices,and acknowledge the casual recognition that oneworker signs to another. I can always tell the look on the faces of the successful ones as they hurry away. The look on the faces of theunlucky I know also, but cannot easily forget. I have worked here for fifteen months.It’s too good to last.Orders will fall off and there will be a reduction in staff.More people than we can cope withwill be brought in from other lands:people who are also lookingfor something more real, more lasting, more permanent maybe, than dying. . . .I really ought to be looking for another jobbefore the axe falls. These thoughts I push away, I think that I am luckyto have a position by the big doors which open out to a short alley leading to the main street; consolemyself that if the worst happened I at least wouldhave no great distance to carry my gear and tool-boxoff the premises. I always like working near a door. I always look for a work-bench hard by – in case an earthquakeoccurs and fire breaks out, you know? Monologue-The Poem

3. I like working near a door. I like to have my work-benchclose by, with a locker handy. “I like working near a door” The writer refers to the door many times in the poem to emphasize that he does not like to be here, and he wants to leave. His speech makes it seem as though he has had lots of working experience and has had new jobs often. The worker is contented with working close to a door with his ‘locker handy’ close by due to the fact that he can escape easily and it gives a sense of security to him. He speaks almost sarcastically by saying this. He tolerates the conditions that come with working near a door but would much rather move to a better place. Stanza 1

4. Here, the cold creeps in under the big doors, and in the summer hot dust swirls, clogging the nose. When the big doors open to admit a lorry-load of steel, conditions do not improve. Even so, I put up with it,and wouldn’t care to shift to another bench, away from the big doors. In this stanza the poet further analyses the advantages and disadvantages of being near the ‘big doors’. For one, he has to put up with the harsh environment around him throughout the year. It is not a comfortable place for him and in the winter ‘the cold creeps under the big doors and in the summer hot dust swirls, clogging the hose’. Even though he is most exposed to these conditions, he would still prefer to be closest to the doors. “Conditions do not improve. Even so, I put up with it” “Big doors open to admit” The use of the word ‘admit’ makes the door seem like a security barrier and gives it a sense of inferiority over the workers. “Wouldn’t care to shift to another bench, away from the big doors” The poet is grateful for this job and puts up with the harsh conditions. He expects to be fired any time soon like he always has. Although he likes working near a door he wouldn’t mind to move away from the harsh conditions brought in by the ‘big doors’. Stanza 2

5. As one may imagine this is a noisy place with smokerising, machines thumping and thrusting, people kneading, shaping, and putting things together. Because I am nearest to the big doors I am the farthestaway from those who have to come down to shout instructions in my ear. The poet gives a description of the activities within the factory and mentions that ‘people’ are kneading, shaping and putting things together. This makes it seem like the poet is only watching and is not given any important tasks. “I am furthest away from those who have to come down to shout instructions in my ear” He states another advantage to being near the door. His work space is the furthest away from the boss so he is less likely to be made to do something. He is happy that he can be left alone and given some freedom. Being furthest away from the boss also makes it less likely for him to be fired as he is less easily spotted by the boss. Stanza 3

6. I am the first to greet strangers who drift in through the open doors looking for work. I give them as muchinformation as they require, direct them to the offices, and acknowledge the casual recognition that oneworker signs to another. “I am the first to greet strangers who drift through the open doors”. The word “drift” suggests aimlessness, as if the people coming through the doors are like him- wandering from job to job. “I give them as much nformation as they require”. While he is kind and polite, he is also aware that these people could be competing for his job so, as the word “require” suggests, he does not give these people any more information than they need. This word also suggests, that since he knows excactly how much information these potential workers require, he is experienced in dealing with them and has also probably been in their position several times himself. The phrase, “casual recognition”, suggests his casual, relaxed nature. It also emphasizes how he is not overly friendly or welcoming. Stanza 4

7. I can always tell the look on the faces of the successful ones as they hurry away. The look on the faces of the unlucky I know also, but cannot easily forget. The fact that the narrater can always tell which people are successfull shows that he has obviously wathched countless workers come in and out of the doors. As readers we get the feeling that he himself as been in the same position as these workers many times. He says that he cannot easily forget the looks on the faces of those who have failed, and this is related to the fact that, as a fellow worker, he can really sympathise with these people. Stanza 5

8. have worked here for fifteen months. It’s too good to last. Orders will fall off and there will be a reduction in staff. More people than we can cope with will be brought in from other lands: people who are also looking for something more real, more lasting, more permanent maybe, than dying. . . . I really ought to be looking for another job before the axe falls. “I have worked here for fifteen months. It’s too good to last.” These lines show how fifteen months is obviously a very long time for this man to be employed in one job. By saying it’s “too good to last” we can see the narrator’s pessimism, gained from previous experience. The structure in this stanza makes it seem like af monologue (hence the title). With the use of short lines and an elipsis (“dying…”), we feel like we are following the poet’s pattern of thought. The poet goes on to say how his employers must be looking for something “more real, more lasting, more permanent maybe, than dying…” . This shows how he feels that he is “past it” and that younger generations are stepping up to replace him. This also demonstrates the pessimism whiched was touched on earlier. He says, “ I really ought to be looking for another job before the axe falls”, which shows he is already resigned to the fact that he will be fired and is already thinking about the next one. The use of the negative words, such as “dying”, “reduction” and “fall” relate to the poet’s own feelings. Stanza 6

9. These thoughts I push away, I think that I am lucky to have a position by the big doors which open out to a short alley leading to the main street; console myself that if the worst happened I at least would have no great distance to carry my gear and tool-box off the premises. The persona is suggested to be quite optimistic in this stanza. For example, when he pushes away the negative thoughts that he has, and moves on to thinking that he is lucky. Also, the short alley leading to main street implies that he can find a job easily if he is to be fired, and will not dwell on the fact that his job is lost and will find it a mission to find another job. This stanza also shows contributes to the idea that the persona is a drifter, and moves from place to place a lot. This is shown as he talks about carrying his gear and tool-box in a casual manner. Stanza 7

10. I always like working near a door. I always look for a work-bench hard by – in case an earthquake occurs and fire breaks out, you know? In this stanza, the end of it is a rhetorical question which can suggest two things. Firstly, it could be quite ironic, in the sense that the earthquake or fire is a metaphor for the need to move on. As in, he is thinking more about moving than about moving that about staying. Secondly, it could also suggest a hint of sarcasm or humour, because he is obviously not going to leave his job because of a natural disaster, but for other means. Lastly, this stanza is like a summary of his attitude portrayed in the whole poem. It suggests he is asking “who knows what might happen?” It suggests that his attitude is not relying on any particular thing being continuous, but preparing for possibilities that don’t go as planned. Stanza 8

11. Hone Tuwhare • 1920’s-Born 1922 near Kaikohe, of Ngäpuhi, Ngäti Korokoro, Tautahi, Uri o Hau, Te Popoto and Scottish descent. After his mother’s death the family moves to Auckland where his father works as a labourer. • 1930’s-Hone attends several schools, then starts a boilermaking apprenticeship with NZ Railways. Reads widely from the workshop library and starts writing poetry. • 1940’s-Joins the Communist Party, where he meets RAK Mason and becomes involved in trade unions. Joins the Mäori Battalion and serves in Japan (post-Hiroshima) with the occupational force. Marries Jean McCormack in 1949. Moves to Wellington; involved with trade unions and Communist Party. • 1950’s-Leaves his job to lead an international peace delegation to Sydney. Sons Rewi, Robert and Andrew are born. Works as boilermaker on hydro scheme in Mangakino between 1953–61. Leaves Communist Party in protest at Soviet invasion of Hungary. Father dies (1957); Hone begins writing poetry seriously, encouraged by local author Noel Hilliard. Building the dam at Mangakino. First poem published in Poetry Yearbook (1958) • 1960’s-First print run of No Ordinary Sun (1964) sells out quickly. Family moves to Auckland, Hone works at Devonport Naval Base. Elected to Birkenhead Borough Council. Centennial Robert Burns Fellow at Otago University (1969), following close friend James Baxter. Establishes lifelong friendship with artist Ralph Hotere: they use each other’s works to complement their own

12. 1970’s-Works as boilermaker in Papua New Guinea and Samoa. Meets Albert Wendt. Come Rain Hail (1971), Sap-wood & Milk (1972). Helps organise first Mäori Writers & Artists Hui at Te Kaha (1973). Rejoins Communist Party in admiration at progress in China. Wins second Burns Fellowship and moves to Dunedin. Something Nothing (1974). With Denis Glover on the 1976 tour. National tour with Denis Glover, Sam Hunt and Alan Brunton (1975). Takes part in Mäori land march to Parliament. Helps organise 5000-strong march in Dunedin against SIS Amendment Bill. Expelled from Communist Party for acting in an ‘un-Marxist way’.Making a Fist of It: Poems and Short Stories (1978). National tour with Jan Kemp, Alastair Campbell and Sam Hunt (1979). • 1980’s-Selected Poems (1980). Attends Commonwealth literary conference in Germany.Year of the Dog (poems) and In the Wilderness Without a Hat (play) 1982. Hocken Research Fellow at Otago University, 1983. Land march to Waitangi, 1984. Berlin Writer in Residence 1985. Mihi (collected poems, 1987). • 1990’s-Auckland University writer in residence. Te Waka Toi award for work for Mäori art. Moves to Kaka Point, Otago. Short Back & Sideways: Poems & Prose (1992), Deep River Talk: Collected Poems (1993), Shape-Shifter wins Montana NZ poetry award in 1998. Honorary doctorate from Otago University, 1998. New Zealand’s second Te Mata Poet Laureate, 1999 • 2000’s-Piggy-Back Moon wins Montana NZ poetry award in 2002. Named as an Arts Foundation of New Zealand Icon Artist, 2003. Prime Minister’s Award for Literary Achievement, along with Janet Frame and Michael King, for outstanding contribution to New Zealand literature (2003).

13. THE END  finally.. By Andrew Lee, Daniel Lee and Bruno Lane