Annotation of the poem Comete by Les Murray

The poem , Comete , by Les Murray , is a whimsical piece filled with words that wander through the reader 's imagination until they eventually culminate in a staggering image of a confident woman , walking down the street , her hair blowing behind her . However , the poem is almost too confident , and there are several hints that the poem may not be as optimistic or celebratory as it seems

For example , the very first word of the poem 's only stanza is uphill ' Uphill instantly creates a struggle in the mind of the reader , and

this struggle is further depicted with word choices like oiled , fracture , and sheathed ' all stand out above the other seemingly glossy words . Then , directly after the poem 's only indentation , Murray speaks of abstracted attempts ' the hair had on the woman 's face . By using that particular phrase , Murray creates a broken mirror ' image of the face , suggesting the hint of a reflection . Perhaps what is seen on the outside is a near disguise

Murray also thoroughly delivers the image of the comet tail trailing in blissful agony . The woman 's hair , the comet tail , is practically the main focus in the poem . This focus is possibly what gives the reader the notion of a blaze following the woman , and a blaze usually comes from determination , which only follows a struggle of sorts

Nevertheless , Murray has created a beautiful piece with Comete Though his rhyme disappears as the poem continues , his imagery is what keeps the reader 's...