Narrative voice plays an important role in conveying the idea of 'journey' in 'Homecoming' by poet Bruce Dawe. In this free-verse war poem, the idea of 'journey' extends itself to cover both the physical and emotional aspects of the subject matter of the poem. Repetition and word choice are of key importance in developing the idea of the physical journey, while techniques such as metaphorical language, historical references and the use of imagery reinforce the idea of the emotional baggage that returns along with the bodies. The purpose of this poem is to illustrate the futility and pointlessness of war.
             The first technique that becomes apparent to the responder is repetition. The repetition of the word 'day', in the context of,
             'All day, day after day...' has connotations of the drudgery and the long duration of this physical journey, as well as alluding to the sheer volumes of corpses that are transported home.
             The next five lines are begun with the word, 'they're' which gives the poem a slow and repetitious rhythm, which is related to the constancy and monotony of this physical journey. To suit the effect the composer wishes to achieve rhythm and the speed of reading are moderated and can be linked in with the idea of the amounts of bodies to be transported.
             Established at the beginning of the poem and continued throughout, is the narrative voice or persona of 'Homecoming.' In 'Homecoming' the bodies are depersonalised by word choice, which assists in conveying the physical journey. Words such as "piled" "tagging" and "rolling" which are normally applied to describe inanimate objects are used in conjunction with the descriptions of the fallen soldiers. In this way, the narrative voice is established as detached, and without emotion. As the poem progresses, so does the narrative v
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