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HOëRSKOOL RICHARDSBAAIGRADE 10 ENG HL

N. OppermanBased on notes of L. Holm & L.Vrey2020-2022

PLEASE NOTE LEARNERS: YOU ARE NOT ALLOWED TO WRITE IN THIS BOOKLET. IT MUST BE IN THE CLASS AND MAY ONLY BE TAKEN HOME IF INSTRUCTED SO. PLEASE KEEP IT IN A PLASTIC SLEEVE. ALL POEMS, QUESTIONS AND SUMMARIES MUST BE DONE IN YOUR WORKBOOK- THAT WILL BE THE ONLY THING YOU KEEP WITH YOU DURING THE EXAM OR WHEN YOU PREPARE FOR A TEST.

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GRADE 10 ...

YEAR20212022

INDEX:

Grade 10 Poetry Guide [Compiled by L. Vrey, N. Opperman, Linda Holm, B. Krone]

Tone words p 2 – 3 How to read a poem p 4 – 5 Glossary p 6 – 10

NO POEM POET 1 Caged Bird Maya Angelou2 Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day William Shakespeare3 Reapers in the mieliefield Oswald Mtshali4 The Road not taken Robert Frost5 A young man’s thoughts before June 16th Faizal Johennesse6 Silver Walter da la Mare7 A letter to a Son Charles Mungoshi8 Women Alice Walker9 Candle Christopher van Wyk10 The warm and the cold Ted Hughes

TONE VOCABULARYTone: quality or timbre of the voice that conveys the emotional message of a text. In a written text, it isachieved through words. (How it would be said.)

Mood: atmosphere or emotion in written texts; shows the feeling or the frame of mind of the characters;it also refers to the atmosphere produced by visual, audio or multi-media texts. (How it makes you feel.)

Theme: the central idea or ideas in text; a text may contain several themes, and these may not beexplicit or obvious.

Positive Tone / Attitude Words

Amiable Consoling Friendly PlayfulAmused Content Happy PleasantAppreciative Dreamy Hopeful ProudAuthoritative Ecstatic Impassioned RelaxedBenevolent Elated Jovial ReverentBrave Elevated Joyful RomanticCalm Encouraging Jubilant SoothingCheerful Energetic Lighthearted SurprisedCheery Enthusiastic Loving SweetCompassionate Excited Optimistic SympatheticComplimentary Exuberant Passionate VibrantConfident Fanciful Peaceful Whimsical

Homework|:Cycle 1: Day 3: Choose any 3 positive tone words unfamiliar to you and write a good sentence in your poetry book.

Negative Tone / Attitude Words

Accusing Aggravated Agitated Angry Apathetic Arrogant Artificial AudaciousBelligerent Bitter Boring BrashChildish Coarse Cold CondemnatoryDisappointed Disgruntled Disgusted Disinterested

Gr. 10 EHL Poetry Notes

Choleric Harsh Haughty HatefulCondescending Contradictory Critical InsultingHurtful Indignant Inflammatory OutragedIrritated Superficial Desperate PassiveFacetious Shameful Smooth SnootyFurious Surly Testy ThreateningQuarrelsome Wrathful

Homework Cycle 1 Day 10: Choose any 3 negative tone words unfamiliar to you and write a good sentence with each in your poetry book.

Humour-Irony-Sarcasm Tone / Attitude Words

Amused Bantering Bitter CausticComical Condescending Contemptuous CriticalCynical Disdainful Droll GiddyFlippant Mocking Mock-serious IrrelevantHumorous Insolent Ironic QuizzicalJoking Malicious Patronizing SarcasticPompous Mock-heroic Scornful WhimsicalRibald Ridiculing Teasing WrySardonic Satiric Silly Taunting

Cycle 2: Spelling Test Day 3

Sorrow-Fear-Worry Tone / Attitude Words

Aggravated Despairing Hopeless ParanoidApprehensive Disturbed Horror PessimisticAgitated Embarrassed Melancholy PoignantAnxious Fearful Miserable PitifulApologetic Foreboding Morose RegretfulConcerned Gloomy Mournful RemorsefulConfused Grave Nervous ResignedDejected Horrific Numb SadDepressed Hollow Ominous SeriousSober

Cycle 2: Spelling test Day 10


Neutral Tone / Attitude Words

Admonitory Allusive Apathetic AuthoritativeBaffled Callous Candid CeremonialClinical Consoling Contemplative ConventionalDetached Didactic Disbelieving FactualDramatic Earnest Expectant FrivolousFervent Formal Forthright IncredulousHaughty Histrionic Humble Loud Informative Inquisitive Instructive NostalgicIntimate Judgemental Learned UrgentLyrical Matter-of-fact Meditative Vexedobjective Obsequious Patriotic WistfulPleading Pretentious Persuasive ZealousQuestioning Reflective ReminiscentRestrained Sincere Resigned Shocking Seductive Serious

Cycle 3: Day 3: TEST ABOUT ALL POETRY WHICH INCLUDES ALL INTRODUCTORY NOTES


How to read a poem

Getting started Read the poem silently. Read it four or five times to improve our understanding. Where possible, read the poem aloud and to someone. What are your first impressions of the poem? How does it make you feel? What sort of poem is it? For example, is it a ballad, epic, free verse, lyric, narrative poem or a

sonnet?

Going deeper Does the poem use rhyme? Does the rhyme form a pattern? What is it? What is the effect? Does the poem have a rhythm (regular beat)? Try to describe it and explain its effect. Is the poem written in free verse (with no set rhythm)? What is the effect? Does the poem have a particular shape or unusual layout? Why do you think of the poet has done

this? Is the poem concerned with giving a description of people, things, events or thoughts? What are

they? Does the poem tell a story? Give an outline. Is the poem funny or serious? Explain how and why? Is the poem warm and generous or savage and cutting or somewhere in between?

ThemeThe theme refers to an important idea that underlies the poem and gives a comment about life. What do you think is the theme of the poem? Think about how you would discuss what you have learned by reading the poem.

Poetic techniquesThese are some of the devices poets use to create mind pictures (images) to bring a poem to life. (refer to glossary for more devices) Alliteration Onomatopoeia Simile Metaphor Personification

Bringing it all togetherOnce you have followed the steps outlined above, check our understanding of the poem. Ask yourself if you can:1. Briefly retell what the poem is about.2. Describe the poem’s theme.3. Explain how the techniques used help to convey the poet’s ideas.4. Discuss your reaction to some of the poetic techniques.5. Discuss your overall reaction to the poem.6. Use examples and short quotations to support your view.

Language to write about poetry

It is important to have some vocabulary (poetry jargon) to help you to convey some of the layers of meaning that are suggested by this poetic language. The following words and phrases will help you to express some of poetry’s elusive qualities


WORD MEANING EXAMPLE USED IN POETRY ANALYSIS

Evokes to call up a memory or feeling of something The word evokes a sense of freedom

alludes to makes reference to The sound alludes to running water.Elicits to give rise to; to call forth The comparison elicits our sympathiesSuggests to make a suggestion The image suggests the passing of time.has connotations of is associated with The word has connotations of defiance

Conveys carries (a meaning of…) The simile conveys a sense of generosity

implies suggests, but does not sate obviously

The metaphor implies a life of suffering and hardship

How to write a poetry essayA poetry essay should be about a page or 250 – 300 words long. The following guidelines will help you to structure what can fell like a vague and difficult task.

Think about the following questions:

• What purpose does this poetic/literary device serve?• How does the author communicate his or her purpose through this device?• Why do readers have this response to the poetic device?

ESSAY TIPS:1. Your essay must have a central idea (stated in your thesis) that governs its development. 2. Your essay must be organized so that every part contributes something to the reader’s

understanding of the central idea. 3. Assume that your reader is NOT familiar with the author or poem.4. Tell your reader what the poem is about (not what happens, but what the happenings add up

to).5. Write in the third person!!! Present tense.

Note that you may not have ENOUGH space to address everything in these guidelines; there may be, for example, many poetic devices or images, so choose those that you think are most powerful to comment on.

Also, be guided by the essay question. If it asks you to focus on aspects of the poem, (e.g. structure, imagery, tone) make sure you address only those features asked for. However, if the essay is more open-ended and asks for a critical analysis of a poem, this structure will help you:

THINGS TO REMEMBER

IntroductionIn one or two sentences explain what the poem is about: its theme, issues or main message.

You could start with a phrase like: In the poem, “…….” of “……”- rephrase the statement e.g. In the poem, "Caged Bird" by Maya Angelou, diction, imagery and figures of speech are used to convey…The poet describes … orThis poem is about…The opening statement is quite static and does not require any information for marks.

Body of essay:This is where you show your understanding of how the poet conveys the meaning. Address the following.

It must contain certain elements as asked in the question e.g. if structure is asked- make sure you understand what needs to be discussed under structure.


Structure of poem: Consider the length of sentences, enjambment and stanza length.

Is the structure formal (like a sonnet) or informal? Short sentences suggest abrupt, definite thoughts. Longer sentences are more conversational or lyrical. Are the stanzas unusual in any way?

Poetic devices: Consider rhyme, rhythm, alliteration, assonance, onomatopoeia.

A rhyming poem will have a musical, child-like, sing-song quality to it.Rhythms can be slow and sleepy or highly energised.Alliterated sounds often link in some way to what they describe.

Imagery or figures of speech: Look for similes, metaphors, examples of personification or contrast.

Think about how the two things compared are similar.Use the vocabulary (p 5) to help you describe the comparison and its effect.

Style: Look at diction, punctuation, sentence length.

Is the style conversational, formal, highly descriptive, straightforward, lyrical or informal?Quote a word or phrase as proof.

Tone: What does the poem tell us about the poet’s attitude to the subject matter? Does the tone change at some point?

Use adjectives like set out on page 2 and 3.

ConclusionWhat is your response to the poem? How does it make you feel?

Be honest about your response. If you think the poem failed to deliver on its intention, say so, but provide reasons for your opinion.

.

Caged Bird Maya Angelou____________________________________________________________________________

Background notes on poet:Maya Angelou (1928 – 2014) is an African-American poet, author, dancer, singer, film producer, activist and feminist. She was most famous for her autobiography also titled I know why the caged bird sings which tells the story of her tough working-class background. She won many awards during her lifetime and was Professor of American studies in North Carolina.

Caged Bird

A free bird leaps on the back of the wind and floats downstream till the current ends and dips his wing 5 in the orange sun rays and dares to claim the sky.

But a bird that stalks down his narrow cage can seldom see through 10his bars of rage his wings are clipped and his feet are tied so he opens his throat to sing.

The caged bird sings 15with a fearful trill of things unknown


but longed for still and his tune is heard on the distant hill 20for the caged bird sings of freedom.

The free bird thinks of another breeze and the trade winds soft through the sighing trees and the fat worms waiting on a dawn bright lawn 25and he names the sky his own

But a caged bird stands on the grave of dreams his shadow shouts on a nightmare scream his wings are clipped and his feet are tied so he opens his throat to sing. 30

The caged bird sings with a fearful trill of things unknown but longed for still and his tune is heard 35on the distant hill for the caged bird sings of freedom.

Characteristics of this poem:Maya Angelou’s poem has a musical quality to it which is particularly apt because it reinforces the idea of singing, a central image in the poem. The extensive use of enjambment, repeated words, phrases and structures, and the refrain (stanzas three and six) contribute to this quality.

Introduction:This poem compares the different experiences of a free bird and a caged bird and the poet highlights why it is that the caged bird sings: it is all it can do to taste freedom. Metaphorically, the birds represent those who are imprisoned, or oppressed in some way (caged), and those who enjoy privilege, opportunities and autonomy (who are free) One interpretation links the poem to the civil rights movement in America, where activists campaigning for justice and equality for black people would be the caged birds sing[ing] of freedom. The contrasting circumstances depicted could also relate to gender inequality, or any other situation where one group is empowered and the other is not.

Title:

Caged – indicates restrictions Bird – a creature that has wings and is meant to fly.

- the fact that it can fly, indicates freedom Caged is thus a contradiction with what is naturally meant for this creature (bird) Deeper meaning – An image of restriction is created

Theme:

The poem contrasts the caged bird with the free bird and their different characteristics, emphasising the caged bird.


The bird represents people in the actual world who are restricted/ oppressed/ discriminated against.

The bars of the cage represent the things that keep people from doing what they wish. The poem also speaks about the hope that people have. The speaker wants people to see and hear the difference between the free birds and the

caged bird. Lastly the speaker wants us to take home the idea that people with similar experiences

may feel the same way; like a caged bird, who is not free, but has hope within them.

Analysis:

Stanza 1:

The poem begins by speaking of the free bird and the freedom it has to go anywhere, whenever, and it can claim the sky because it is free.

The stanza implies that the free bird is lazy and would rather float on the wind instead of making its own path.

Stanza 2:

Introduces the limitations set upon the caged bird and how it affects the bird. It is still proud and calls out for freedom.

Stanza 3:

Emphasises the caged bird and its plight. Tells of how the caged bird sings for freedom – as if it still has hope for things it does not

know of. The caged bird ‘can be heard on the distant hill’. The bird is shown to rebel against all that holds it back in an attempt to be freed.

Stanza 4:

The free bird – again The free bird ‘thinks of another breeze’ showing that although it is free, the bird is not

content and is greedy to have even more freedom It is again implied to be lazy in that it is dissatisfied with the stream of wind that it is on

but not enough to do something about it. The stanza then describes how easy things seem to come to the free bird as there are

worms waiting for it at dawn on the lawn.

Stanza 5:

The bird in its cage The cage has become the grave for the bird’s dreams. It still sings of freedom.

Stanza 6:

Repetition of stanza 3 which emphasizes the caged bird and the fact that the bird’s song is to be feared and respected.


Further points to consider

The poem is ultimately positive because although the caged bird has no freedom, his hope cannot be dimmed by the bars of the cage and ‘clipped wings’.

His song is so loud that it is heard on a distant hill, perhaps forcing the free bird to take notice.

There are constant shifts in the poem:- The poem begins with a positive, joyful free bird and shifts to the viewpoint of the

caged bird.- The greatest shift is from the 3rd to the 4th stanza.- The behaviour and lives of both birds are compared throughout in very vivid ways, so

that each one is separated completely.- Finally, it shifts back to the caged bird and its song of hope which also conveys the

speaker’s feelings.

Diction/ Imagery/ Poetic Devices

Diction alternates between very harsh, strong words such as ‘stalks’ and ‘fearful trill’ in stanza 3 about the caged bird, to more flowing words such as ‘floats’ and ‘sighing trees’ when concerned with the free bird.

Enjambment

- There is very little punctuation in this poem- Most of the lines are made up of a single sentence with enjambed lines.- This creates a fluid effect that contributes to the musical quality of the poem.

Alliteration - ‘fearful trill’ (stanza 3)- Adds to the ‘sound effect’ and musical quality of the poem.- Consider the definition of the word ‘trill’ – quavering sound/ birds warbling

Tone/Mood:

Stanza 1:Tone

Elation/ Exuberant/ Playful A description of the free bird enjoying the open sky. In the last line one can feel a shift in tone it becomes almost arrogant – ‘claims the sky’.

Mood Light hearted

Stanza 2:Tone

Anger Possibly bitterness

Stanza 3:

The tone is ominous/ frustrated- Due to the extremity of difference between the free bird and the caged bird.- The speaker expresses the hope one might still have when problems occur, by

repeating the verse about the caged bird still singing.


Stanza 4:

The tone becomes more positive and upbeat again BUT the contrast between the free and thecaged bird is now clearly contrasted with the free bird.

Stanza 6:

The tone is depressing

The refrain:

Section of poetry that is repeated like a chorus Usually carries the central message of the poem adds to the poem’s lyrical/musical quality

Questions:

1. Comment on the poet’s use of verbs used in stanza one: how do they convey the experience of being a free bird? (3)

2. By referring to stanza two, write down the ways in which the caged bird id trapped, and explain why he stalks. (5)

3. Explain why the caged bird’s trill (song) is fearful. (3)

4. Explain what is meant by the metaphor: a caged bird stands on the grave of dreams. (3)

5. Name two ways that the refrain contributes to the overall meaning of the poem. (2)


Vocabulary

trill: a quavering sound; bird’s warblingtrade winds: winds blowing towards the equator

Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day? William Shakespeare____________________________________________________________________________

Background notes on poet:William Shakespeare (1564 – 1616) is an English poet and playwright. Although he is regarded as the most significant writer of English, not much is known about Shakespeare’s personal life. He married Anne Hathaway and moved from his birthplace to London, where he wrote 35 plays, many of which are believed to be the finest achievements of the English language. He also wrote 154 sonnets: the first 126 were dedicated to a young man called W. H. and the rest to a mysterious woman who has become known as ‘the dark lady’.

Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day? William Shakespeare

Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day?

Thou art more lovely and more temperate:

Rough winds do not shake the darling buds of May,

And summer’s lease hath all too short a date;

Sometime too hot the eye of heaven shines, 5

And often is his gold complexion dimm’d;

And every fair from fair sometime declines,

By chance or nature’s changing course untrimm’d;

But thy eternal summer shall not fade,

Nor lose possession of that fair thou ow’st; 10

Nor shall death brag thou wander’st in his shade,

When in eternal lines to time thou grow’st:

So long as men can breathe or eyes can see,

So long lives this, and this gives life to thee.

Characteristics of this poem:This poem is an example of a Shakespearean sonnet. It has all the characteristics that typify the form: is made up of 14 lines and it has tree quatrains (group of four lines) and a rhyming couplet (two lines at the end). Each quatrain explores a slightly different variation on the theme of love. The poem has a regular rhyme scheme which helps to demarcate the three quatrains and identify the rhyming couplet. Each line also makes use of an iambic pentameter (unstressed syllable followed by a stressed syllable. Pentameter: five of these groups of stressed/unstressed syllables in a line) which gives the sonnet a pleasant conversational rhythm.


Introduction:Shakespeare’s sonnets explore the topics such as the nature of love, sexual passion, birth, death and time. In this sonnet, the speaker compares his beloved to a summer’s day, giving different reasons why he is more beautiful than the day. His beauty can be preserved for all time because it is protected by the poem, which time cannot erase.

Analysis

Lines 1-2:

Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day? Thou art more lovely and more temperate:

The speaker starts by asking or wondering out loud whether he ought to compare whomever he’s speaking to with a summer’s day.

Instead of musing on that further, he tells the object of his affection. The object of his description is more "lovely" and more "temperate" than a summer’s day. "temperate" à The meaning that comes to mind first is just "even-keeled" or "restrained,"

à mild tempered i.e. does not anger easily. the speaker doesn’t seem to care much what "thee" thinks. So is he just wondering out loud here, pretending "thee" is present? Finally, just a note on the meter here: Go ahead and read those first two lines out loud. Notice how they’re kind of bouncy?

That’s the iambic pentameter: "compare thee to a summer’s day." So do you want to see a cool bit of foreshadowing? The pronoun "I" is a stressed syllable

in the first line, but the pronoun "Thou" is unstressed in the second line. Guess who’s going to be the real subject of this poem.

Lines 3-4:

Rough winds do shake the darling buds of May, And summer’s lease hath all too short a date:

Here the speaker begins to personify nature Basically, strong summer winds threaten those new flower buds that popped up in May,

and summer doesn’t last very long. The point here is clear enough: the summer WILL end. But summer also fated to begin every year Can the summer possibly have "too short a date," if it happens an infinite number of

times? Isn’t it, in a meaningful sense, immortal?

Lines 5-6:

Sometime too hot the eye of heaven shines, And often is his gold complexion dimm’d;

Personification of nature à the speaker’s saying sometimes the sun is too hot, and other times you can’t even see it at all (hidden, we assume, by clouds).

he calls the sun the "eye of heaven," refers to it using the word "his," and gives it a "complexion," which generally means refers to the skin of the face.

"Complexion" used to be used to describe someone’s health.


Lines 7-8:

And every fair from fair sometime declines, By chance, or nature’s changing course untrimm’d;

With these lines, the speaker declares that everything beautiful must eventually fade away and lose its charm, either by chance or by the natural flow of time.

"untrimm’d" à We might read it as what happens to "fair" or beautiful things. - things that are beautiful eventually lose their trimmings, or their decorations, and thus fade from beauty.

On the other hand, "untrimm’d" is also a term from sailing, as you "trim," or adjust, the sails to take advantage of the wind. This gives "untrimm’d" a completely opposite meaning; instead of "made ugly and plain by natural changes," it means "unchanged in the face of nature’s natural changes."

Lines 9-10:

But thy eternal summer shall not fade, Nor lose possession of that fair thou ow’st,

‘But’ shows a turn! Suddenly, the tone and direction of the poem changes dramatically. Moving on from

summer and the limitations inherent in nature, the speaker pronounces that the beloved he’s speaking to isn’t subject to all of these rules he’s laid out.

The speaker argues that, unlike the real summer, his beloved’s summer (by which he means beautiful, happy years) will never go away, nor will the beloved lose his/her beauty.

But remember what we mentioned in line 4? The summer in real life actually is an "eternal summer," since it comes back every year for all eternity. Just like we saw with all of the personifications of nature in the previous lines, we begin to notice here that "thee" and the "summer’s day" are really quite similar.

Both can fade away or, depending on how you look at it, be eternal, and both can be personified. That’s why here, at line 9, the poet switches direction – both the beloved and nature are threatened mainly by time, and it is only through this third force (poetry), that they can live on.

Lines 11-12:

Nor shall death brag thou wander’st in his shade, When in eternal lines to time thou grow’st;

In another personification, the speaker introduces death. Death, the speaker claims, won’t get a chance to claim the beloved in the valley of the

shadow of death (this death’s shadow idea is from Psalm 23:4), since he/she is immortal. Here, then, the poet is making two bold claims: first, that his poem is "eternal," and

second, that it nourishes and develops "thee," as it is where he/she is able to "grow."

Lines 13-14:

So long as men can breathe, or eyes can see, So long lives this, and this gives life to thee.

The couplet, in the end, is just a fuller admission of what the speaker points toward in line 12.

In other words, by allowing us to try to give life to "thee" (figuring out who he/she was), the speaker and the poem itself give "thee" life.


In other words: if men live and can read, this poem will continue to live, and so keep "thee" alive.

Firstly, we’ve got some more personification: technically, eyes don’t really "see," and poems certainly don’t "live."

Also, it’s worth noting the incredible arrogance here: why should we believe that as long as humankind exists, this poem will continue to live? Can’t we imagine a world in which every copy of this poem was burned, and so "thee" would stop living?

And even if people are still reading the poem, what kind of "life" is it that the beloved will be leading? This doesn’t sound like heaven. The beloved can’t make any choices for his or herself, isn’t conscious, and can only be recognized as the poet described him or her.

In fact, we ought to wonder whether it is "thee" who will be alive, or rather the poet’s (very limited) representation of "thee."

We have three conditions here: the speaker speaks only to "thee," the writer speaks only to us, and the speaker and writer are the same thing.

The last two lines hammer home something we suspected from those very first pronouns: this speaker seems more interested in himself and his abilities as a poet than the qualities of his addressee.

Questions:

1. What is the metaphor that runs throughout this poem? (1)

2. Match each of the ideas in the table to a quatrain in the sonnet.

Quatrain

Summary

1 Nature is sometimes too severe and beauty can be destroyed.2 The beloved is more beautiful and much calmer than a summer’s

day.3 The beloved’s beauty will last because it has been immortalised in

the poem. (3)


Vocabulary

temperate: calm and collecteddarling buds of May: refers to the new buds that appear in May during the English Spring timelease: it suggests that summer is held to a contract (a lease) that will expire when Autumn

appearscomplexion: the colour and appearance of the skin on a person’s facedimm’d: a shortening of the word ‘dimmed’’ which means dull or darkerdeclines: becomes less or worseuntrimm’d: a shortening of the word ‘untrimmed’, which means not cut offow’st: a shortening of the word ‘owest’, which is an old word for ‘owe’, meaning to have to

show something or offer something

3. Re-organise the paraphrased lines so that each line matches its original.

Poem ParaphraseShall I compare thee to a summer’s day?

Rough winds shake the lovely spring buds

Thou art more lovely and more temperate:

So long as there are people on this earth,

And summer’s lease hath all too short a date;

And everything beautiful will eventually love its beauty.

Sometime too hot the eye of heaven shines,

But your youth shall not fade,

And often is his gold complexion dimm’d;

You are more lovely and more constant:

And every fair from fair sometime declines,

And summer is far too short:

By chance or nature’s changing course untrimm’d;

Nor will death claim you for his own,

But thy eternal summer shall not fade, Or often goes behind the clouds;Nor lose possession of that fair thou ow’st;

So long will this poem live on, making you immortal.

Nor shall death brag thou wander’st in his shade,

Shall I compare you to a summer’s day

When in eternal lines to time thou grow’st:

Because in my eternal verse you will live forever.

So long as men can breathe or eyes can see,

By misfortune or by nature’s planned course.

So long lives this, and this gives life to thee.

Nor will you lose the beauty that you possess; (14)

4. Explain the structure of the Shakespeare sonnet. Refer to this poem to support your answer. (5)

SECOND SET OF QUESTIONS

1. This poem is an extended comparison between the speaker's lover and a summer's day. According to the first two lines, how is the speaker's lover UNLIKE a summer's day?

2. Lines three to eight point out several negative characteristics of summer. Identify them.

3. Lines nine to fourteen offer a view of the lover's many contrasts with nature. How is she better than a summer's day?

4. What will keep her young forever? What does this poem suggest about the value of art?

5. Identify the metaphors, personification, and hyperbole in this sonnet.

6. Try to feel and describe the effects pf spondaic (double stress) rhythm in line 3, as opposed to the predominantly iambic rhythm in other lines, esp. ll. 4, 7-8 and 13-14.


Reapers in a mieliefield Mbuyiseni Oswald Mtshali____________________________________________________________________________

Background notes on the poet

Mbuyiseni Oswald Mtshali is a South African poet and teacher. His first volume of poetry Sounds of a cowhide drum, sold more copies than any other book of South African poetry when it was published in 1970. His poems explore the devastating effects of apartheid.

Faces furrowed and wet with sweat,Bags tied to their wasp waists,women reapers bend mielie stalks,break cobs in rustling sheaths,toss them in the bags 5and move through row upon row of maize.

Behind them, like a desert tanker,a dust-raising tractorpulls a trailer,driven by a pipe-puffing man 10flashing tobacco-stained teethas yellow as the harvested grain.

He stops to pick up bags loaded by thick-limbed labourersIn vests bakedbrown with dust. 15

The sun lashesthe workers with a red-hot rod;they stop for a whileto wipe a brine-bathedbrow 20and drink from battered cansbubbling with malty “maheu”

Thirst is slaked in seconds,Men jerk bags like feather cushionsAnd women become prancing wild mares;soon the day’s work will be doneand the reapers will rest in their kraals.

Title

The title is descriptive of what the poem is about – reapers in a mieliefield

Theme

In this poem the poet points out the harsh conditions under which many labourers work. He faithfully records the suffering of the workers as he evokes the tedium, the sweat and exhaustion of this kind of manual labour.


Analysis

Line 1:

‘Faces furrowed’ - Alliteration- This is a negative image that suggests deep concentration and hard work is taking

place.- ‘furrowed’ à wrinkled

‘wet with sweat’ - Assonance à the repetition of the ‘e’ sound which aids the internal rhyme of the poem

and also emphasizes how hard the labourers are working.

Line 2:

‘Bags tied to their wasp waists’- The bags are for the collection of the produce.- ‘wasp waists’ refers to the fact that the reapers are women and could also possibly

imply that they are underfed à this speaks to the horrible conditions under which they work and the poor treatment that they receive.

- ‘wasp waists’ à alliteration that emphasizes their large posteriors à also implies a reference to their femininity

- Big posteriors resemble the belly of a wasp à wasps have stingers à the workers have the ability to eventually rebel à sting/ revolt against their work conditions.

Lines 3 - 6:

The speaker mentions that the labourers are women. They are doing a very laborious job under very hot and difficult conditions. One can also assume that they are poorly paid. Their practised action of picking mielies is described à a sense of monotony is created by

this description. Line 6 emphasizes the idea of monotony à ‘row upon row’

Lines 7 – 9:

Line 7 - 8 à simile ‘like a desert tanker’- The tractor blows up dust à ties in with the idea of the desert tanker

Lines 10 – 12:

Possibly refers to the farmer à he is in charge and drives the tractor while the labourers do all the hard work.

He has a ‘comfortable seat’ and puffs away on his pipe The tobacco has stained his teeth à note the simile The farmer is ‘part of the machine’ à he does not do the real physical labour. He supervises


Lines 13 – 16

The men working in the fields are now mentioned They are thick-limbed (have well-built arms) because of the hard labour they perform

every day. They are ‘earthy’ people They wear vests because of the extreme heat and they are caked with dirt from their

labour.

Lines 17 – 19:

The workers are working in the blazing sun. The sun is personified ‘lashes the workers’ This image also suggests the cruel conditions under which the labourers work. ‘red hot rod’ à indicates how hot it is out in the sun à has connotations of being painful.

Lines 20 – 23:

The labourers take a break ‘brine-bathed brow’ à (sweat) à alliteration which speaks to the hot conditions they are

working in and how hard they are working. The work is extremely physical and made harder by the extreme heat. ‘brine’ à salty water used for pickling food à sweat compared to brine. They ‘drink from battered cans’ à they are also battered by the hard labour that they have

to endure. ‘battered cans’ also speaks to the fact that they are poor à they do not have neat, shiny

flasks. ‘maheu’ à fermented maize drink

Line 24:

The labourers have quenched their thirst

Line 25 - 28:

The men have grown strong from their hard labour and can easily lift the heavy bags. ‘like feather cushions’ à simile Women are compared to ‘prancing wild mares’ à they look forward to the end of the

day. ‘the reapers will rest in their kraals’ à although their homes were often referred to as

‘kraals’, a ‘kraal’ is also an enclosure where cattle are kept. One could imply that the workers are dehumanised and compared to cattle.

Mood

The mood is oppressive, and this is illustrated by the description of the conditions under which the labourers work.


Questions:1.1What are the labourers doing?1.2What equipment do they have?1.3Describe the weather conditions.1.4What do they drink when they are thirsty?

2.1Identify the poetic device used in stanza 4.2.2Discuss how it contributes to your understanding of the labourers working conditions.

3. Refer to lines 25 – 26Identify the figures of speech and how they illustrate the effect of the break that the

labourers have taken.

4. In your opinion does the poet succeed in conveying the extreme working conditions of the workers? Give a reason for your answer by referring closely to the text.


The Road not Taken Robert Frost____________________________________________________________________________

Background notes on poet:Robert Frost (1874 – 1963) is an American poet. He is highly regarded for his realistic descriptions of rural life and his use of colloquial speech patterns. One of the most popular and respected poets of the twentieth century, Frost also received many rewards for his work, including four Pulitzer Prizes.

The Road not TakenRobert Frost

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,

And sorry I could not travel both

And be one traveller, long I stood

And looked down one as far as I could

To where it bent in the undergrowth 5

Then took the other, as just as fair,

And having perhaps the better claim,

Because it was grassy and wanted wear.

Though as for that, the passing there

Had worn them really about the same, 10

And both that morning equally lay

In leaves no step had trodden black.

Oh, I kept the first for another day!

Yet knowing how way leads on to way,

I doubted if I should ever come back. 15

I shall be telling this with a sigh

Somewhere ages and ages hence:

Two roads diverged in a wood, and I –

I took the one less travelled by,


And that has made all the difference. 20

Characteristics of this poem:The poem is a lyric and is written in four stanzas of five lines each. There is a regular rhyme scheme. The poem makes use of an extended metaphor: a road splits into two paths in a wood. Both the wood and the path are commonly used metaphors for life and the choices we face.

Title

The title of this poem "The Road Not Taken" focuses on lost opportunities – the road that the speaker did not take.

This title hints that the poem is about lost opportunities, and the complexities of choices, not just choosing the path that is fresh and new.

Theme

The major theme in Robert Frost's "The Road Not Taken," is about making choices. The speaker in the poem in traveling and comes upon a cross roads or a fork-in-the-road. Here the speaker must decide.

His decision will have far-reaching consequences. Frost seems to be saying that there is no ‘right’ path: there is only the path taken and the

path not taken. Once a choice has been made, he knows that he will look back and justify his decision.

In his heart, however, he knows that he could also have taken the other path which was just as fair.

Analysis

Line 1Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,

The speaker is describing a fork in the road. The woods are yellow, which means that it's probably autumn and the leaves are

changing colours. "Diverged" is just another word for split. There's a fork in the road.

Lines 2-3And sorry I could not travel bothAnd be one traveler, long I stood

The speaker wants to go down both roads at once, but since it's impossible to walk down two roads at once, he has to choose one road.

The speaker is "sorry" he can't travel both roads, suggesting regret. Because of the impossibility of traveling both roads, the speaker stands there trying to

choose which path he's going to take. Because he's standing, we know that he's on foot, and not in a carriage or a car.

Lines 4-5And looked down one as far as I couldTo where it bent in the undergrowth;

The speaker really wants to go down both paths – he's thinking hard about his choice. He's staring down one road, trying to see where it goes. But he can only see up to the


first bend, where the undergrowth, the small plants and greenery of the woods, blocks his view.

This is where we start to think about the metaphorical meanings of this poem. If our speaker is, as we suspect, at a fork in the road of his life, and not at an actual road, he could be trying to peer into his future as far as he can. But, since he can't really predict the future, he can only see part of the path. Who knows what surprises it could hold?

Line 6Then took the other, as just as fair,

So, after all this build-up about one road, which he's looked down for a long time, our speaker takes the other path.

Then we get a tricky little phrase to describe this road. It's "as just as fair." Read without the first "as," this phrase is clear, if you think of fair as meaning attractive, or pretty. But the first "as" makes the phrase a little more difficult. Combining the words "just" and "fair" in the same phrase is a play on words – both of these words have multiple meanings. The phrase could mean something like "as just as it is fair," as in proper, righteous, and equal. But this doesn't quite apply to a road.

We're guessing that he means the road is just as pretty, but that in the metaphorical world of this poem, he thinks he made the fair, or right, choice.

But it's not fairer – it's just as fair. So, he was choosing between two roads, or futures, that were different but potentially equally good.

Lines 7-8And having perhaps the better claim,

Because it was grassy and wanted wear;

The speaker still seems pretty uncertain when he explains that this second path is better. It is only "perhaps" better.

Then the speaker tells us why the path is better – it seems like it hasn't been walked on very much, because it's grassy and doesn't look worn.

Be careful not to think that the phrase "wanted wear" is personification (it is alliteration, though). "Wanted," in this instance, means something more like "lacked."

Lines 9-10Though as for that the passing there

Had worn them really about the same,

The speaker of this poem really can't seem to make up his mind! Just when we think we've got a declaration about which path is better, he changes his mind and admits that maybe they were equal after all.

The "as for that" refers to the path being less worn. "The passing there" refers to traffic, probably on foot just like our speaker, that may have

worn the paths down.

Lines 11-12And both that morning equally lay

In leaves no step had trodden black.

Again, we hear that the paths are equal, but we find out something new, that it's morning. It's possible that our speaker is the first to travel to this place on that day.

The paths are covered with leaves, which haven't been turned black by steps crushing them.

At first, we thought one path was grassy and now it's covered with leaves. Possibly, the leaves aren't very thick, or the grass sticks up in between them.


Line 13Oh, I kept the first for another day!

The speaker seems like he's already regretting his decision. He is rationalizing his choice of path by saying he'll come back to the one he missed later.

This is a familiar way to deal with difficult choices; "you can always come back and try it again later," we think.

With an "Oh" at the beginning and an exclamation point at the end, this line is emphatic. The speaker feels strongly about what he's saying here.

Lines 14-15Yet knowing how way leads on to way,

I doubted if I should ever come back.

The speaker realizes that his hopes to come back and try the other path may be foolish. He knows how "way leads on to way" – how one road can lead to another, and then

another, until you end up very far from where you started. Because of this, he doesn't think he'll ever be able to come back and take that other path, as much as he wishes he could.

Here we return to the metaphorical meaning of this poem. In any life decision, we can hedge our bets by thinking we can always come back, try a different option later. But sometimes our decisions take us to other decisions, and yet still others, and it's impossible for us to retrace our steps and arrive back at that original decision.

Lines 16-17I shall be telling this with a sigh

Somewhere ages and ages hence:

Now we jump forward in time. We don't know exactly when, but we know that it's ages and ages "hence," or, from now. So we're probably talking years, not months.

We know that this story is important, because the speaker will still be telling it many years later.

He'll be telling it with a sigh, though, which is interesting because sighs can be happy, sad, or merely reflective – and we don't know what kind of sigh this is.

So, we know that this choice is probably going to be important for the speaker's future, but we don't know if he's going to be happy about it or not.

Line 18Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—

This line is a repetition of the first line of the poem, with the subtraction of the word "yellow" and the addition of the words "and I."

This repetition helps to bring the poem to a conclusion. It reminds us what's important in the poem – the concept of choosing between two different paths.

Then, we get the hesitation of "and I" and the dash. This lets us know that whatever the speaker is about to say next is important.

Line 19I took the one less traveled by,

In this line, the speaker sums up his story and tells us that he took the road less travelled by. With the hesitation in the line before, this declaration could be triumphant – or regretful.


Also, remember it wasn't exactly clear that the road our speaker took was the one that was less travelled. He said at first that it looked less worn, but then that the two roads were actually about equal.

Line 20And that has made all the difference.

At first glance it seems that this line is triumphant – the narrator took the path that no one else did, and that is what has made the difference in his life that made him successful.

But he doesn't say that it made him successful. A "difference" could mean success, or utter failure.

Remember, the speaker is telling us about what he's going to say in the future. From where he is now, just looking down the path as far as he can see, he can't tell if the future that it leads him to is going to be good or bad. He just knows that his choice is important – that it will make all the difference in his life.

Questions:

1. Quote a line from the poem that tells us:(a) That the poet did not make a quick decision(b) That the poet did not expect to get another chance to take the other road. (2)

2. What is the rhyme scheme used in the poem? (4)

3. Is there any significant difference between the two roads? Quote to prove. (4)

4. Decide which of these statements about the poem are TRUE and which are FALSE

(a) Frost believes that when you come to a choice in life, you should always take the more unusual option.

(b) We are free to choose our path in life but we never really know what it is we are choosing.

(c) When Frost looks back on his life he knows he will deeply regret the road that he did not take.

(d) When Frost looks back on his life, Frost knows that he will try to justify whatever choice he had made.

(e) There is no ‘right’ path through life. There are only choices that we can learn to live with. (5)

5. What do you think are the major choices that you are going to face in your life?


Vocabulary

diverged: went in different directionsundergrowth:a dense, or thick, area of shrubs and other plantswanted: lackedtrodden: walked onhence: from now

a young man’s thoughts before june the 16th Fhazel Johannesse____________________________________________________________________________

Background notes on poet:Fhazel Johennesse (1954 – ) is a South African poet. He wrote most of his poetry during the 1970s and early 1980s. He and the poet Chris van Wyk started a Black Consciousness (a movement that promoted an awareness of the dignity and rights of black people, started by Steve Biko) literary magazine, Witie, which gave a voice to young aspirant black writers. However, the magazine was short-lived, as it was banned by the apartheid government.

a young man’s thought before june the 16thFhazel Johennesse

tomorrow i travel on a roadthat winds to the top of the hilli take with me only the sweetmemories of my youthmy heart aches for my mother 5for Friday nights with friendsaround a table with the broad belch of beeri ask only for a sad songsung by a woman with downturned eyesand strummed by an old man with 10a broken browo sing my sad song sing for mefor my sunset is drenched with red

TitleOn 16 June 1976, high school children from Soweto marched to protest against the government law that half of their schooling had to be in Afrikaans, which they saw as the language of the apartheid leaders and oppressors. The police shot live bullets and teargas, and many were injured or killed. After this tragic episode many young people went into exile to join the underground resistance. In this poem, Johennesse imagines himself as one of those teenagers the day before the event, foreseeing the tragedy that will take place.

Theme

The horror that awaited young protesters on June 16th. It is told from the perspective of the young man who could possibly die in the violence that ensued on that day.

It is also a scathing comment on the apartheid regime.

Tone

It can be seen as an elegy, because of its sad, mournful tone. It also has the characteristics of a lyric as it expresses the poet’s feelings.

. nostalgia

. melancholy

. longing

. acceptance


Analysis

Line 1:

The student looks to tomorrow; the day of the protest. ‘i’ suggests the student’s insignificance in the perspective of improving education for all non-white school goers and his acceptance of the sacrifice he will make to achieve this.

That the student will ‘travel on a road’ suggests the well-known metaphor of life being a journey.

Line 2:

The student’s journey in life is full of difficulty, as suggested by ‘winds’ and ‘hill’. It also suggests the student’s determination as persistence is needed to navigate a

winding, uphill road. The student’s life is aimed at achieving a specific goal or summative achievement, in this

case the improvement of non-white education.

Line 3 – 4:

The student takes only his memories on the winding road for comfort. The memories are clearly important to the speaker which emphasises the importance of

the human aspects of the protest rather than the political.

Line 5:

The student realises the heartache and grief his death will bring to his mother.

Line 6:

The student longs for a time when his life was simpler, and for the social presence of his friends. This shows the student to possess strong interpersonal bonds.

Line 7:

The student recollects a simple instance with friends. This further emphasises that the student is merely a normal young man.

Line 8:

In remembrance the student asks only that he be mourned with a song. This may suggest that he wishes his friends and family not to grieve for long over his

passing.

Line 9:

The women who is to sing for him (assumedly his mother) has downturned eyes. This could either be seen as a way to hide her grief or as a sign of submission to the

oppressor (the apartheid government).

Line 10

The student would also have an old man (assumedly his father) to grieve by means of the song.


Line 11

The man has a ‘broken brow’. This may suggest physical scarring but may also suggest that it is furrowed from emotion.

This may be from the grief of the student’s death or from the years of oppression suffered under apartheid.

Line 12

The student asks others to sing for him which may suggest that he is already dead, as he cannot sing for himself.

Line 13

The student describes the end of his life (‘sunset’) as red. Red has connotations of anger, passion, blood and violence, all of which detail the occurrences during the protest.

‘Drenched’ suggests his complete hopelessness of escape from the violence and bloodshed. It also adds to the image of blood and suggests a large number of death.

Questions:

1. Identify three things that the poet knows he will have to give up once he embarks on his journey of protest. (3)

2. Match the lines in the table below with their literary characteristics: (5)Line(s) Literary characteristicLine 7 EnjambmentLines 3-4 EuphemismLine 13 Alliteration (3)

3. Discuss the context in which this poem was written. (3)

4. What is the meaning of the last two lines of the poem? (5)

5. Choose the answer that you think best sums up the main message of this poem from the options below:

(a) The poem concentrates on the human aspects of this young freedom fighter, rather than his political intentions.

(b) The poem expresses the anger that people felt about the inferiority of their education.

(c) The poem expresses a longing for home and family life. (1)


Vocabulary

belch: to loudly let air out of the stomach through the mouth; also known as to ‘burp’strummed: played a musical instrument such as a guitar by moving the fingers across the stringsdrenched: completely wet

Silver Walter de la Mare____________________________________________________________________________

Background notes on poet

Walter de la Mare (1873 – 1956) is an English poet and writer. His work is unusual in that it appeals to both adults and children. His writing, which was very romantic, often explored the world of fantasy and the supernatural.

Silver Walter de la Mare

Slowly, silently, now the moonWalks the night in her silver shoon;This way, and that, she peers, and seesSilver fruit upon silver trees;One by one the casements catch 5Her beams beneath the silvery thatch;Crouched in his kennel, like a log,With paws of silver sleeps the dog;From the shadowy cote the white breasts peepOf doves in silver-feathered sleep; 10A harvest mouse goes scampering by,With silver claws, and silver eye;And moveless fish in the water gleam,By silver reeds in a silver stream.

Title

“Silver” is an important word in the poem. Many stories and facts surround the moon’s influence over the tides as well as people’s

fortunes. The simplest answer is that the word “silver” is used as synecdoche -- in which a part

represents the whole -- to refer to the reflection of the moon’s beams.

Theme

In this poem, the reader follows the personified moon as she walks the night, and peers at all that she sees: fruit trees; the windows of a thatched house; the dog in his kennel; the doves in their cote; a harvest mouse; and, the fish in the stream.

All of these things take on a silvery hue in the moonlight, giving it the magical, dreamlike quality that defines this poem.

Characteristics of this poem:

This is a sonnet à 14 lines / 3 quatrains / 1 rhyming couplet

This lyrical sonnet is vivid with natural imagery, and the repetition of silver/ silvery adds lustre to the mystical world that is portrayed.

A tranquil atmosphere is created through the use of seven rhyming couplets, and this – together with four beats per line, evoke a mood of serenity.

The recurrent use of commas, and the repetition of the s sound, slow the temp and add to the musical quality of the poem.

This poem is set in the countryside on a summer night à reference to fruit on the trees.


A variety of poetic devices help create the idea of the slow and silent movement of the moon light where the moon touches all of nature.

The word ‘silver’ is repeated throughout the poem and this creates a magical image.

Lines 1 – 2:

Slowly, silently, now the moonWalks the night in her silver shoon;

The moon is personified à ‘walks’ à given human qualities ‘shoon’ à archaic word for shoes

Line 3 – 4:

This way, and that, she peers, and seesSilver fruit upon silver trees;

The moon is still personified in that it ‘peers’ and ‘sees’ The silver is a reference to the light of the moon. Reference to plants in nature

Line 5 – 6:

One by one the casements catchHer beams beneath the silvery thatch;

Moonbeams penetrate everywhere

Line 7 – 8:

Crouched in his kennel, like a log,With paws of silver sleeps the dog;

The speaker simply refers to a dog sleeping in its kennel. The moon beams touch it as well and does not disturb its slumber. ‘like a log’ à simile à explicit comparison of the sleeping dog that is sleeping so

deeply that it looks like a tree log.

Line 9 – 10:

Of doves in silver-feathered sleep;

The doves are also representative of nature and are also touched but not disturbed by the moonlight.

‘silver-feathered’ à metaphor à implies that the doves are soft.


Line 11 – 12:

A harvest mouse goes scampering by,With silver claws, and silver eye;

The mouse seems to be the only creature that is awake and the light of the moon is reflected in its eyes and its paws are touched by it without it having any effect on the movement of the mouse.

Line 13 – 14:

And moveless fish in the water gleam, By silver reeds in a silver stream.

Finally, even the water and fish are touched by the moon.

Alliteration

Throughout the poem there is alliteration of the ‘s’ sound. This contributes to the soft/ hushed tones of the moon. Creates a feeling that the moonlight lightly touches everything

Alliteration of the ‘t’ à soft ‘t’ à also contributes to the soft sounds of the poem.

The prevailing sound is hushed/ soft and it gives the impression of a silent place (like the country side).

These ‘continuous sounds’ reinforce and convey the meaning of the whole poem.

Questions:

1. List all the things that the moon sees as she walks the night. (7)

2. Examine the simile in lines seven to eight: like a log / …sleeps the dog. Discuss how this figure of speech helps to create a particular image of the dog. (2)

3. Which sound is most alliterated in this poem? Comment on how it contributes to the meaning of the poem. (2)

4. The poem is personified as a woman. Identify two character traits she (the moon) is given by referring closely to the diction in the poem. (3)


Vocabulary

shoon: shoes (old fashioned)peers: to look closelycasements: windowscote: a manmade shelter for pigeonspeep: to come partially into view

A letter to a son Charles Mungoshi____________________________________________________________________________

Background notes on poet:Charles Mungoshi (1947 - ) is a Zimbabwean author, editor, actor and poet. His work is often humorous and tends to explore the personal sorrows and joys of daily life. His more serious poetry also explores political themes. He has won the Commonwealth Writer’s Prize twice.

A letter to my sonCharles Mungoshi

Now the pumpkin is ripe.We are only a few days fromthe year’s first mealie cob.The cows are giving us lots of milk.Taken in the round it isn’t a bad year at all – 5if it weren’t for your father.Your father’s back is back againand all the work has fallen on my shoulders.Your little brothers and sisters are doingfine at the day-school. Only Rindai 10is becoming a problem. You will rememberwe wrote your – did you get our letter? – you didn’t answer – you see, since yourfather’s back started we haven’t been able to raise enough to send your sister Rindai 15to secondary school. She spends most of the timecrying by the well. It’s mainly because of herthat I am writing this letter.I had thought you would be with us last Christmasthen I thought maybe you were too busy 20and you would make it at Easter – it was then that your father nearly left us, son.Then I thought I would come to you some timebefore the cold season settled in – you know howI simply hate that time of the year – 25but then your father went down againand this time worse than any other time before.We were beginning to think he would never seeanother sowing season. I asked your sister Rindaito write you but your father would have none of it 30- you know how stubborn he can get whenhe has to lie in bed all day or getsone of those queer notions of his that everybody is deserting him!Now, Tambu, don’t think I am asking for money – 35although we had to borrow a little fromthose who have it to get your father to hospitaland you know how he hates having to borrow!That is all I wanted to tell you.I do hope that you will be with us this July. 40It’s so long ago since we last heard from you –I hope this letter finds you still at the old address.It is the only address we know.YOUR MOTHER



This poem is written in free verse that takes the form of a letter. The informal and conversational tone is achieved with the use of statements, questions,

exclamations, long sentences, colloquial expressions, and frequent parenthesis. It is a very clever, and almost uncomfortable, blend of humour and pathos, which echoes

the main theme of the poem: family relationships can be troubled and complicated.

Summary

From the opening lines, a rural African setting is created through allusions to seasonal changes and references to ripe pumpkins, mealie cobs and milking cows.

Within this context, the letter writer, the mother, paints a picture of the family’s dynamics: the young brothers and sisters, the older sister Rindai who has been unable to go to high school because of their poverty, and the father with his bad back, his stubborn pride and reluctance to borrow money.

We also get a powerful sense of character of the mother who is holding the family together: not only does she carry the burden of the family’s hardship, but she is also worried about her son Tambu with whom she has lost contact.

Her letter is a mixture of family news, worry and good sense.

Tone:

A gentle, chastising tone

Theme:

A mother writes a letter to her son to inform him of his family responsibilities which he appears to have forgotten.

She intersperses news about the family with questions about his whereabouts.

Lines 1 – 5:

The mother writes about the good harvest that they are expecting – the farm is doing well.

Line 5 à ‘Taken in the round’ à overall it has not been a bad year.

Lines 6 – 8:

‘Your father’s back is back’ à she is referring to the fact that his father’s back problem has started up again.

It could be implied that the father’s back problem was caused by the hard labour on the farm.

The fact that she says that ALL the work has FALLEN on her shoulders implies the heavy burden that she has to carry.

She has taken on the burden of responsibility. One can almost feel the tiredness she is expressing in her diction.

Lines 9 – 10:

the younger siblings are doing well at day-school


Lines 10 – 18:

Rindai should be going to ‘Secondary School’. They do not have the money to send her and Rindai is heartbroken about this. Implies the socio-economic circumstances that prevents children from being educated. The fact that Rindai is so unhappy also implies that she enjoys going to school. The mother gives the first indication of WHY the letter is written:

BUT is it to ask for money OR out of concern for Rindai’s wellbeing?Does the son have to come back to console his sister?Read further…

She is concerned that he may not have received the letter – implies that there is no communication from the son. (Why is he possibly not replying?)

Lines 19 – 22:

Mother mentions Christmas and Easter An indication of the time that has passed since they last saw him. His father had almost died that Easter.

Line 23 – 25:

The mother had considered visiting her son before winter set in She dislikes the cold of winter intensely

Line 26 – 29:

The farther had fallen very ill – worse than previous times, so she could not visit her son. They did not think he would survive

Lines 30 – 34:

She had asked Rindai to write a letter, but father had refused. One could suggest that the father was stubborn, because he did not want to bother his

son with ‘little things’ like his poor health. He also did not want to be left alone – implies possible delusions created by pain and

fear of dying alone. ‘queer notions’ – strange ideas, because he thinks that everyone is leaving him.

Lines 35 – 38:

Mother states clearly that she is not writing to borrow money and that they did make a plan when father had to go to hospital.

It is also implied that father is a proud man and does not like borrowing money from other people.

Line 39 – 44:

Mother ends the letter by saying that she basically just wanted to tell him about the news from home.

She hopes that they will see him soon. She also says that she is not sure of his address anymore – but it is the only one she

has. Could this possibly be why he is not answering their letters?


Questions:

1. Identify the mother’s main reason for writing to her son by choosing the correct answer from the options below:

(a) She misses him because she hasn’t heard from him in almost a year.(b) She wants him to return to the farm and help with the harvest.(c) She wants him to find out why his sister spends most of the time crying by the well.(d) She is concerned about not hearing from him, and is hoping for his assistance at home.

(1)

2. The mother says that your father nearly left us (line 22) and that We were beginning to think he would never see / another sowing season (lines 28-29).(a) What is the literal meaning of these expressions? (1)

(b) Are they an example of a euphemism or hyperbole? (1)

3. Look at the diction used in the poem, and find three references to seasonal changes.(3)

4. Write down three facts given in poem about the father. (3)


Women Alice Walker____________________________________________________________________________

Background notes on poet:

Alice Walker (1944 - ) is an African-American human rights activist and author. Her most famous book The Colour Purple has won both the American National Book Award and the Pulitzer Prize for fiction.

WomenAlice Walker

They were women then My mama’s generationHusky of voice – Stout of StepWith fists as well as 5HandsHow they battered downDoorsAnd ironedStarched white 10ShirtsHow they led ArmiesHeadragged GeneralsAcross mined 15FieldsBooby-trappedDitchesTo discover booksDesks 20A place for usHow they knew what weMust knowWithout knowing a pageOf it 25Themselves.


This poem is written in free verse and does not have a rhyme scheme. There is however a ragged, slightly syncopated (displaced musical beats) rhythm created by the occasional placement of single words on lines. This creates a subtle effect. The actions of these women is not an orderly manoeuvre done with military precision; it’s an untidy but determined march by fearless women who are intent on making a better life for their children.

Introduction:

Alice Walker wrote this poem for her own mother. She recounts how the women of the previous generation were strong and determined despite coming from poor, often illiterate backgrounds. These women had to face prejudice because of their colour but were determined to fight for equality. She conveys a feeling of deep respect for her heritage.


Questions:

1. They are women then. What is Alice Walker implying about the women of today by using these words to describe the women of her mother’s generation? (2)

2. They battered down doors with fists as well as hands(a) Is the poet meaning that the women literally battered down doors? (1)

(b) Explain how these words, with fists as well as/ Hands / how they battered down / Doors, link with the theme of the poem. (Think of when and where these women were living) (2)

(c) The women battered down doors and they ironed shirts. What does Walker imply with this contrast? (2)

3. From line 13 onwards there is an extended metaphor: How they led / ArmiesDiscuss the appropriateness of this image in context. Quote to support your answer.

(3)

4. The path that the women chose was not easy. Comment on how the poet’s use of the words mined fields, ditches and booby-trapped support this statement (2)

5. What do you think are the battles faced by women today? (4)


TPCASTT Example for “Women”

T TITLE The title makes the poem sound like it might be about women. Maybe women in general? Women who made a difference in life?

P PARAPHRASE The poem focuses on the narrator’s mother’s generation who were fierce and brave as they knocked down obstacles in order for their children to go to school. They probably wanted their children to have more opportunities than they did.

C CONNOTATION The narrator uses words that make the women sound like warriors: “...with fists as a well as hands / How they battered down doors”... “How they led armies / Headragged generals across mined fields / Booby-trapped ditches.”

A ATTITUDE/TONE The narrator’s tone is filled with admiration, determination, and awe of these women from the beginning of the poem. At the end, it softens as the women’s mission is made clear: to make sure their children are educated, even when they themselves were not.

S SHIFT The shift in the poem appears near the end when the narrator moves from warrior and military imagery to the reason why they are fighting: schools for their children.

T TITLE The title is about the women of the narrator’s mother’s generation, who made sacrifices and fought so that their children could go to school.

T THEME The theme of the poem is that mothers will find bravery in their mission to make a better life for their children, and that education is worth fighting for.

Candle Chris van Wyk____________________________________________________________________________

Background notes on poet:Chris van Wyk (1957-2014) was a South African writer, editor and poet. He lived most of his life in Riverlea, Johannesburg, where he felt very much part of the community. Like many other South African writers of his time, Van Wyk used his writing to protest against apartheid. The difference with his work, however, is that he often used humour. His memoir of his childhood, called Shirley, Goodness & Mercy, is one of his best-known works.

CandleChris van Wyk

For Caplan

Read brother read

The wax is melting fast

The shadows become

obdurate

and mock pantomimes of you 5

laughing through crude

cement

in silent stage whispers.

Read brother read

Though the wax lies heaped 10

in the saucer

and the silhouettes of gloom

grow longer

Read brother read.

Only the wick shines red now. 15

But it is not yet dark.

Remember brother,

It is not yet dark.


Characteristics of this poem:This poem is written in the narrative style, with free-flowing verse and minimal punctuation reflecting a conversational style of speech. The emphasis is on the passage of time – as represented by enjambed lines within stanzas – and the pressing need to act quickly, before death or darkness comes. The repeated words (It) in not yet dark carry the central message of hope.

Introduction:In the late 18970s, when South Africa was politically in a darker place than it is now, Chris van Wyk wrote and dedicated the poem Candle to his friend Caplan who lived in his community of Riverlea. Caplan died young and in this poem Van Wyk urges young people to read and learn while they still can because life, as symbolised by the melting candle, will end soon.

Title

the candle is important because it refers to how quickly time passes/ how short life is. It is also a symbol of hope – a light in the darkness

Theme

The main theme is TIME There is an anxiousness/ urgency about the passing time/ how short life is

- Diction:- ‘fast’ à stanza 1- Repetition of ‘Read brother read’ stanza 2/3

There is a sense of despair/ hopelessness à ‘silhouettes of gloom’ / approaching death

HOPE is another theme in the poem. Although the candle has almost melted away but the wick still glows brightly – ‘wick

shines red now’. ‘But it is not yet dark’ à there is still hope

LEARNING The poet urges young people to become educated à read and learn.

Tone/ Mood

Stanza 1/2/3 – tone is urgent à repetition ‘Read brother read’ The mood is stanza 1 is eerie/ dark and depressing Stanza 2: ‘heaped’ / ‘gloom’ à create a mood of despair and hopelessness. In stanza 3 there is a slight shift à the wick is still glowing à there is still hope the wick is

glowing and it is not yet dark.

Analysis

Line 1:

The speaker urges his ‘brother’ / friend to read (learn) while he still has the time to.

Line 2:

The melting wax indicates how quickly time is running out.


Line 3 - 4:

Shadows indicate approaching death and it is obdurate (stubborn against change/ will not be stopped)

Line 5:

Death is mocking à personification

Line 6 - 8:

Death is ever present à laughing (personification) This ties in with the mocking as it is not a laugh of happiness but eerie and creates a

mood of ominous discomfort.

Line 9:

Urgency à line 1 is repeated There is once again a sense of time running out The urgency that you should learn as much as you can. Death is approaching/ getting closer

Line 10 – 11:

The candle wax has melted down to a ‘heaped’ mass. The use of the candle and the saucer implies poverty. There is no money for proper

lighting and candlesticks. They use what they could find. The shadows growing longer suggest that death is drawing nearer. Time is running out.

Line 12 – 13:

Repetition of ‘Read brother read’ à once again the urgency Only the wick glows in the dark now à implies that there still hope for future generations.

Lines 14 – 16:

‘But it is not yet dark’ à there still seems to be some time left. We once again sense the urgency. All hope is not yet lost. While children read and learn the ‘glowing light’ of hope will remain.


Vocabulary

obdurate: stubborn and resistant to persuasion or changepantomimes: plays in which actors perform without talkingcrude: lacking finish, polish or completenesssilhouettes: a dark image outlined against a lighter background

Questions:

1. One of the themes in the poem is time.(a) In the first two stanzas of the poem, the speaker shows that he is anxious

about time passing quickly. Quote one phrase from stanza one, and one phrase from stanza two to show this concern. (2)

(b) Choose one of the phrases you have just quoted, and explain how it emphasises the passage of time. (2)

2. The poet uses an extended metaphor relating to acting in a play.(a) Identify two words or phrases that support this extended metaphor. (2)

(b) Shadows have been personified in lines three to five. Identify two human character traits given to the shadows in these lines. (2)

3. Comment on the repetition of the word read in the poem and discuss how it contributes to the meaning of the poem as a whole. (2)


The warm and the cold Ted Hughes

____________________________________________________________________________

Background notes on the poet:

Ted Hughes grew up in Yorkshire, England. The animals and landscape had a big influence on his poetry. Many of his poems deal with the natural world which for Hughes represented qualities such as beauty, violence and survival instinct. They all have human relevance. His tone was often harsh and his imagery brilliant.

Freezing dusk is closing Like a slow trap of steelOn trees and roads and hills and all That can no longer feel. But the carp is in its depth 5 Like a planet in its heaven. And the badger in its bedding Like a loaf in the oven. And the butterfly in its mummy Like a viol in its case. 10 And the owl in its feathers Like a doll in its lace.

Freezing dusk has tightened Like a nut screwed tightOn the starry aeroplane 15 Of the soaring night. But the trout is in its hole Like a chuckle in a sleeper. The hare strays down the highway Like a root going deeper. 20 The snail is dry in the outhouse Like a seed in a sunflower. The owl is pale on the gatepost Like a clock on its tower.

Moonlight freezes the shaggy world 25 Like a mammoth of ice - The past and the future Are the jaws of a steel vice. But the cod is in the tide-rip Like a key in a purse. 30 The deer are on the bare-blown hill Like smiles on a nurse. The flies are behind the plaster Like the lost score of a jig. Sparrows are in the ivy-clump 35 Like money in a pig.

Such a frost The flimsy moon Has lost her wits.

A star falls. 40

The sweating farmers Turn in their sleep Like oxen on spits.


Characteristics of the poem

This is a lyrical poem – thus is has musical qualities. It sounds almost like a song, with alternating verse and chorus sections.

The verse sections describe the effect of the icy winter. The chorus sections describe how the country animals behave in such cold weather. There is a shift towards the end where the poet turns his attention to humans.

Analysis

Each stanza begins with a description of the 'freezing dusk', before explaining how animals are dealing with the weather.

Each animal is given a simile. This creates a sense of the animals having something in common, and a sense of order

and predictability to the poem.

Figurative Language

Hughes uses personification and metaphors and similes. The 'freezing dusk' is compared, in similes, to 'a slow trap of steel', 'a nut screwed tight',

and 'a mammoth of ice'. The landscape is personified, 'trees and hills ands all That can no longer feel'. As is the moon, which due to the cold 'has lost her wits'. A metaphor is used to describe the spectacular night, 'the starry aeroplane of the soaring

night' Most of the similes, however, apply to the animals.

This poem is uses contrasts.

It describes the extreme cold of a particular landscape and the persistent, resistant warmth of the living creatures within it.

The structure of the first three stanzas is used to focus the reader's attention on this comparison by first offering an image of extreme cold and the contrasting this with the animals.

Lines 37-43 can be seen as symbolic of the link between the warm and the cold.

Firstly the moon is described which creates an impression of utter cold.

There is then an image of a falling star, which serves to link space to earth through its motion.

It brings us to the image of a farmer feeling the discomfort of the heat, showing that like the animals he too is an important aspect of the landscape described.

The similes used in the poem describe both the farmer and the animals. They are easy to identify owing to the use of the word 'like'.

For example:The snail is dry in the outhouse Like a seed in a sunflower.


Here the snail is compared to the dryness and compactness of a seed in a sunflower. It also suggests a sense of warmth and radiant heat.

Such an image is used to create an atmosphere or mood, which is a key intention in this poem.

Questions:

1. a) Refer to lines 5 – 6. What is the type of comparison used in these lines called?Explain your answer. (2)

b) How many times does the poet use this type of comparison in the poem? (1)

2. What time of the day is described in this poem? (1)

3. Hughes made the following comments on the poem:

It’s made up of images of creatures in this very cold part of the winter, which are enduring cold that many of them might not survive, and nevertheless in a way surviving happily … I always feel that the animals must be in a sort of state of bliss to be able to go through what they go through and tolerate it.

a) Quote two examples from the first stanza that tells us how the animals are happily surviving the cold. (2)

b) How are the humans surviving the cold? Quote from the poem to support your answer. (4)

c) What do you think Hughes is saying about the difference between humans and animals. (4)


2.


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