G

A GUIDE TO THE
STUDY OF POETRY
Grade: 10

1|Page
Grade 10 English
HL
Contributors
Poetry
N. Opperman
R. Prinsloo
S. Roopram
S. Sunker
S Chetty
Umlazi District moderators

Edited by Umlazi District moderators

2|Page
TABLE OF CONTENT
Title Page
Introduction to poetry 4
Figures of speech 7
How to read a poem 9
How to analyse a poem? 11
Guidelines to writing a poetry essay 14
Glossary of important concepts in poetry 16
Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day? 18–23
Caged Bird 24–31
A young man’s thoughts 32–36
The Road not Taken 37–43
Reapers in the mieliefield 44–49
Telephone Conversation 50–57
How not to stop 58–62
Hope is the thing with feathers 63–66
Aspects for the analysis of poetry 67
Some common questions and what they mean. 67
References 68

IT IS REALLY EASY TO ANALYSE A POEM. THINK ABOUT “SWIM”.

S S- STRUCTURE
W W- WORDS
I I – IMAGERY
M M- MESSAGE

3|Page
INTRODUCTION TO POETRY
Before we begin analysing poetry, we need to understand the following concepts and vocabulary:
THEME AND MESSAGE
The theme refers to the main idea or the subject of the poem. A poem is usually written about a specific
topic or area of interest. The message is the lesson that the poet conveys/communicates to the reader.
INTENTION
The reason the poet has written the poem. What does the poet aim to achieve by writing this poem?
The poet may want: to express love, to criticise, to protest, to evoke sympathy and/or to express
admiration.
STYLE
Style refers to the way the poet expresses himself/herself. The specific traits of the poet that is present
in their writing, including the choice of words and language used. It helps to look at the period in which
the poem was written to determine the style. e.g. conversational, technical, humorous.
DICTION
The diction refers to the poet’s choice of words. Poets carefully select each word to express their
thoughts and feelings. The choice of words is closely linked to the poet’s intent. Remember to consider
the denotative and connotative meaning of the words used.
TONE
The tone refers to the poet’s attitude or feelings. It is used to convey his/her emotions and to set the
mood of the poem. It is established through the choice of words, the imagery, or the structure of the
poem. The tone can vary within a poem. e.g. sarcastic, bitter, joyful, frustrated, melancholic.
Homework: Choose any 3 positive tone words unfamiliar to you and write a complete sentence using
these words in your poetry book.

POSITIVE TONE/ATTITUDE WORDS

Amiable Consoling Friendly Playful

Amused Content Happy Pleasant
Appreciative Dreamy Hopeful Proud
Authoritative Ecstatic Impassioned Relaxed
Benevolent Elated Jovial Reverent
Brave Elevated Joyful Romantic
Calm Encouraging Jubilant Soothing
Cheerful Energetic Light-hearted Surprised
Cheery Enthusiastic Loving Sweet
Compassionate Excited Optimistic Sympathetic
Complimentary Exuberant Passionate Vibrant
Confident Fanciful Peaceful Whimsical

4|Page
NEGATIVE TONE/ATTITUDE WORDS
Accusing Aggravated Agitated Angry
Apathetic Arrogant Artificial Audacious
Belligerent Bitter Boring Brash
Childish Coarse Cold Condemnatory
Disappointed Disgruntled Disgusted Disinterested
Choleric Harsh Haughty Hateful
Condescending Contradictory Critical Insulting
Hurtful Indignant Inflammatory Outraged
Irritated Superficial Desperate
Facetious Shameful Snooty
Furious Surly Testy
Quarrelsome Wrathful Threatening

Homework: Choose any 3 negative tone words unfamiliar to you and write a complete sentence
using these words in your poetry book.
TONE/ATTITUDE WORDS– HUMOUROUS, IRONIC, SARCASTIC

Amused Bantering Bitter Caustic

Comical Condescending Contemptuous Critical
Cynical Disdainful Droll Giddy
Flippant Mocking Mock-serious Irrelevant
Humorous Insolent Ironic Quizzical
Joking Malicious Patronising Sarcastic
Pompous Mock-heroic Scornful Whimsical
Ribald Ridiculing Teasing Wry
Sardonic Satiric Silly Taunting

TONE/ATTITUDE WORDS– SORROW, FEAR, ANXIETY

Aggravated Despairing Hopeless Paranoid

Apprehensive Disturbed Horror Pessimistic
Agitated Embarrassed Melancholy Poignant
Anxious Fearful Miserable Pitiful
Apologetic Foreboding Morose Regretful
Concerned Gloomy Mournful Remorseful
Confused Grave Nervous Resigned
Dejected Horrific Numb Sad
Depressed Hollow Ominous Serious

Sober

5|Page
TONE/ATTITUDE WORDS: NEUTRAL

Reflective Allusive Reminiscent Restrained

Baffled Sincere Candid Ceremonial
Clinical Consoling Contemplative Meditative
Detached Didactic Meditative Factual
Dramatic Earnest Expectant Objective
Fervent Formal Forthright Pleading
Matter-of-fact Histrionic Humble Questioning
Informative Inquisitive Learned Nostalgic
Intimate Serious Resigned

MOOD
The mood or feeling of a poem refers to the atmosphere created by the poet. It is closely related to the tone of
the poem. The mood reflects the speaker’s attitude towards his/her subject matter. A sad/melancholic tone
would create a depressing mood.
POINT OF VIEW
The point of view is the perspective from which we experience the poem. It is important to distinguish between
the poet and the speaker. The poet is the author/writer while the speaker is the narrator, the voice telling us the
thoughts/feelings/story.
RHYTHM
The beat created by the sounds of the words in a poem. The varied repetition of the beats creates the rhythm.
The function of rhythm is to emphasise words in a poem. It helps to create a specific mood or atmosphere or to
convey a particular theme.
METER
Meter refers to the pattern of stressed (strong) and unstressed (weak) syllables.
Each unit or part of the pattern is called a ‘foot. Iambic – unstressed syllable followed by a stressed syllable.
Trochaic – stressed syllable followed by an unstressed syllable.
RHYME
Words that sound alike because they share the same ending vowel and consonant sounds. A rhyme scheme
refers to a pattern of rhyming words or sounds. End rhyme: words at the end of each line forms a rhyming
pattern. Internal rhyme: a word in the middle of the line that rhymes with a word at the end

6|Page
FIGURES OF SPEECH
ALLITERATION Poem: Anthem for doomed youth
Repetition of the consonant sounds “Only the stuttering rifles’ rapid rattle” Repetition of the “r”
sound.
ASSONANCE Poem: Anthem for doomed youth
Repetition of vowel sounds (a, e, i, o, u) “No mockeries now for them; no prayers nor bells”
Repetition of the “o” sound.
ONOMATOPOEIA Bang!
Words that imitate the sound that they are
naming.
SIMILE Poem: London, 1802
Comparison of two things using “like” or “as” “thou hadst a voice whose sound was like the sea”
He compares the power and force of his voice to the powerful
and loud sound of the sea.
METAPHOR Poem: The second coming by WB Yeats
Direct comparison of two things “the falcon cannot hear the falconer” The poet compares
humanity to a falcon and the falconer to a sense of order that
is now lost.
EXTENDED METAPHOR Poem: The second coming by WB Yeats
When the metaphor continues for several lines or employs complex imagery and symbols to refer to the political
the entire stanza. and historical context of the time.
PERSONIFICATION Poem: The woman
Attributing human or life-like qualities to non- The poet claims the ‘sun’ is angry and vigilant. The sun
human objects. represents the patriarchy.
ANTITHESIS You are easy on the eyes but hard on the heart. (You are
When two contrasting ideas are put together to attractive, but you hurt my feelings)
achieve a desired outcome. “To be or not to be”
Famous Hamlet quote contemplating whether to live or to die.

SARCASM Sarcasm is created when a speaker makes a statement that is

Sarcasm takes the form of an ironic remark that is clearly the opposite of what they feel or believe. The tone of
rooted in humour, intended to mock, or draw voice indicates the sarcasm. A vegan saying, “I really love killing
attention to the situation. animals for food.”
IRONY Poem: The ride
The definition of irony as a literary device is a “Please pay the fare, we buy fuel from the black market”
situation in which there is contrast between The man expects them to pay for the ride, yet he bought the fuel
expectation and reality. The outcome is different illegally from the black market.
than expected.
METONYMY Poem: London, 1802
The substitution of one term for another.
“altar, sword and pen, Fireside” is used to symbolize the army,
its writers and homes.

7|Page
HYPERBOLE Poem: Hanging fire
An intentional exaggeration or overstatement, “the boy I cannot live without”
often used for emphasis. She claims that without him she would die, she is expressing his
importance to her.
RHETORICAL QUESTION Poem: The woman
Questions asked not for an answer but to make a The poem ends with rhetorical questions aimed at
point/emphasise an idea men/patriarchy.
ENJAMBMENT Poem: Hanging fire
The continuation of a sentence or thought, Almost all lines of the poem are enjambed to create a narrative
without a pause, beyond the end of one line. style
APOSTROPHE Poem: London, 1802
A figure of speech in which a character or Milton! Thou shouldst be living at this hour:
speaker addresses someone who is absent. The poet addresses John Milton, a dead poet.

ANAPHORA Poem: Eating Poetry

The repetition of a word or phrase at the “The” at the start of all three lines of stanza three.
beginning of multiple lines.

8|Page
HOW TO READ A POEM:
Getting started
• Read the poem silently. Read it several times to improve your understanding.
• Where possible, read the poem aloud to yourself and to someone else.
• 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,
elegy 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 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?

Theme
The theme refers to an important idea that underlies the poem and gives a comment about life.
• What is the theme of the poem? Think about what you have learned by reading the poem.

Poetic techniques
These are some of the devices poets use to create pictures in your mind (imagery) to bring a
poem to life.
• Alliteration
• Onomatopoeia
• Simile
• Metaphor
• Personification
(refer to glossary for more devices)
Bringing it all together
Check your understanding of the poem. Ask yourself if you can:
 Briefly retell what the poem is about.
 Describe the poem’s theme.
 Explain how the techniques used help to convey the poet’s ideas.
 Discuss your reaction to some of the poetic techniques.
 Discuss your overall reaction to the poem.
 Use examples and short quotations to support your view.

9|Page
 Language to write about poetry
It is important to have some vocabulary (poetry terms) to help you to convey the
meaning suggested of poetic language.
The following words and phrases will help you to express some of poetry’s elusive qualities:

EXAMPLE USED IN
WORD MEANING POETRY ANALYSIS
to call up a memory or a The word evokes a sense of
Evokes feeling about something freedom.
The sound alludes to
Alludes to makes reference to/hints at running water.
The comparison elicits our
Elicits to give rise to; to call forth sympathies.
The image suggests the
Suggests put forward for consideration
passing of time.
The word has connotations
Has connotations of is associated with
of defiance.
The simile conveys a sense of
Conveys carries (a meaning of…) generosity.
suggests, but does not state The metaphor implies a life
Implies obviously of suffering and hardship.

10 | P a g e
 HOW TO ANALYSE A POEM?

Reading aloud can help identify other characteristics that could be missed. It is important to remember that
poetry is a form of art painted with words.

To analyse a poem properly, you have to pay attention to the following aspects:

Title of the Poem

So, let's go deeper into the essay on the analysis of a poem and look at the title. The poet may have spent a lot
of time thinking about naming the piece so what can be observed from this and what further questions can be
asked?

• What are your expectations? For example, the poem could be titled “The Ride” written by Joyce Chigiya and
from this it is natural to assume it might be a journey or destination. After reading further, does the reality turn
out to be different?
• What is the literature style used? For example, the poem ‘We wear the mask’ uses an extended metaphor
• What is the poem about? The poem, ‘London 1802’ does not necessarily give a physical description of London
as the title might suggest.

Literal Meaning of the Poem

Pay heed to the vocabulary used. Make a list of unknown words and phrases. Also, check the meaning of words
that are used a lot, but remember some text may have had a different meaning a century ago, so use the
internet to look up anything that is not clear. Furthermore, people and places and any cultural relevance of the
time should be researched to get a deeper look at the poet's attitude towards the piece. Patterns might become
visible at this point and maybe the theme of the poem.

Structure of the Poem

Looking at the structure of the piece will reveal more information so pay close attention to this. Examine the way
the stanzas are organised:

• What does each stanza discuss?

• How do the stanzas relate to each other?
• Can you see formal separations?
• What logical sense does it have?
• Is there emotional sense that can be evaluated?
• Does having a strict format say anything about the poet?
• Also failing to have a strict structure, does this reveal something?

Once you have observed the structure, it is possible to go deeper into the essay on the analysis of the poem
and investigate how the speaker communicates the poem to the reader.

11 | P a g e
Tone and Intonation of the Poem
Speaker
It is now possible to look at the persona/speaker and see what details can be obtained from him/her. Is it
possible to see the gender or age of the speaker? Is there some race or religious references to pick up on?
Then can we see if the speaker is directly communicating their thoughts and ideas to the reader? If not, what is
the character the poet has created to convey the ideas or messages? Does the poet's persona differ to the
character created and what can be analysed from this? Also the mood of the speaker could be available now,
are they happy or sad, and how can you find out this from the poem?

Recipient
Once the poet is understood it is possible to move onto who or what the poem is designed for. Then you can
see the purpose of the poetry, what does the poet want from the reader? It is also possible that the poet does
not desire a response from the audience and is simply making a statement or expressing themselves.
For example, a poem about spring could just be a happy statement that winter has ended. Looking from the
other side, this could be an attempt to attract someone's attention or maybe just an instruction to plough the
field.

Purpose of the Poem

The subject of the poem can help identify the purpose, as this usually will be what the poet is describing. Then
the theme can be identified also, and what does it say about the work? Are there any links between the theme
and the subject and what can analysed from that? The time frame is also an important factor to consider, for
example, the poet's goal back when it was written, may have changed and why?

Language and Imagery of the Poem

Until this point it was only possible to analyse the literal information available which is the denotative meaning.’
The imagery, symbolism, and figures of speech is the connotative meaning.

Imagery
This is where you should look for pictures described within the text and analyse why they have been depicted?
So for example, if the poet has decided to describe the moon this could set the time in the work or maybe the
mood of the poem. Also look for groups of images described and patterns within this, what can be deduced from
that?

Symbols
So, when looking for symbolism within the text this could be an event or physical object, including people and
places that represent non-physical entities like an emotion or concept. For example, a bird flying through the air
can be seen as freedom and escaping usual conforms.

Poetic devices
In your analysis, look for techniques like metaphors, similes, personification, and alliteration to include just a
few. It is important to identify the actual device used and why it was chosen. For example, when comparing
something within the text using a metaphor, look at how they are connected and in what way they are
expressed? Try to use all available clues to gain better insight into the mind of the poet.

12 | P a g e
 Music of the Poem

Poetry and music have deep connections and can be compared together due to the history and uses throughout
the ages.

Here are some things to look out for to help with those comparisons:

• Meter - This can be available to investigate in different ways, for example, iambic pentameter has a strict five
beats per line just like a musical score if used what does it say?

• Rhythm - Just like with music, poem can have a rhythm but if there is no given meter, it is needed to look closer
and observe what this does to the work. For example, a particular beat that is fast could make the poem happy.

• Special effects - Looking for not so obvious signs where the poet has written in a certain way, so you take
longer to pronounce words. Also it is possible to grab your attention in other ways, for what reason has the poet
done that?

• Rhyme - There are many different types of rhyming techniques used within poetry, once identified look at how it
impacts on the work (make it humorous for example?). Be careful to look for unusual patterns for example
rhymes within the lines and not just at the end of the sentences, even reading out aloud might help find these
and then what does it this say about the poem?

• Sound effects - The depiction of different sounds can be powerful and also using different voices, look at what
impact this has on the piece and why?

• Breaking Rules (unconventional style) - Rhyme and meter for example can have very specific rules but what if
the poet decided to break these conventional techniques and make something new, what does this add to the
poem?

13 | P a g e
GUIDELINES TO WRITING A POETRY ESSAY
A poetry essay should be about a page or 150 – 200 words
long. The following guidelines will help you to structure the
poetry essay.
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?

In a critical poetry essay, one discusses the issues raised in the question by examining the content of the poem
and poetic devices present in the poem. A literary/critical essay is not a paraphrase (the meaning of each line)
of the poem. One has to discuss how the issues raised in the question are conveyed by the poetic or literary
devices such as figures of speech, imagery, diction (choice of words), tone and rhythm, structure, form, etc.
This discussion will include specific references to the poem itself.

THE LAYOUT/STRUCTURE OF THE ESSAY:

INTRODUCTION: Begin with an introductory paragraph. Write two or three sentences on the issue(s) raised
in the question and link these issues to an overview of the poem.

BODY: You must use PARAGRAPHS in this essay. The body is an analysis of the poem, from the perspective
of the issues raised in the question. This is where you use the diction, tone, structure and imagery to show
how the poet’s message is conveyed. This will be more than one paragraph.

DICTION : This refers to the poet’s choice of words. You have to explain WHY the speaker chose to use
THESE PARTICULAR WORDS in the poem. The exact meaning depends on the context. Quote the words from
the poem in your analysis.

TONE: Tone refers to the language used by the speaker or writer to instigate an emotional effect on the reader
or listener. The reader must bear in mind that the writer is in a certain frame of mind while writing- and this has
an influence on the choice of language and vocabulary (DICTION) that is used.

STRUCTURE: Structure refers to how the poem is presented on paper and it includes form. Structure can
influence meaning, central ideas and rhythm.

IMAGERY: Imagery means to use figurative language to represent objects, actions and ideas in such a way that
it appeals to our physical senses. Imagery makes use of particular words that create a picture or image in our
minds.
CONCLUSION
The concluding paragraph could be two to three sentences summarising your analysis. It is important to
emphasise in the conclusion that you have answered the literary essay question.
Your essay must have a central idea (stated in your thesis) that governs its development.

14 | P a g e
 POETRY CHECKLIST :

1. Do I understand the question?

Have I unpacked the question) Underline keywords, instructional verbs.
2. Does the intro link to the question?
3. Have I touched on the following in the body of the essay:
 Structure
 Diction
 Imagery
 Rhythm
 Tone
4. Did I present a critical discussion?
5. Has my conclusion addressed the question?
6. Did I write in the third person?
7. Did I write in the present tense?
8. Do I have logical flowing paragraphs?
9. Are my arguments supported from the poem?
10. Did I retell the poem? (merely a paraphrase)

11. Did I stick to the word count?

• Body Is the structure formal (like a sonnet) or informal?
• Structure of poem: Consider the length of Short sentences suggest abrupt, definite thoughts.
sentences, enjambment and stanza length. Longer sentences are more conversational or
lyrical.
Are the stanzas unusual in any way?

• Poetic devices: Consider rhyme, rhythm, A rhyming poem will have a musical, child-
alliteration, assonance, onomatopoeia. 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, Think about how the two things compared
metaphors, examples of personification or contrast. are similar. Use the vocabulary (p) to help
you describe the comparison and its effect.

• Style: Look at diction, punctuation and the Is the style conversational, formal, highly
sentence length. descriptive, straightforward, lyrical or informal?
Quote a word or phrase as proof.

• Tone: What does the poem tell us about the poet’s Use adjectives as set out on pages 4-6.
attitude to the subject matter? Does the change?

15 | P a g e
 • Conclusion Be honest about your response. If you think the
What is your response to the poem? How does it poem failed to deliver on its intention, say so, but
make you feel? provide reasons for your opinion.
This poem is about…The opening statement is
quite static and does not require any information
for marks.

Glossary of Important Concepts/Words:

• Alliteration – a literary technique that occurs when two or more words are linked that
share the same first consonant sound, such as “fish fry.” Some famous examples of
alliteration include: Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers.
• Assonance – is defined as the repetition of similar vowel sounds within words, phrases,
or sentences. (Remember that vowels are a, e, i, o, u) When the same vowel sound is
repeated multiple times in close proximity, you’ve found assonance. The squeaky wheel
gets the grease.
• Cliché – language that has become stale and commonplace through repetition. The
expression becomes trite, worn-out, and overused. As a result, clichés have lost their
original vitality, freshness, and significance in expressing meaning. It became a “universal”
device to describe abstract concepts such as time (Better Late Than Never), anger
(madder than a wet hen), love (love is blind), and even hope (Tomorrow is Another Day).

• A Couplet - is a unit of poetry containing two lines of verse that form a singular thought or
idea. Couplets can be rhymed or un-rhymed. Couplets can also be rendered in various
metrical schemes or free verse but must form a single idea or statement within those two
existing lines. Couplets can serve as the two-line stanza structure in a poem or be
incorporated in larger stanzas involving more lines e.g.

The ladies men admire,

I’ve heard, Would
shudder at a wicked
word. Their candle gives
a single light; They’d
rather stay at home at
night.
• Connotation - Both the positive and negative associations that a word collects through
usage that go beyond the literal (primary) meaning. It is normally a subjective response to
what is said or implied.
• Diction - choice of words.
• Denotation - Denotative meaning - the literal or primary meaning of a word. [Remember-
dictionary explanation]
• Free verse - verse which does not use traditional metrical or rhyming schemes.
• Imagery - concrete descriptions which appeal to the senses so that we can see or sense

16 | P a g e
 what is being written. Words, phrases, and sentences which create images in our minds,
such as similes, metaphors, personification.

• Mood – the atmosphere created by the writer, through his choice of words. 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).
• Onomatopoeia – the creation of words that imitate the actual sounds of things.
• Personification – the representation of an object or idea as a person with human qualities.
• Rhyme scheme – the pattern in which the rhyming sounds occur in a poem. The
rhymes are generally indicated by a letter of the alphabet.
• Simile – the direct comparison of one thing with another, generally connected with the
words ‘like’ and ‘as’.
• Stress – that part of a word on which, when spoken, the emphasis falls.
• Symbol – a particular kind of sign where the object represented (example: a lamb)
represents not itself but other objects or qualities.
• Theme – the main concern of the poem, essentially what the poem is about. The central
idea or ideas in text; a text may contain several themes, and these may not be explicit or
obvious. The theme refers to an important idea that underlies the poem and gives a
comment about life.
• What is the theme of the poem?
• Think about how you would discuss what you have learned by reading the poem.

17 | P a g e
 Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day?
by William Shakespeare

About the poet:

William Shakespeare (1564 – 1616) is an English poet and playwright. Although

he is regarded as the most significant writer of English literature, 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. [suspected to
be the third earl of Southampton] and the rest to a mysterious woman who has
become known as ‘the dark lady’.

Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day?

by William Shakespeare

1 Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day? a

2 Thou art more lovely and more temperate: b
3 Rough winds do not shake the darling buds of May, a
4 And summer’s lease hath all too short a date; b
5 Sometime too hot the eye of heaven shines, c
6 And often is his gold complexion dimm’d; d
7 And every fair from fair sometime declines, c
8 By chance or nature’s changing course untrimm’d; d
9 But thy eternal summer shall not fade, e
10 Nor lose possession of that fair thou ow’st; f
11 Nor shall death brag thou wander’st in his shade, e
12 When in eternal lines to time thou grow’st: f
13 So long as men can breathe or eyes can see, g
14 So long lives this, and this gives life to thee. g

Introduction:

Shakespeare’s sonnets explore topics such as the nature of love, sexual passion, birth, death and time. In this
particular 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.

Structure

Sonnet 18 is a typical English or Shakespearean sonnet, having:

 lines of iambic pentameter: three quatrains followed by a couplet.
 the characteristic rhyme scheme: ABAB CDCD EFEF GG.
 the rhetorical tradition of an Italian or Petrarchan Sonnet. Petrarchan sonnets typically discussed the love and
beauty of a beloved, often an unattainable love, but not always.
 a volta, or shift in the poem's subject matter, beginning with the third quatrain.

18 | P a g e
Analysis:
The first four lines of Shakespeare’s sonnet 18 establish the broad concern of the poem and some of its
stylistic features.

Summary:
The speaker begins by asking whether he should or will compare “thee” to a summer’s day. He then
runs off a list of reasons why summer is not all that great: winds shake the buds that emerged in
Spring, summer ends too quickly, and the sun can get too hot or be hidden by clouds.
He argues that everything beautiful eventually fades by chance or by nature’s inevitable changes,
however, his beloved’s summer (happy, beautiful years) will never fade away. Moreover, death will
never be able to take the beloved since the beloved exists through the eternal aspect of poetry.

Themes:
Love; beauty; time; the eternal nature of poetry – His beloved’s beauty will never fade because he is
putting it into verse which will last forever.

Tone:
Endearing; deep devotion; adoration

Analysis line by line:

Lines 1-2:

Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day?

Thou art more lovely and more temperate

 The speaker starts by asking a rhetorical question as he attempts to compare his lover to a
summer's day. Instead of ruminating on that, he tells the object of his affection why he thinks so.
 Summer is historically regarded as the best and most beautiful time possible, especially in the
colder parts of Europe. This image of the perfect English summer's day is then surpassed by his
lover as the second line reveals that the lover is “more lovely” and “more temperate”.
 Lovely is still quite commonly used in England and carries the same meaning then as it does now
(attractive, nice, beautiful), while temperate, in Shakespeare's time, meant gentle-natured,
restrained, moderate and composed. The second line refers directly to the lover with the use of
the second-person pronoun Thou.

Brainy note on the meter here:

Read the first two lines out loud. Notice how they are kind of bouncy? That’s the
iambic feet: “Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day.”

The pronoun “I” is a stressed syllable in the first line, but the pronoun “Thou” is unstressed in
the second line. [Guess who the real subject of this poem is].

19 | P a g e
Lines 3-4:

Rough winds do not shake the darling buds of May,

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

 From lines 2-4 the speaker offers a series of reasons why the comparison is inappropriate.
 Winds blow, rainclouds gather and before you know where you are, summer has come and gone
in a week. The season seems all too short. The speaker is suggesting that for most people,
summer will pass all too quickly, and they will grow old, as is natural, their beauty fading with the
passing of the season.
 He wants to show just how much better his beloved’s beauty is compared to that of summer.
 The speaker personifies nature:

 Rough winds shake- Strong summer winds threaten those new flower buds that popped up in
May, and summer doesn’t last very long.

 summer’s lease: By this, he means that summer takes out a lease with nature, which has a
defined expiration date that is too short for his case. Here, summer is personified as a lessor
as if it is renting a property, while the weather is the property itself. The literary device is used
here to highlight the shortness of the summer season by comparing the summer period to a
lease. He describes summer in a way that contrasts the kind of summer we usually picture.
The perfection has a short lease: it endures only for a brief moment. This concern with time
itself increasingly occupies the poem—and becomes its central challenge as the speaker
searches for a metaphor or simile that does not imply that his beloved will decay and die.

Lines 5-6:

Sometime too hot the eye of heaven shines,

And often is his gold complexion dimm’d;

 Shakespeare personifies the sun, calling it “the eye of heaven” with “his gold complexion
dimmed” – the sun’s complexion is dimmed in comparison to the beloved’s. Giving the sun a
human quality begins to diminish what we normally consider powerful and untouchable.
 Personification of nature - the speaker claims that sometimes the sun is too hot, and other times
one cannot even see it at all (hidden, assumingly, by clouds). He calls the sun the “eye of heaven,”
and refers to it by using the word “his,” and gives it a “complexion,” which generally refers to the
colour of one’s skin. This helps introduce Shakespeare’s theme of emphasising his beloved’s
lasting beauty.

Lines 7-8:
And every fair from fair sometime declines,
By chance or nature’s changing course untrimm’d;

 The speaker gets even broader in his philosophy, declaring that everything beautiful must
eventually fade away and lose its charm, either by chance or by the natural flow of time. This
reinforces the ephemerality of that beauty in contrast to the eternal beauty of his beloved.
 Things that are beautiful eventually lose their trimmings, or their decorations, and thus fade from
beauty.

20 | P a g e
 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."
 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.

Lines 9-10:

But thy eternal summer shall not fade,

Nor lose possession of that fair thou ow’st;

 The conjunction ‘But’ shows a turn at the start of the 9th line, his beloved becomes summer as the
poet states, “but thy eternal summer shall not fade.” The 9th line of a sonnet is often the volta or
the “turn” of the poem. The turn, or volta, of the poem occurs in response to the initial question. The
beloved has become the very standard by which true beauty can and should be judged.
 The latter part of the poem is marked by a more expansive tone exploring deeper feelings. The
poet responds to such joy and beauty by ensuring that his beloved will last forever, saved from
the oblivion that accompanies death.
 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 is speaking to is not
subject to all of these traits. The subject of the poem has an “eternal summer” that will “never
fade” (line 9). The hyperbole helps strengthen the idea that the subject of the poem is constant
and much more predictable and, therefore, more beautiful than summer. 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.
 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
be eternal. That is why in 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:

 Personification: the speaker introduces death. Here, the poet portrays death as a figure who
meanders around his “shade.” The act of equating death to a human being shows that his beloved
transcends all living creatures and even acts of nature.
 The beloved is the ideal figure not only in the poet’s eyes but also in others who will eventually
read this poem. The poet’s use of figurative language makes his beloved a superior being whose
beauty forever shines and whose power can conquer death itself.

21 | P a g e
Lines 13-14:

So long as men can breathe or eyes can see,

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

 The concluding couplet has a repetition of the words, “So long as” to emphasise that the subject
will remain constant as long as the poem exists. The repetition also creates a parallel structure,
emphasising that both ideas are equally important.
 The couplet, in the end, is a fuller admission of what the speaker points toward in line 12. An
instrumental part of making this poem work is that the poet reveals his ability, as a poet, to
eternalise words. The poet makes this known particularly in the lines “So long as men can breathe,
or eyes can see/so long lives this, and this gives life to thee.”
 While the poet is saying that his beloved’s beauty will last for as long as this poem exists, he is
also saying that his poetry will be eternal. The entire poem up until this point expresses great
sentiment about his beloved but in these last two lines, there seems to be a change in the poem’s
own estimate of his writing. These lines ultimately show that the poet is well aware of his skill.
 Overall, the use of imagery, form, and figurative language allows the poet to skillfully get his
message across that his beloved’s beauty exceeds that of a summer’s day and even transcends
time. Shakespeare’s methods also secure the everlasting nature of his poem. The last two lines
emphasise that the speaker is more concerned about his own work and the longevity of his art. It
is an example of a hyperbole.

GLOSSARY

temperate: calm and collected

darling buds of May: refers to the new buds that appear in May
during the English Spring time
lease: it suggests that summer is held to a contract (a lease) that
will expire when Autumn appears
complexion: the colour and appearance of the skin on a person’s face
declines: becomes less or worse
untrimm’d: a shortening of the word ‘untrimmed’, which means not cut
off.
ow’st: a shortening of the word ‘owest’, which is an
old word for ‘owe’, meaning to have to show
something or offer something.

22 | P a g e
Sonnet 18 Questions

1. What is the mood and tone of Shakespeare's Sonnet 18? (2)

2. Explain the effectiveness of the personification of nature in lines 3 and 4. (3)
3. In line 7 of Sonnet 18, what idea does the speaker emphasise by using alliteration?
(2)
4. Why does Shakespeare compare his beloved to a summer's day? (2)
5. How does Shakespeare's use of the image "the eye of heaven" in Sonnet 18 refer, not
only to the sun, but convey something apart from the sun? (3)
6. What does the speaker mean by “eternal lines to time” (line 12)? (2)
7. In Sonnet 18, how does the message shift in line 9? (2)
8. Comment on the personification of death in line 11. (3)

ESSAY:

One of the main themes is that time is not enough to obliterate poetry. By close reference to
diction, imagery and tone, critically discuss the validity of this statement in a well-written essay
of 150-200 words. [10]

Or

In this poem Shakespeare compares his beloved to a summer’s day.

With close reference to the poem, write an essay of 150-200 words to discuss the effective use
of imagery (e.g., simile, personification, metaphor, alliteration etc.), diction and tone by the poet
to convey this idea. [10]

23 | P a g e
 Caged Bird
by Maya Angelou
About the 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
by Maya Angelou
1. A free bird leaps
2. on the back of the wind
3. and floats downstream
4. till the current ends
5. and dips his wing
6. in the orange sun rays
7. and dares to claim the sky.

8. But a bird that stalks

9. down his narrow cage
10. can seldom see through
11. his bars of rage
12. his wings are clipped and
13. his feet are tied
14. so he opens his throat to sing.

15. The caged bird sings

16. with a fearful trill
17. of things unknown
18. but longed for still
19. and his tune is heard
20. on the distant hill
21. for the caged bird
22. sings of freedom.

23. The free bird thinks of another breeze

24. and the trade winds soft through the sighing trees
25. and the fat worms waiting on a dawn bright lawn
26. and he names the sky his own

27. But a caged bird stands on the grave of dreams

28. his shadow shouts on a nightmare scream
29. his wings are clipped and his feet are tied
30. so he opens his throat to sing.

31. The caged bird sings

32. with a fearful trill
33. of things unknown
34. but longed for still
35. and his tune is heard
36. on the distant hill
37. for the caged bird
38. sings of freedom.

24 | P a g e
Introduction:

 This poem compares the different experiences of a free bird and a caged bird. The poet highlights
why it is that the caged bird sings: it is all it can do to taste freedom. Metaphorically, the bird
represents those who are imprisoned, or oppressed in some way (caged) by a social/political
system, versus 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 singing 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 oppressed in some way.
 This poem is an example of an allegory.
An allegory is an extended metaphor in which characters, events, settings or objects, have
symbolic - as well as literal meanings.
 The contrast between the lives of the caged bird and the free bird is an allegory for the contrast
between the lives of African Americans and their white counterparts.
The caged bird is trapped in a small space, tied down and mutilated (with his clipped wings) to
prevent him from ever leaving. He dreams of the freedom that the free bird takes for granted.

Structure:
 Caged Bird’ by Maya Angelou is a six-stanza poem that is separated into stanzas that vary in
length. Angelou chose to write the poem in free verse. This means that there is no single rhyme
scheme or metrical pattern that unites all the lines, but, there are some examples of an
iambic meter.
 This adds to the overall musicality of the poem. Iambs are also generally referred to as “rising”
feet when the second syllable is stressed. This plays into the content of the caged bird and the
free bird.
 Maya Angelou’s poem has a musical, lyrical 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.

Title:
 The bird represents the African American whose freedom, or the desire to be free is taken away,
while the cage symbolises the oppression of segregation or the confinement of oppression.
 Caged (symbolically caged) – indicates restrictions.
 Bird (symbol) – a creature that has wings and is meant to fly. The fact that it can fly is indicative of
freedom.
 Caged is thus a contradiction with the original freedom of a wild bird.
 Deeper meaning – An image of restriction is created.

Theme:
 It should be seen in a universal context as well.
 The poem contrasts the caged bird with the free bird and their different characteristics,
emphasising the caged bird’s pain and need for freedom. Think about the slave trade currently.
 The bird represents people in the actual world who are restricted/oppressed/discriminated against
regardless of who they are.
 The bars of the cage represent the things that keep people from doing what they wish.

25 | P a g e
 The poem also speaks about the hope that people have and that the human spirit is much stronger
than any oppression.
 The speaker wants people to see and hear the difference between the free bird and the
 caged bird.
 Lastly the speaker wants the reader 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.
 The first major theme is given in the first stanza which is freedom. It is given through the image of
a free bird that goes wherever it wants, ranging from enjoyment on stream to soaring in the wind.
 The second theme is captivity that cripples the bird in the cage. This theme goes on in the third
stanza and tries to state that the caged bird is forced to sing a song of freedom. Then the free bird
again comes into view in the fourth stanza and enjoys life on trade winds, trees and in the width
and breadth of the sky. The remaining stanzas describe the caged bird’s fear while it is trying to
sing a tune for its freedom during its bondage.

Analysis:

Stanza 1:

A free bird leaps

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

 In the first stanza, the poet refers to nature. She describes how “a free bird leaps on the back of
the wind”. The poem begins by speaking of the free bird, and the freedom it has, to go anywhere,
whenever. It could claim the sky because it is free. She describes the bird’s flight against the
orange sky. The free bird has the right “to claim the sky.” The way she describes the “orange sun
rays” gives the reader an appreciation for the natural beauty of the sky, and her description of
how the bird “dips his wing” helps the reader to appreciate the bird in his natural habitat enjoying
his freedom.
 The stanza implies that the free bird is lazy and would rather float on the wind instead of
making its own path. The free bird is able to "leap/on the back of the wind" and simply float
"downstream" without a destination in mind, continuing "till the current ends". These actions
demonstrate its easy-going, carefree lifestyle.
 The first stanza as a whole also introduces the free-flowing nature of the poem, which lacks a
concrete rhyme scheme. This technique reflects the lack of restrictions faced by the free bird. At
the same time, the combined use of assonance and consonance allows sounds to flow into one
another, further contributing to this bird's sense of unrestricted ease. Note the many /b/,/w/, and
/d/ sounds that dominate the stanza, in words like "bird," "back," "wind," "wing," "dips," and "dares."
 This free bird is not only able to go wherever it pleases, but its sense of freedom also makes it feel
powerful: it "dares to claim the sky." Here, the speaker complicates the previous
graceful imagery of the bird by introducing this subtle notion that the free bird believes its freedom
gives it permission to claim ownership over something that does not belong to it. This idea (which
is repeated later in the poem) is likely an allusion to white colonialism and the American concept
of Manifest Destiny, in which white European and American colonisers felt free to take control over
land that belonged to others.

26 | P a g e
  This allusion also begins to demonstrate that this poem is an extended metaphor for the
oppression faced by marginalised communities (most specifically, by Black people in the
United States). The experiences of the free bird are later juxtaposed against those of the
caged bird, thus implying that the free bird is a symbol of the privileges afforded to a dominant
social group.

Stanza 2:
But a bird that stalks
down his narrow cage
can seldom see through
his bars of rage
his wings are clipped and
his feet are tied
so he opens his throat to sing.

 Introduces the limitations set upon the caged bird and how it affects the bird.
 It is still proud and calls out for freedom. This stanza of ‘Caged Bird’ contrasts sharply with the
first. By using the word “but” to begin this stanza, the speaker prepares the reader for this
contrast. Then she describes the “bird that stalks his narrow cage.” The tone is immediately
and drastically changed from peaceful, satisfied, and joyful to one that is dark, unnerving, and
even frustrating. She describes that this caged bird first “can seldom see through his bars of
rage.”
 While the free bird enjoys the full sky, the caged bird rarely even gets a glimpse of the sky.
She claims “his wings are clipped, and his feet are tied.” The speaker then reveals that these
are the very reasons the bird “opens his throat to sing.”

Stanza 3:
The caged bird sings
with a fearful trill
of things unknown
but longed for still
and his tune is heard
on the distant hill
for the caged bird
sings of freedom.

 Emphasises the caged bird and its plight. The stanza relates 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. The third
stanza reverts to the free bird, further cementing the difference between the free bird and the
caged bird in the readers’ minds.
 She writes that a “free bird thinks of another breeze” that he can enjoy the “sighing trees” and
be free to find his own food. The tone with which she writes the first and third stanzas so
sharply contrasts with the second stanza that readers can feel the difference. The first and
third stanzas give the reader a sense of ecstasy and thrill, making the second stanza seem all
the more droll and even oppressive.

27 | P a g e
Stanza 4:
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
and he names the sky his own

 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. The fourth stanza of ‘Caged Bird’ continues the parallel
between the free bird and the caged bird. The first line serves to starkly contrast the last line
in the third stanza. It is dark and daunting. The reality of the life of the caged bird is revealed
in this line.
 Mentioning of ‘fat worms waiting on a dawn bright lawn brings around a predatorial/prey
juxtaposition too. It would be the worms that would be scared for their life, losing freedom as
the birds feed upon such prey. However, with a bird entrapped by a cage, the worms are the
ones that have the freedom, compared to the caged bird.

Stanza 5:

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.

 The bird is in its cage. The cage has become the grave for the bird’s dreams. It still sings of
freedom. That bird “stands on the grave of dreams”. This reveals the author’s feelings about
her own dreams. She has so many dreams that have died because she was never given the
freedom to achieve all that her white counterparts could. Discrimination and racism made up
her cage, and although she sang, she felt her voice was not heard in the wide world but only
by those nearest her cage.
 The second line of this stanza is not only dark but even frightening. The speaker describes
the bird’s cries as “shouts on nightmare scream”. At this point, the caged bird is so despondent
in his life of captivity that his screams are like that of someone having a nightmare. The author
then repeats these lines:
 His wings are clipped and his feet are tied. So he opens his throat to sing.

Stanza 6:
The caged bird sings
with a fearful trill
of things unknown
but longed for still
and his tune is heard
on the distant hill
for the caged bird
sings of freedom

 Repetition of stanza 3 emphasises the frustrated caged bird and the fact that the bird’s song

28 | P a g e
 is to be feared and respected. Reaffirming the idea that the bird opens his mouth to sing
because his desire for freedom and his desire to express himself cannot be contained. This
last stanza focuses on the caged bird yet again. The author implies that even though the caged
bird may have never experienced true freedom, deep down, that bird still knows it was created
to be free. Although freedom, to the caged bird, is “fearful” because it is “unknown,” he still
sings “a fearful trill” because he still longed for freedom.
 Here, the speaker reveals that his cry for freedom is “heard on the distant hill.” This parallels
to the author and her cry for freedom in the form of equality. She feels her cries are heard, but
only as soft background noise. She still feels that she is caged and that although she sings,
her cries are heard only as a distant noise.
 The last line states, “For the caged bird sings of freedom.” With this, the speaker implies that
although the caged bird may never have experienced freedom, he still sings of it because he
was created for freedom. This is paralleled to the African American struggle in Maya Angelou’s
time.
 She feels that Black Americans wrote and sang and danced and cried out for the freedom they
deserved, but they were only heard as a distant voice. Yet, this would not stop them from
crying out for freedom and equality because they knew they were made for freedom, and they
would not relent until they were given their rights as human beings to enjoy the freedom they
were created to enjoy.

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 with onomatopoeia: ‘…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.

Literary Devices
 Angelou makes use of several literary devices in ‘Caged Bird.’ These include but are not
limited to:
 Alliteration:, “sun” and “sky” at the end of stanza one and “cage/can” in lines three and four of
stanza two.

29 | P a g e
  Enjambment: It appears when a poet cuts off a sentence or phrase with a line break before its
natural stopping point. For example, the transition between lines one and two of the first stanza
and lines three and four of the second stanza.
 Repetition: is seen throughout the poem but most prominently in the structure of the stanzas
and the continual reference to the “free bird” and “caged bird.” One of the best examples is
seen in the sixth stanza, in which the poet repeats the entire third stanza.
 Symbolism: In this case, the caged bird symbolises the confined and oppressed African
American community in the United States.
 Irony: occurs when an outcome is different than expected. For example, it is ironic that the
free bird isn’t singing, but the caged bird is.

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 with a darker tone at times.

Stanza 2:
 Tone: Anger Bitterness

Stanza 3:
 Tone: Ominous/frustrated.
 The reasons seem to be 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 and 5:
 Tone becomes more positive and upbeat again, BUT the contrast between the free bird and
the caged 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. It usually carries the central message of
the poem and adds to the poem’s lyrical/musical quality
Glossary
trill: a quavering sound; bird’s warbling
trade winds: winds blowing towards the equator

30 | P a g e
CLASS WORK 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 is trapped,
and explain why he stalks. [3]

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. Discuss two ways that the refrain contributes to the overall meaning of the poem. [2]

6. Explain the two meanings hidden in “The free bird thinks of another breeze” [3]

HOMEWORK QUESTIONS:

1. What does the caged bird’s singing reveal about him? [2]

2. What are the differences between how the caged bird sees and experiences the world and
how the free bird sees the world? [2]

3. The free bird “names the sky his own”. Why would he do this, and what is the
importance of ‘naming’ something? [3]

4. The caged bird “sings of freedom”. Why would he do this, and why would the free bird not do
the same? [3]

31 | P a g e
 A young man’s thoughts
by Fhazel Johennesse

About the 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 branch
(a movement that promoted an awareness of the dignity and
rights of black people, founder was Steve Biko). The literary
magazine, Witie, 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 thoughts

by Fhazel Johennesse

1. tomorrow i travel on a road

2. that winds to the top of the hill
3. i take with me only the sweet
4. memories of my youth
5. my heart aches for my mother
6. for Friday nights with friends
7. around a table with the broad belch of beer
8. i ask only for a sad song
9. sung by a woman with downturned eyes
10. and strummed by an old man with
11. a broken brow
12. o sing my sad song sing for me
13. for my sunset is drenched with red

Title:

On 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.

32 | P a g e
Structure
 Written in free verse
 Has no capital letters
 No punctuation
 Not divided into stanzas
 Symbolises a breaking away from the political oppression

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. The poem has a conversational
tone – ends with resignation and acceptance of his fate. Run–on lines contribute to sense of
conversation.
 It also has the characteristics of a lyric as it expresses the poet’s feelings:
nostalgia
melancholy
longing
acceptance

Analysis line by line:

Line 1:
tomorrow i travel on a road

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. The poet is speaking in the first person, putting himself in the shoes of each of
the young people who were gunned down and died on this day.

Line 2:
that winds to the top of the hill

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 word ‘winds’ represents the long, arduous journey he is about to make as he protests the
unfair laws of a government that does not care for his people. The top of the hill may represent the
end of the journey, and thus the end of his life.

Lines 3–4:
i take with me only the sweet
memories of my youth

 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

33 | P a g e
 the protest rather than the political. He chooses to remember only the good memories of his
youth “the sweet memories”. Joins the struggle to ensure that others will also have good
memories

Line 5:
my heart aches for my mother

 The student realises the heartache and grief his death will bring to his mother. Young man’s
humanity is emphasised by his feelings for his mother. “my heart aches for my mother”.
 Concerned that his actions will bring her grief
 Strong possibility that they will not see each other again

Line 6:
or Friday nights with friends

 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.
 Alliteration – “ for friday nights with friends – alliteration places emphasis on close frame just
like friends gathered closely around the table.

Line 7:
around a table with the broad belch of beer

 The student recollects a simple instance with friends.

 This further emphasises that the student is merely a normal young man. He misses the way
he was able to be carefree, and the use of “broad belch of beer” (Alliteration) shows how he
has fun on his nights out with his friends, and how he is still just a child forced to live through
an event he should never have to witness, let alone participate in.

Line 8:
i ask only for a sad song

 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.
 A dirge: a lament for the dead/mournful song to be sung at a funeral, for those children gunned
down while conducting a peaceful protest. Alliteration – “a sad song sung”– the sibilant “s”
slows down the pace and suggests the singing of songs interspersed with tears and sadness.
Line 9:
sung by a woman with downturned eyes

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). Young man requests a sad song to be sung for him – he is certain of what lies
ahead of him. “downturned eyes” – he hopes there will be people who will be sad about his passing
[death]. If he does die, the songs will indeed be sad – singers will have “downturned eyes” as they try
to hide their grief.

34 | P a g e
Line 10:
and strummed by an old man with

“strummed” – to play by brushing fingers over strings. The student would also have an old man
(assumedly his father) to grieve by means of the song. This line is in sharp contrast with the word
“young” in the title. This is an emphasis that the young people who are fighting for emancipation are
more likely to die than the older folk.

Line 11:
a broken brow

The man has a ‘broken brow’ – alliteration. This may suggest physical scarring but may also suggests
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:
o sing my sad song sing for me

 The student asks others to sing for him which may suggest that he is already dead, as he
cannot sing for himself. His requests are simple. He does not want anything extravagant.
 The word “o” adds to the sadness he feels at the thought of his funeral being conducted. It is
an appeal to have a sad song being sung.
 Alliteration of the “s” sound reinforces the sombre mood in this line.

Line 13:
for my sunset is drenched with red

 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 deaths.
 The final line of this poem “for my sunset is drenched in red” is in reference to the slaughter
of more than a thousand children. The sunset is the end of the day, and here, it is the end of
all his days on Earth. This end, however, will not be simple, as it will be a part of a much bigger
massacre.
 His sunset will be drenched with the blood of all the children who died alongside him. He is
sure that the end of his life will be violent –As the sunset ends the day with a red glow, so will
his day be – red – drenched in blood–his own–and that of others.
 Euphemism – [line 13] – “my sunset is drenched with red” – he will die a violent death.

FIGURES OF SPEECH
 Metaphor – Line 2 – “road that winds to the top of the hill”
 Alliteration – Lines 6, 7, 8, 9 and 12
 “for friday nights with friends” “the broad belch of beer” “sad song sung”
 “sing my sad song”
 Onomatopoeia – lines 7 and 13 – “belch”, “drenched”

35 | P a g e
QUESTIONS:

1. What effect does the poet achieve by not using punctuation and capital letters? [2]

2. Refer to line 7: “around a table…”

Comment on the sound device that the poet uses. [3]

3. Comment on the three things that the poet knows he will have to give up once he
embarks on his journey of protest. [3]

4. Discuss the significance of the ‘broken bow’ in line 1? [2]

5. Discuss the context in which this poem was written. [3]

6. How does the word “drenched” in the last line effectively conclude this poem? [2]

7. What do the words “winds to the top of the hill” suggest about the road (line 2)? [2]

8. Identify the tone in lines 8 – 13. [1]

9. Sunsets are often “red”. Here, the poet suggests something more. Discuss. [2]

Essay question:

 A Young Man’s Thoughts Before June 16 by Fhazel Johannesse is a poem written from the
point of view of a young boy on the day before his death. He knows what will happen to him
on June 16, and he writes a lament for himself and all the others who will share the same fate
as him.

With close reference to diction, imagery and tone, critically discuss the validity of this
statement in a well-written essay of 150-200 words. [10]

36 | P a g e
 The Road not Taken
by Robert Frost

About the 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. Frost’s poems reflect a deep
appreciation of nature. 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 Taken

by Robert Frost

1. Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,

2. And sorry I could not travel both
3. And be one traveller, long I stood
4. And looked down one as far as I could
5. To where it bent in the undergrowth

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

7. And having perhaps the better claim,
8. Because it was grassy and wanted wear;
9. Though as for that, the passing there
10. Had worn them really about the same,

11. And both that morning equally lay

12. In leaves no step had trodden black.
13. Oh, I kept the first for another day!
14. Yet knowing how way leads on to way,
15. I doubted if I should ever come back.

16. I shall be telling this with a sigh

17. Somewhere ages and ages hence:
18. Two roads diverged in a wood, and I –
19. I took the one less travelled by,
20. And that has made all the difference.

37 | P a g e
38 | P a g e
Form and Structure:

 The poem is a lyric and is written in four stanzas of five lines each. The poem follows a strict
(ABAAB) rhyme scheme in each stanza and a strict meter to create cohesion, making it
measured and reflective.
 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. The
road “less traveled” symbolises the path of non-conformity

Poetic devices:

 Anaphora: The deliberate repetition of a word or phrase at the beginning of several

successive verses, clauses, or paragraphs e.g. repetition of ‘And’in lines 2,3,4,7,11,20 -
 Antithesis: A contrast or opposition between two things e.g. as just as fair and having perhaps
the better claim, both paths looked the same, but one was better.
 Enjambment: The running on of the thought from one line, couplet, or stanza to the next without a
punctuated pause, making it conversational. Continual run on lines convey the idea of a path that runs
through the poem.
 Extended Metaphor: Road or Path refers to life choices. The metaphor of the bending path suggests
that decision-making is often imperfect. We can only contemplate the short-term benefits and
consequences of our decision.
 Assonance: Repeated, long vowel sounds. In lines 6-12, assonance creates a pleasing melodic sound,
creating a sense of nostalgia, perhaps tinged with regret. The assonance forces us to slow our reading,
mimicking the speaker’s deliberations as he ponders which path to choose and this culminates in line
13 with: ‘oh’.

Title:

 The title of this poem “The Road Not Taken” focuses on lost opportunities and regret – the
road that the speaker did not take.
 Although the speaker has made his choice, he cannot stop thinking about the road he left
behind. It appears that he is not at peace with himself concerning his decision.
 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 travelling and comes upon a crossroad or a fork-in-the-road. Here the
speaker needs to decide which road he will take.
 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.

39 | P a g e
 Tone: Regret, Contemplative

Analysis line by line:

Line 1:
Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
 The speaker is describing a fork in the road.
 The woods are yellow, which means that it is probably autumn, and the leaves are changing
colours.
 “Diverged” is just another word for split. There is a fork in the road.

Lines 2-3:

And sorry I could not travel both

And be one traveller, long I stood

 The speaker wants to go down both roads at once, but since it is impossible to walk down two roads at
once, he has to choose one road.
 The speaker is “sorry” he cannot travel both roads, suggesting regret.
 As a result of the impossibility of travelling both roads, the speaker stands there trying to
choose which path he is going to take. The reader knows that he is on foot, and not in a
carriage or a car because he is standing.

Lines 4-5:
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth

 The speaker really wants to go down both paths – he is thinking hard about his choice. He is
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, block his view.
 This is where the reader starts to think about the metaphorical meanings of this poem. If the
speaker is, as suspected, 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. Since he cannot really predict the future, he
can only see part of the path. Who knows what surprises it could hold?

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

 So, after all this build-up about one road, which he has looked down for a long time, the speaker takes
the other path.
 Then a tricky little phrase is used to describe this road. It’s “as just as fair.” Read without the first “as,”
this phrase is clear, as in the meaning of 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 does not quite apply to a road.
 The suggestion is 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 is not fairer – it is just as fair. So, he was choosing between two roads, or futures, that were different
but potentially equally good.

40 | P a g e
Lines 7-8:

And 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 the audience why the path is better – it seems like it has not been
walked on very much, because it is grassy and does not 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 9-10:
Though as for that, the passing there
Had worn them really about the same,

 The speaker of this poem really cannot seem to make up his mind. Just when we think we
have 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 the speaker, that may have worn the paths down.

Lines 11-12:
And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.

 Repetitively it is stated that the paths are equal, but we find out something new, that it’s
morning. It is possible that the speaker is the first to travel to this place on that day.
 The paths are covered with leaves, which have not been turned black by steps crushing them.
At first, we thought one path was grassy and now it is covered with leaves. Possibly, the
leaves are not very thick, or the grass sticks up in between them.

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

 The speaker seems like he is already regretting his decision. He is rationalising his choice of
path by saying he will come back to the one he missed later.
 This is a familiar way to deal with difficult choices; “one can always come back and try it again
later,”. With an “Oh” at the beginning and an exclamation point at the end, this line is emphatic. The
speaker feels strongly about what he is saying here.

Lines 14-15:
Yet knowing how way leads on to way,
I doubted if I should ever come back.

 The speaker realises that his hope 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 does not think he will
ever be able to come back and take that other path, as much as he wishes he could.

41 | P a g e
  Here the reader returns 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 is impossible
for us to retrace our steps and arrive back at that original decision.

Lines 16-17:
I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:

 Line 16 is the turning point (volta) of the poem. Line 17 expands this idea. The speaker jumps forward
in time. He does not know exactly when, but he knows that it is ages and ages “hence,” or, from now.
 The reader knows that this story is important because the speaker will still be telling it many years later.
He will be telling it with a sigh, though, which is interesting because sighs can be happy, sad, or merely
reflective – and he does not know what kind of sigh it will be.
 So, we know that this choice is probably going to be important for the speaker’s future, but we don’t
know if he is going to be happy about it or not.

Line 18:
Two 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.” [anaphora]
 This repetition helps to bring the poem to a conclusion. It reminds the reader what is important in the
poem – the concept of choosing between two different paths.
 Then, there is hesitation of “and I” and the dash. This lets the reader know that whatever the
speaker is about to say next, is important.

Line 19:
I took the one less travelled by,

 In this line, the speaker sums up his story and tells his audience 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 was not exactly clear that the road the 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 20:
And 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 does not say that it made him successful. A “difference” could mean success, or utter failure.
 Remember, the speaker is telling the readers about what he is going to say in the future.
From where he is now, just looking down the path as far as he can see, he cannot 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.

42 | P a g e
On a literal level:
 The poem opens with the speaker telling us of how he once stood before two diverging roads, trying to
decide which road to continue his journey on. Although he would have liked to try out both roads, he
could not, since he was only one person. In order to avoid making a mistake, the speaker took a long
time thinking over his decision and even tried to see where one of the roads led.

On a figurative (symbolic) level:

 The wood represents life itself.
 The fork in the road represents those points in our lives when we have to make decisions that
will affect our future.
 The two roads represent the options and possibilities we can choose or paths we can travel in life.
 The roads are situated in a yellow wood which can be interpreted in two ways. First, the
speaker is not at a very young period of his life (yellow is associated with age as opposed to
green). Second, the wood is yellow because the season of the year is Autumn.
 The speaker’s inability to look into the future is symbolised by his physical inability to see
what lies down the road. The undergrowth symbolises the fact that a person’s choice is
often made more difficult by obstacles or things that confuse him.

GLOSSARY
diverged: went in different directions
undergrowth: a dense, or thick, area of shrubs and
other plants wanted: lacked
trodden: walked on
hence: from now
QUESTIONS:

1. Quote a line from the poem that tells the reader:

(a) That the poet did not make a quick decision

[2]
(b) That the poet did not expect to get another chance to take the other road.

2. Identify the rhyme scheme used in the poem? Does it contribute to the overall meaning
and rhythm of the poem? [3]

4. The poem begins: “Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,”

Explain ONE reason why it was hard for the speaker to decide which road to take. [2]

5. The last stanza begins: “I shall be telling this with a sigh/Somewhere ages and
ages hence:”
a). Why do you think the speaker will be “telling this with a sigh”? [3]

ESSAY:
 In the poem, The Road Not Taken, the poet uses a reflective tone to address the
significance of the choices one makes in life. With close reference to diction, tone
and imagery, discuss the validity of this statement in a well-written essay of 150-200
words. [10]

43 | P a g e
 Reapers in the mieliefield
by Mbuyiseni Oswald Mtshali
About the poet:
Mbuyiseni Oswald Mtshali was born in Kwabhanya, which falls within what is now Kwazulu-
Natal, in 1940. After completing secondary school, he studied by correspondence, getting a
diploma with the Premier School of Journalism and Authorship. He worked as a messenger in
Johannesburg, drawing on his observations of the city to write the poems that became his first
collection, Sounds of a Cowhide Drum. It is one of the best-selling poetry books in South
African history. Although he wrote his poetry in the 1970s and 1980s, its focus on oppression
and experiences of black life under racial capitalism, it captures many dynamics which are
central to how South Africa has historically worked.
Reapers in the mieliefield
by Mbuyiseni Oswald Mtshali

1. Faces furrowed and wet with sweat,

2. Bags tied to their wasp waists,
3. women reapers bend mielie stalks,
4. break cobs in rustling sheaths,
5. toss them in the bags
6. and move through row upon row of maize.

7. Behind them, like a desert tanker,

8. a dust-raising tractor
9. pulls a trailer,
10. driven by a pipe-puffing man
11. flashing tobacco-stained teeth
12. as yellow as the harvested grain.

13. He stops to pick up bags loaded by

14. thick-limbed labourers
15. In vests baked
16. brown with dust.

17. The sun lashes

18. the workers with a red-hot rod;
19. they stop for a while
20. to wipe a brine-bathed
21. brow
22. and drink from battered cans
23. bubbling with malty “maheu”

24. Thirst is slaked in seconds,

25. Men jerk bags like feather cushions
26. And women become prancing wild
27. mares;
28. soon the day’s work will be done
29. and the reapers will rest in their kraals.

44 | P a g e
 STRUCTURE
The poem has 29 lines
The poem is written in free verse – there is no set rhythm or rhyme.
The enjambed lines allow for a free flow of ideas as the difficult working conditions of the labourers are
described.
The five stanzas are rich with sound devices and many similes and metaphors.
The word choice (diction) has a negative connotation and implies harshness, inhumane
treatment and slavery.

Analysis:

 Mtshali points out the harsh conditions under which many labourers work.
 He records the suffering of the workers as he evokes the tedium, sweat and exhaustion of this
kind of manual labour.
 The workers’ lives are hard- they work in hot, dry and dusty conditions.
They are treated almost like animals. The poem describes their work - it does not really
comment on the situation.
 It still leaves the readers with an understanding of the way the workers are seen as
unimportant and how their lives are almost completely all about labour.

Tone and Mood:

 It is oppressive and hints at slavery. It is illustrated by the description of the conditions under
which the labourers work.

Title:
 The title is descriptive of what the poem is about. Indefinite article before mieliefield, shows the
universal plight of nameless labourers on farms, doing critical tasks without acknowledgement.

Theme:
 He describes the suffering of the workers through the monotonous routine, the sweat and
exhaustion that comes with this kind of manual labour. The poet highlights the harsh
working conditions of labourers.

Glossary
Furrowed - deeply wrinkled
Sheaths - casings
Tanker truck- used to transport goods
Brine - salty water
Maheu - mielie meal gruel, slightly fermented and drunk cold
Slaked - quenched
Kraals - enclosures/village

45 | P a g e
46 | P a g e
Line by line Analysis
Lines 1-2:
Faces furrowed and wet with sweat,
Bags tied to their wasp waists,

 Vivid description of the “reapers” as they labour in the scorching heat, deep in concentration, in
extremely harsh conditions.
 Physically they are thin, underfed, subject to horrible working conditions and receive poor treatment as
labourers. “faces furrowed”-negative connotation.

Lines 3- 6:
women reapers bend mielie stalks,
break cobs in rustling sheaths,
toss them in the bags
and move through row upon row of maize.

 These lines convey a description of the labour done by the women, which is a physically
demanding job. The action of picking mielies is described “row upon row” conveying a sense of
monotonony: laborious and tedious, repetition.
 “rustling”-onomatopoeia

Lines 7 – 9:

Behind them, like a desert tanker,

a dust-raising tractor
pulls a trailer,

 Line 7 - 8 - simile ‘like a desert tanker’

The tractor blows up dust - ties in with the idea of the desert tanker.
Line 9 personification of the sun.

Lines 10 – 12:

driven by a pipe-puffing man

flashing tobacco-stained teeth
as yellow as the harvested grain

 Possibly refers to the farmer - he is in charge and drives the tractor while the labourers do
all the hard work.
 He has a ‘comfortable seat’ “pipe-puffing”-alliteration
The tobacco has stained his teeth – alliteration. Note the simile. “as yellow”.
 The farmer is ‘part of the machine’– he does not do the real physical
labour. He supervises.

47 | P a g e
Lines 13 – 16:
He stops to pick up bags loaded by
thick-limbed labourers
In vests baked
brown with dust.

 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.
 “limbed Labourers”–alliteration
 “baked brown”– alliteration

Lines 17 – 19:
The sun lashes
the workers with a red-hot rod;
they stop for a while

 The workers are working in the blazing sun.

 The sun is personified as a slave-driver or prison warder who carries a
‘red hot rod’(alliteration) - which “lashes the workers” to force them to keep working. This indicates how
unbearable it is out in the sun - has connotations of being painful.
 They stop for a while to constantly wipe the sweat from their faces.
 This image also suggests the cruel conditions under which the labourers work. This image evokes
extreme pain and suffering. The conditions they work under are dreadful.

Lines 20 – 23:
to wipe a brine-bathed
brow
and drink from battered cans
bubbling with malty “maheu”

 The labourers take a break

 ‘brine-bathed brow’ - (sweat) - 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’- salty water used for pickling food - sweat compared
to brine.
 They ‘drink from battered cans’ - they are also battered by the hard labour.
 ‘battered cans’ also speaks to the fact that they are poor - they do not have neat, shiny flasks.
 “Bubbling”-onomatopoeia
 “malty maheu’ - alliteration - fermented maize drink

48 | P a g e
Line 24:
Thirst is slaked in seconds,

 The labourers have quenched their thirst with speed and satisfaction
“slaked in seconds”-alliteration

Line 25 - 29:

Men jerk bags like feather cushions

And women become prancing wild
mares;
soon the day’s work will be done
and the reapers will rest in their kraals.

 The men have grown strong from their hard labour and can easily lift the heavy
bags. ‘like feather cushions’ - simile
 Women are compared to ‘prancing wild mares’ - they look forward to the end of the day.
-‘the reapers will rest in their kraals’ - although their homes were often referred to as
‘kraals’, a ‘kraal’ is also an enclosure where cattle is 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.

General questions to be answered during the lesson:

 What do the labourers drink when they are thirsty?

 Identify the poetic device used in stanza 4. Discuss how it contributes to your understanding of the
labourers’ working conditions.
 Refer to lines 25 – 26. Identify the figures of speech and explain the effect of the
break that the labourers have taken.

Homework Questions:

1. What are the tasks of the labourers? . [2]

2. Are the weather conditions conducive for what they are doing? Give reasons for your
answer. [2]

3. Discuss how the personification in stanza 4 contributes to the reader’s understanding

of the labourers’ working conditions. [3]

4. In the last stanza, the poet states that after a break the ‘Men jerk bags like feather
cushions”. Identify and explain how the figure of speech mentioned above illustrates
the effects of the break. [3]

5. Does the poet succeed in conveying the extreme working conditions of the
workers? Discuss your view. [3]

49 | P a g e
 Telephone Conversation
by Wole Soyinka

About the poet:

Kinwande Oluwole Babatunde Soyinka Hon. FRSL, known as Wole Soyinka, is a Nigerian
playwright, novelist, poet, and essayist in the English language. Born: 13 July 1934 (age
88 years). Wole Soyinka is best known as a playwright. Alongside his literary career,
he has also worked as an actor and in theatres in Nigeria and Great Britain. His works
also include poetry, novels, and essays.

Telephone Conversation
by Wole Soyinka

1 The price seemed reasonable, location

2 Indifferent. The landlady swore she lived
3 Off premises. Nothing remained
4 But self-confession. “Madam,” I warned,
5 “I hate a wasted journey--I am African.”
6 Silence. Silenced transmission of
7 Pressurized good-breeding. Voice, when it came,
8 Lipstick coated, long gold-rolled
9 Cigarette-holder pipped. Caught I was foully.
10 “HOW DARK?” . . . I had not misheard . . . “ARE YOU LIGHT
11 OR VERY DARK?” Button B, Button A.* Stench
12 Of rancid breath of public hide-and-speak.
13 Red booth. Red pillar box. Red double-tiered
14 Omnibus squelching tar. It was real! Shamed
15 By ill-mannered silence, surrender
16 Pushed dumbfounded to beg simplification.
17 Considerate she was, varying the emphasis--
18 “ARE YOU DARK? OR VERY LIGHT?” Revelation came.
19 “You mean--like plain or milk chocolate?”
20 Her assent was clinical, crushing in its light
21 Impersonality. Rapidly, wave-length adjusted
22 I chose. “West African sepia”--and as after thought,
23 “Down in my passport.” Silence for spectroscopic
24 Flight of fancy, till truthfulness clanged her accent
25 Hard on the mouthpiece. “WHAT’S THAT?” conceding
26 “DON’T KNOW WHAT THAT IS.” “Like brunette.”
27 “THAT’S DARK, ISN’T IT?” “Not altogether.
28 Facially, I am brunette, but, madam, you should see
29 The rest of me. Palm of my hand, soles of my feet
30 Are a peroxide blond. Friction, caused--
31 Foolishly, madam--by sitting down, has turned
32 My bottom raven black--One moment, madam!”--sensing
33 Her receiver rearing on the thunderclap
34 About my ears--”Madam,” I pleaded, “wouldn’t you rather
35 See for yourself?”

50 | P a g e
INTRODUCTION

The poem exposes in a satirical way the presence of racial discrimination at individual level in society,
even after the passing of laws against it. The poem describes a phone conversation between a landlady
and the speaker, who is black, about renting an apartment. The landlady is pleasant until she learns
that the speaker is “African,” at which point she demands to know how “light” or “dark” the speaker’s
skin is. In response, the speaker cleverly mocks the landlady’s ignorance and prejudice, demonstrating
that characterising people by their skin colour diminishes their humanity. The poet captured the
essence of human interaction across racial differences. This piece of literature becomes significant as it
presents both the attitude of the white woman towards black people and the black man’s anger towards
discrimination.
Form and Structure:

Wole Soyinka’s ‘Telephone Conversation’ is a lyric poem written in free verse. The poem is
a dialogue involving a black man and a white woman. The two are engaged in a phone call
throughout the poem. The poem, to a considerable extent, follows the question-and-
answer pattern. That is, the white landlady fires away one question after another and the
black man, who is desperate for a place to stay, patiently answers them all. Also, a major
part of the poem is written in the present tense which makes it relevant even today.

Literary Techniques

 Although ‘Telephone Conversation’ appears to be a short and simple poem, it is layered;

and therefore, complex due to the techniques used in it.
 The techniques used, in terms of the use of language, make the ultimate message of the
poem heard loud and clear. On one hand, for the most part, it uses repetition for
emphasising the idea of the practice of racism by the so-called elites.
 The words “dark” “light” and “red” which are often used in the poem could be cited as
examples for repetition used for emphasising racism.
 On the other hand, the use of words describing colours and shades serves as evidence of
racism in a society where everything light and very light represents the upper class, and
everything dark and very dark represents the lower class.

The lines of the poem get connected by Enjambment

There is Satire as well as Irony
Imagery
Pun
Alliteration and Assonance.

Main theme:
 Racism and Identity
 In this poem, ‘Telephone Conversation’, Wole Soyinka satirises racial discrimination in
society regardless of the stringent laws against it.
 He brings to light how it is practised covertly by many white people. He highlights the
hypocritical nature of these people in the poem. Through a simple telephone conversation,
the poet provides an insightful observation on how the racially discriminating society
functions.

51 | P a g e
Analysis line by line:

Lines 1 - 3:
The price seemed reasonable, location
Indifferent. The landlady swore she lived
Off premises. Nothing remained

 It seemed like a good price and the location was fine. The landlady promised that she did
not live in the building. The only thing left was to confess something important about him-
self. The price seemed reasonable; the location indifferent [i.e., it did not matter]. The
landlady swore she lived “Off premises”.

 It was a good property to rent for 3 reasons:

1. The price was reasonable.
2. The location indifferent - the location did not matter.
3. The landlady lived off premises - means more privacy.

 Telephone Conversation in the first five lines brings up the issue of race. A black man who
is looking for a room for rent finds an offer at a reasonable price in the advertisements. He
makes a phone call to the landlady of the property and confesses that he is a black man.

 The opening line shows that the black man is aware of the double standards. He makes a
phone call to confirm if the room is truly available for a black man. It also reveals that the
black man has had bitter experiences in the past.

 He must have believed the ‘no difference’ point in the advertisements and must have
approached the landowners. They should have refused him after coming to know that he is
black
Lines 3 - 5:
Off premises. Nothing remained
But self-confession. “Madam,” I warned,
“I hate a wasted journey--I am African.”

 “Confess”, has a negative ring to it- It means to admit to the truth, particularly in the context
of sins or crimes committed. What did he have to confess? He had to ‘confess’ to the
landlady that he was black - as if it were a crime.

 IRONY: He cannot help being black, he was born that way. But he feels that he
has to confess, as if it is his fault that he is black.

 “I hate a wasted journey - I am African.” A wasted journey - if he does not tell her that
he is black before he comes to view the property, and when she sees that he is a
black, she would not rent the property to him because of racial prejudice. Then he
would have wasted a journey.

52 | P a g e
 Lines 6 - 9:
Silence. Silenced transmission of
Pressurized good-breeding. Voice, when it came,
Lipstick coated, long gold-rolled
Cigarette-holder pipped. Caught I was foully.

 There was silence on the phone. In that silence, I could hear the tension between the
landlady’s prejudice and her manners. When she finally spoke, she sounded like the kind
of person who would be wearing a thick smear of lipstick and have a long, gold coated
cigarette holder in her mouth. Now I was stuck in a terrible position.
 Silence.–she did not know how to respond; she was silent on the other side of the line.
Silenced transmission of pressurised good breeding–in the silence that followed his ‘
confession’, he could ‘hear’ her struggling between racism and good manners.
 Voice, when it came… - when she finally answered him. This emphasises how deeply racist
she was. It took a long time for her to process the information that he was black, and she did
not know how to deal with this information.
 Lipstick coated, long gold-rolled cigarette-holder pipped– he describes what he thought she
looked like. He describes a woman of a perceived higher social class/a woman of good
breeding. Caught I was foully–now he was stuck in a bad situation.

 IRONY: HE was not stuck in a bad position, SHE was. He feels guilty for being black and
putting her in a bad position/making her uncomfortable. This shows HIS good breeding and
empathy for others.

Lines 10 - 12:

“HOW DARK?” . . . I had not misheard . . . “ARE YOU LIGHT

OR VERY DARK?” Button B, Button A.* Stench
Of rancid breath of public hide-and-speak.

 “How dark are you?” she asked bluntly. It took me a second to realise that I hadn’t
misheard her. She repeated, “Are you light skinned or very dark skinned?” It was like she
was asking me something as simple as choosing between Button A and Button B on the
phone booth: to make a call or to return my coins. I could smell her rancid breath hiding
beneath her polite speech. [Conversational tone as if telling a story to the audience]
 “HOW DARK?” - she is being very rude.
 I had not misheard - he can’t believe what he is hearing.
 “ARE YOU LIGHT OR VERY DARK?” Button B, Button A. - his race is reduced to status of
machine/telephone. She is depreciating (making it of low value) his race as if it was a
button he could push to select - Button B, or Button A. Her true class, or lack thereof, is
starting to become more and more evident.
 Stench of rancid breath of public hide-and-speak– he could hear the ugliness of her voice/
the prejudice against his race over the phone while standing in the public phone booth
(public hide-and-speak). Rancid: unpleasant/old stench: bad smelling.

53 | P a g e
 Lines 13 - 14:
Red booth. Red pillar box. Red double-tiered
Omnibus squelching tar. It was real! Shamed

 I took stock of my surroundings: a red phone booth, a red mailbox, a red double-decker bus,
its tires squelching through the hot asphalt. So, this kind of thing actually happens!
 Red booth. Red pillar box.–he describes the public phone booths found in
London, England. [makes it ironic- The English people are claiming to be non-
racial]
 Red double-tiered (double-decker) omni (that goes round and round London)
bus squelching tar. - He describes the red buses synonymous with London.
 He describes his surroundings as if he wants to pinch himself - IS THIS REALLY
HAPPENING?? IS SHE REALLY ASKING ME THESE QUESTIONS?? The repetition of
the colour RED shows his anger and strong emotions.
 It was real! - this was really happening. He was not dreaming.

Lines 15 - 16:
By ill-mannered silence, surrender
Pushed dumbfounded to beg simplification.

 Feeling ashamed at my rude silence, I gave in and asked, utterly confused and shocked,
for clarification.
 Shamed by ill-mannered silence,– he feels ashamed because he has been quiet for so long,
and that it is bad-manners. ONCE AGAIN, shows HIS superior breeding, manners and class
to her bad manners.
 Surrender pushed dumbfounded to beg simplification–he still cannot really believe that she
would ask such a question. He asks her confused (dumbfounded) to clarify/explain (beg
simplification). What did she mean??

Lines 17 - 18:
Considerate she was, varying the emphasis--
“ARE YOU DARK? OR VERY LIGHT?” Revelation came.

 She was nice enough to swap around the order of the words in the question: “Are you
dark-skinned,” she asked, “Or very light?” Finally, it made sense.
 “ARE YOU DARK? OR VERY LIGHT?” - The landlady is playing into the ignorant idea that
black people with lighter skin (and, as such, whose skin is closer in appearance to that of
white people) are superior to those with darker skin. The key thing that matters to her, then,
is how black the speaker looks.
 Considerate she was, varying the emphasis - SARCASTIC/SARCASM
 SARCASM: Asking the question in a different way (varying the emphasis) was not
considerate, it was insulting. It was as if she was talking to someone of lower intelligence
(because he was black).
 Revelation came–he understood as he now knew how to handle the situation from here/ how
to treat her.

54 | P a g e
Lines 19 - 21:
“You mean--like plain or milk chocolate?”
Her assent was clinical, crushing in its light
Impersonality. Rapidly, wave-length adjusted

 Finally, it made sense. I replied: “Are you asking if my skin is the colour of regular
chocolate or milk chocolate?” Her confirmation was detached and formal, devastating in
how thoughtless and impersonal she sounded.
 “You mean - like plain or milk chocolate” - once again she is depreciating his race. He
asks her if he must compare his skin colour to that of plain chocolate or milk chocolate.
 Her assent was clinical, crushing in it light impersonality- assent-agree. Yes, that is
what she means. Her confirmation was detached (clinical) and crushing (devastating)
in how thoughtless and impersonal (light impersonality) she sounded.

Lines 22 - 25:

I chose. “West African sepia”--and as after thought,

“Down in my passport.” Silence for spectroscopic
Flight of fancy, till truthfulness clanged her accent
Hard on the mouthpiece. “WHAT’S THAT?” conceding

 I quickly changed my tactic and chose an answer: “My skin colour is West African sepia.”
And then, as an afterthought, I added, “at least it is in my passport.” Then there was silence
again, as she imagined all the possible colours I might be referring to. But then her true
feelings took over and she spoke harshly into the phone.
 “West African sepia” - and as an afterthought, “Down in my passport.” –he mocks her by
saying that his skin colour (on the photo in his passport) is shades of brown.

Lines 26- 27:

“DON’T KNOW WHAT THAT IS.” “Like brunette.”

“THAT’S DARK, ISN’T IT?” “Not altogether.
 “What is that?” she asked, admitting, “I don’t know what that is.” “It’s a brunette
colour,” I told her. “That’s pretty dark, isn’t it?” she asked. “Not entirely,” I replied.
 She admits her ignorance. We also see that she does not understand what he is saying
–this shows that he is intellectually superior to her.

Lines 28 - 35:
Facially, I am brunette, but, madam, you should see
The rest of me. Palm of my hand, soles of my feet
Are a peroxide blond. Friction, caused--
Foolishly, madam--by sitting down, has turned
My bottom raven black--One moment, madam!”--sensing
Her receiver rearing on the thunderclap
About my ears--”Madam,” I pleaded, “wouldn’t you rather
See for yourself?”

55 | P a g e
  “My face is brunette, but you should see the rest of my body, ma’am. My palms and the
soles of my feet are the colour of bleached blond hair. Unfortunately, ma’am, all the
friction from sitting down has made my butt as black as a raven. Wait, hang on for a moment
ma’am!” I said, sensing that she was about to slam down the phone. “Ma’am,” I begged,
“don’t you want to see for yourself?”
 The man has had enough of her prejudice, bad manners and insensitivity.
 He uses a mocking, sarcastic tone as he describes his skin colour/race.

Lines 32 - 33:
My bottom raven black--One moment, madam!”--sensing
Her receiver rearing on the thunderclap

 As the poem closes, the landlady is about to hang up on the speaker— suggesting that, as
a white person, she still holds the power in society to effectively silence the black speaker.
Line 33-34
About my ears--”Madam,” I pleaded, “wouldn’t you rather
See for yourself?”

“Madam,” I pleaded, “wouldn’t you rather see for yourself?” – rhetorical question –
OBVIOUSLY, she does not want to see him.
SUMMARY:

 “Telephone Conversation” is a poem that satirises racism. The speaker, who is black, makes fun of a
white landlady who won’t rent to the speaker until she knows whether the speaker’s skin is “dark” or
“light.”
 At first the landlady seems ready to move forward with renting to the speaker, even “swearing” that “she
lived/Off premises.”
 She can’t detect the speaker’s race through the phone, a fact that emphasises a) that the speaker’s
identity is comprised of more than his or her race and b) that skin colour is irrelevant to the speaker’s
suitability as a tenant.
 When the speaker then makes a “self-confession” about being “African,” the conversation abruptly
shifts to a discussion of skin tone. Note that the speaker is being ironic in the use of “confession” here,
a word typically associated with the revelation of something criminal, to undermine the racist notion that
being “African” is a bad thing. Indeed, in response to this “confession” the landlady asks whether the
speaker’s skin is “light” or dark”—a question so absurd that the speaker briefly wonders if he or she has
“misheard.” Instead of asking what the speaker does professionally, what the speaker’s habits are—that
is, instead of treating the speaker like an actual human being and potential tenant—the landlady
reduces the speaker to a single attribute: skin colour. As such, the speaker refuses to answer the
landlady’s question directly, instead offering a series of clever replies that reveal the landlady’s question
to be not just offensive but also utterly illogical. For instance, the speaker describes him or herself as
“West African sepia” (a kind of reddish-brown hue seen in old monochromatic photos) in the speaker’s
passport, a joke that goes right over the slow-witted landlady’s head; essentially this is like saying,
“Well, in a black and white photograph my skin is gray.”

 The speaker also notes that the human body isn’t just one colour: the speaker’s face is
“brunette,” but the speaker’s palms and foot soles are “peroxide blonde.” The speaker is
being deliberately tongue-in-cheek in the comparisons here, but the point is that race and
identity are far too complex to be reduced to a simple, binary choice between “dark” or “light,”
between “Button B” or “Button A.”

56 | P a g e
  The speaker doesn’t just criticise the landlady’s blatant racism, then, but also critiques the
way she thinks about race itself. In doing so, the speaker refuses to let the complexity of
human identity be reduced by the ignorant choice that the landlady offers. For all the
speaker’s ingenuity, however, the poem does not end on a triumphant note.

QUESTIONS

1. Refer to the final stanza: ‘ About my ears--”…See for yourself?”

Comment on how these lines convey the central idea of the poem. [3]
2. How is the landlady perceived by the man? Is the man’s perception of the lady parallel with her
behaviour throughout the poem? [2]

3. Refer to lines 6 and 7: “Silence. Silenced transmission of “Pressurized good breeding.”

Discuss the intervals of silence in the interaction between the landlady
and the prospective tenant. [2]

4. How are the speaker’s feelings conveyed to the reader throughout the poem? [3]

5. How do we know he is stung by the landlady’s insensitivity? [3]

6. Comment on how colour is emphasised throughout the poem. [3]

7. Explain the use of capital letters in the poem. [2]

8. Do you think that the title ‘Telephone Conversation’ is suitable? [2]

ESSAY:
“Telephone Conversation” by Wole Soyinka, exposes the existence of racial discrimination in society
regardless of the stringent laws against it. Critically discuss this statement and state how the poet used
tone, diction and structure to emphasise the theme. Your final answer should be presented as a well-
written essay of 150-200 words. [10]

57 | P a g e
 How not to stop
by Gabeba Baderoon

About the poet:

Gabeba Baderoon is a South African poet who lives in the United

States.

How not to stop

by Gabeba Baderoon

1. Pa came to collect us from school

2. in his white Valiant, the stern drive home.
3. Pa sat at the head of the table,
4. not talking at supper.
5. Pa stood in the driveway
6. with his back to us, throwing
7. seed into the wind with quick slings
8. of the hand, drawing the pigeons
9. as though he’d called them.
10. Pa carved his own domino set;
11. on weekend games sly as chess, slapped
12. the final piece on the wood table.
13. Pa drove us home past the house
14. he built, from which his family was removed
15. in 1968, never looking again
16. in its direction.
17. Pa bought his leaf tea and hard cheddar
18. from Queen Bess supermarket and bread
19. at Protea bakery, the same shops
20. down the street from their old house.
21. Pa rehearsed how not to stop, not to get out
22. and walk to the front door he had mad

58 | P a g e
SUMMARY:
 This poem is about the relocation of the Coloured people from Lansdowne. The poet is
Cape Malay so we can assume that her father has been part of the relocation and
therefore is writing from a place where she experiences the after effects of this relocation.
The speaker and the poet could be one and the same.

 The speaker’s father picks her up from school in a very fancy car. A Valiant was the car
that Black people with money drove; there were very few BMW or MERC. It shows that
they were better off than most people as they did not walk home.

 The reader gets the impression that the father was a very strict person who did not
communicate during the drive home or when he sat at the head of the table during
supper.
.
 The speaker recalls that the father had to force himself not to stop outside his old house
as it was too painful. He still shopped in his old neighbourhood, but he never went back
to visit his old house.

 The poet wants to expose and confront the issues of Colonialism and apartheid,
tackling how it affected the ordinary people. Lives were ruined and families suffered
over a long period of time.

HOMEWORK QUESTIONS:
1. Refer to line 2: ‘in his white… stern drive home’.
Explain what this line suggests about the speaker’s upbringing. [2]

2. Why is the word “carved” in line 10 particularly appropriate? [2]

3. Refer to lines 21–22: ‘ Pa rehearsed how …he had made.’

Critically discuss how the diction in these lines conveys the speaker’s message about
apartheid [3]

4. Critically comment on how lines 13–15 link to the title of the poem. [3]

5. Refer to lines 21–22: ‘ Pa rehearsed how …he had made.’

What does the repetition of ‘And’ reveal about the speaker’s feelings towards his forced removal? [3]

6. Account for the speaker’s tone in the poem. [2]

ESSAY QUESTION:
In ‘How not to stop’, the speaker explores the idea of apartheid, forced relocation and
its painful effects. With close reference to diction, imagery, and tone, critically discuss
this statement. Your response should take the form of a well-constructed essay of
150–200 words (about ONE page). [10]

59 | P a g e
 TITLE

How not to stop

Significance of title?
 Forced removal from his home that he had built.
 Pa’s attachment/bond to his home and his past is clear.
 Under normal circumstances, it would be natural to stop outside your old home and perhaps even
request a visit because of the nostalgia one experiences, especially when one leaves one’s home
unwillingly.
 How not to stop implies that he has to force himself to ignore the urge to reconnect with his beloved
home.
 How does he do this? By adopting a stern demeanour, hoping that his children are unaware of his pain.
 The title suggests that he will never get over the pain of losing his beloved home and the unfortunate
impact of apartheid.

MESSAGE/CENTRAL IDEA
 The negative/painful effect of apartheid on non-white people of S.A. The inner conflict that non-white
adults faced because of apartheid.
 The protective nature of non-white parents, who in spite of the abnormal conditions, tried their best to
create a normal living environment for their children as well as a better future.

THE MOOD: Tense because the father pretended to be stern in order to conceal his feelings

ANALYSIS

Lines 1-2
Pa came to collect us from school
in his white Valiant, the stern drive home.

 Pa- term of endearment/respect for father. Usually Afrikaners and coloured people refer to their fathers
as ‘Pa.’
 Pa is repeated at least 7 times. Significance: Pa is the focus of the poem He is the victim of apartheid
who was directly affected. As the head of the family, he has to function normally in apartheid society.
He tries his best to be natural and create a healthy family lifestyle while carrying the pain of losing his
home because of the Group Areas Act, that divided people geographically, placing them in separate
areas according to Race.
 The Minority groups (smaller numbers of compared to other races), like the coloured population, felt
isolated and helpless.
 Line 2- Valiant-car that mostly non-white people drove. The stern drive home shows there was a lack of
casual conversation, the mood was tense.

Lines 3-4
Pa sat at the head of the table,
not talking at supper

 Head of table. Shows the respect his family had for him, yet he was evicted from his home that he had
painstakingly built. Depicts a patriarchal society in which the father was revered as the head of the
household. The tense mood from the stern ride home is extended to lines 3-4 as Pa did not talk at at
supper,

60 | P a g e
  Note the lines that show that he is hiding his feelings from his children: L2; L4; L6;
Lines 5-9
Pa stood in the driveway
with his back to us, throwing
seed into the wind with quick slings
of the hand, drawing the pigeons
as though he’d called them.

The reader also gets this impression when he [the father] faces his back to them while
feeding the birds, yet, the birds are drawn to him, so it could be assumed that he is a good
person as birds are sensitive. The relocation has changed his personality. He turns away
from his family as he does not want them to see his vulnerability. He had to become
hardened to face the life that the Apartheid government forced him into. Drawing the
pigeons- appears to be hard, yet he feeds the birds and they appear instead of flying
away. He has a sensitive side.

Lines 10-12

Pa carved his own domino set;

on weekend games sly as chess, slapped
the final piece on the wood table.

 L10: Carved his own domino set. Creative/intelligent implies that if he had his way, he will carve a
better life for his family yet he is stifled.
 The father was very good with his hands as he was able to create his own Domino set as well as to
build his own house.
 The father was also very intelligent as he always won during their Domino games. The father played
Domino with them during the weekends which suggests a loving relationship even though he was
strict- also the fact that he took the time to fetch his children from school.
Lines 13-16
Pa drove us home past the house
he built, from which his family was removed
in 1968, never looking again
in its direction.

 L13 – The speaker goes back to the ride home and explains that Pa drives past a house that he built
himself. Forced removal of people of colour was common during apartheid. This explains the tense
mood during the drive home. Although the speaker claims that Pa never looked back literally, it is
evident that he this was constanty on his mind even though he knew looking back would be a futile
exercise as he can do nothing to change the past,

61 | P a g e
 Lines 17-20
Pa bought his leaf tea and hard cheddar
from Queen Bess supermarket and bread
at Protea bakery, the same shops
down the street from their old house.
Pa adheres to the habits formed in the past. He still patronises the stores that he used to whilst living in his old
house. Pa’s loyalty as a patron to these shops is juxtaposed by the betrayal he felt by his government who took
away a house he had built.
Lines 21-22

Pa rehearsed how not to stop, not to get out

and walk to the front door he had made

 rehearsed not to stop: Tells the reader how difficult it was for him to let go. This again reveals a
sensitive side to Pa as it exposes his emotional turmoil. His longing to go back and claim what rightfully
belongs to him has to be restrained as he forces himself not to step out of the vehicle. The last line
reinforces his ownership and the wrongful removal as it is a door that he made himself yet he is denied
access to it.

62 | P a g e
 Hope is the thing with feathers: Emily Dickenson
About the poet:

American poet: 1830-1886

She was born in Massachusetts into a prominent family and was
well-educated. She became a recluse and, by the end of her
life, refused to leave her home or meet people. Her poems are
often mysterious and make use of unusual punctuation marks.
Common themes include death, nature and her own struggles
and suffering. Only 7 of her 2000 poems were published in her
lifetime. She is considered the greatest female American poet
of the 19th century.

Hope is the thing with feathers: Emily Dickenson

1. “Hope” is the thing with feathers -

2. That perches in the soul -
3. And sings the tune without the words -
4. And never stops - at all.

5. And sweetest - in the gale - is heard -

6. And sore must be the storm -
7. That could abash the little Bird
8. That kept so many warm -

9. I’ve heard it in the chillest land,

10. And on the strangest Sea –
Yet - never - in Extremity,
11. It asked a crumb - of me.

INTRODUCTION
Throughout, ‘Hope is the Thing with Feathers,’ the narrator perceives hope as a bird that
resides inside humans. It persists dutifully without a break, singing constantly. Using a
metaphor, she emphasises that it sings vigorously during a hurricane, requiring a heavy
storm to lay the bird in peace. As per the speaker, this bird never wavers by her side in
the coldest of lands and strangest of seas, yet it never demanded a breadcrumb, singing
away merrily.

63 | P a g e
 About the poem:

This poem is a lyric in which the poet explores her understanding of hope, through the
development of an extended metaphor.
It is written simply but powerfully, using minimum words, mainly single-syllable words and a
loose rhyme scheme: some end rhymes and some internal rhymes.
Dickinson’s signature use of dashes is also evident.

Structure and Form:

Rhyme. The poem follows a loose rhyme scheme of ABCB, conforming to the expected
pattern of a ballad. The lines break the pattern (in both stanza one and stanza two) but
generally, the pattern remains intact.
Rhythm. ‘Hope is the Thing with Feathers’ is written in ballad meter, a common meter.
This means that the lines alternate between iambic tetrameter and iambic trimeter. The
odd-numbered lines contain a total of eight syllables. These are divided into sets of two,
the first beat of which is unstressed and the second stressed. The even-numbered lines
are written in iambic trimeter. This means, in regard to the metrical foot, that they follow
the same pattern of stresses but contain only six syllables.

Literary Devices:

Throughout this poem, the poet makes use of several literary devices. These include but
are not limited to:
 Repetition: the poet uses ‘that’ and ‘and’ several times throughout ‘Hope is the Thing with
Feathers’.
 Enjambment: seen when the poet cuts off a line before its natural stopping point. For
example, the transition between lines three and four of the second stanza.
 Metaphor: seen through the initial comparison between hope and a bird.
 Anaphora: the repetition of the same word or phrase at the beginning of multiple lines. For
example, “And” which starts a total of five lines.
 Pathetic fallacy: attributing human emotions to nature, typically the weather.
 In the poem, Dickinson frequently references the weather when the speaker describes the
persistence of the birdsong. Here, the weather represents moments of emotional turmoil
or difficult times that the speaker must endure.
 Dashes and caesuras
•Caesura - When there is a break in a line of a metrical foot. Typically, this is
achieved through punctuation.
•Dashes are one of the most recognisable features of Emily Dickinson’s work as
she commonly uses them in her poetry. They are used to create pauses
throughout the poem (or caesuras). In ‘”Hope” is the thing with feathers -’, the
dashes are used to place emphasis on the phrases that are placed after, or around
the dashes.

1. And sweetest - in the Gale - is heard -

2. And sore must be the storm

64 | P a g e
Analysis:

 The poet uses a central metaphor of a tiny bird to convey her feelings about hope.
 She reflects on its frailties and strengths as well how it sustains her.
 The poem is reflective and introspective and suggests a quiet confidence in the power of
hope.
 Full of figurative language, this poem is an extended metaphor, transforming hope into a
bird (the poet loved birds) that is ever present in the human soul. It sings, especially when
times get tough. Hope springs eternal might be a reasonable summing up.
 With typical disregard for convention, Emily Dickinson’s odd-looking syntax has clauses
interrupted by dashes, and only one comma throughout. This can be confusing for the reader
because of the need to pause and place extra emphasis on certain phrases.
 The rhythm of the poem varies in places too, which may not be apparent on first sighting.
Readily set to music, the words are a reminder of the poet’s yearning for fulfilment in both
creativity and love and they beautifully encapsulate what hope is for us all - something that
inspires and can make us fly.
Stanza 1:

“Hope” is the thing with feathers -

That perches in the soul -
And sings the tune without the words -
And never stops - at all.

 Emily Dickinson is an expert employer of metaphors, as she uses the small bird to convey
her message, indicating that hope burns in the harshest of storms, coldest of winds, and
in the unknown of seas for that matter, yet it never demands in return. It persists
continuously within us, keeping us alive.
 In the case of the first quatrain, the narrator feels that hope can be deemed as a bird with
feathers, singing in its own tune merrily. It may not speak any specific language, yet it’s
certainly present within human souls.
 Just as importantly, Emily Dickinson voices that hope is an eternal spring, as it’s a vital
constituent of human beings, enabling us to conquer unchartered territories.

Stanza 2:
And sweetest - in the gale - is heard -
And sore must be the storm -
That could abash the little Bird
That kept so many warm -

 In the case of the second stanza, the speaker elucidates the expansive power hope wields
over us.
 It gets merrier and sweeter as the storm gets mightier and relentless. The speaker deems
that no storm can sway hope and its adamant attitude. According to the speaker, it would
take a deadly storm of astronomical proportions to flatten the bird of hope that has kept the
ship sailing for most me.

65 | P a g e
 Stanza 3:
I’ve heard it in the chillest land,
And on the strangest Sea –
Yet - never - in Extremity,
It asked a crumb - of me.

 In the last stanza, or quatrain, Emily Dickinson concludes her poem by stressing that hope
retains its clarity and tensile strength in the harshest of conditions, yet it never demands in
return for its valiant services. Hope is inherently powerful and certainly needs no polishing,
as it steers the ship from one storm to another with efficacy.
 The metaphorical aspect of ‘Hope is the Thing with Feathers’ is an old practice, used by
well-known poets, the small bird represents hope in this poem. When abstract concepts
are under study such as death, love, and hope, they are often represented by an object
from nature, in this case, the bird.

GLOSSARY
 Perches: rests, roosts like a bird
 Gale: a very strong wind
 Abash: to humble or humiliate someone, embarrass
 Chillest NOT a spelling error – coldest

HOMEWORK QUESTIONS:

1. Identify and explain the qualities of the bird as revealed in the first stanza. [3]
2. What does the gale represent in this poem? [1]
3. Explain the significance of the poet’s choice of words in line 5: And sweetest in the
gale is heard. [3]
4. How can hope’s song be endless? [2]
5. Explain what the poet is implying when she says: And sore must be the storm / That could
abash… warm. [3]
6. Discuss the effectiveness of the last stanza in the context of the poem as a whole. [3]

TITLE MESSAGE/CENTRAL IDEA NOTEWORTHY FEATURES

Hope is the thing with feathers- Importance of embracing/accepting the  Use of punctuation
challenges and pain one has to face
Metaphor for bird- implies not because our reactions to painful  Tone: admiration
allowing oneself to be circumstances will either make them easier  Use of sustained metaphor
anchored/stuck/rooted Implies or more painful.
allowing oneself the  L7: Bird-capital B in Bird; L10
space/freedom to look for The reaction of the bird to the strongest Sea
healing/improvement/second and most dangerous elements, in spite of
the hunger it faces, is admirable- a tiny,  Philosophical mood
chances
fragile creature like a bird, can teach man
how to behave when challenges are faced.
The little creature accepts its faith.
Hope is kept alive by the little creature’s
attitude.

66 | P a g e
 Aspects for the analysis of poetry

You need to know the following for ALL poems

 Read the TITLE and note the poet. TITLE: Why this title? Meaning/significance
of title. How does title indicate what the poem is about?
 POET: Which country/period in history? This influences what the poet writes about.
 Read the poem thoroughly.
 Look at the STRUCTURE: STRUCTURE: The way the poem is built blank verse -no specific rhyme or
pattern or sonnet (14-LINE poem), etc.
 Ask yourself: WHO/WHAT is the poem about? Explain in your own words. Summarise what the poem is
about.
 Who is the SPEAKER? Is the poem about the speaker or is the speaker observing what is happening
and commenting on it.
 WHERE? Setting/place/places.
 THEMES: Central idea/s in the poem. Central Message in the poem (most important message).
 TONE of speaker: Tone indicates: FEELING, ATTITUDE, MOOD (FAM) e.g.: angry, jovial, confused,
sad playful, painful; solemn; wise; sarcastic, etc.
 Look for lines or words that are repeated in the poem. Why the repetition? What is the effect or impact
of the repetition? A REPETITION IS ALSO REFERRED TO A REFRAIN.
 IMAGERY: Means the various figures of speech: metaphor, sustained metaphor (a metaphor that
appears throughout the poem); Hyperbole (exaggeration); simile; euphemism (a subtle way/gentle way
of saying something harsh); Rhetorical question (answer not given-reader knows the answer- answer
implied); personification; pun (double meaning): In other words the figurative language
 Look for a change in the poem: e.g.: Speaker may be upset and may not accept a situation but towards
the end, realises that he has no choice but to accept what has happened. When he does so, he
becomes calm. P.S: Most change happens towards the end of a poem.
SOME COMMON QUESTIONS AND WHAT THEY MEAN
 Comment on the title of the poem and state its appropriateness.
 What is the impact of a particular line in the poem? Impact means effect on the reader.
 What impression does a certain line/word/ phrase create? Impression: effect it has on the reader.
 Explain the impact of a line/ word that is repeated in the poem. Why is it repeated?
 How does a certain word/ line/ phrase create the mood in the poem? e.g.The thick black atmosphere:
creates an evil or dark negative mood/ atmosphere in the poem.
 You will also get questions where you are asked to respond critically: This means that you will look at
what is said and say whether it is the correct/ fair/justifiable way of looking at a point or not. You must
also give a reason and refer to diction. Critical comment requires you to look at all aspects before you
comment.
 (words in the poem); imagery (certain lines where there are appropriate figures of speech and tone)
 How does a certain line show the central message in the poem?
 Diction: words used in the poem
 It is important that you know what the question wants you to do. Underline the instructional verbs in the
poem: e.g. Comment critically or respond to the statement by referring to diction/imagery.
 Know what every word in the poem means.

67 | P a g e
References
1. Ali, H., Bhatti, I.A. and Shah, A.H., 2016. Stylistics Analysis of the Poem―Hope is The Thing with
Feathers‖. World Journal of Research and Review (WJRR), 3(5), pp.18-21.

2. Dickinson, E., 1924. Hope is the Thing With Feathers-314. Poetry Foundation.

3. Soyinka, W., 2013. Telephone conversation. for Students, p.250.

4. Quackenbush, K.C., Quackenbush, D.A., Epe, P.K.C. and Epe, P.I.T.C., 2019. Stylistics analysis of
sonnet 18 by William Shakespeare. International Journal of Applied Research, 5(5), pp.233-237.

5. Walker, P.A., 1995. Racial protest, identity, words, and form in Maya Angelou's I Know Why the
Caged Bird Sings. College Literature, 22(3), pp.91-108.

6. https://www.enotes.com/homework-help/topic/sonnet-18. Accessed 12 January 2023

7. https://www.litcharts.com/poetry/. Accessed 12 January 2023

68 | P a g e