JC English Literature Poetry Study Guide PDF

JC: English Literature Poetry Study Guide Botswana Open University Junior Certificate Programme Literature in English Study Guide on...

JC: English Literature Poetry Study Guide Botswana Open University Junior Certificate Programme Literature in English Study Guide on Poetry ©2018 BOU JC: English Literature Poetry Study Guide Acknowledgements This unit is a product of many people who worked hard to see it ready for use by BOU learners. BOU wishes to acknowledge contributions from the following: Programme Development Coordinator Lesego Ratanang Pelotona Deborah Vimbwandu Sanoto Writer Amogelang Mfolo Content Editor Keitshepile Rebaeng In - house Editor Mmaserame Hannah David DTP Masole Otukile Cover Illustrations Gaolatlhe Masire ©2018 BOU We acknowledge and thank everybody who has assisted in one way or another in the production of this unit, particularly the publishers and authors of the anthology; Let me be a junior anthology of poetry (1990) regarding the poems which we had to use or reproduce in some way.All efforts were made to trace all copyight holders for the poems used.However, in some cases we were not able to reach them. We therefore apologise for any infringement that may have been caused and we would be pleased to make appropriate arrangements at the earliest opportunity. Please, address correspondences to: The Vice Chancellor BOU Private Bag BO 187 Tel. 3181470/3646000 Fax: 3191089 Gaborone, Botswana © ©2018 BOU JC: English Literature Poetry Study Guide Contents Introduction to the Poetry Unit..........................................................................................i Lesson 1: Introduction to Poetry.........................................................................................1 Lesson 2: Poetic Analysis...................................................................................................24 Answers to Self-Assessment Exercises..............................................................................43 References...........................................................................................................................44 © ©2018 BOU JC: English Literature Poetry Study Guide Introduction to the Poetry Unit i Introduction Hello again and welcome to another section of literature component of the course. This unit introduces you to the component of poetry, which is another genre of literature that you have to study in your junior certificate course. I do believe that you have background knowledge of what poetry is; you have seen or heard people reciting poems or even saw poems presented on paper. In this unit we are going to take a closer look at poetry. The unit has two lessons. Lesson 1 will introduce you to basic information about poetry such as elements of form in poetry and poetic devices that deal with sound effect and forms of comparison. You will also learn how to identify some of the poetic devices from a given poem. Lesson 2 will then introduce you to an in-depth analysis of poetry using form and the poetic devices learnt in Lesson 1. To seek deeper understanding of the meaning and theme of the poem. The unit will take you through an analysis of the six poems that have been selected for your Junior Certificate studies. Aims of the Unit On completion of this unit the learner should have more appreciation of poetry. Assessment Throughout the unit you will be assessed in different ways. These will include in-text activities, Self-assessment exercises after each lesson and a unit assignment. Feedback There will be answers immediately after each in-text activity. You are advised not to look at the answers before you finish writing or doing the activity or exercise. Resources You will need a good English dictionary and a copy of Let me be:A Junior anthology of Poetry, compiled by D. Dawson to refer to as you go through this Unit. Unit Structure This unit is divided into 2 Lessons as follows: Lesson 1: Introduction to poetry Lesson 2: Poetic analysis i © ©2018 BOU JC: English Literature Poetry Study Guide Lesson 1 Introduction To Poetry i Introduction Welcome to the first lesson of poetry. I hope that the Literature lessons you have had so far have been enjoyable and have opened your mind to the joys of reading. Please continue working hard. This lesson will introduce you to what poetry involves. You will learn about the elements of form in poetry. These are: lines, stanzas, rhyme, rhythm and sound effects. You will also be introduced to some poetic techniques or poetic devices used by poets, and then learn how these techniques are used to bring out meanings and messages in poetry. You will be tested on the following six poems during the examination, but you will also study other poems to have more practice on poetry. Below is a list of poems that you should study from an anthology of poetry entitled Let Me Be by D. Dawson: 1. Upside down cake by Choonara (page 3) 2. Dreams by Langston Hughes (page 28) 3. Heads bent low by Anon (page 40) 4. Blue town blues by Barolong Seboni (page 42) 5. The wind is angry by Adrienne Brady (page 78) 6. Why should love be so hard on the heart? By Fran Landesman (page 93) In Lesson 2, we will use the poems listed above to study the poetic devices I have just mentioned. Learning Objectives At the end of the lesson you should be able to: explain what poetry is recognise poetic devices, explain them and their function identify elements of form in poetry compose sentences with poetic devices compose a poem analyse word choice in a poem identify the poet’s tone differentiate between forms of comparison and sound effects. 1 ©2018 BOU JC: English Literature Poetry Study Guide Lesson Contents 1.0 What is poetry? 2 2.0 The Elements of form in poetry 2 3.0 Poetic devices 6 4.0 Sound Effects 16 Summary 21 Self-assessment Exercise 1 22 Glossary 23 Time You will need to spare about 3 hours to spend in this lesson. 1.0 What is Poetry? Poetry is another form or genre of literature. You must have seen a written poem or heard a poem being recited before. Have you ever asked yourself what a poem really is? Now let us look at how poetry can be defined. Poetry means different things to different people. You will soon realise that it is very different from novels and plays. Some people think of poetry as an expression of ideas and emotions in concise, imaginative and musical language. Others think of poetry as any written or spoken use of words which seeks to express the full capacity of language through a combination of sounds meanings, music, emotions and ideas. What is important to remember is that poetry is written and recited for various reasons. Poetry can be written and recited at special occasions like when a chief is ascending to the throne, during ceremonies such as funerals or marriages. Poetry can be used as a commentary on behaviour, attitudes and society. It can be an argument or an expression of one’s sense of humour. Poems discuss things; objects, themes and many other things discussed by other genres of literature but differs in structure and the beautification of language it uses. While novels and short stories are written in the form known as prose, (paragraphs) poems are written in verse, also known as stanza. 2.0 The Elements of Form in Poetry Learner, when you see a poem how do you tell it is a poem before you read it? You might have realised that poems have a special form that you can see just by looking at them. The form of a poem is made from stanzas, lines and punctuation marks. 2.1 Line and stanza A stanza or verse, line and punctuation give us form in poetry. The smallest unit in a poem is a line. A line may be just one word. A line will not always give much sense on its own or be a complete sentence or idea but it is able to give sense or be complete with the help of its co-lines. The length of lines in poem may capture the mood, action or the structure of the subject of the poem. A group of lines or even a line on its own makes up a stanza also known 2 ©2018 BOU JC: English Literature Poetry Study Guide as verse. A stanza or verse is what you would call a paragraph in prose. It is important to note that whereas the writer of a novel is called an author, and that of a play is called playwright, a writer of a poem is called a Poet. A poet therefore is a person who writes, recites or composes a poem. In some of the poems you will study, the poet may not be known or his name withheld hence you will find the word Anon. This word is a short form of the word Anonymous meaning unknown by name. It is therefore important that where you are asked to name the poet in a poem that has anon instead of the name of the poet you should be mindful of the fact that the poet’s name is not known or is withheld. Read at the following poem and activity to enhance your understanding of the concepts of line and stanza or verse in poetry: Blue Town Blues - Barolong Seboni This little boy Six years poor waits in Khakhi shorts on a dusty path for a wind to blow His kite a discoloured wrapper from Cash – bazaar – where the people shop tied to yellow reeds from the banks of the Shashe drags now in a low trail of ash as he runs hope blows in the hesitant breeze and the kite rises reluctantly as the boy’s feet stamp faster, faster, faster. The kite wings up steadily to fall again now at the bare feet of this little boy waiting 3 ©2018 BOU JC: English Literature Poetry Study Guide in dusty despair for a wind to blow Activity 1 (a) Give an example of a line from the above poem. ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ (b) How many lines are there in Stanza 2? _ ___________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________ (c) How many stanzas are there in this poem? ___________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________ Feedback to Activity 1 a) This little boy b) 22 c) 2 In your study of poetry you will come across the question on the structure of a poem quite often. When talking of structure, we are talking about the make-up of a poem. That is how many lines and stanzas does the poem consist of. 2.2 Punctuation Marks Punctuation also forms part of form in poetry. The punctuation marks as you know them may be used differently in poetry to get a particular meaning or effect that the poet is looking for. Punctuation can be used to establish the pace at which the poem should be read thereby impacting on the rhythm of the poem. Punctuation in poetry is always a poet’s choice; that is to say that the poet is free to use them they way he or she likes. When reading a poem, always be aware of where an idea starts and ends, as it will help you make sense of the stanza. Read the poem below carefully: Inside My Zulu hut: by Oswald Mbuyiseni Mtshali It is a hive without any bees 4 ©2018 BOU JC: English Literature Poetry Study Guide to build the walls with golden bricks of honey. A cave cluttered with a millstone, calabashes of sour milk clay pots of foaming beer sleeping grass mats wooden head rest tanned goatskins tied with riempies to wattle rafters blackened by the smoke of kneaded cow dung burning under the three legged pot on the earthen floor to cook my porridge. (a) What do you think the word clutter means as used in the poem? ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ (b) How does the punctuation of the poem add to your understanding of the inside of the hut? ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ Just as in prose (novels, drama, short stories) where there are characters/people who act out the story, a poem has characters too- a voice that transports/ conveys the intended message, this character/ voice is called the “Persona” Refer to the poem ‘Blue town Blues’ in Activity 1 to answer the following questions: (a) Who is the poet in this poem? ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ (b) Who is speaking in the poem? ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ 5 ©2018 BOU JC: English Literature Poetry Study Guide Feedback to Activity 2 (a) Barolong Seboni (b) The person observing the little boy as he tries to fly his kite. 3.0 Poetic Devices Poets always use a few words to say all that they have to say. The language used in poetry is always termed unique because it is contracted in form and does not follow the normal sentence patterns followed in prose and other forms of writing. Poets use lines and words that are loaded with meaning to express their ideas. Poets then use figurative language or poetic devices for a language that is loaded that then has to be made simple for a deeper meaning. To achieve the figurative language, poets produce writings that appeal to the five senses through the use of sound and visual images. The following are some of the poetic devices you will meet in your study of poetry: Personification Simile Metaphor Exaggeration Rhythm Rhyme Paradox Onomatopoeia Assonance Alliteration Symbolism Contrast The above poetic devices are divided into forms of comparison and sound effects. 3.1 Forms of comparison Forms of comparison are poetic devices that seek to describe the subject of the poem through association or the subject of the poem is likened or compared to another thing. This is done looking at how the subject of the poem and the thing it is compared to have similar (charac- teristics/attributes). The following poetic devices are forms of comparison: Personification Simile Metaphor Symbolism Paradox Imagery Exaggeration 6 ©2018 BOU JC: English Literature Poetry Study Guide (a) Personification This is a comparison between things in which human characteristics are given to non-human things. For example, objects or animals. The non-human things are given human capabilities or are said to behave like human beings. Example: The Kgale hill stood watching over Gaborone. In the above example, the Kgale hill is given human qualities of watching over (protecting) the city of Gaborone. Activity 3 Give your own example of personification and explain it: _______________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________ Feedback to Activity 3 You can provide any example like the above. Non humans given human qualities. Activity 4 Read the following poem and answer the questions that follow it: The Wind The wind stood up and gave a shout; He whistled on his fingers, and Kicked the withered leaves about, And thumbed the branches with his hand, And said he’d kill and kill and kill; And so he will! And so he will. By James Stephens (a) Identify the examples of personification from the above poem? ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ 7 ©2018 BOU JC: English Literature Poetry Study Guide (b) Explain your examples (how they are seen to be acting like human beings) ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ Feedback to Activity 4 (a) The wind stood up and gave a shout/ most lines are examples of personification. (b) The wind is given human capabilities of standing up and shouting. (b) Simile Simile is a form of comparison in which two things are likened to one another through the use of words /like/ or /as/. Example (i) She is like a hippo. (ii) She is as fat as a hippo In the above comparison the main thing compared or likened between the girl and the hippo is the size of the two. That is the two (that is the hippo and the girl) are similar in terms of size. They are then likened through the use of the word “like”. In the other example the two are compared through the word “as”. Note that where the word as is used to compare, it appears twice in the sentence. i.e. She is as fat as a hippo. Read the following poem and use it to answer the questions that follow:. Lament for a dead cow - F. C Slater Siyalila, siyalila, inkomo yetu ifile! (We weep, we weep, because our cow is dead Beautiful was Wet as a blue shadow, That nests on the grey rocks About a sun-baked hilltop: Her coat was black and shiny Like an isipingo berry; Her horns were sharp as the horns of the new moon That tosses aloft the evening star; Her round eyes were as clear and dark A mountain pool, Where shadows dive from the high rocks. No more will Wetu banish teasing flies 8 ©2018 BOU JC: English Literature Poetry Study Guide With her whistling tail; No more will she face yapping curs With lowered horns and bewildered eyes; No more will her slow shadow Comfort the sunburnt veld, and her sweet lowing Delight the hills in the evening. The fountain that filled our calabashes Has been drained by the thirsty sun; The black cloud that brought us white rain Has vanished…the sky is empty; Our kraal is desolate; Our calabashes are dry: And we weep. Activity 5 Questions (a) Identify a simile that uses the word “like”. ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ (b) Identify a simile that uses the word “as.” ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ (c) In each of the examples you gave above, explain how the two things compared are similar: ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ Feedback to Activity 5 (a) Her coat was black and shiny like an isipingo berry. (b) Her horns were sharp as the horns of the new moon (c) Her coat was black and shiny like an isipingo berry – The colour of the cow’s 9 ©2018 BOU JC: English Literature Poetry Study Guide skin (coat) which is black is compared to that of an isipingo berry which is apparently black and shiny too. Her horns were sharp as the horns of the new moon- The sharpness of the cow’s horns is compared to that of a crescent moon (the moon in its first or last quarter) (c) Metaphor Metaphor is a comparison between things without using like or as. In such a comparison one thing is said to be another. Example She is a hippo. In the above example, the girl (she) is said to be another thing (hippo). Normally there will be very little similarities between a hippo and a girl, but in this case the two are likened by their size. This implies that the girl may be fat. Note that it does not say she is fat like a hippo. It says she is a hippo. That is what differentiates it from a simile which we talked about earlier. Activity 6 Give your own example of a metaphor and explain it: _______________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________ Feedback to Activity 6 Any example of a direct comparison.e.g he is a lion. Activity 7 Read the following poem and use it to answer the questions that follow it: Dreams -Langston Hughes Hold fast to dreams For if dreams die Life is a broken – winged bird That cannot fly. Hold fast to dreams 10 ©2018 BOU JC: English Literature Poetry Study Guide For when dreams go Life is a barren field Frozen with snow. Questions (a) Identify 2 metaphors from the above poems: ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ (b) Explain the metaphors you gave above: (i) ______________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________ (ii) ______________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________ Feedback to Activity 7 Compare your answers to mine below: (a) i. Life is a broken winged bird that cannot fly. ii. Life is a barren field frozen with snow. (b) i. Life without ambitions and aspiration will be stagnant- there will be no progress/ ho pe for betterment. Just like the broken winged bird that cannot fly our lives without dreams will not take off. ii. Life without ambitions or aspirations is not productive. (d) Symbolism It refers to a thing (could be an object, person, situation or action), which stands for something else more abstract. For example, our Flag is the symbol of our country. Example of a symbolic poem: The healthy tree The healthy tree Swayed in the wind A life lived many years with the glass half full 11 ©2018 BOU JC: English Literature Poetry Study Guide But, eventually it came to its death Now, in the after life, its on a marble gravestone The poem above symbolises the life of a person. The tree lived such a blissful life as did the person. (e) Paradox It is a statement whose two parts seem contradictory yet make sense with more thought. For example Christ used paradox in his teachings. For example he would say ‘ they have ears but hear not’ or in ordinary conversation one can say ‘ deep down he is really very shallow.’ Paradox attracts the reader’s or the listener’s attention and gives emphasis. Let us look at the example below to see how paradox is used in a poem. Example of a paradox poem by Paul Laurence: (From; The complete Power of Paul L. Danbar) I am the mother of sorrows I am the ender of grief, I am the bud and the blossom, I am the late-falling leaf. I am thy priest and thy poet, I am thy serf and thy king I cure the tears of the heartsick, When I come near they shall sing. White are my hands as the snowdrop, Swart are my fingers as clay, Dark is my frown as the midnight, Fair is my brow as the day. Battle and war are my minions, Bang my will as divine, I am the calmer of passions, Peace is a nursling of mine. Speak to me gently or curse me, Seek me or fly from my sight I am thy fool in the morning, Thou art my slave in the night. 12 ©2018 BOU JC: English Literature Poetry Study Guide Down to the grave I will take thee, Out from the noise of the strife, Then shalt thou see me and know me... Death, then, no longer, but life Then shall thou sing at my coming, Kiss me with passionate breath, Clasp me and smile to have thought me Aught save the foeman of death. Come to me, brother, when weary Come when thy lonely heart swells, I’ll guide thy footsteps and lead thee Down where the dream woman dwells. The paradox above defines something that is absurd, but in reality can be possible. This is representing the African Americans freedom. (Look at the paradox in the bold words0. The 3rd stanza is all about comparing white and black people saying that they are all the same. (e) Imagery The poet uses imagery to appeal to the reader’s senses. The writer creates a picture in the readers’ imagination by using sharp and vivid descriptions using figurative language. Many poets appeal to our senses. They describe things or situations in such a way that we, as readers can either see, hear, taste, feel or smell what they are writing about. They engage our five senses. When you read a poem ask yourself, “What can I see?” “What can I hear?” “What can I smell?” “What can I feel?” “What can I taste?” By using imagery, the poet wants to arouse a particular response or emotion in the reader’s imagination. The following activity will enable you to appreciate imagery. Spend about 15 minutes on this activity. Read the following poem and answer the questions that follow it: Lament for a dead cow (from Slate Dark Folk and other poems) Siyalila, siyalila, inkomo yetu ifile ( we weep, we weep, because our cow is dead) Beautiful was Wetu as a blue shadow, That nests on the grey rocks About a sun-baked hilltop: Her coat was black and shiny Like an isipingo-berry; Her horns were sharp as the horns of the new moon. 13 ©2018 BOU JC: English Literature Poetry Study Guide That tosses aloft the evening star; Her round eyes were as clear and soft As a mountain pool; Where shadows dive from the high rocks. No more will Wetu banish teasing flies With her whistling tail; No more will she face yapping curs With lowered horns and bewildered eyes; No more will her slow shadow Comfort the sunburnt veld, and her sweet lowing Delight the hills in the evening. The fountain that filled our calabashes Has been drained by the thirsty sun; The black cloud that brought us white rain Has vanished-the sky is empty; Our kraal is desolate; Our calabashes are dry; And we weep. Originally written in (Xhosa, translated by F.C Slater) Activity 8 1. Explain one image used in this poem: ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ 2. Write sentences which show sense of touch: ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ 3. Sense of hearing: ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ 14 ©2018 BOU JC: English Literature Poetry Study Guide 4. Sense of sight: ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ 5. What is the mood of the poem? ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ Feedback to Activity 8 1. The fountain that filled our calabashes- it shows that the cow provided milk continuously like a fountain flowing 2. Sentences that show sense of touch are: Her coat was black and shiny- it appeals to the sense of touching of that beautiful fur that is shiny. 3. Sentence that shows sense of hearing: - we weep. We weep, we can imagine the noise of people crying for losing the loved Wetu. 4. Sense of sight – her horns were sharp as the horns of the new moon- we can imagine the beauty of Wetu’s horns. 5. The mood of the poem is a sad one As you went through the poem above, you should have realised that to create images or pictures, a poet can use descriptive language. Many images in poems come from simple descriptions of things or actions of what can be seen. (f) Exaggeration This is a comparison/ description in which something is given a description that makes it more than it really is/ unbelievable. It is also known as hyperbole. Metaphors are examples of exaggeration. For example: (i) My dad’s thumb can stick pins in wood without flinching. (Taken from ‘My dad’s thumb by Michael Rosen’) In this example, the poet seemed awed by the strength of his dad’s thumb such that he makes it do things that an ordinary thumb cannot do. The deeds of his dad’s thumb are described in a way that makes it seem like it has super powers; it is exaggerated. Can you think of your own examples of exaggeration? __________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________ 15 ©2018 BOU JC: English Literature Poetry Study Guide 4.0 Sound Effects These are poetic devices that use sound to bring a certain effect on the reader. Sound effects refer to the way poets use sound for a number of reasons. It is used to add to the feel, the meaning or the tone of the poem. In poetry the most commonly used techniques that are used to bring out sound effects are alliteration, assonance and onomatopoeia, rhyme, rhythm. (a) Alliteration Alliteration is a repetition of a consonant sound at the beginning of words in the same line: The rough rugged rocks The silent sea stood still Learner, notice the repeated consonants ‘r’ in the first example as well as ‘s’ in the second example are examples of alliteration. Note that the words must follow each other consecutively. Tongue twisters may also be used as examples of alliteration. Read the following example and note the repeated consonants in both lines: A tutor who tooted the flute Tried to tutor two tooter to toot. Activity 9 Identify alliteration in the following poem: In the play ground he pushes, pinches and pulls people’ He’s always naughty and nasty- not nice to know. He bounces boys back and forth And burps and belches at bell-time Feedback to Activity 9 Compare your answer to mine below: In the playground he pushes, pinches and pulls people. Now that you have learnt about alliteration, you may be more creative to form your own alliterated lines to come up with the same technique. Let us go on and learn about another sound effect of assonance. (b) Assonance Assonance as opposed to alliteration, is the repetition of the same vowel-sounds followed by different consonant-sounds in nearby words. Look at the following example. And so, all the night-tide I lie by the side Of my darling, my darling, my life and my bride In the above example the vowel ‘i’ is repeated and it is followed by different consonants. 16 ©2018 BOU JC: English Literature Poetry Study Guide Activity 10 Identifying assonance in a poem and underline examples of assonance in the following poem: The bows glided down, and the coast Blackened with birds took a last look At his thrashing hair and whale-blue eye The trodden town rang its cobbles for luck Feedback to Activity 10 The bows glided down, and the coast Blackened with birds took a last look At his thrashing hair and whale-blue eye The trodden town rang its cobbles for luck In the last line, there is a repetition of the vowel sound o in the words trodden and cobbles and o in town and that in luck though it’s a u, it is the same vowel sound. (c) Onomatopoeia is another technique of poetry that deals with sound. Onomatopoeia is the use of words that seem to imitate the sounds they refer to. Study the example below: Examples: boom,’ thump’ and drip’ Activity 11 Read the following stanza and see how the poet has used onomatopoeia for sound effects to describe the excitement of a Christmas morning: The pitter-patter crept tiny feet down the creaky stairs Tick- tock went the clock in the hallway clear. Small gasps of delight from tiny mouths escaped. As boxes shook, and thumped rustling papers tore and shred. Joys laughter did erupt ohhhs and ahhs exclaimed! Silently the parents stood 17 ©2018 BOU JC: English Literature Poetry Study Guide watching the glee filled scene. Happy are the sounds they hear this morning, every year. To practise identifying onomatopoeia in poetry, quickly go through the following activity. From the poem above write down the words that sound like their meanings: 1. _____________________ 2 ____________________________ 3. _____________________ 4 ____________________________ Feedback to Activity 11 (a) 1 Pitter-patter 2 Tick-tock (b) 3 Thump 4 Ohhhs and ahhhs I hope you have noted that onomatopoeia also helps you to get the meaning of the poem. This is because in most cases the words sound like their meanings. (d) Rhyme The other sound technique that you will be introduced to is Rhyme. The lines of a poem are said to rhyme if they end with words that have the same sound. Study the poem below: Henry Suntton Made his wife Serve him mutton All his life. When going to sleep, His mind was rested By counting the sheep That he’d digested! In the above poem the words wife and life in the first stanza rhyme together. Note that the other rhyming pairs are sleep and sheep as well as rested and digested. It is equally important to note that rhyme is based on sound and not spelling, so it is the end sound that has to resemble the sound of the consecutive word to form a rhyming pattern. 18 ©2018 BOU JC: English Literature Poetry Study Guide Activity 12 Read the following poem by Leslie Norris and against each stanza write down the pairs of rhyming words: The Rebel Child by Leslie Norris Most days when I Go school to school I’m perfectly content To follow the rule i) _________________ and __________________ Enjoy history My music, my sums Feel a little sorry When home times comes. ii)_______________ and ________________ Feedback to Activity 12 i) School and rule ii) Sums and comes (e) Rhythm The word ‘rhythm’ describes how we stress the words in a line differently; in other words how we say the poem aloud. One may say normally when people dance, their movements follow the beat in a song when a person can dance to the beat, we say he or she has got rhythm. Rhythm is very important because it enhances the poet’s message by contributing to the atmosphere, the tone and the mood of the poem. Let us try to work out the activity below to find out if we can feel the rhythm: The song of the old mother by W.B Yeats (From; The collected Songs of W. B Yeasts) I rise in the dawn, and I kneel and blow Till the seeds of the fire flicker and glow; And then I must scrub and bake and sweep Till stars are beginning to blink and peep; And the young lie long an dream in the bed; Of the matching of ribbons for bosom and head, 19 ©2018 BOU JC: English Literature Poetry Study Guide And their day goes over in idleness, And they sigh in the wind but lift a tress; While I must work because I am old; And the seeds of the fire, go feeble and cold Did you feel and hear the rhythm in the stanza? When you read the words in bold with much stress you will feel it. The rhythm in this poem helps the reader to see how hard the old woman has to work. The lighter rhythm used in the lines referring to young people enables the reader to see the difference in how the two spend their time. The rhythm makes it possible for the reader to see that the poem is actually a complaint about the behaviour of young people. Learner if you are taking Setswana, please note that these sound effects are also discussed on your Setswana poetry unit, Mothama 11, so if you read it might help you understand the sound effects better. (f) The Poet’s Tone Tone means the writer’s attitude towards the material and/or readers. Tone may be playful, formal, intimate, angry, serious, ironic, depressed etc. When poet speaks, his tone of voice suggest his/her attitude. In fact, it suggests two attitudes. One concerning the people addressed and one concerning the thing the poet is talking (about the subject) That is what the term ‘Tone’ means when it is used in poetry. Sometimes the tone is fairly obvious. You can for example, find poems that are absolutely furious or angry or sad. For example the poem you studied in Activity 6 entitled ‘ Blue Town Blues’ by Barolong Seboni is a good example of a sad poem because it talks about poverty. It is also very easy to pick the tone of the writer from the choice of words he uses. For example, “This little boy six years poor…” “The kite wings up steadily to fall again now at the bare feet…” (g) The mood of the poem Mood is the emotions you feel while reading the poem. Some poems will make you joyful, angry, or even sad. When reading the poem Blue Town Blues, the reader imagining a six year old boy, bare footed, poor and is frustrated because there is not enough air to fly his kite. Because the tone of the poem is a sad one, it is likely to make the reader sad. The mood of the poem therefore is a sad. Activity 13 Read the following stanza and then answer the questions that follow it: The Loner by Julie Holder He leans against the playground wall, Smacks his hands against the bricks, And other boredom-beating tricks, Traces patterns with his feet, 20 ©2018 BOU JC: English Literature Poetry Study Guide Scuffs to make the tarmac squeak, Back against the wall he stays- And never plays Questions 1. What is the mood of this poem? __________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ 2. What shows you the mood of the poem ? __________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ Feedback to Activity 13 You can now compare your answer with mine below: 1. the mood of the poem is sad. 2. It is describing a loner who is bored and leans against the playground wall not playing. Those are the different poetic devices that you need to know at this stage. What you have learnt so far should put you in a position to be able to compose your own poem as you are now aware of the form and devices that are used. I would encourage you to start composing your own small poems which you can discuss with your tutor. Summary You have come to the end of Lesson 1 of the Poetry unit. I hope you have learnt a lot in this lesson even though it was just an introductory lesson or an eye opener to poetry. Most of the poetic techniques or devices together with sound and effect should help you to be able work out the meaning of a poem. I hope that the lesson has shown you how enjoyable poetry can be and that you will become a keen reader of poetry and maybe even become a poet yourself. Now I would like you to test your understanding of this lesson by doing the following self -assessment exercise. Spend about 30 minutes on this activity. Good luck! 21 ©2018 BOU JC: English Literature Poetry Study Guide Self-assessment Exercise 1 Section A 1. Classify the following poetic devices into forms of comparison and sound effects? Metaphor, rhyme, alliteration onomatopoeia and simile: [3 marks] ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ 2. What is the difference between a metaphor and a simile? [2 marks] ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ Section B Read the following poem and answer the questions that follow it: Let me be an apple by Leonard Koza Hanging like a ball of flame, The beautiful red apple glows between the cool shade of the curly green leaves Nursed like a baby and duly wet, the apple grows from beauty to export maturity. Freely he hangs until ripeness sheds her from her Mother’s womb. Neatly wrapped and packed, she leaves the sunny shores of Africa for Europe without the fears and frustrations of an exit permit. In banquets and at royal tables she becomes the Apple of everybody’s eye. So, rather let me be an apple than a slave on an apple Farm. 1. How many lines does the poem have? [1 mark] ______________________________________________________________________ 22 ©2018 BOU JC: English Literature Poetry Study Guide 2. Identify simile from this poem. [1 mark] ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ 3. What does the phrase ‘ Like a ball of flame’ in line one suggest about the apple? [2 marks] ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ 4. How is the apple treated on the apple farm? [2 marks] ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ 5. What poetic device is ‘she becomes the apple of everybody’s eyes? What does this mean? [2 marks] ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ 6. How does the writer feel about the apple? Why does she feel that way? [2 marks] ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ Glossary Alliteration : repetition of a consonant sound at the beginning of words in the same line: Assonance: as opposed to alliteration, is the repetition of the same vowel-sounds followed by different consonant-sounds in nearby words. Metaphor: a figure of speech in which two things are compared, usually by saying one thing is another. Simile: a figure of speech in which two things are compared using the word “like” or “as.” Personification: a figure of speech in which things or abstract ideas are given human attributes Rhyme: the occurrence of the same or similar sounds at the end of two or more words. Onomatopoeia: a figure of speech in which words are used to imitate sounds. 23 ©2018 BOU JC: English Literature Poetry Study Guide Lesson 2 Poetic Analysis i Introduction In Lesson 1, I introduced you to poetic language and how poets achieve such language. We discussed poetic devices and their classification into forms of comparison and sound effects. You then identified poetic devices in poems. Now it is time to show your understanding of poems by breaking down the loaded lines and words of the poems that we are going to use to interpret the deeper meaning the poet is trying to communicate to you. Breaking down poems and unpacking the deeper meaning is called analysing poems. In doing this we will use some of the poems that have been recommended for practice and others that have poetic aspects that we want. In other words this lesson is mainly used to give you a practice lesson on what you learnt in Lesson 1. Learning Objectives At the end of the lesson you are expected to be able to: explain the title of the poem discuss the poet’s choice of words work out the meaning of the poem work out the theme of the poem Lesson Contents 1.0 Analysis of poems 24 2.0 Working out the theme and other poetic aspects 31 3.0 Determining the mood and tone of the poem 34 Summary 40 Self-assessment Exercise 2 41 1.0 Analysis of Poems In Lesson 1 you dealt with form in the poem “Dreams” but never got to look at its meaning. Let us now discuss one of the poems and show how we arrive at its deeper meaning. When you hear the word “dreams” what do you think of? The most common answer will be the dreams you have when you are asleep. In another usage the word dreams may mean aspirations or ambitions. In other words what one hopes to achieve in their lifetime. Now read the poem again. 24 ©2018 BOU JC: English Literature Poetry Study Guide Activity 1 Dreams by Langston Hughes Hold fast to dreams For if dreams die Life is a broken – winged bird That cannot fly. Hold fast to dreams For when dreams go Life is a barren field Frozen with snow 1. In your own words what is the poem about? ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________ 2. Comment on the structure of the above poem: ____________________________________________________________ 3. What type of dreams is the poet talking about? Support your answer: ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ _______________________________________ 4. Identify the comparison found in Stanza 1: ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ 5. Give an example of the comparison you gave above which is in the poem/. ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ 25 ©2018 BOU JC: English Literature Poetry Study Guide Feedback to Activity 1 Activity 1 1. The poem is a piece of advice about holding on to our ambitions and aspirations for they are what ultimately shape what becomes of our life for without them our lives become stagnant and hopeless. 2. Ambitions, hopes or aspirations. 3. Two stanzas with four lines each. 4. Metaphor 5. Life is a broken winged bird that cannot fly/ Life is barren field frozen with snow I hope that what we have done with the first poem has given you an idea of what you have to do when you are asked to analyse a poem. Now let us take another example and see how the title helps us in getting the deeper meaning of the poem. Like in the first poem, we will identify other poetic devices found in it. 1.1 Upside Down Cake Before reading the poem below, convince yourself that you understand what upside down means. What do you think the phrase up side down means? The phrase means to be inverted. The understanding of this phrase will help you determine how serious this poem is. In reality there is indeed an upside down cake. The poem is an example of what is ‘nonsense’ poetry. This is the kind of poems that have all the forms of poetry but do not relay any message at all. Activity 2 Read the following poem and use it to answer the questions that follow it: Upside down cake by I. Choorona I am going to make An upside down cake. I know I ‘ll need some flour, But I am going to wait At least half an hour Before I begin to bake I’ll need some fat And eggs, and water Sugar in an upside down bowl. 26 ©2018 BOU JC: English Literature Poetry Study Guide And mix all of that Before I can really begin I’ll need an upside down tin, And an upside down oven To fit everything in. I know you, you will say I will have to stand on my head To eat an upside down cake. But I have thought of that: I will choke and be dead. So I will change my mind And bake instead A sideways cake And eat it Sideways in bed Questions 1. Who is the poet in the above poem? ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ 2. Comment on the structure of this poem: ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ 3. Identify a pair of rhyming words in verse three: ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ 4. Identify another pair of rhyming words in stanza four. ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________ 27 ©2018 BOU JC: English Literature Poetry Study Guide 5. Do you think this is a serious poem? Why? ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ Feedback to Activity 2 1. I. Choonara 2. 5 Stanzas, 24 lines 3. Begin – tin/in 4. Head – dead 5. No. It is a humorous (nonsense) poem that carries no serious meaning or message for the reader. 1.2 Analysing the poem “the wind is angry” In this poem it is important for you to understand the words angry and anger. I hope you understand that the emotion of ‘anger’ is displayed when a person is angry. Note that we are talking about a person, but in this poem the wind is said to be angry. Think of what happens when you are angry, your mood, your actions and your thoughts. The wind is also angry and it is therefore personified or made to act like a human being. The house also displays human character. Activity 3 Now read the poem and answer the questions that follow to demonstrate your understanding of the emotions of a poet: The Wind is Angry by Adrienne Bradly The wind is angry- he’s been in a rage all night, stamping his feet, bellowing and finally breaking out. In morning light he gallops, At full tilt, round the house, Charging at the walls, Pulling at the thatch And beating with clenched fists 28 ©2018 BOU JC: English Literature Poetry Study Guide Against the windows. Even now he’s thrusting Icy fingers through crevices And under doors. The house is tired And slightly bored. She watches with listless eyes, Sighs, settles on her hunches And entrenches herself still more. Answer the following questions: 1. What do you think this poem is about? ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________ 2. Comment on the structure of the poem:____________________________ ___________________________________________________________ 3. Identify a poetic device that runs through the poem:___________________ ____________________________________________________________ 4. Give an example of the poetic device from the poem: ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ 5. Give three examples from the poem that suggests the wind has the mood of a person: ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________ 6. Choose five verbs, which tell us about the fierce action of the wind: (i) ______________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________ 29 ©2018 BOU JC: English Literature Poetry Study Guide (ii) ______________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________ (iii) ______________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________ (iv) ______________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________ (v) ______________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________ 7. Explain the last three lines of the second stanza: ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ 8. Who is the ‘she’ in the final verse? ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ 9. Describe the mood of this poem: ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ 10. Explain why the last stanza is shorter than the first one: ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ Feedback to Activity 3 1. It is describing the mood of an angry person 2. 2 stanzas, 18 lines 3. Personification 4. ‘The wind is angry’ ‘The house is tired’ 5. i. The wind is angry ii. He is stamping his feet iii. Beating with clenched fists 30 ©2018 BOU JC: English Literature Poetry Study Guide 6. i. Stamping ii. Charging iii. Beating iv. Thrusting v. Bellowing/ pulling 7. The house is tired, bruised and defeated from the encounter with the wind tries to settle after battle with the raging wind. 8. The house 9. Angry 10. To capture the fact that the wind subsides gradually and its rage dies out. 2.0 Working out the theme and other poetic aspects In this section, the will mainly focus on the theme but we will also identify other aspect that we will find in the poems that we will be dealing with. In most cases the title of the poem is used to show what the poem is about and sometimes it can direct us to what theme of the poem is about. This is why it is very important for you to try to understand what the title of the poem is saying before you read the poem itself. Now let us look at the title of this poem. Have you ever heard of the expression ‘head bent low?’ What does it mean? The phrase is used to refer to a situation where someone is ashamed, defeated or embarrassed. So when one’s head is bent low, they are ashamed, defeated or embarrassed. With this understanding of the phrase heads bent low, read the poem and answer the question that follow it: Activity 4 Heads Bent Low - Anon A stooped old man and young man Chanced to meet one day. The young one said to the elder In his usual braggart way, ‘Why don’t you walk up straight like me? That’s no way to grow old; It’s all a form of habit; At least that’s what I’m told.’ The old man gave him a knowing look, And said, ‘My dear young friend, 31 ©2018 BOU JC: English Literature Poetry Study Guide Have you ever examined your wheat field, And noticed the heads that bent? If not, just look them over As harvest time draws nigh; You’ll find the heads that are empty Are standing tall and high. But the heads that count in the harvest Are filled and bending low, Awaiting the reaper’s sickle; Their time is short, they know; And as the young man passed on by, He slowly bowed his head, No doubt he pondered many a day On the things that old man said. Questions 1. Who is the poet for the above poem? ______________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ 2. In your own words briefly sum up what the poem is about:___________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ 3. Identify the persona/character in the poem?_________________________ ____________________________________________________________ 4. Describe the young man’s character at the beginning of the poem: ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________ 32 ©2018 BOU JC: English Literature Poetry Study Guide 5. What are “the heads that are empty” in line 15? What do they represent? ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________ 6. What are “the heads that count in the harvest” in line 17? What do they represent? ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ 7. Do you think the old man’s story impresses the young man? How do you know? ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ 8. Identify two pairs of rhyming words from first stanza: ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ 9. The word friend rhymes with: ____________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ 10. What does young man learn in the poem?__________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ Feedback to Activity 4 1. The poet is not known or his/her name has been withheld. 2. The poem depicts that older people are wiser than the younger ones. Young children can learn a lot from the wiser and the older 3. The old man and the young man. 4. Boastful and full of himself 5. Heads of wheat, which are not yet ripe and represent immature minds/ young people who are not wise. 6. These are fully ripe heads of wheat that are ready for harvest and look heavy. 33 ©2018 BOU JC: English Literature Poetry Study Guide These symbolise wisdom as is found in elderly people. 7. Yes. He was embarrassed at the amount of wisdom or lack of it in himself. 8. i. Day – way ii. Old – told 9. The word friend rhymes with bend. 10. Old people are wise and have accumulated a lot of experience. 3.0 Determining the mood and the tone of the poem Another important poetic aspect that we learnt about in Lesson 1 is the mood and tone of the poem. We will use the poem below to learn more about how to identify the above two aspects. Another poem you will be expected to study for your examination is Barolong Seboni’s “Blue Town Blues.” Have you ever heard about him? Mr Seboni is a Motswana poet who was born in Molepolole, but grew up in Kanye. He has written numerous poems among them Blue Town Blues. Apart from being a published poet, Mr Seboni is a senior lecturer in the department of English at the University of Botswana. To understand the poem, think about the words “Blue Town.” Have you ever heard about a place called by the name “Blue Town.” Blue Town is place in Francistown in north eastern Botswana. From the title of the poem, we get the place setting of the poem(where the events take place). The poem is set in Blue Town – a place in Francistown. The next thing to consider now is the word ‘Blues’ that is attached to the name of the place setting Blue Town. Have you ever come across the word? Do you know what the word means? In pop culture, blue is the colour of sadness. It is a feeling of depression or deep unhappiness. There is also a type of music originating among the black Americans called Blues. This is music popularised by Ray Charles and Nat king Cole among others. So when one is said to ‘have the blues’, then it means they are sad or depressed. The title of the poem would then mean ‘Blue Town Sadness or depression’ or sadness experienced in Blue Town. This pre-reading activity should help you prepare for the poem you are about to read. Activity 5 Bluetown Blues This little boy six years poor waits in Khakhi shorts on a dusty path for a wind 34 ©2018 BOU JC: English Literature Poetry Study Guide to blow His kite a discoloured wrapper from Cash – bazaar – where the people shop tied to yellow reeds from the banks of the shashe drags now in a low trail of ash as he runs hope blows in the hesitant breeze and the kite rises reluctantly as the boy’s feet stamp faster, faster, faster. The kite wings up Steadily to fall again now at the bare feet of this little boy waiting in dusty despair for a wind to blow (By: Barolong Seboni in let me be by Dawson) Questions 1. Write down the complete sentences found in the poem: ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ 35 ©2018 BOU JC: English Literature Poetry Study Guide 2. Explain the sentences you identified in Question 1: ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ 3. What do you think the shape of the poem represents? ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ 4. How does the poet feel about the subject of his poem? ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ 5. What evidence in the poem depicts or shows the boy’s poverty? ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ 6. What does the movement of the boy’s kite represent? ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ 7. What words in the poem suggest sadness or failure? ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________ 8. Do you think this is an optimistic poem? Why? ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ Feedback to Activity 5 1. i. This little boy six years poor waits in khakhi shorts on a dusty path for a wind to blow. 36 ©2018 BOU JC: English Literature Poetry Study Guide ii. His kite a discoloured wrapper from cash bazaar- where the people shop tied to yellow reeds from the banks of the Shashe drags now in a low trail of ash as he runs hope blows in the hesitant breeze and the kite rises reluctantly as the boy’s feet stamps faster, faster, faster. iii. The kite wings up steadily to fall again now at the bare feet of this little boy waiting in dusty despair for a wind to blow. 2. i. A poor six-year-old boy is waiting on a dusty path for the wind to blow. ii. He holds a kite made from a cash bazaar wrapper and reed. The kite seems to take off at the promise of the wind and the boy runs to aid it (Kite) iii. The kite rises only to fall again adding to the sadness of the boy who has to live with the despair of being from a disadvantaged family. 3. The boys hopes and ambitions 4. Despair/ hopelessness 5. The boy is wearing khakhi shorts and is barefooted 6. It symbolises a lot of hardship and the boy’s hopes die with the fall of the kite. (check this sentence) 7. Words that suggest sadness or failure: 8. ‘This little boy….poor’ ‘on a dusty path ’‘hope blows in the hesitant breeze’ (does this also show failure) ‘kite rises reluctantly’ ‘ waiting in dusty despair 9. Answer will depend on your understanding of the poem, but support your answer with evidence from the poem. The next poem to look at in your preparation for your JC final examinations is; “Why should love be so hard on the heart?” Think about the title for a little while. What is obvious is that the title is a question but on what background is this question asked? What comes to your mind when you think about love? Could love cause pain? Answering these questions will help channel your mind into what to expect from the poem. Activity 6 Now read the poem and attempt the questions that follow it: Why should love be so hard on the heart? by Fran Landesman Why should love be so hard on the heart 37 ©2018 BOU JC: English Literature Poetry Study Guide Why does it caress you and tear you apart Why does it fool you, why does it tease you Why does it scare you, why does it please you Why should love be so loaded with pain Why does it betray you again and again Why does the promise fade so unfairly Why does the magic happen so rarely Why should love be so tied up in knots Well, either its that or it’s making cheap shots It gives us a kick and inspires our art But why should love be so hard on the heart Time are changing they tell us There must be a new way to live Alongside a new love, a tender and true love Who’ll gladly return what we give Why should love be so much on the mind It staggers our senses and makes us all blind There must be an answer, we’re all so damn smart So why should love be so hard on the heart Questions 1. Briefly sum up the poem in your own wods:_________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ 2. Looking at the title of the poem what do you think are the experiences of the poet? ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ 38 ©2018 BOU JC: English Literature Poetry Study Guide 3. Comment on the structure of the poem:____________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ 4. What poetic device is used in the second line of the first stanza? ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ 5. Identify a pair of rhyming words in Stanza 1: ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ 6. Do you think the poet understands love? Explain your answer: ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ 7. Identify two ways in which love can hurtful: ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ 8. Explain the fourth stanza: ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ 9. What lesson has the poet learnt about love? ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________ 39 ©2018 BOU JC: English Literature Poetry Study Guide Feedback to Activity 6 1. The poem is a loud expression of the confusion brought about by love that has gone bad as one cannot understand how something that promised to be that good died out. 2. The poet was hurt in a love relationship. 3. 5 Stanzas of four lines each (a total of 20 lines) 4. Paradox 5. Stanza1 heart – apart Stanza 2 Pain – again/unfairly - rarely Stanza 3 Knots – shorts/art - heart Stanza 4 live – give Stanza 5 Mind – blind/ smart – heart 6. No. She Seems to be confused by love that is why he/she is asking questions about love. The whole poem is a set of questions. 7. Its promises fade It betrays 8. Love has to be reciprocal – one has to give as much as his or her partner gives. 9. Love is not always what we hope it will be and is complicated/ in love we should give as much as we get. Summary You have come to the end of Lesson 2. I hope you were able to understand the contents of this lesson. You have also been given some insights into how elements of form add to the theme and meaning in poetry. We examined the meaning in the poem heads bent low. We also dealt with mood and tone of the poem and how the poet shows these using the poem Bluetown blues. In the poem the wind is angry we basically examined how the poet brings about the mood of the poem by examining his choice of words. Hopefully, you have gathered a lot of information on poetry analysis that you can use personally or you can pass on to those who need it. You also had practice on the kind of questions you will answer in the examination. 40 ©2018 BOU JC: English Literature Poetry Study Guide Self-assessment Exercise 2 Read the poem below and answer the questions that follow it: African Thunderstorm From the west clouds come hurrying with the wind turning sharply here and there like a plague of locusts whirling tossing up things on its tail like a mad man chasing nothing. pregnant clouds ride stately on its back gathering to perch on hills like sinister dark wings; the wind whistles by and trees bend to let it pass. in the village screams of delighted children toss and turn in the din of the whirling wind, women- babies clinging to their backs- dart about in and out madly; The wind whirls by whilst trees bend to let it pass. Clothes wave like tattered flags flying off to expose dangling breasts as jagged blinding flashes rumble, tremble and crack amidst the smell of fired smoke and the pelting march of the storm. By: David Rubadiri 41 ©2018 BOU JC: English Literature Poetry Study Guide Questions 1. What is being compared to a madman chasing nothing? What impression does the simile convey? ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ 2. Find two other similes in the poem. In each case explain in what way the things compared are similar: ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ 3. Why does the poet call the clouds pregnant? ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ 4. What does the uneven length of lines suggest about the subject of the poem? ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ 5. What is the mood of the poem? ______________________________________________________________________ 6. What is the attitude of the children to the approaching storm? ______________________________________________________________________ 7. Give an example of assonance from the first verse: ______________________________________________________________________ 8. Explain the following lines: (i) jagged blinding flashes _________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________ (ii) Rumble, tremble and crack ____________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________ 42 ©2018 BOU JC: English Literature Poetry Study Guide Answers to Self Assessment Exercises Self-Assessment Exercise 1 Section A 1. (a) Sound Effect Forms of comparison rhyme metaphor alliteration simile onomatopoeia 2. A Metaphor is when two unconnected objects are described in terms of another while in simile two unlike things are being compared using the words ‘ Like ‘ or ‘ As’ Section B 1. The poem has 18 lines 2. The line that shows simile is ‘nursed like a baby and duly wet’ 3. It is being loved by a lot of people 4. It is being taken good care of, washed and neatly packed 5. She becomes the apple of everybody’s eye’ it is a metaphor that tells it is everybody’s favourite 6. The writer likes the apple and she wants to be as beautiful as the apple because its being given attention that it deserves so that it grows beautifully and is smart. Self-Assessment Exercise 2 1 The wind – it tosses and throws things about like a madman 2. (i) Gathering to perch on hills like sinister dark wings-The frightening approach of the wind resembles the danger shown by a bird of prey when its just about to pounce on something. (ii) Clothes wave like tattered flags – the lose way in which the clothes waved resembled the old flags 3. To emphasise how heavy the clouds are with water. 4. It suggests that things are upside down e.g. people are running to different directions and even the wind itself changes directions 5. Fearful-because of anticipation of destruction/delightful-children are happy 6. They are happy about it since they are joyful. 7. Tossing up things on its tail 8. (i) Lightening (ii) Thunder 43 ©2018 BOU JC: English Literature Poetry Study Guide References Addis, I (1992) What the matter be: and other stories: David Fulten Publishers Dawson D, (1990). Let me be: A junior Anthology of Poetry. Manzini: Macmillan Boleswa Publishers. Danban, P H (1965) The complete poems of Paul Lawrence Danban Sandler R.K. T.A.S. Hayler and C.J. Powel (1981). Enjoying Poetry. Manzini: Macmillan Boleswa Publishers (Pty) Ltd. Ginn and Company (2004) Kaleidscope Anthology Tree Oxford: Harcout Education Limited. Slater, F.c. (1993) Dark Folk and others Poems edinburgh: Blackwood. Pubadin, D (2004) An African Thunderstorm and other Poems. East African Publishers Yeats, W. B (1964) Poems of W. B Yeasts. Ibid (2010) The collected Poems of W. B Yeats. Simon and Schuster. Stoodt-Hill Barbra,Amspaugh-Corson L. (1996) Children’s Literature: A Discovery of a Life- time. New Jersey: Merril Prentice Hall. 44 ©2018 BOU