CXC Poems and Analysis

(THE NOTES HAVE BEEN ADAPTED AND ADOPTED FROM CSEC ENGLISH B STUDY GUIDE)

DEATH BE NOT PROUD BY JOHN DONNE

(JOHN DONNE WAS AN ENGLISH POET, SCHOLAR AND SOLDIER WHO LATER BECAME A
CLERIC IN THE CHURCH OF ENGLAND. HE IS CONSIDERED THE KING OF METAPHYSICAL
POETRY)

The speaker in this Sonnet confronts death warning it to not be prideful throughout his address,
he belittles death he belittles death, claiming that it cannot kill him or anyone. He justifies this by
explaining that death is simply a temporary sleep since there will be life after death (endorsing
Christian beliefs)) and asserts that death will be the one to ultimately die.

Death, be not proud, though some have called thee

Mighty and dreadful, for thou art not so;

Lines 1-2: People consider death to be powerful and terrifying because it can easily defeat the
strongest and the wisest, but it is not so according to the persona.

For those whom thou think'st thou dost overthrow

Die not, poor Death, nor yet canst thou kill me.

Lines 3-4: those whom Death thinks it has defeated, have not actually been. He uses “poor” to be
patronizing and pitiful towards Death for being weak and delusional.

From rest and sleep, which but thy pictures be,

Much pleasure; then from thee much more must flow,

Lines 5-6: Rest and sleep copies and are replicas or pictures of death. Therefore, this is how we
should view death, as rest. The euphemistic term “sleep” is also used in the bible to refer to
death. If then sleep and rest can bring use pleasure, then death must bring us more.

And soonest our best men with thee do go,

The best men go sooner. The words “with thee do go” suggests that there is no force, they go
willing as if they have power over death.

Rest of their bones, and soul's delivery.

Line 8- No longer moving; death gives sweet and well-deserved rest to our tired bodies. Death
cannot make the soul rest, instead it delivers it (to heaven).
 Thou art slave to fate, chance, kings, and desperate men,
Line 9- Death is reduced to a slave. It has no power, no autonomy, no free will. Instead, it is
dominated by these four masters.

And dost with poison, war, and sickness dwell,

Line 10- Death dwells with poison, war, and sickness- all things that are detestable by humans.

And poppy or charms can make us sleep as well

And better than thy stroke; why swell'st thou then?
Lines 11-12: Poppy seeds are refined to make opium. A narcotic drug that could induce deep
sleep. Charms- witchcraft; spells; dark magic. These are better than the stroke of death; this
suggests a gentle touch- then if death’s stroke is gentle, why does it think it so powerful?

One short sleep past, we wake eternally

Line 13- The sleep of death is short in comparison to the life we will live eternally hence the
short pause of death is insignificant in the grand scheme of things.
And death shall be no more; Death, thou shalt die.
Line 14- Cor 15:26 says the last enemy that shall be destroyed is death. The speaker is confident
in Death’s death and it is what makes him able to stand and speak so boldly.

DEVICES AND TECHNIQUES

➢ Personification- Death is personified or humanized throughout the poem making it less

horrifying, mighty and dreadful.
➢ Anaphora- The repetition of “And” (lines 6-14) the speaker tries to prove death’s
powerlessness.
➢ Enjambment- though some have called thee/Mighty and dreadful.
➢ Rhetorical Question- Why swell’st thou then?
➢ Biblical Allusion- “soul’s delivery! ”/ “we wake eternally,”
➢ Apostrophe- the speaker is addressing death as if it can respond.

THEMES

➢ The powerlessness of death

➢ God and Religion
➢ Appearance versus reality
➢ Power and powerlessness
 A LESSON FOR THIS SUNDAY
(DEREK WALCOTT, A SAINT LUCIAN POET, AND PLAYWRIGHT, WAS TRAINED AS A PAINTER BUT
TURNED TO WRITING AS A YOUNG MAN. COMMON THEMES IN DEREK WALCOTT’S WORKS INCLUDE A
FOCUS ON CARIBBEAN CULTURE AND HISTORY, THE EFFECTS OF COLONIALISM, AND ONE’S
RELATIONSHIP TO LANGUAGE. HE SOMETIMES INCLUDES A MIX OF LANGUAGES, FROM ENGLISH TO
CARIBBEAN PATOIS TO FRENCH.)

(THE NOTES HAVE BEEN ADAPTED AND ADOPTED FROM CSEC ENGLISH B STUDY GUIDE)

The persona recounts impressions and events occurring in the grounds of a comfortable home,
where he seems to be a guest one Sunday in August, enjoying quiet relaxation in a calm scene.
This is disturbed by the vicious harming of a butterfly by two small children. The persona is
dismayed, and feels that the girl, frail and dressed in yellow like the butterfly, has been harmed
by her action, as the butterfly has. He then meditates on how spoilt everything has become for
him, and on the forces that can so easily destroy the good things around us.

Title

A Lesson for this Sunday-In many churches, a similar phrase is used before a Bible passage is
read. As a lesson, it is expected to teach listeners and readers something of value.

Lines 1-2 The growing idleness.../ furious butterflies-At first the grass seems to be personified
as being increasingly idle, or idle while growing, and playing with kites in the form of butterflies
rushing around; but taken with the third line this refers rather to the persona, who is increasingly
idle while relaxing in the warm, grassy surroundings, and watching the delicate butterflies
(which are far from idle).

Line 3- Requests the lemonade... praise- The persona's pleasant relaxation seems to make him
request a glass of lemonade, to celebrate the moment; but perhaps 'lemonade' is used as a
metaphor for verse, suggesting that the persona/poet feels the need to offer a sweet contribution
in the form of a simple poem of admiration.

Line 4- In scansion… swings- The poem should have a gentle rhythm or scansion of which the
persona is reminded by the rhythmic swaying of his hammock (a net-bed, suspended on a
veranda).

Lines 5-7 And rituals…/Protestant hosanna - The actions mentioned should be as calm and
normal as a black servant shaking out cloths while praising God in a simple hymn. (A ritual" is a
ceremonial action with a special meaning.)

Line 8 Since I lie idling… in things – The poem should be simple, since the persona/poet is
feeling lazy, and not inclined to go deep into underlying meanings. Note the assonance (the
repeated 'I' vowel sound) and the alliteration (the repeated "th' consonant sound), drawing
attention to this line.

Line 9- Or so they should – It is not clear what "they" refers to since there is no plural subject.
This may be an example of poetic licence, in which the poet takes liberties with style or
grammar, perhaps, in this case, to emphasize how unsettled the persona is by the sudden
disturbance. It seems that 'so they should (be)' refers to rituals no more upsetting' in line 5: these
new events are far from calm and normal!

Line 10- yellow wings- butterflies

Line 11- my Sabbath- For him, this has been a day of rest, in which he has been moved to praise
the creation around him. (Sabbath refers to the day of religious worship and rest from work) This
righteous atmosphere is destroyed by the impression that something evil is happening.

Line 13- lepidopterists-butterfly experts

Line 15 Crouched... as a mantis prays – The fat little girl is stooping like a praying mantis.
Note the pun on 'prays' (takes the prayer-like position of the mantis), and 'preys’ (kills a victim).

Line 16- She shrieks… its abdomen. -The child screams (in excitement, perhaps mixed with
horror) as she tries to scrape out the insides of the butterfly.

Line 17- The lesson is the same. – Nature teaches us that the predatory insect and the curious
child are both capable of destroying something that is weaker, or, perhaps, what is constantly
learnt in life is that peace and beauty can be destroyed in a moment.

Line 18 prodigies- children with an exceptional talent (which is seen here as scientific curiosity-
though the persona suggests that their talent is for something evil)

Lines 19-20 The girl... Its flight. She is in yellow (like the butterfly); she screams (probably in
horror) as the insect tries to fly despite its serious wound and its lack of balance.

Lines 21-22 She is herself... August air. Like the butterfly, she is in a bright colour associated
with summer, and frail (see line 2). Note again the repetition of sounds in line 22, stressing the
beauty of the child on this cloudless day.

Line 23- Not marked... cannot speak--But she is not destined (like the butterfly) for some
coming sorrow that must be endured without a sound.

Lines 24-5 The mind... normal sign-The distressed persona's mind is forced to look inward to
the thought in things' (line 8) - sickened as he is now by so many things that seem ordinary.

Lines 26-7 Heredity of cruelty... frocks of summer torn -- He now sees cruelty as something
that is inherited. The destruction of the yellow butterfly destroys his view of any pretty little girl
in a summer dress of yellow.

Line 28 The long look... is born- The persona ponders the question of when a choice is made
between cruelty and kindness (or between sin and righteousness, perhaps), in the life of a child,
and even, perhaps, through the origin of free will.

Line 29 scythe – a tool with a long-curved blade at the end of a long handle, used in some
countries to cut grass and other plants; it is often pictured as a symbol of death, carried by a
black-cloaked figure known as the 'Grim Reaper
As summer grass...scythe's design - We are reminded of the pleasant and peaceful picture of
the summer grass in line 1 but warned that this can be altered or destroyed by the action of the
scythe, suggesting that the joys of life are easily ruined.

The lesson for the persona appears to deal with the harsh realities of life. It seems terrifying that
an innocent looking little girl should be capable of cruelty to a harmless butterfly, but also that
her innocence is destroyed by her action. It seems that the will to destroy is always present in
nature, disturbing as it might be to a sensitive observer.

DEVICES AND TECHNIQUES

➢ Alliteration – “frail kites of furious butterflies” / “…from the thought in things

➢ Assonance – “Since I lie idling…”
➢ Metaphor - “frail kites of furious butterflies”/ “growing idleness of the summer grass”/
“the little surgeon pierces the thin eyes”/ “everywhere the frocks of summer torn”
➢ Personification – “Requests lemonade of simple praise”
➢ Biblical allusion – “Who break my sabbath with the thought of sin”
➢ Synecdoche- “yellow wings” Synecdoche refers to a literary device in which a part of
something is substituted for the whole.
➢ Repetition- “summer grass” Lines 1 and 29
➢ Pun- “as a mantis prays”
➢ Simile – Frowning like serious lepidopterists.

THEMES

➢ Man versus Nature

➢ Religion
➢ Reflection/Contemplation
➢ Childhood Experience

AN AFRICAN THUNDERSTORM BY DAVI RUBADIRI

( A MALAWIAN DIPLOMAT, ACADEMIC AND POET, PLAYWRIGHT AND NOVELIST+ AT MALAWI'S

INDEPENDENCE IN 1964, RUBADIRI WAS APPOINTED MALAWI'S FIRST AMBASSADOR TO THE UNITED
STATES AND THE UNITED NATIONS.)

(THE NOTES HAVE BEEN ADAPTED AND ADOPTED FROM CSEC ENGLISH B STUDY GUIDE AND
L.DEER)

⮚ This poem describes an act of nature in all its intensity-this act of nature is characterised
by anarchy, chaos, and disorder with mixed feelings of happiness and apprehension.
⮚ This poem exposes us to the two sides of nature/the thunderstorm- delightful yet dangerous
⮚ This poem can be seen as an allegory (the concrete presentation of an abstract idea –with
at least two levels of meaning-surface and moral/political/philosophical/religious) –
therefore the poem can be interpreted as a political allegory that exposes the effect of
 colonial domination on the native land. The time that the poet has lived- his country got
independent in the early 1960’s- can be convincing.
⮚ In the poem, the persona describes the approach of the storm. This storm is however,
characterised with anarchy, chaos, and disorder. The image of locusts, madman pregnant,
sinister wings suggests the pandemonium that comes with the rain. In stanza two, he goes
to the reaction of the people notably the children and women. The former are happy and
the latter are apprehensive to the approaching storm. The last stanza deals with the storm
and the anticipated chaos comes to be true as reflected in the choice of words like
“Rumble”, tremble and crack” like the title suggests the poem is about an African
thunderstorm.

⮚ It MAY be concluded that the poem is about the coming of the disruptive forces notably
the chaos associated with colonialism. The colonialists are like rain that found Africa
peaceful and disrupted it by cunning and force.

⮚ In the poem, the line “from the West” does not imply a mere direction, but rather
European or foreign influence. “Amidst the smell of fired smoke’ the fired smoke refers
to gun shots and not smoke from the fire. It is the gunshots, associated with the whites
that created havoc on the continent of Africa.

DEVICES AND TECHNIQUES

⮚ The poem is written in free verse
⮚ The poem has two stanzas
⮚ Visual images-throughout the poem
⮚ Simile-lines 6,9,13 and 27 (‘ like a plague of locus’+ ‘like a madman’ + ‘ like sinister dark
wings’+’ like tattered flags’ shows the intensity of the storm/danger/haphazard nature)
⮚ Alliteration- poem ( e.g. whirling wind women…ln19-20)
⮚ Symbols- clouds+ locusts+ wind+ flags+ fired smoke+ storm + tree etc..
⮚ Contrast- throughout the poem ( man vs women+ girls vs boys)
⮚ Repetition- ( wind + whirling – enhance the image of powerful/ dangerous storm)
⮚ Onomatopoeia- ( ln 31- rumble, tremble and crack- again sustaining the idea of
disaster/danger)
⮚ Metaphor/personification- lines 10-11( the pregnant cloud ride stately by- indicating that
the storm is ready to ‘land’ and also that nature is quite majestic/awesome /versatile )
⮚ The poem is written from the third person perspective
⮚ Tone varies from enthusiasm, nervousness to danger

THEMES IN SENTENCES

⮚ NATURE- nature is two-sided: dangerous and delightful. Man learns about the
versatility of nature
⮚ POLITICS- the consequences of colonization can be disastrous
⮚ CONFLICTS AND COMPLICATIONS- natural disasters can have negative effects
on human beings/colonization adversely affect both people and land
 TEST MATCH SABINA PARK BY STEWART BROWN

(RENOWN BRITISH POET WHO WRITES AND CRITIQUES WEST INDIAN POETRY ALSO THE AUTHOR OF
WEST INDIES, U.S.A)

(THE NOTES HAVE BEEN ADAPTED AND ADOPTED FROM CSEC ENGLISH B STUDY GUIDE AND
L.DEER

⮚ This poem examines the attitudes to race and culture (specifically in sports).

⮚ The persona is a ‘white’ spectator and supporter of the English cricket team (at a match in
Jamaica at the famous Sabina Park possible February 1974, which ended This six section
free verse poems mocks the persona’s attitudes at a cricket match that is played in
Kingston, Jamaica

⮚ The poem also exposes to the different atmosphere at cricket matches in Jamaica ( rowdy
and uncivilized- ‘who ever saw a crowd at a cricket match?’ as opposed to England (
calm and civilized)

⮚ He recalls the unique experience in which he went from proud supporter (‘proudly
wearing the rosette…’) to embarrass fan- (‘skulking behind a tarnished rosette’) because
of three factors: unimpressive playing from his team, his ability to effective defend his
team (even to himself) and extreme abuse from the opposition).

⮚ The poet is divided into six sections-the first two describes the persona surprise ( culture
shock) at the un familiar raucous atmosphere at the cricket match; the next two reveal the
antagonism and even racism of the local/West Indian supporters and the final two show
the persona’s unsuccessful attempts to defend his team ( he could not even convince
himself ) which leads to his humiliating departure.

⮚ Rosette -a rose-shaped decoration, typically made of ribbon, worn by supporters of a

sports team or political party or awarded as a prize( also a paint colour that comes under
the family of reds and pinks)

DEVICES AND TECHNIQUES

⮚ This six section free verse poems mocks the persona’s attitudes at a cricket match that is
played in Kingston, Jamaica.
⮚ The poem has six stanzas
⮚ Contrast- the beginning and ending of poem ( lines 1-2 and 23-25 + very ironic)+ black
and white+ the behaviours of spectators in England and the West Indies + British English
( lines 5-8 and 19-22) and Jamaican Creole ( eh white bwoy … to explain in my Hampshire
drawl’ lines 17-18)
⮚ Metaphor- are cage ( line 7 comparing the crowd to dangerous animals emphasizing their
intensity of their disrespect/abuse)+ tarnished rosette ( line 24- comparing his skin to metal
that has lost its sheen to sustaining his embarrassment)+ wearing the rosette ( line 1-
signifying great pride) + sticky wicket ( a metaphor for an awkward situation)
⮚ Pun – lines 3 and 4 ( play on names of British cricketers Dennis Amis and Geoff Boycott)
 ⮚ Visual imagery throughout
⮚ Repetition of cricket and crowd
⮚ Use of cricket jargon ( line 9 sixty eight for none+ wicket)
⮚ Use of Jamaican Creole ( lines 11-13 and 15-18 )
⮚ The poem is written from the first person perspective
⮚ Tone varies from mocking to scornful to abusive and then embarrassment

THEMES IN SENTENCES

⮚ RACIAL PREJUDICE-Racial prejudice is active even sporting events/ Racial prejudice

can be quite harmful/ the psychological effects of racial prejudice
⮚ CONFLICTS AND COMPLICATIONS- people face adversity on a daily basis even
where they least expect

DREAMING BLACK BOY BY JAMES BERRY

(James a black Jamaican poet who settled in England in the 1940s. His poetry is notable for using a mixture of
Standard English and Jamaican Creole)
(THE NOTES HAVE BEEN ADAPTED AND ADOPTED FROM CSEC ENGLISH B STUDY GUIDE AND L.DEER
AND D. GORDON
SUMMARY

This poem demonstrates the hopes of a young immigrant of overcoming the racial prejudice of
his society. We are exposed to voice of presumably a school boy in a racially prejudiced
community ( apparently England). The persona reveals his wish list (equal opportunities: at
school, workplace, travel and vacation, residency, socialization, freedom of speech). He
ultimately wants racial equity. His wish list also exposes the isolation, uncertainties, ambitions,
regrets, fears that occupy his thoughts. The poem explores the relationship between ‘black’ and
‘white’ in particular. The ultimate message is for people to look beyond his skin colour and view
him as a person/ any ordinary human being. The poem has five sections which focus on : school,
pride , hostility and defeat. At the end of the poem, he also wishes that no one would experience
the pain and hardships of slavery because it is truly a heavy burden to bear.

DEVICES AND TECHNIQUES

⮚ Contrast (throughout the poem)- between ‘black’ and ‘ white’ in all spheres of society.
The persona feels that life constantly opposes him because wherever he goes, he is
ridiculed, marginalized and alienated.
⮚ Visual imagery ( to convey his strong desire to treated fairly) – These images include:
“Torch throwers at night/ plotters in pyjamas” (Klu Klux Klan)/ images of his wishes to
get a hug when he kicks a goal, to travel, to get an education to the best of tune up instead
of licking boots (shining shoes like a black labourer) etc.
⮚ Repetition of ‘I wish’( to emphasize his desire for racial prejudice end and it can also
expose the fact that his desires are mere dreams/ fairy tale notion)
⮚ Use of historical allusions- (“I’m no woodchopper now/ like all ancestors) – the reference
to slavery+ ‘Torch throwers at night/ plotters in pyjamas” Klu Klux Klan +Paul Robeson-
great black American singer and Civil Rights Activist – This allusion shows that he wishes
 he could be outspoken like this man who fought for black pride and racial equality. He
wish he could be strong and hold his head high in the face of prejudice.
⮚ Simile- line 6-7 (woodchopper like all ancestors) – This emphasizes the fact that he does
not believe he is a labourer who is chained and ordered by the whites like his ancestors. It
also exposes the idea that despite his physical freedom, he is still being restrained by the
prejudice and marginalization in the society
⮚ Alliteration ( line 18- hold high) – The breathy H sound in the lines is a reminder of a
relieving sense of freedom which he longs for – the freedom to speak out and travel without
the sense of isolation
⮚ Use of Jamaican Creole ( line 16 same way )
⮚ British slang/metaphoric language ( line 9 –best of tune up- comparing a good education
to expert of adjusting a car engine)
⮚ First person perspective – This perspective allows an intimate insight into the life of a
‘free black boy’. It shows that racism affects all black people and even as a child, he is
influenced by the harshness of slavery. This perspective also draws sympathy from the
readers so that we can understand the burdens this boys suffers as a result of racism.
⮚ Tone varies from indignant/hurtful to hopeful

THEMES

⮚ RACIAL PREJUDICE-Racial prejudice is very evident in first world societies-even in

the education system/ Racial prejudice can be quite harmful/ the psychological effects of
racial prejudice
⮚ CONFLICTS AND COMPLICATIONS- people face adversity on a daily basis even
where they least expect
⮚ DREAMS AND ASPIRATIONS- Some dreams are unrealistic because of societal
constructs
 BIRDSHOOTING SEASON (OLIVE SENIOR FAMOUS JAMAICAN POET)

(THE NOTES HAVE BEEN ADAPTED AND ADOPTED FROM CSEC ENGLISH B STUDY GUIDE AND
L.DEER)

⮚ This modernist free verse poem makes extensive use of contrast to highlight a gender-
biased cultural activity.
⮚ This poem ‘Birdshooting Season’ is reminiscent (important or relating to) of the prominent
bird poems, especially Dennis Scott’s ‘Bird.’ Significantly, while Senior’s gender roles are
sharply defined in her poem, the 10-year-old boy in ‘Bird’ takes exactly the same position
as the little girls in Senior’s poem who whisper “Fly Birds Fly.”
⮚ The poem clearly expresses each gender’s role in the cultural activity and ultimately
society-The persona exposes us to a season when men in rural Jamaica go bird shooting.
We see strong patriarchy in their demeanour and actions (‘make marriages with guns’+
‘drink rum neat’). On the contrary the roles of the women show sensitivity they: stay home
and prepare equipment and meals (‘all night long contentless women stir their brews…’
⮚ There is also opposing expectations for boys and girls ( boys are ‘eager to grow up and
join’ while girls pray for the birds to escape-‘Fly Birds Fly’)
DEVICES AND TECHNIQUES
⮚ The poem is written in free verse
⮚ The poem has four stanzas of differing lengths
⮚ The first stanza focus on the men, the second on the women, the third shift with men leaving
to go hunting/bird shooting and the final reveals the conflicting reactions of the boys and
girls
⮚ No end rhymes to represent contrast between the men and women
⮚ The poem significant use of metaphor/personification ( men make marriages with their
guns- symbolises the deep and intimate love the men have for the sports and house turns
macho- this is important because it sustains the manly atmosphere)
⮚ Irony – line 1-2 ( men make marriages with guns- marriage normally produce new life but
this one will facilitate the deaths of birds)
⮚ Visual images-throughout the poem
⮚ Alliteration-lines 1-2 and 6-7 – ( make marriage … and coffee…cerassie)
⮚ Symbols- birds+ gun+ rum+ tie leaf/other food items
⮚ Literary allusion- to Dennis Scott’s poem ‘Bird’
⮚ Contrast- throughout the poem ( man vs women+ girls vs boys)
⮚ Repetition- ( fly in line 17 to emphasize that the girls hold contrasting views of the
sport/they want the birds to live )
⮚ Unconventional use of punctuations- She discards conventions of capitalisation while
employing capitals in a post-modernist way. In the final line they dramatise the sense of
freedom ( Fly Birds Fly) – the girls wish this escape for the birds and the poem associates
a quest, a need for freedom on the part of women in this “macho” patriarchal society.
⮚ The poem is written from the first person perspective
⮚ Tone is gently mocking

THEMES IN SENTENCES
 ⮚ GENDER ISSUES/ROLES- the gentle/nurturing side of humanity is juxtaposed with the
aggressive and destructive side/ men tend to enjoy danger sports and women tend to
enjoy nurturing things.
⮚ CULTURE AND TRADITION- there are gender biases even in cultural activities/ some
cultures promote man-dominance
⮚ DEATH- there are varying views- some kill and some want killing even of animal/for
sport to cease
⮚ ECOLOGICAL ISSUES/NATURE- mankind abuses nature for sporting purposes/girls
want to preserve their environment.

IT IS THE CONSTANT IMAGE OF YOUR FACE

(BY DENNIS BRUTUS-SOUTH AFRICAN)

(THE NOTES HAVE BEEN ADAPTED AND ADOPTED FROM PETER MAXWELL, CSEC ENGLISH B
STUDY GUIDE AND L.DEER)

⮚ Dennis Brutus is a famous South African poet who was a political activist
⮚ The poem exposes us to a love triangle between the persona, his country and
his female lover ( lines 16-18)
⮚ The persona insists that his loyalty is first and foremost to his country (line 9)
⮚ In the second stanza the persona openly commits treason ( line 15)
⮚ The persona claims that he is a victim of a conspiracy between his heart and
his female lover’s beauty
⮚ In the final lines of the poem, the persona hopes that his country will forgive
him on the premise that she ( the country) is an expert on tender feelings
⮚ The persona experiences a great internal conflict- because he wrestles with
the fact that he has two lovers
⮚ One of the main features of the poem is the tension between loyalty and the lover

DEVICES AND TECHNIQUES

⮚ The poem is written from the first person perspective

⮚ There is equal division of the stanzas symbolically pointing to the persona’s divided
affection

⮚ The tension between his beloved country and lover is played out through the
monosyllabic and polysyllabic end lines ( face, eyes, heart, accuses, guilty, excuses)

⮚ There are many images in the poem that suggest doubling of political and personal
endeavours. These images are: treason, loyalty, blackmail, eyes , face and heart
 ⮚ Oxymoron- ( heart’s treasury – line 6)

⮚ Personification -( lines, 12,17,18 / references to country as ‘she’ / heart plotting

against him/ beauty committing blackmail)

⮚ Metaphor-( world of knifes)

⮚ Visual images (lines 1,2,3,4 etc.)

⮚ Symbols – knives

⮚ Diction- political/legal/war language

⮚ Paradox-( lines 1-2- images normally formed in pictures or minds not hands)

THEMES IN SENTENCES

⮚ GUILT- activists/patriotic citizen may feel guilty when they have to dilute struggles
( apartheid struggle) with other cares/personal cares
⮚ LOVE- Eros love/love generally can sometimes lead to seemingly irrational
behaviours/can cause internal conflicts as well as conflicts in society
⮚ PATRIOTISM- should surpass everything else in a soldier’s/activist’s life/ requires
personal sacrifices

SONNET COMPOSED UPON WESTMINSTER BRIDGE BY WILLIAM

WORDSWORTH

Summary
The speaker declares that he has found the most beautiful scene on earth. You'd have to be
someone with no spiritual sense, no taste for beauty, to pass over the Westminster Bridge that
morning without stopping to marvel at the sights. The time is so early that all is quiet. The
various landmarks visible from the bridge, including St. Paul's Cathedral and the Tower of
London, stand before him in all their grandeur in the morning light. Fortunately, there happens to
be no “London fog to obscure the view. The speaker compares the sunlight on the buildings to
the light that shines on the countryside, and he seems surprised to feel more at peace in the
bustling city than he has anywhere else. Suddenly the city turns into a big sleeping body. The
speaker can almost see the expansion and contraction of the houses, as if they were taking deep
breaths. This usually vibrant city is calm, for once. The impression is made even more touching
by speaker's knowledge that, in a few hours, all will be bustle and hustle once again.

Genre
Lyric Structure: This poem is written in Petrarchan sonnet form.)

THEMES – Nature, Nature vs. Man made world

Man and Nature: The dominating theme in the poem is Nature. London is not introduced in its
negative aspect, but it is inserted in natural scenery. The author describes the beauty of the city
as the towers, the cathedrals, the theatres and the temples. Wordsworth personifies the city along
with the earth and the sun. This reiterates his conviction that the city, at this particular point of
day, does not clash with nature but becomes a part of it. "Composed Upon Westminster Bridge"
takes the view that the city can be surprisingly restful, and the speaker goes so far as to compare
it favorably with the solitude of nature. 

Awe and Amazement

This poem is a classic example of someone being taken by surprise by beauty and just staring at
it, wide-eyed and open-mouthed. Also, the speaker spends a significant portion of the poem
talking about how great the scenery is rather than describing it. The second half of the poem
contains more description than the first.

Transience
The poem makes clear that London is only beautiful in the morning and that it is not entirely
responsible for its beauty in the morning. A number of factors, including the unusual absence of
any fog and the way the light strikes the ships and buildings, combine to make a perfect scene.
Because the speaker knows that such a combination does not happen very often, he thinks that a
person would be foolish just to pass by, assuming there will always be other chances to see such
beauty. The speaker believes you have to take advantage of such opportunities when you have
them. Contrasting Regions (City, Countryside): Few writers, past or present, have expressed
their love for rural life quite so much as Wordsworth. Maybe that's why it's somewhat surprising
to hear him say that he never felt so calm as he did when standing on London's Westminster
Bridge. He seems surprised himself. The city's freshness is more beautiful than the freshness of
the countryside because it runs counter to expectation. The element of surprise accounts for the
speaker's enthusiasm.

MOOD & TONE

The poem’s mood and Tone is one of utter amazement, awe and surprise.

Analysis/ Effectiveness of Poetic Devices

VISUAL IMAGERY
The streets are mostly empty, and there's no traffic to hold them up. But when Wordsworth and
his sister cross the famous Westminster Bridge over the Thames River, they can't resist getting
out of their coach to marvel at the scene. Unlike many a damp London morning, there is no fog,
and the sky seems airy and spacious. The sun has begun to rise, casting a bright yellow light over
those famous London landmarks. As the sun moves from the horizon, the buildings begin to
glitter, as do the innumerable ships docked along the crowded river. The light makes London
appear to be a completely different city. In the second half of the poem, the speaker reflects on
other times when he has felt a similar sense of peace and wellbeing. He thinks of his explorations
around the English countryside, with its many green hills and valleys, but he decides that even
these cannot compare with the vision before him.

HYPERBOLE
Wordsworth's claim that his vision of London is the best on earth is clearly an hyperbole. It is an
innocent exaggeration as he is so caught up in the moment.

For eg. Line 1: The claim that no sight is more beautiful than the view from Westminster Bridge
is a case of hyperbole.
 Line 3: To say that something is "touching in its majesty" is almost a paradox, a contradiction in
terms. A touching sight is intimate and personal, while a majestic one is grand and public. With
this phrase, Wordsworth comes close to capturing the indescribable feeling of familiarity and
distance all at once.

Lines 9-11: Lines 9 and 11 have a parallel structure, in which he claims that the effect of the
morning light on London creates a beauty that has "never" been experienced before. As in the
first line, these claims are hyperboles.

PERSONIFICATION
Wordsworth uses personification in several places in the poem, in reference to the city, sun,
river, and houses. He creates the impression that nature is a living being with a soul. It's as if all
these forces have decided to come together to treat the speaker to a "One Morning Only!" show
of Nature's Greatest Marvels.

Line 4: The morning beauty is compared to clothing, a "garment," in a simile. Only people can
wear clothing), so London must be personified.

Line 10: "His first splendour" is a roundabout way of talking about the sunrise. The sun is
personified as a male.

Line 12: The river is personified as a person who likes to take things at his own pace. He's like
the person in front of you at the supermarket who's going to spend 10 minutes at the cash register
and there's nothing you can do about it.

Line 13: The houses are personified as sleeping people because the city is quiet and still. In
reality, the people inside the houses are the ones who are asleep.  Line 14: The city is
personified as a person with a heart. The heart is "lying still," perhaps because the city, like its
houses, is asleep.

METAPHOR
In "Composed Upon Westminster Bridge," clothes are a metaphor for the way the city and nature
in general seem to put on different appearances depending on the way the light "dresses" them.
Line 4: The morning light is compared to clothes worn by London. A "garment" is just an article
of clothing.

THE WOMAN WHO SPEAKS TO THE MAN WHO HAS EMPLOYED HER SON by
Lorna Goodison

Summary

The persona in this poem is telling the story of a mother who loved her son. The mother became
aware of the child's presence when she experienced morning sickness. She placed all her hopes
in the child and raised him as a single parent because his father was indifferent to the child's
existence. The mother had set no barriers on what the child could become, but he grows up to
work for some criminal who drags him into a war and gives him a firearm. The son tells his
mother that his employer is like a father to him, but the mother wonders at the father figure who
purposefully endangers his child. She prepares for her son's death by going downtown to buy
funeral apparel. The mother feels powerless, so she prays for her child and says protective
psalms for him. On the other hand, she reads psalms of retribution for the employer and weeps
for her son. Her situation does not look good and is likened to a partner system in which she
draws both the first and the last hand. Genre: Dramatic Structure: The poem is written in Free
Verse and consists of six unrhymed octets. It follows no specific meter.

THEMES
Death, Love, Survival, Desires/ Dreams, Childhood Experiences, Religion

Love
A mother’s love for her son and her hope that he succeeds in life.  Importance of Father
Figures – the poem explores the importance of father figures in the upbringing of children.
Mothers cannot father sons; the role is tailored for men. This is shown when the son finds a man
who seems to ‘value’ him. Being appreciated by a woman is not the same for a boy as being
respected by a man. Gaining respect from a masculine figure imbues a sense of manliness into a
boy. Hence the son is vulnerable to being fooled and used by a man who pretends to care for
him, and this is the situation with many young gang members today. 

Power of Prayer
The poem shows the woman’s trust in God and her belief in prayer. Caribbean culture is very
evident in this poem as we people believe in

The efficacy of the psalms

Take the 23rd psalm for example. Christians use prayer as a way of communicating their
concerns and worries to God.

MOOD
The mood of the poem though not happy, starts off as buoyant and optimistic. It seemed as
though it was going to be a success story whereby a single mother invested all her love and
attention to a boy who would go onto achieve great things. The lines “set no ceiling on what he
could be” brings the reader to think of this. This mood doesn’t last though as it soon deteriorates
into disappointment and grief when the mother learns that her son has become a criminal. The
mood of hopelessness soon becomes evident when the mother purchases funeral wear and is
underscored by a lurking sense of sadness and tragic acceptance. The woman accepts that her
son’s way of living and earning money will get him killed. The phrase “bloody salary” is
testament to this. The mood of the poem is also reflective. The persona is thinking about a
mother's response to her son's life choices.

TONE:
The tone of the poem is conversational. It is as if the narrator is conversing with the reader. This
tone is quite effective since the poem is a narrative and is telling a story. Towards the end the
tone begins to sound more pessimistic and is highlighted by the mother’s hopelessness for her
son’s survival and her acceptance that his death is imminent.

Analysis/ Effectiveness of Literary Devices

Apostrophe
This apostrophe is NOT a grammar device. In Literature, an apostrophe is when the speaker is
talking to someone who is not there or is nonexistent. The author uses this device to tell the
reader the story of the mother and son. The persona is speaking to the boy’s ‘employer’ telling
him of the grief which he brought to mother by endangering her son. It is as if the persona wants
the ‘employer’ to feel the hurt, pain and disappointment of the mother and to tell him how much
the mother resents him. This helps convey the mother’s feelings in a more intense manner. Also
even though the persona uses ‘you’ to address the employer, sometimes it seems to the reader as
if the persona is addressing them. This helps the reader to feel the mother’s pain, anger and
shame and almost forces the reader to evoke sympathy for the mother.

Simile

Lines 9-10: “She carried him like the poor carry hope” Poor people have no wealth and usually
no chance of breaking through poverty. Hope for life to improve is all they have. Hence the
writer compares to the mother to poor people carrying hope in the sense that she carried the boy
in her womb and took care of him like he was the only thing she had. She invested all her faith,
love and attention into him hoping that he would become successful in life one day.

Line 25: “He says you are like a father to him” The son compares the ‘employer’ to a father,
stating that the employer values him. The son is fooled in thinking that the criminal employer
cares him when actually the man just want to use the boy as one his of minions in a war. The son
is brainwashed so badly that he believes the man gave him the gun because he valued him.

Sarcasm
The persona appears to praise the child's father by referring to him as 'fair- minded'. She is,
however, chastising him for not only ignoring his son, but all of his other children. She calls him
fair, but what she really means is that he is unjust.

Irony
The son innocently tells his mother that his employer values him so much that he gave him a
whole submachine gun for himself. The irony in this situation is that if you really care about
someone, you do NOT give them a gun due to the negative results that are bound to occur.

Allusion (Biblical)
Lines 26 – 28: This line alludes to a particular verse in the Christian Bible, Luke 11 vs 11 which
says “Which of you fathers, if your son asks got a fish, will give him a snake instead?” The verse
questions what the actions of a good father should be.

Lines 37- 38: Psalms is a particular chapter in the Christian Bible. In this chapter there are verses
for protection, the mother uses those for her son, as well as verses for retribution and rebuking. It
is implied that the mother chooses those for the employer.

Lines 41 – 45: In the Christian Bible, Judas Iscariot betrayed Jesus. Imagine how Judas’ mother
must have felt - the pain, the shame, the disappointment at her son's deed! So would the mother
of the thief who was crucified along with Jesus. The mother in our poem claims similar feelings.
Line 49: Absalom is the son of David, in the Christian Bible. Absalom betrayed his father, which
implies that the mother feels betrayed by her son because she has placed all her hopes in him and
he throws it all away.

Symbolism

Goodison uses the concept of a partnership to symbolize mothers’ hopes for their sons. A
partnership is an informal saving scheme set up with a specific number of individuals for the
duration of a specific time span. Each person agrees to pay a designated figure on a monthly
basis. The mother invests her everything into her son. Her attention, money, faith, hopes etc. The
'draws' are decided, meaning who gets the money first, second, third etc, on a monthly basis. The
banker then collects the money and gives the monthly pool to the person who is to receive their
'draw'. Therefore, a 'partnership' is dependent upon the honesty of the banker, who could abscond
with the money, as well as the honesty of the members of the savings scheme, who could decide
NOT to pay after they have received their draw. The persona speaks of being in a 'partner' with
Judas' mother and the mother of the thief on the left-hand side of the cross, acknowledging that
these three mothers have lost all that they had invested in their sons. For her, it is worst than for
the other women, for she had invested her all. She had given her son everything she had as she
was playing the roles of both mother and father. The mother has the advantage of first draw as
mother, she loses that advantage because she also has the role of father. Mothers cannot father
sons. The fact that the son has found a father figure proves this to be true. Therefore, she has the
last draw, which carries with it the disadvantage of not receiving a full 'draw'. The longer one
waits for a draw is the most likely that dishonesty will come into play on the part of the
participants. These mothers invested into their sons but did not receive anything in return worthy
of their investments.

MOOD/ ATMOSPHERE

The mood of the poem is reflective. The persona is thinking about a mother's response
to her son's life choices.
TONE
The tone of the poem is pragmatic and pessimistic. The persona is telling the tale as it is, with
no positive energy.

THEMES
Death, love, survival, desires/ dreams, childhood experiences.

DULCE ET DECORUM EST -

Wilfred Owen,the poet, tells of his first hand experience in war. He tells the tale of tired and
wounded soldiers walking through dirt and sludge. Suddenly, there is a warning about gas, which
the soldiers hurriedly and awkwardly heed by donning their helmets. Unfortunately, one soldier
is too late in donning the helmet and his companions watch him 'drowning' in the gas. The
unfortunate soldier was thrown in the back of a wagon, where it is implied that he was left to die.
The persona points out that if you (the reader/ listener) could have witnessed these events, then
you would not tell children the old lie: dulce et decorum est pro patria mori (It is sweet and
honourable to die for one'scountry).

SIMILE
Stanza 1, line 1: This simile introduces the exhaustion of the soldiers.

Stanza 1, line 2: This emphasizes not only the tiredness of the soldiers, but the fact that they
might be sick as well.

Stanza 2, line 19: This device gives a visual image of how the soldier physically reacted to the
gas. Floundering implies flopping about, therefore, the soldier was flopping about violently. We
know it was violent because fire and lime illicit excruciating pain.

1.Obscene as cancer, 1.bitter as the cud Of vile, incurable sores on innocent tongues,-My friend,
you would not tell with such a high zest To children ardent for some desperate glory,The old Lie:
10.Dulce et decorum estPro patria mori.Owen, W. 'Dulceet Decorum Est' in A Worldof Prose.

Stanza 4, line 39: This device gives a visual image of the expression on the soldier's face. This is
a particularly grotesque image that highlights the soldier in the throes of death.

Stanza 4, line 39: Cancer is a horrible disease that takes many lives on a daily basis. Therefore,
to compare this dying soldiers’ face to this disease is to emphasize the agony that the soldier was
going through, which was reflected on his face.

Stanza 4, lines 39-40: This is another graphic comparison that compares the soldier's face to
incurable sores. 'Sores' is a disgusting visual image of degradation which, in turn, highlights the
soldier in the throes of death.
ALLITERATION

Stanza 1, line 7: This device points to the level of fatigue that the soldiers were undergoing.

Stanza 1, lines 7-9: This highlights not only the fatigue that the soldiers were feeling, but the fact
that they were injured as well.

Stanza 4, lines 29-30: This device highlights a visually graphic death mask. The soldier is in the
throes of impending death.

IMPORTANT WORDS/ PHRASES

'Bent double'
The soldiers are bent over with fatigue. It is very significant that the poet/ persona initiates
the poem by highlighting the exhaustion of the soldiers. He is trying to emphasize the harsh
realities of war.

'haunting flares
'Flares are typically used to signal distress. The flare is fired from a flare gun, in the air, where
rescue crafts, at sea or in the air, can have a general idea of the location of the soldiers who are in
distress. Therefore, to describe the flares as haunting implies that the soldiers are severely
distressed by their situation.

'deaf even to the hoots of tired, outstripped Five-Nines that dropped behind.
'Five-nines are German 5.9 artillery shells. This means that bullets were firing around them while
they were walking. The extent of the soldiers' tiredness is also emphasized at this point because
the soldiers do not hear the shells going off around them.

'An ecstasy of fumbling'

The word ecstasy, that is used to describe the fumbling, implies the level of panic that this one
word (gas) elicits. The soldiers' were so tired that they could not even hear the five nines, but this
one word immediately wakes them up.

'Dim, through the misty panes and thick green light, as under a green sea, I saw him
drowning.'
This describes exactly what the outside world looks like through the lens of a gas mask. The
effect of the gas is seen in the mention of the word 'drown'. It implies that the unfortunate
soldier could not breathe.

'He plunges at me, guttering, choking, drowning.

'This is the very graphic result of breathing in the gas. It is a very violent reaction, as seen in the
word 'plunge'. The dying soldier did not simply reach for the persona/poet, but he did so in a
desperate manner, while all the time being unable to breathe.

'wagon that we flung him in’

The statement implies that the soldier was left for dead in a wagon. No regard was shown to him,
through the use of the word 'flung'. This implies that war is heartless and tragic.

'Dulce et decorum est pro patria mori.'

This statement literally means it is sweet and honourable to die for one's country. The
persona/ poet clearly does NOT believe this to be the case.

MOOD/ ATMOSPHERE

The mood of the poem is reflective. The persona/ poet is thinking about his experiences in WW1.

TONE

The general tone of the poem is both sarcastic and ironic. The persona/ poet tries to present a
visual of the realities of war while using the haunting words that contradict that reality. It is, in
fact, NOT sweet and honourable to die for one's country.

THEMES

War, death, survival, oppression, patriotism

SOUTH by Kamau Brathwaite

Summary

The persona speaks about the fact that today he is recapturing the beauty of the island of his
birth. He reflects on the fact that he has travelled to the lands of the north (considered to be
Europe) which appear to be the very opposite of his island. Meanwhile then, the South refers to
his island. In this poem, the persona speaks about returning home after a while living in a
‘northern’ country. He is nostalgic about his island and is fed up with the atmosphere he was
living in (the north). He is relieved and comfortable only when he returns to his familiar island. It
tells of a familiar story in the Caribbean of someone leaving to migrate but coming home after a
while because they do not feel comfortable where they chose to go and make a living.

In the first line the persona uses the phrase “recapture the islands” to show that he felt that the
island has been lost or taken. He does not “rediscover” but recaptures it showing that he has no
intention of leaving again. There is a lot of alliteration in the poem that is used to describe the
persona’s emotions. There is “bright beaches: blue mist from the ocean” and “sound of the sea”
which shows how comfortable and inviting the island is to the persona. The sight and sound
experienced is calming and rekindles memories. The connection to the island is further
highlighted by personifying it as a mother that would have “life heaved and breathed in me”. By
giving the island the quality of parenthood, it shows that the persona had a connection to the
land, feels at home there, feels comfort there and owes it for giving him life.

In the second stanza, the alliterations are used to show how unwelcoming the ‘north’ is.
“Sojourned in stoniest cities” shows how the cities are made of stone and not filled with green
spaces like the island. The use of the word sojourned (journeyed) suggests that the persona only
intends to stay there temporarily. “Sharp, slanting sleet” gives the impression that it is cold and
uncomfortable. And “crossed countless saltless savannas” gives the impression that the ‘north’ is
lacking the feeling of home and relaxation for the persona. This is the contrast (juxtaposition) the
persona uses comparing the unfriendliness of the ‘north’ to the warmth of the ‘south’. In this
stanza the persona begins to make judgments about the river and its water as compared to the sea
and its water. The river is associated with oppression and bitterness in the phrase “tepid taste” –
(tepid means slightly warm/ lukewarm). The ‘north’ is known for its large rivers and it has
impacted the culture of those countries, e.g. the United States and Canada. The persona criticises
the mindset of these people who work continuously just like the river flows but in many cases
without a clear goal to achieve. In the ‘south’, the people are looked at as being laid back but in
reality they enjoy life more. Moreover, the metaphors of the ocean and the river are a reminder
of who they belong to (the ocean – the Caribbean people/ the river – the people of Europe, US,
Canada). The river which runs through the North is also a reminder of the North’s oppression on
the south – the onslaught of slavery many years ago which still leaves an imprint today on the
lives of the Caribbean people. The freedom of the flowing river, representative of the north
reminds the speaker of the oppression faced by the Caribbean people and their ancestors and how
they too also longed for a sense of freedom just like the people of the North. The river reminds
him of his constant need to find his identity and a place of belonging as opposed to the North’s
scant regard for the identity and purpose of African/Caribbean peoples. What he notices however
is that river still finds its way to the sea. Maybe the merging of the river and the sea illustrates
that this is a history that he must not forget as it forms part of his journey and therefore his
historical identity. This is why in the fourth stanza, he either goes back to the island physically or
mentally or he finds himself travelling to Africa from the rivers in Europe.

In the fourth stanza, nature is personified as a person welcoming the persona back to the island.
The author personifies the small sea urchins. “Small urchins combing the beaches look up from
their traps to salute us: they remember us just as we left them.” The tiny sea creatures seem to be
as happy to see the travellers returning to their native shores as the travellers are to be returning.
It is as if time has stood still since the persona left and everything is in the place he left it. He
cannot hide his excitement: “there is the thatch of the fishermen's houses, the path made of
pebbles, and look! Small urchins combing the beaches”

In the last stanza the persona is greeted by a fisherman who most likely remembers him. It is a
new beginning now for the persona as he finally hopes that this is where he belongs and can
regain a life lost and “fly into limitless morning before us.”

Analysis/ Effectiveness of Poetic Devices

Alliteration
•Stanza 1, lines 1-2: The alliteration of the ‘b’ sound forces the reader to sound cheerful, thereby
facilitating the interpretation that the persona is happy to be home.

•Stanza 1, lines 4-5: This alliteration, again, draws the reader through the sound that it illicits.
One can almost hear the sound that the sea makes through the repetition of the ‘s’ sound. It
emphasizes the joy that the persona feels to be home.

•Stanza 2, lines 13-14: This alliteration, when spoken, is staccato. It literally emphasizes the
persona’s discomfort, and dislike, of the new context that he is faced with. It is alien to him, as
seen when contrasted with the scene that he describes in the first stanza.

•Stanza 4, line 33: This device gives the reader a visual image of the scene. It is simple image
that highlights the persona’s excitement at being home and seeing scenes, even seemingly
inconsequential ones, that he knows and loves.

•Stanza 5, line 43: This alliteration gives the reader a visual of what the persona sees as pleasant
and calming, as opposed to the alliteration in stanza 2. The sound that the alliteration illicits is a
calm one, implying that the persona is at peace.

2. Personification
•Stanza 1, lines 6-7: This device gives a beautiful impression of the effect that the island had on
the persona. He felt whole when he was there, at peace.

•Stanza 2, lines 16-17: The shadows, in this context, represents his past life and experiences on
the island. The memories of his island illicits feelings of sadness, even homesickness. These
memories cast an oppressive shadow over his life in the north.

3. SIMILE
The persona compares the flowing of the rivers, which represents the north, to his longing for his
island home. This comparison indicates that his longing is an intense one, he is homesick.

IMPORTANT WORDS/ PHRASES

‘Recapture’
The word capture means to take possession of something or someone. Therefore, when the
persona says that he is recapturing his island, it implies that he is taking back possession of what
he once owned.

‘Since then I have travelled’

This line indicates that the persona did not remain on the island of his birth.

‘sojourned in stoniest cities’

This highlights a contrast between the persona’s island and the cities that he visited. His island
has beaches and oceans, while the cities that he visited were concrete jungles made of stone.

‘We who are born of the ocean can never seek solace in rivers’
The persona refers to the north, and its populace, as rivers, while the south, and his island, is the
ocean. This line highlights the persona’s discontent in the north.

‘reproves us our lack of endeavour and purpose’

Reprove is to reprimand. Therefore, the line is saying that the flowing river, the north,
reprimands the ocean, the south, for its lack of effort and resolve. This implies that the persona
might be homesick and, therefore, not functioning at full capacity in the new northern
environment.

‘proves that our striving will founder on that.’

The term founder literally means the owner or operator of a foundry. This has little to do with the
context of the poem, therefore, it can be assumed that poetic license was utilized at this point.
Contextually, the line can be interpreted as meaning that the persona’s subsequent striving, or
 efforts, will be founded on the reprimand made by the river, or the north.

‘there’
The emphasis placed on this word, through the use of italics, highlights the fact that the persona
is both happy and excited to be home.

‘and look!’
The exclamation mark emphasizes the persona’s enthusiasm, and excitement, when he identifies
a scene that is reminiscent of his past.

MOOD/ ATMOSPHERE
The mood of the poem is reflective. The persona is thinking about his island home, as well as
places that he has visited in the north.

TONE
The tone of the poem goes from being reflective, to being elated.

THEMATIC CATEGORIZATION
Patriotism, places, desires and dreams

OL’ HIGUE by Mark McWatt

Summary

The title Ol’ Higue speaks to a superstition in Guyana/ Caribbean that an old woman called Ol’
Higue (or Soucoyant in Trinidad) strips off her skin late at night, turns herself into a terrifying ball
of fire and flies into houses with babies and sucks their blood. The only way to kill her is by
rubbing salt into her skin which pains or kills her or scattering rice grains at windows or doors
forces her to remain their counting the grains until sun rise catches her without her skin. The poem
takes the reader into the world of supernatural, presenting Ol’ Higue as a realistic complaining old
woman. It is not until the final section that the poet has her arguing the case that mythical creatures
such as Ol’ Higue are necessary to help people deal with terrible misfortunes.

Ol’ Higue is a poem in the form of a dramatic monologue, which is the type of poem that
contains features of both lyric & dramatic poetry.
Lyric: single speaker/persona- who comments on personal feeling and experiences in first person
Dramatic poem: persona in dramatic situation interacting with someone who does NOT speak.
The speaker is a mythical creature who is addressing the readers including mothers. There are 3
sections.

1. Written in free verse- pleading for sympathy because all of the indignity and suffering the Ol’
Higue goes through.
 Example: lines 1-5
“You think I like this stupidness –
gallivanting all night without my skin,
burning myself out like a cane-fire
to frighten the foolish?
And for what a few drops of baby blood?”

2. She complains that she is a victim of her own impulses and fears

Example: lines 12-17

“If only babies didn’t smell so nice!
And if I could only stop
hearing the soft, soft call
of that pure blood running in new veins,
singing the sweet song of life
tempting an old, dry-up woman…”

3. She argues that she serves as a scapegoat taking blame for infant tragedies

Example: lines 20-25

“Then again, if I didn’t fly and come
to that fresh pulse in the middle of the night,
how would you, mother,
name your ancient dread?
And who to blame
for the murder inside your head . .?”

Line 28: The Ol’ Higue feels that she deserves pity, given that what she’s supposedly enduring
“the temptation” she cannot supposedly resist, but mainly, in reality, because people will always
need someone to blame for the misfortune of babies.

Analysis/ Effectiveness of Literary Devices

SIMILE
Cane-fire has a very distinct quality. It burns very quickly and its presence is felt through it's
pungent smell. Therefore, when the Ol' Higue compares herself to cane fire in her fireball state, it
implies that she uses a lot of energy quickly, and is very visible.

RHETORICAL QUESTION

● Stanza 1,line 4: This rhetorical question highlights the scant regard that the Higue
has for the average person. She is thoroughly annoyed that she has to literally waste her
energy on them.
 ● Stanza 1, line 5: This highlights the fact that, again, she is annoyed that she has to
expend so much energy to obtain a few drops of baby blood.
● Stanza 1, lines 6-8: The Ol' Higue is emphasizing the fact that regular people
ingest blood too, just in a more palatable manner. She would not mind if she could ingest
it in the same manner as well.
● Stanza 3, lines 22-23: At this point the Ol' Higue is making excuses for her
presence, claiming that she serves an actual purpose in the scheme of life. If a child dies
of unknown causes, she can be scapegoated for it.
● Stanza 3, lines 24-25: 'The murder inside your head' refers to the moments, when
out of pure frustration and tiredness, a mother might wish ill on her child. The Ol' Higue
is implying that, again, she can be used as a scapegoat if something unfortunate happens
to the child. The mother is relieved of bearing the burden of guilt.

REPETITION
The repetition of the word 'soft' emphasizes the fact that the call of the child's blood has captured
and beguiled the Ol' Higue'. She implies that she cannot resist that call.

ALLITERATION
This device emphasizes the Ol' Higue's dependence, even addiction, to the sweet blood of the
baby.

IMPORTANT WORDS/ PHRASES

'stupidness!'
This is a distinctly Caribbean phrase that highlights frustration or scorn. Therefore, it highlights
the Ol' Higue's frustration with her lack of self control.

'gallivanting'
This term refers to some one 'playing around', having fun. The Ol' Higue is being sarcastic at this
point. She is expressing displeasure at having to fly around to seek prey.

'pure blood running in new veins'

Babies are often associated with purity, this is what is emphasized here. The Ol' Higue simply
cannot resist the lure of new and pure blood.

'holding her final note for years and years, afraid of the dying hum ...'
This tells us that the Ol'Higue has been living this desperate existence for a long time. It also
implies that she will keep hanging on, despite her frustration. The final line confirms this
point: 'As long as it have women giving birth a poor Ol' Higue like me can never dead'
MOOD/ ATMOSPHERE
The mood of the poem is reflective.

TONE
The tone of the poem is slightly bitter and resigned. She accepts that the cycle of her life cannot
change.

THEMES – The supernatural, identity, image of beauty,

Little Boy Crying by Mervyn Morris

Summary

The speaker in the poem illustrates the events and reactions played out by a little boy and his
father. The little boy is crying uncontrollably because of his father’s unrelenting disciplinarian
attitude. The little boy, in simple childlike behaviour may have been playing the rain as the poem
suggests or was simply disobedient to warrant a ‘quick slap struck’ from the father. The father’s
punishment however becomes notably worse when the little boy throws a tantrum, cries
excessively and even worse, begins to plan wickedness on the father whom he now sees as a
monster (ogre) – the most evil and heartless thing on the earth. However, the poem shifts to
include a more human-like response from the father who does wish to ease the child’s pain by
lifting him, playing bullfight, anything. But he refuses to interfere with the lessons that the child
must learn and be the disciplinarian he ought to be at that time.
Analysis/ Effectiveness of Poetic Devices

Lines 1-2 – “Your mouth contorting in brief spite and/ hurt, your laughter metamorphosed
into howls”
VISUAL IMAGERY & JUXTAPOSITION
Readers can visualize the little boy not only crying, but seeing his face literally change from
happiness into deep frustration and anger. You can see that the child has been hurt and he feels
immense pain. This image can also be considered a hyperbole because of the exaggeration of the
child’s pain characterized by the howls. Howls do not just indicate crying but a sense of
‘bawling’.

Lines 3-4 – “your frame so recently relaxed now tight/ With three-year-old frustration”
JUXTAPOSITION
The poem shows a contrast with the boy’s feelings. He was obviously feeling a sense of
happiness/ joy/ elation with his body relaxed but as soon he was punished, his body reacted in a
fit of anger/ fury/ irritation

Lines 5-6 – “your bright eyes/ swimming tears, splashing your bare feet”
VISUAL IMAGERY & PERSONIFICATION
The boy’s tears become personified because of the amount/ quantity of his tears. His crying
seemed so much that they form a small pool at his feet and the excessive tears flow around
representing his great annoyance.

Line 6 – “You stand there angling for a moment’s hint”

VISUAL IMAGERY
We can visualize/ imagine the avid confusion on the boy’s face wondering what has just
transpired/happened. He ultimately shocked in the moment and the readers feel a sense of pity
for him.

Line 7 – “of guild or sorrow for the quick slap struck”

ALLITERATION OF “C” SOUND & ONOMATOPOEIA
Both of these devices feature sound/ auditory imagery. They remind us of the harsh strike or slap
the boy received. You can almost hear the sound of the hit on the boy’s skin. It is jarring. And
you can feel/ hear the pain the boy endured.

Line 8 – “The ogre towers above you, that grim ginat”

METAPHOR & DICTION (language/ use of special or key words)
The word ogre represents something huge and monstrous. The father in the eyes of the boy is
characterized as a humungous evil thing and not a human being

Line 9 – “empty of feeling, a colossal cruel”

DICTION
Colossal means huge/ extremely big. Therefore, the father is seen as the most wicked, heartless
and mean thing in the world who does not care for the boy’s feelings.

Lines 10-11 “Soon victim of the tale’s conclusion, dead/ at least”

Lines 11-13 – “You imagine/ chopping clean the tree he’s scrambling down/ or plotting
deeper pits to trap in him.”
ALLUSION (OF THE STORY JACK AND THE BEANSTALK)
We know that in the fairy tale, the giant tries to climb the tree in order to eat Jack. However, in
the end, the gaint dies. This exaggerates/ emphasizes how mean the father is and how the child
seems to hate the father so much that dreams the worst for him. The parent child relationship
here is strained and it is obvious that the boy has contempt for the father.

Lines 14-16 – You cannot understand…the hurt your easy tears can scald him with/ nor
guess the wavering hidden behind that mask”
METAPHOR
The boy’s tears obviously is a source of immense pain and hurt for the father.
PARADOX
The mask of the father shows that there are two sides to the father – a hard disciplinarian and
sweet, soft, loving man.

Lines 17-19 – “This fierce man longs to…curb your sadness/…bull fight, anything”
PARADOX
We can see a more loving side of the father. He is not a wicked beast anymore but he is a loving,
caring person. He has become humanized because we know his feelings.

Lines 19-20 – “But dare not ruin the lessons you should learn/ You must not make a
plaything of the rain”
METAPHOR
The father tries to be a disciplinarian so that the child learns to behave. Therefore, the last line of
the poem could be literal. He could have been making mischief in the rain but the rain is also
symbolic of trouble and the lessons to be learned.
THEMES
Childhood experiences, Parent-Child relationships, Love

TONE
Anger, Concern, Lover

MOOD
Dejection, Frustration

My Parents by Stephen Spender

Summary

This poem reveals the desires of a boy (presumably upper class) who is overprotected by his
parents. He therefore remains by himself looking out at the other boys who are rough, enjoying
nature and being adventurous. Unfortunately, but characteristic of boys, they jeer and insult the
sheltered boy especially since he pales in comparison to the strong and fierce boys whom he
watches. His weakness (his lisp and maybe his club foot which prevented him from being as
agile as other boys) further separate him from the other boys. The rough boys are also contrasted
with the persona possibly based on their lower class behaviour. From the poem, their torn clothes
for example indicate that they are not of the same environment as the persona. The persona
ironically wishes to be like them, to have their sense of fun and adventure and to be as strong as
they are. He longs to be a part of their world.

Analysis/ Effectiveness of Poetic Devices

Line 1 – “My parents kept me from children who were rough”

DICTION
The use of the word rough indicates the type of children the persona discusses. They are coarse
and live a tough wild life.

Line 2 – “Who threw words like stones.”

SIMILE
This indicates the words uttered by the rough boys stung and hurt the persona. It was is if he felt
a physical assault just by their insults and jeering.

Lines 2-3 – “…and who wore torn clothes./ Their thighs showed through rags.”
VISUAL IMAGERY
The use of this image represents the fact that these boys are different and come from a different
background from the persona. These boys possibly live in poverty or a lower social class unlike
the seemingly upper-class boy. Their torn clothes also show how wild-like the boys may be –
shaggy, rugged and who do not care about appearance as opposed to fun.

Lines 3-4 – “They rain the street…climbed cliffs…stripped by country streams”

VISUAL AND KINESTHETIC IMAGERY (kinesthetic means movement)
These lines show how wild but adventurous and free the boys are. They are typical, rough, fun
boys.

Line 5 – “I feared more than tigers their muscles like iron”

SIMILE
This device shows how utterly fearful the persona is of the boys. It is as if there is nothing
stronger than their hard strength.

Line 6 – “Their jerking hands…knees tight on my arm”

VISUAL IMAGERY
This literally shows how the persona is possibly in a fight/tussle with the other boys. He is being
pinned down by them. Therefore, this image shows the brutal strength of the boys compared to
the feebleness/ weakness of the persona.

Line 7 – “I felt the salt course pointing of those boys”

METAPHOR
Just like salt, which when put on a wound, burns immensely, The boys pointing fingers at the
persona burns his spirit and self esteem. Unfortunately, unlike salt, there is no healing, only more
pain.

Line 8 – “Who copied my lisp…”

JUXTAPOSITION
It is obvious that part of the persona’s weakness is his speech defect/ difficulty. This problem is
contrasted the other boys’ brute strength, prowess and physical perfection.

Line 9 – “They were lithe, they sprang out behind edges”

DICTION
The word lithe means thin, agile and graceful. The fact that they ‘sprang out’ can also be
considered a metaphor. This all shows how animal-like or feral they are. It is as if they were not
human but they were beastial.

Line 10 – “Like dogs to bark at my world.”

SIMILE
Again, the boys seemed like wicked animals, jeering and insulting the upper class sheltered life
of the boy.

Lines 10-11 – “They threw mud…pretending to smile”

Line 12 – “I longed to forgive them but they never smiled”
IRONY
The persona detests/hates the boys meanness/wickedness and how is treated by them. He longs
to be accepted by their group. He longs for the freedom, liberty and attachment to nature which
the other boys possess. He wishes to be in their world but his lifestyle will never allow that

THEMES
Childhood experiences, Parent-child Relationships, Social Class, Dreams/Desires

TONE
Longing, Sadness, Rejection, Irony

MOOD
Sadness

A STONE’S THROW

Summary

A crowd has caught a woman. The persona implies to the reader that the woman is not decent.
She was beautiful, but scared because she had gotten 'roughed up' a little by the crowd. The
persona states that the woman has experienced men's hands on her body before, but this crowd's
hands were virtuous. He also makes a point that if this crowd bruises her, it cannot be compared
to what she has experienced before. The persona also speaks about a last assault and battery to
come. He justifies this last assault by calling it justice, and it is justice that feels not only right,
but good. The crowd's 'justice' is placed on hold by the interruption of a preacher, who stops to
talk to the lady. He squats on the ground and writes something that the crowd cannot see.
Essentially, the preacher judges them, thereby allowing the lady to also judge the crowd, leading
to the crowd inevitably judging itself. The crowd walks away from the lady, still holding stones
[which can be seen as a metaphor for judgments] that can be thrown another day.

Analysis/ Effectiveness of Poetic Devices

SARCASM
The persona is making the point that the lady was in fact NOT decent looking.

PERSONIFICATION
This device is particularly effective because the word 'kisses' is used. Kiss implies something
pleasant, but it is actually utilized to emphasize something painful that has happened to the lady;
she was stoned.

PUN

Title: The title of the poem is itself a pun on two levels. A stone's throw is used by many people
in the Caribbean to describe a close distance. eg. "She lives a stone's throw away". The other use
of the title is to highlight the content of the poem. It is a figurative stoning, or judging, of a
woman

Line 23: There is a play on the word 'come'. The persona is telling the reader that the crowd is
planning to rape the lady. This act is to come, or occur, in the near future. Come, in this context,
also means to ejaculate, the culmination of the act of sex. The rapists in the crowd also plan to
'come'.

ALLUSION (biblical)
The content of the poem alludes to the story of Mary Magdalene in the Christian Bible. See John
8 v 5-7.

IMPORTANT WORDS/ PHRASES

'we'
This immediately tells the reader that the persona is in a crowd, which highlights to us that the
mob mentality exists in this context. The crowd acts as one entity.

‘they'
The use of this word immediately alienates the lady and places her in the scornful realm of the
'other'.

'dead scared'
The use of the term 'dead' to describe the lady's emotional state of fearfulness implies that she is
extremely frightened, it is beyond regular fear.

'tousled'
This word means to be handled roughly and, as a result, to look disorderly and disheveled. It is
the perfect word to use in this context because it adds to the sexual innuendo that exists
throughout the poem.

'nothing much'
The persona disregards the damage that they have done to the lady. He admits to the rough
treatment, but tries to make himself, and the crowd, look favourable despite their wrong doings.

'But ours were virtuous, Of course'

This is almost like a tongue in cheek admittance that their touch was actually the opposite of
virtuous. The use of the term 'of course' highlights this interpretation.

'battery'
In the Caribbean context, battery refers to the slang term for the rape of an individual, conducted
by several people in succession. Therefore, the persona is pointing out the intent of the crowd, or
some people in the crowd.

'Of right'
This is a clear indication, from the persona, that he believes that he and the mob are in the right.

'tastes so good'
'Taste', to a lot of individuals, is one of the higher senses. Therefore, when the persona uses this
word, he is highlighting the intense pleasure that he anticipates from meting out this 'justice'.

'this guru, Preacher, God-merchant, God-knows-what'

The persona's annoyance at this individual for disrupting his fun comes out in this statement. The
persona is deliberately being disrespectful.

'(Should never speak to them)'

This particular line speaks to the alienation that the lady faces. She is scornfully grouped as
'them'.
'And saw in her something we couldn't see'
The intruder saw value in the lady, something that the crowd did not see.

'He turned his eyes on us, Her eyes on us, Her eyes upon ourselves.'
This speaks to the fact that the preacher and the lady judge the crowd, and, more importantly, the
crowd judges itself. The preacher's act of kindness sheds light on the cruelty that is inflicted on
the lady by the crowd.

'We walked away Still holding stones'

This implies that the crowd still plans to keep judging, and acting on their judgments, as they see
fit.

TONE
The tone of the poem is mixed. At times it is almost braggadocios (meaning bragging and
boastful), then it becomes sarcastic, moving to scornful.

THEMES
Discrimination, Religion, Survival, Hypocrisy, Oppression, Alienation.

WEST INDIES USA

Summary
The persona is travelling in a plane, looking down at San Juan, Puerto Rico, as the plane
descends. He is saying that this island is the wealthiest in the Caribbean because it has won the
jackpot, it has come up lucky. He then points out that he, and others, had travelled to many
Caribbean islands and received a hint of the flavour of each island through it's calling card, - its
airport - all of which fail when compared to plush San Juan. As they land, they are instructed to
stay on the plane if their destination is not San Juan. The persona takes offence and states that
America does not want blacks in San Juan, implying that they might be a disruptive force. He
notes the efficiency with which things flow, enabling them to take to the skies once more. During
the ascent, the persona notes the contrast between the influences of the Caribbean and America.
He likens San-Juan to a broken TV, it Iooks good on the outside, but broken on the inside.

.
LITERARY DEVICES

SIMILE

Line 2: Puerto Rico is compared to dice that is tossed on a casino's baize, it can either come up
with winning numbers, or losing numbers. Puerto Rico comes up with winning numbers in the
game of chance, as reflected in its wealthy exterior, which is supported by America.

Lines 7-8: San Juan's glitter is compared to a maverick's gold ring. The word maverick implies
non-conformist, an individualist. This implies that San Juan, Puerto Rico is in the Caribbean, but
not a part of the Caribbean. It belongs to America.

Lines 10-11: Airports are compared to calling cards. This means that, like a calling card, the
quality of the airport gives you an idea of the island's economic status. The airport is also
compared to a cultural fingerprint. A fingerprint is an individual thing, therefore the airport gives
the traveler an idea of the island's cultural landscape.

Line 39: The road is compared to twisted wires. This means that the roads, from above, look both
plentiful and curvy. This does not carry a positive connotation, but implies confusion.

ALLUSION

Line 5: Dallas is an oil rich state in America. Therefore, many of its inhabitants are wealthy, and
the state itself, is wealthy. By stating that San Juan is the Dallas of the West Indies, it implies that
it is a wealthy island in the West Indies.

Lines 5-7: An allusion is being made to the well known cliche; 'every cloud has a silver lining'. It
means that behind everything that is seemingly bad, there is good. In the context of this poem, it
means that the good, the silver lining, has a mark, or stamp, that authenticates its good quality; it
is hallmarked. This implies that it will always have its silver lining showing.

SARCASM

Line 20: This statement means the exact opposite of what is stated. The persona is disgusted that
Uncle Sam (America) would have such a regulation. This regulation bars anyone from stepping a
toe on Puerto Rican soil, if it is not your intended destination. You just have to remain in the air
craft, no matter the waiting period, until it is time for takeoff. The persona believes that the
Americans are being blatantly discriminatory, and are attempting to camouflage it through the
use of regulations. He does not believe that they have achieved their goal of subtlety.

Line 20: The statement, 'give me your poor...' is particularly sarcastic because it is a direct quote
from the New Collossus, which rests on a plaque on the statue of liberty, and signifies that the
disenfranchised of the world are welcome. The persona, as a member of the 'disenfranchised'
masses, clearly feels unwelcomed.

Line 26: The persona implies that America is all talk and no action. They really do not want the
poor because they bar them from entering and expediently sends them on their way when they
enter their airport. The statement is sarcastic because it is loaded with an alternate meaning, due
to the contrast in statement and action.

PUN

Line 17-18: The pun is placed on 'land of the free', it becomes 'Island of the free'. This pun
emphasizes how isolated Puerto Rico is from the rest of the Caribbean islands. It belongs to the
U.S.A. This state of belonging to, or being owned by the US is asserted through it's insertion into
the Star Spangled Banner.
CONTRAST/ JUXTAPOSITION
The contrast in this poem is found in stanza 5. The American cars etc, against the pushcarts. The
American culture versus the Puerto Rican culture.
IMPORTANT WORDS/ PHRASES

'plush'
This word implies soft, like a teddy bear. It also implies luxury. So San Juan is all of these
things.

'desperate blacks might re-enslave this Island of the free'

These 'desperate blacks' to whom the persona is referring are the poor people of the Caribbean. If
they converge on the glistening San Juan, sucking up its resources, then it might become re-
enslaved by poverty.

'America's back yard'

A backyard means one of two things for people. It is a haven where you relax, therefore you
decorate it and invest time and money in it. Or, you ignore it and spend all your time indoors, not
investing any time, energy or money in it. America viewed Puerto Rico as the latter, a prize in
which it saw value. Therefore, when the persona uses this phrase, he is implying that while it is
valued, it is still at the back. Slight sarcasm is being used here.

'the contrasts tantalise'

When something, or someone, is tantalising, it implies that it is intriguing. The persona, by using
this phrase, is trying to draw the readers attention to to the jarring contrasts by stating that he
finds them intriguing.

'fierce efficiency'
The word fierce, used to describe the level of efficiency with which the people worked to get the
plane off the ground, shows the extent to which they were not wanted on the island.

'fools-glitter'
This implies that the flashiness of San Juan was not authentic.
11.'It's sharp and jagged and dangerous, and belonged to some-one else.'
This implies that San Juan is not safe. The cultures are not melding, but jarring against each
other. The reason for this is because it belongs to someone else.

MOOD/ ATMOSPHERE
The mood of the poem is sarcastic.

TONE
The tone of the poem is slightly bitter, which is fueled by the sarcastic atmosphere.

THEMES
Discrimination, oppression, places, culture.
 LANDSCAPE PAINTER BY VIVIAN VIRTUE
(VIVIAN VIRTUE (13 NOVEMBER 1911 – 17 DECEMBER 1998) WAS A JAMAICAN POET, TRANSLATOR AND
BROADCASTER WHO MOVED TO ENGLAND IN 1960.)

(For Albert Huie)- Albert Huie was a famous painter who was an artistic genius, a prodigy. He
was considered the father of Jamaican poetry.

At the beginning of the poem, the persona watches an artist set up his easel on a mountain track.

By stanza two, the painter starts painting. The paintbrush moves swiftly and skillfully across the
canvas which is filled with rich and vibrant colours.

The speaker personifies aspects of the landscape (the mountains and hills) to show that nature is
life and that it is difficult to capture since it is vast and dynamic even for an expert painter. The
little foothills require more focus and patience because they are smaller and are scattered.

By the last stanza, the paintbrush is poised, ready to depict the mountains perfectly. The writer
makes a general statement about art has a life of its own.

DEVICES AND TECHNIQUES

Personification- “The mountains pose for him/ In a family group”/ “Dignified, self-conscious”/
“The little hills fidgeting”/
Metaphor- “A tireless hummingbird, his brush”/ “Where puddles of pigment/Bloom in the
palette’s wild small garden.”/ “Blue Mountain Peak bulks”
Simile- “…low green foot-hills Sprawl like grandchildren about the knees…”
Oxymoron/paradox- “Changelessly changing,”
Alliteration- “…puddles of pigment”

THEMES
➢ Nature and places
➢ Art
➢ Admiration of art and nature