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Grade 10 Poetry Booklet 2020 Please note: These poems were taken from Shuters English Home Language 10 Poetry Anthology (Compiled by B. Krone), as prescribed by the Department of Education. The poems are styled and punctuated as they appear in this anthology.

The Right Word Imtiaz Dharker

Soccer, Karoo Style Clive Lawrance

Shall I Compare Thee to a Summer’s Day Shakespeare

Caged Bird Maya Angelou

Reapers in a mieliefield Mbuyiseni Oswald Mtshali

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

He wishes for the cloths of heaven W.B. Yeats

Hope is the thing with feathers Emily Dickinson

Telephone Conversation Wole Soyinka

The warm and the cold Ted Hughes

TONE VOCABULARY Tone: quality of the voice that conveys the emotional message of a text. (How it would be said.) Mood: atmosphere or emotion in written texts; shows the feeling or the frame of mind of the characters; it also refers to the atmosphere produced by visual, audio or multi-media texts. (How it makes you feel.) Theme: the central idea or ideas in text; a text may contain several themes and these may not be explicit or obvious.

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Positive Tone / Attitude Words Amiable Consoling Friendly Playful

Amused Content Happy Pleasant

Appreciative Dreamy Hopeful Proud

Authoritative Ecstatic Impassioned Relaxed

Benevolent Elated Jovial Reverent

Brave Elevated Joyful Romantic

Calm Encouraging Jubilant Soothing

Cheerful Energetic Lighthearted Surprised

Cheery Enthusiastic Loving Sweet

Compassionate Excited Optimistic Sympathetic

Complimentary Exuberant Passionate Vibrant

Confident Fanciful Peaceful Whimsical

Negative Tone / Attitude Words

Accusing Aggravated Agitated Angry

Apathetic Arrogant Artificial Audacious

Belligerent Bitter Boring Brash

Childish Coarse Cold Condemnatory

Disappointed Disgruntled Disgusted Disinterested

Harsh Haughty Hateful Condescending

Contradictory Critical Insulting Hurtful

Indignant Outraged Irritated Desperate

Passive Facetious Furious Surly

Threatening Quarrelsome Wrathful

Humour / Irony / Sarcasm Tone / Attitude Words

Amused Bantering Bitter Caustic

Comical Condescending Contemptuous Critical

Cynical Disdainful Droll Giddy

Flippant Mocking Mock-serious Irrelevant

Humorous Insolent Ironic Quizzical

Joking Malicious Patronizing Sarcastic

Pompous Mock-heroic Scornful Whimsical

Ribald Ridiculing Teasing Wry

Sardonic Satiric Silly Taunting

Sorrow / Fear / Worry Tone / Attitude Words

Aggravated Despairing Hopeless Paranoid

Apprehensive Disturbed Horror Pessimistic

Agitated Embarrassed Melancholy Poignant

Anxious Fearful Miserable Pitiful

Apologetic Foreboding Morose Regretful

Concerned Gloomy Mournful Remorseful

Confused Grave Nervous Resigned

Dejected Horrific Numb Sad

Depressed Hollow Ominous Serious

Neutral Tone / Attitude Words

Admonitory Allusive Apathetic Authoritative

Baffled Callous Candid Ceremonial

Clinical Consoling Contemplative Conventional

Detached Didactic Disbelieving Factual

Dramatic Earnest Expectant Frivolous

Fervent Formal Forthright Incredulous

Haughty Histrionic Humble Loud

Informative Inquisitive Instructive Nostalgic

Intimate Judgemental Learned Urgent

Lyrical Matter-of-fact Meditative Vexed

objective Obsequious Patriotic Wistful

Pleading Pretentious Persuasive Questioning

Reflective Reminiscent Restrained Sincere

Resigned Serious Zealous

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The Right Word Imtiaz Dharker Outside the door, 1

Lurking in the shadows,

is a terrorist.

Is that the wrong description?

Outside the door 5

taking shelter in the shadows,

is a freedom-fighter.

I haven’t got this right.

Outside, waiting in the shadows,

is a hostile militant. 10

Are words no more

than waving, wavering flags?

Outside your door,

watchful in the shadows,

is a guerilla warrior. 15

God help me.

Outside, defying every shadow,

stands a martyr.

I saw his face.

No words can help me now. 20

Just outside the door,

lost in the shadows,

is a child who looks like mine.

One word for you.

Outside my door, 25

his hand too steady,

his eyes too hard,

is a boy who looks like your son, too.

I open the door.

Come in, I say. 30

Come in and eat with us.

The child steps in

and carefully, at my door,

takes off his shoes.

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Glossary: Lurking prowling, creeping around Terrorist radical, extremist Freedom-fighter a person who takes part in a revolutionary struggle to achieve a political goal Hostile unfriendly, aggressive Militant activist, rebel, revolutionary Wavering hesitating, indecisive Guerilla member of a small band of armed fighters (also spelled guerrilla) Defying challenging, confronting Martyr someone who dies for his/her beliefs

About the poet – Imtiaz Dharker She was born in 1954 to Pakistani parents.

Brought up in Scotland.

She is an award-winning poet, artist and filmmaker.

Many of her poems focus on home, freedom and displacement and feminism.

About the poem: This poem was written in 2006, five years after the (11 September 2001) terrorist attack in the USA. For some people

the perpetrators of “9/11” were people fighting oppression while others saw them as murderers.

The poem explores the power of words and their connotations. The poet tries different ways of describing the person outside her door but eventually, in stanza six, she abandons words and just uses her eyes. In this way she moves from fearfully describing the person as a ‘terrorist’ to inviting a child into her home.

This poem is written in free verse – there are no rhyming words and no regular rhythm. This could be indicative of her bafflement and confusion.

Conversational/colloquial style, albeit in nine separate stanzas.

The poem is a conversation that the poet is having with herself about the perceptions and the connotations of words. She states: “I work with film, and I know that I can take one image and edit it ten different ways, write ten different sets of words, and make it into ten different stories. That's one of the things that I'm trying to do in the poem 'The right word'. There is just one image, but it's an image that is interpreted in different ways depending on the preconceptions that fit into each verse.”

Analysis: The word ‘terrorist’ creates a complex set of expectations. We believe that we understand how this person will act; we

may even think we know who they are, what they represent, their motives, even their appearance, just from this one word. ‘Lurking in the shadows’ further suggests that they are a hidden threat waiting for the moment to attack. Dharker creates tension and mood in just these three opening lines.

However, Dharker deflates these expectations when in the next stanza she asks ‘Is that the wrong description?’.

The ‘terrorist’ is recast as a ‘freedom fighter’ which sets up another range of expectations. In contrast, Dharker now describes the person as ‘taking shelter in the shadows’, seeking safety against an oppressive enemy. Even a subtle change in word choice significantly alters our interpretation.

Dharker continues to highlight that there are many ways to frame and reframe a situation. This same person also becomes a ‘hostile militant’, a ‘guerilla warrior’ and a ‘martyr’. The speaker demonstrates uncertainty as she struggles to find the right words, asking ‘Is that the wrong description?’ and worrying that she hasn’t ‘got this right’. Unable to settle on a satisfying description, the speaker asks: ‘Are words no more / than waving, wavering flags?’. Like flags, the meaning of words can waver, become partial or obscure. Words aren’t concrete and stable, objectively capturing the essential truth.

This means that the same person can be called a terrorist or a freedom fighter, depending on the views of the speaker and – crucially – the response they wish to invoke in others. Is this person brave or merely violent? Should we respect them or fear them? Each term provokes a different reaction.

However, the lurking figure is finally recast as simply a ‘child’. He is a ‘boy who looks like your son’, suggesting for the first time a familiarity, a fundamental sameness. In the penultimate stanza, the speaker even ‘open[s] the door’ and invites the child into the intimate family space to ‘Come in and eat with us’. Only once the figure on the outside is recognised as a child, rather than being described in alarming language, can the door open to them.

The image of the door returns throughout the poem. A wall simply divides two sides. Yet a door can open, providing an opportunity for the two sides to connect. One side must take the risk and reach out, opening the door to the other and welcoming them in.

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Dharker argues that words can create an artificial barrier between people, hiding our similarities and emphasising – or imagining – fundamental differences. But the right words, like a door, can open up new spaces for friendship and understanding.

Questions: 1. Identify the 6 different names attributed to the boy in the poem. Match each name to a word from the following list:

taking shelter, lost, watchful, waiting, lurking, defying. (6) 2. The names/words freedom fighter and terrorist carry very different connotations. Explain each carefully by choosing

words from the following list: willing to die, willing to kill, brave, intimidating, sacrificial, fearful, violent, principled. (6) 3. How does the word lurking (line 2) create an ominous atmosphere? (2) 4. What is the purpose of the rhetorical question in line 4? (2) 5. What is it that the poet has not got right in line 8? (2) 6. Who is the reader addressing in line 24? (1) 7. The word outside is used 7 times in the first 7 stanzas. In the last 2 stanzas the word in in used. What does this show us

about the poet’s change in thinking? (3) 8. Why does the child remove his shoes when he enters the poet’s house? What does this symbolise? (3) 9. Explain the image of the door in the poem and how it relates to words. (3) 10. Discuss the context of what was taking place in the world at the time the poem was written. (3)

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Soccer, Karoo Style Clive Lawrance

We had to shoo a fat sow, three piglets 1

and a family of chickens off the pitch,

then carry a somnambulant great dane

from the penalty spot before the game

could begin. Shortly after half-time 5

our goalkeeper hoofed the ball skyward

and it burst into flower and wobbled

to earth.

Both captains tried to shove the bulging

rubber back into its pod, but, with a sad 10

pssst, it died. I thought that was the end

of the game, but someone quickly collected

old socks and underpants and stuffed them

inside the leather casing, and the game

went on, to end in a goalless draw. 15

The teams trooped off the pitch

and the great dane, with a deep sigh,

slouched towards the penalty spot.

Glossary: Somnambulant to walk while sleeping Great Dane a breed of large, powerful, short-haired dogs Hoofed slang – meaning to kick hard

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About the poet – Clive Lawrance Born in South Africa in 1935.

At the age of 21, Clive Lawrance sailed from South Africa to London to play professional football. He met a writer on board, who, he said, re-aligned his compass towards poetry and journalism.

After a successful career in journalism, based in London, New York, Boston, Cape Town, and his home town of Pietermaritzgurg, he retired in The Great Karoo and Grahamstown, before settling in his mini-forest in Pietermaritzburg.

His poems are the result of his seeing and writing, with a humorous twist.

About the poem: This poem is written in free verse – there is no definitive rhythm or rhyme scheme.

It is conversational and narrative – it tells a story.

It contains many South African colloquialisms.

Lawrance’s hallmark humour and conversational style convey the message that little can disturb the slow pace of life in this rural area – people and animals live together in a close community.

Analysis: This poem tells the story of a game of soccer played in the Karoo.

The players have to chase animals off the field before they can commence their game.

When the soccer ball bursts, it is stuffed with socks and underwear so that play can continue.

When the game ends, the animals return to the field.

Questions: 1. Why does the poet use the word ‘shoo’ in line 1? (2) 2. Identify and explain the effectiveness of the metaphor in stanza 1. (3) 3. Identify an example of onomatopoeia from stanza 2 and explain how this word reflects the unfolding events on the

soccer field. (3) 4. Examine the characteristics of the great dane in lines 3 and 18. Discuss how these images create humour. (3) 5. Explain the contrast between the (burst) soccer ball and a flower. (2) 6. What does the word ‘goalless’ imply about the game? (2) 7. Write a short description of what you know about life in this village based on what you learnt from the poem. (4)

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Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening Robert Frost

Whose woods these are I think I know. 1

His house is in the village, though;

He will not see me stopping here

To watch his woods fill up with snow.

My little horse must think it queer 5

To stop without a farmhouse near

Between the woods and frozen lake

The darkest evening of the year.

He gives his harness bells a shake

To ask if there is some mistake. 10

The only other sound’s the sweep

Of easy wind and downy flake.

The woods are lovely, dark and deep,

But I have promises to keep,

And miles to go before I sleep, 15

And miles to go before I sleep.

Glossary: Queer strange

Harness leather strap used to control a horse

Downy soft, light and feathery – like the down/feathers of a goose

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About the poet – Robert Frost Born in The United States of America in 1874.

Died in 1963.

He is regarded as one of the most popular and respected poets of the twentieth century.

He won four Pulitzer Prizes in his lifetime.

About the poem: The poem is lyrical and has a formal structure – four stanzas in iambic meter – there are 4 stressed syllables per line.

Within each stanza, the first, second and fourth lines rhyme. The third line does not rhyme, but it sets up the rhymes

for the next stanza.

The last stanza is exempt from this pattern, with the last two lines repeated.

The poet uses everyday (colloquial) language. The simplicity highlights the conversational tone. He does not need

elaborate figures of speech or formal language to paint the picture for the reader.

Analysis: The poem seems simple on the surface – the speaker stops by some woods on a snowy evening and lingers so long that

his horse becomes restless. He admires the lovely scene in silence and is tempted to stay longer, until he thinks about

his obligations and the distance he still has to travel.

On a deeper level, the desolate woods are not just lovely, but dark and deep as well: the obliterating snow and the

black night have connotations of danger, isolation and death. This contrast between what is known and unknown,

between what is lovely and frightening, evokes a mood that is both sinister and magical.

The title of the poem creates an immediate present – the ‘ing’ in ‘Stopping”. It is also interesting to note that the

speaker is not IN the woods, but rather BY the woods.

The speaker is isolated from other people and seems to enjoy the solitude and ‘one-ness’ with nature.

Questions: 1. The speaker is torn between wanting to stay and needing to leave. Discuss this contrast (dichotomy) by referring to the

diction in the poem. (4)

2. Discuss how the regular rhythm affects the overall atmosphere of the poem. (2)

3. Identify and explain the effectiveness of the assonance in stanza 3. (3)

4. How does the alliteration in line 9 contribute to the image we have of the horse? (3)

5. Discuss the effectiveness of the repetition of the last two lines within the context of the poem as a whole. (3)

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Caged Bird Maya Angelou

A free bird leaps 1 on the back of the wind and floats downstream till the current ends and dips his wing 5 in the orange sun rays and dares to claim the sky. But a bird that stalks down his narrow cage can seldom see through 10 his bars of rage his wings are clipped and his feet are tied so he opens his throat to sing. The caged bird sings with a fearful trill 15 of things unknown but longed for still and his tune is heard on the distant hill for the caged bird sings of freedom. 20 The free bird thinks of another breeze and the trade winds soft through the sighing trees and the fat worms waiting on a dawn-bright lawn and he names the sky his own. But a caged bird stands on the grave of dreams 25 his shadow shouts on a nightmare scream his wings are clipped and his feet are tied so he opens his throat to sing.

The caged bird sings with a fearful trill 30 of things unknown but longed for still and his tune is heard on the distant hill for the caged bird 35 sings of freedom.

Glossary:

Trill a quavering sound, like a bird’s warbling

Trade winds winds blowing towards the equator

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About the poet – Maya Angelou She was born in 1928 in The United States of America.

She died in 2014.

She was a poet, author, dancer, singer, film producer, activist and feminist.

She was most famous for her autobiography I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings which tells the story of her tough working-class background.

She won numerous awards during her lifetime and was Professor of American studies in North Carolina.

About the poem: This poem has a lyrical/musical quality, which reinforces the idea of singing, a central theme in the poem.

Angelou uses simple but powerful diction throughout.

There is very little use of punctuation in this poem. Most of the stanzas are comprised of a single sentence.

The extensive use of enjambment, repetition and the refrain all contribute to the musical quality.

American poet Paul Laurence Dunbar was one of Angelou’s favourite writers. The title comes from his poem "Sympathy":

I know why the caged bird sings, ah me, When his wing is bruised and his bosom sore, When he beats his bars and would be free; It is not a carol of joy or glee, But a prayer that he sends from his heart's deep core, But a plea, that upward to Heaven he flings – I know why the caged bird sings.

Analysis: The poem compares the different experiences of a free bird and a caged bird and the poet highlights why it is that the

caged bird sings – it is all it can do to taste freedom.

Metaphorically the caged birds represent those who are imprisoned and oppressed and those who enjoy privilege and who are free. (Birds are often associated with freedom because of their ability to fly.)

The contrasting circumstances depicted could relate to gender inequality, or any other situation where one group is empowered and the other is not.

The mood of the poem moves from joyful to dark, but is ultimately defiant – the caged bird refuses to be silent and uses the only thing it has at its disposal: its voive.

The poem contrasts the caged bird with the free bird and their different characteristics, emphasising the caged bird. o The bird represents people in the actual world who are restricted/ oppressed/ discriminated against. o The bars of the cage represent the things that keep people from doing what they wish. o The poem also speaks about the hope that people have. o The speaker wants people to see and hear the difference between the free birds and the caged bird. o Lastly the speaker wants us to take home the idea that people with similar experiences may feel the same

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

Questions: 1. Comment on the poet’s use of verbs in stanza 1: how do they convey the experience of a free bird? (3) 2. By referring to stanza 2, explain the ways in which the caged bird is trapped and explain why he stalks. (4) 3. What does the caged bird’s singing reveal about him?

A. He is terribly unhappy. B. He does not want to fly. C. He is afraid to be free. D. He does not want to be heard (1)

4. Explain why the caged bird’s song is fearful. (3) 5. Explain the following metaphor: a caged bird stands on the grave of dreams. (3) 6. Explain how the refrain contributes to the overall meaning of the poem. (2) 7. What are the differences between how the caged bird sees and experiences the world and how the free bird sees the

world? (4) 8. The free bird “names the sky his own”. Why would he do this, and what is the importance of ‘naming’ something? (3) 9. The caged bird “sings of freedom”. Why would he do this, and why would the free bird not do the same? (3)

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Reapers in a mieliefield Mbuyiseni Oswald Mtshali

Faces furrowed and wet with sweat, 1

Bags tied to their wasp waists,

women reapers bend mielie stalks,

break cobs in rustling sheaths,

toss them in the bags 5

and move through row upon row of maize.

Behind them, like a desert tanker,

a dust-raising tractor

pulls a trailer,

driven by a pipe-puffing man 10

flashing tobacco-stained teeth

as yellow as the harvested grain.

He stops to pick up bags

loaded by thick-limbed labourers

in vests baked 15

brown with dust.

The sun lashes

the workers with

a red-hot rod;

they stop for a while 20

to wipe a brine-bathed brow

and drink from battered cans

bubbling with malty maheu

Thirst is slaked in seconds,

Men jerk bags like feather cushions 25

and women become prancing wild mares;

soon the day’s work will be done

and the reapers will rest in their kraals.

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

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About the poet – Mbuyiseni Oswald Mtshali South African poet and teacher. He was born in 1940.

His poetry deals mostly with the devastating effects of life under Apartheid.

About the poem: The poem is written in free verse – there is not set rhythm or rhyme.

The enjambed lines allow for a free flow of ideas as the difficult working conditions of the labourers are described.

The five stanzas are rich with sound devices and many similes and metaphors.

Analysis: Mtshali points out the harsh conditions under which many labourers work.

He records the suffering of the workers as he evokes the tedium, sweat and exhaustion of this kind of manual labour.

Questions: 1. What are the labourers doing? (2) 2. What equipment do they have? (2) 3. Describe the weather conditions. (2) 4. What do they drink when they are thirsty? (2) 5. Identify the poetic device used in stanza 4. Discuss how it contributes to your understanding of the labourers working

conditions. (3) 6. Refer to lines 25 – 26: Identify the figures of speech and how they illustrate the effect of the break that the labourers

have taken. (4) 7. In your opinion does the poet succeed in conveying the extreme working conditions of the workers? Give a reason for

your answer by referring closely to the text. (3) 8. Describe the mood of the poem by referring closely to the diction. (3) 9. Identify the sound devices in the following extracts: (5)

a. wet with sweat b. rustling c. loaded by thick limbed labourers d. brine-bathed brow e. battered cans/bubbling with malty maheu

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

tomorrow i travel on a road 1

that winds to the top of the hill

i take with me only the sweet

memories of my youth

my heart aches for my mother 5

for Friday nights with friends

around a table with the broad belch of beer

i ask only for a sad song

sung by a woman with downturned eyes

and strummed by an old man with 10

a broken brow

o sing my sad song sing for me

for my sunset is drenched with red

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

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About the poet – Fhazel Johennesse South African poet born in 1954.

He wrote most of his poetry during the 1970s and early 1980s.

He and the poet Chris van Wyk started a Black Consciousness (a movement that promoted an awareness of the dignity and rights of black people, started by Steve Biko) literary magazine, Wietie, which gave a voice to young aspirant black writers. However, the magazine was short-lived, as it was banned by the apartheid government.

About the poem: This poem has a mixture of forms. It is in free verse, because it does not rhyme or have a particular rhythm or

structure. There is no punctuation – it is not formalised.

It can also be seen as an elegy, because of its sad, mournful tone.

The mood of the poem is melancholy, wistful and anxious. The poet conveys a sense of potential loss, pain and suffering and an awareness of what will be sacrificed.

It also has the characteristics of a lyric as it expresses the poet’s feelings.

Analysis: On 16 June 1976, high school children from Soweto marched to protest against the government law that half of their

schooling had to be in Afrikaans, which they saw as the language of the apartheid leaders and oppressors. The police shot live bullets and teargas, and many were injured or killed. After this tragic episode many young people went into exile to join the underground resistance. In this poem, Johennesse imagines himself as one of those teenagers the day before the event, foreseeing the tragedy that will take place.

Questions: 1. Identify three things that the poet knows he will have to give up once he embarks on his journey of protest. (3) 2. Find an example of each of the following: enjambment, euphemism, alliteration. (3) 3. Discuss the context in which this poem was written. (3) 4. Explain the meaning of the last two lines of the poem. (3) 5. Summarise the message of the poem in a short sentence. (2) 6. Comment on the effectiveness of the alliteration in the following lines:

a. “the broad belch of beer” b. “a sad song sung by a woman” c. “strummed by an old man with a broken brow” d. “o sing my sad song sing for me" (2 x 4)

7. Describe the structure of this poem (not what it is about) and say whether you think it is effective. (3) 8. What is implied about the persona in the lines, “i take with me only the sweet/memories of

my youth”? (1) 9. From lines 8 – 12, the poet mentions adults and what their response will be “tomorrow”. In the context of the poem,

explain why the adults should sing and play a “sad song”. (2) 10. Do you find the last line a fitting ending to the poem? Explain your answer. (2) 11. Comment on the rich imagery used in the last line. (3) 12. Refer to the title. Explain the significance of the date. (1) 13. What is suggested about the road that “winds to the top of the hill” (line 2)? (2) 14. How does the poet create a sense of immediacy and realism? Quote in support of your answer. (2) 15. Identify the tone in lines 8 – 13. Refer to an image and the use of diction in support of your answer. (3) 16. Sunsets are often “red”. Here, the poet suggests something more. Discuss. (2)

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He wishes for the cloths of heaven William Butler Yeats

Had I heavens’ embroidered cloths, 1

Enwrought with golden and silver lights,

The blue and the dim and the dark cloths

Of night and light and the half-light,

I would spread the cloths under your feet 5

But I, being poor, have only my dreams;

I have spread my dreams under your feet;

Tread softly because you tread on my dreams.

Glossary: Embroidered embellished, decorated by sewing Enwrought carefully crafted and embellished

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About the poet: William Butler Yeats Irish poet 1865-1939

He was very involved in Irish politics and was a passionate advocate of Irish nationalism.

He is considered to be one of the greatest poets of the twentieth century.

He was awarded the Nobel Prize for literature in 1923.

About the poem: This is a lyrical poem divided into three parts: the wish (lines 1-5), the offer (lines 6-7) and the request (line 8).

o The first five lines of the poem “Had I…your feet…” can be counted as the wish of the poet. Here the poet wishes he had the cloths of heaven. He would decorate them with golden and silver light. He would change night and the light and the half-light in blue, dim and dark colours for her clothes. And he would spread the cloths on her way.

o Lines 6-7 – “But I… Your feet” can be taken as an offer made by the poet to his beloved. He offers his sweet and tender dreams under her feet, since he is a poor man.

o The final line of the poem “Tread…dreams” can be taken as a humble request to put her feet on his dreams as they are equally good as heavens’ embellished cloths. He warns her to be careful while walking because his dreams are fragile.

It has an a-b-a-b-c-d-c-d rhyme scheme.

There is a sharp change in tone between lines 5 and 6. The first 5 lines detail heaven in images of dark and light and line 6 introduces a complication with the conjunction But.

Analysis: The message is straightforward, and a recurrent one in poetry and many songs: The speaker, addressing his lover or

would-be lover, says: if I were a rich man, I’d give you the world and all its treasures. If I were a god, I could take the heavenly sky and make a blanket out of it for you. But I’m only a poor man, and obviously the idea of making the sky into a blanket is silly and out of the question, so all I have of any worth are my dreams. And dreams are delicate and vulnerable – hence ‘Tread softly’.

Questions: 1. What does the poet wish he could give his beloved? (2) 2. Discuss the effectiveness of repetition in this poem. Quote and discuss two examples. (4) 3. Identify the refrain and discuss its effectiveness. Refer to the attitude of the poet towards his beloved. (3) 4. Discuss the change in tone that occurs between lines 5 and 6. (3) 5. Discuss the ‘message’ of the poem in no more than 4 sentences. (4)

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Hope is the thing with feathers Emily Dickinson

Hope is the thing with feathers 1

That perches in the soul,

And sings the tune without the words,

And never stops at all.

And sweetest in the gale is heard 5

And sore must be the storm

That could abash the little bird

That kept so many warm.

I’ve heard it in the chillest land,

And on the strangest sea – 10

Yet, never, in extremity,

It asked a crumb of me.

Glossary: Perches rests, roosts like a bird Gale a very strong wind Sore painful and harsh Abash to humble or humiliate someone, embarrass Chillest NOT a spelling error – coldest Extremity furthest away, highest degree, great danger or distress

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About the poet: Emily Dickinson American poet: 1830-1886

She was born in Massachusetts into a prominent family and was well-educated.

She became a recluse and, by the end of her life, refused to leave her home or meet people.

Her poems are often mysterious and make use of unusual punctuation marks.

Common themes include death, nature and her own struggles and suffering.

Only 7 of her 2000 poems were published in her lifetime.

She is considered the greatest female American poet of the 19th century.

About the poem: This poem is a lyric in which the poet explores her understanding of hope, through the development of an extended

metaphor.

It is written simply but powerfully using minimum words, mainly single-syllable words and a loose rhyme scheme: some end rhymes and some internal rhymes.

Dickinson’s signature use of dashes is also evident.

Analysis: The poet uses a central metaphor of a tiny bird to convey her feelings about hope.

She reflects on its frailties and strengths as well how it sustains her.

The poem is reflective and introspective and suggests a quiet confidence in the power of hope.

Full of figurative language, this poem is an extended metaphor, transforming hope into a bird (the poet loved birds) that is ever present in the human soul. It sings, especially when times get tough. Hope springs eternal, might be a reasonable summing up. (As per the speaker, this bird never wavers by her side in coldest of lands and strangest of seas, yet it never demanded a bread crumb, singing away merrily.)

With typical disregard for convention, Emily Dickinson's odd-looking syntax has clauses interrupted by dashes, and only one comma throughout. This can be confusing for the reader because of the need to pause and place extra emphasis on certain phrases.

The rhythm of the poem varies in places too, which may not be apparent on first sighting. Readily set to music, the words are a reminder of the poet's yearning for fulfilment in both creativity and love. And they beautifully encapsulate what hope is for us all - something that inspires and can make us fly.

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

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by your own definition Shabbir Banoobhai

by your own definition 1

i drink too deeply

the blood of roses

lean on a leaf

for comfort 5

mistake mysteriously

a thorn for a star

when the world curls itself

around my fingers

seas gather in my palms 10

trees sustain the sky

my life lifts to loving

love leaps to living

and without words i strive to answer

questions you have never asked 15

oh making you understand

is like trying to crush

the skull of a mountain

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About the poet: Shabbir Banoobhai South African poet, born in Durban in 1949.

He has published eleven volumes of poetry which explore spiritual, political and personal themes.

He has a personal website, Veilsoflight.com, where he publishes philosophical meditations.

About the poem: The poem is written in free verse – there is no definitive rhythm or rhyme scheme.

Punctuation (including capital letters) is absent in this poem.

The stanzas create natural pauses but the lines run on (enjambments), evoking Banoobhai’s effort to answer the questions you have never asked.

The placement of the stanzas on the page creates a more organically ‘shaped’ poem than if they were lined up and tabbed left. This shape adds to the message that the poet wants to convey: he wants to live naturally, creatively and without constraints.

Analysis: In this abstract poem the poet addresses someone who does not understand him.

The poet makes it clear that he believes this person to be an unrealistic dreamer.

This poem should not be over-analysed/translated. It illustrates TS Eliot’s observation that: “Genuine poetry can communicate before it is understood.”

Questions: 1. Using words from the list provided, complete the sentences below. Your answers should illustrate your understanding

of stanzas 1-3 in sequence. (Word list: imaginative, trusting, passionate) According to you, I (the poet) am too ____, too ____, and too ____ in my approach to life and nature. (3)

2. Comment on the effectiveness of the poet’s use of alliteration in stanza five. (3) 3. Explain how the lack of punctuation and the unusual structure of the poem contribute to the poet’s intention. (4) 4. How effective is the final simile in conveying the poet’s frustration? (2)

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The warm and the cold Ted Hughes Freezing dusk is closing 1 Like a slow trap of steel On trees and roads and hills and all That can no longer feel. But the carp is in its depth 5 Like a planet in its heaven. And the badger in its bedding Like a loaf in the oven. And the butterfly in its mummy Like a viol in its case. 10 And the owl in its feathers Like a doll in its lace. Freezing dusk has tightened Like a nut screwed tight On the starry aeroplane 15 Of the soaring night. But the trout is in its hole Like a chuckle in a sleeper. The hare strays down the highway Like a root going deeper. 20 The snail is dry in the outhouse Like a seed in a sunflower. The owl is pale on the gatepost Like a clock on its tower. Moonlight freezes the shaggy world 25 Like a mammoth of ice - The past and the future Are the jaws of a steel vice. But the cod is in the tide-rip Like a key in a purse. 30 The deer are on the bare-blown hill Like smiles on a nurse. The flies are behind the plaster Like the lost score of a jig. Sparrows are in the ivy-clump 35 Like money in a pig. Such a frost The flimsy moon Has lost her wits. A star falls. 40 The sweating farmers Turn in their sleep Like oxen on spits.

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Glossary: Dusk after sunset and before night-time Carp type of large freshwater fish Badger short-legged omnivores in the family Mustelidae, which also includes the otters, polecats, weasels, and

wolverines. Viol a musical instrument similar to a violin Trout freshwater fish Hare a fast-running, long-eared mammal that resembles a large rabbit, having very long hind legs and typically

found in grassland or open woodland. Mammoth a type of large, hairy elephant with long tusks that curved upwards – now extinct Vice a metal tool with moveable jaws that are used to clamp an object firmly in place Cod a large fish that lives in the northern Atlantic Ocean – often caught and eaten Tide-rip an area of rough water caused by one current flowing across another current, or by a current moving over

an uneven bottom Score a document showing all the notes of a piece of music Jig a type of lively dance or music Flimsy insubstantial or easily damaged Spits a thin pointed stick that is used for holding meat over a fire to cook it

About the poet: Ted Hughes English poet and author 1930-1998

The animals and landscape of Yorkshire, England, had a big influence on his poetry.

Many of his poems deal with the natural world which represented, for Hughes, qualities such as beauty, violence and the survival instinct.

His tone was often harsh and his imagery brilliant.

He was married to the famous poet, Sylvia Plath.

About the poem: This is a lyrical poem – it has a musical quality with alternating verse and chorus sections. The verse sections are the

eight-line parts that describe the effects of an icy winter. The chorus sections are the eight-line parts that describe how the country animals behave in such cold weather. The last seven lines of the poem are like the final coda in a piece of music – the end part of a piece of music or a play.

This poem is part of a set of poems, called ‘Season Songs’, that Hughes wrote about the seasons of the year in England.

Analysis: This poem focuses on the very coldest part of winter and makes extensive use of similes. All of the animal comparisons

are positive; they are all content in their natural environment. It is only the farmers, sweltering in their artificial warmth, who are compared to something negative.

The poet describes how various wild animals find different kinds of shelter in the countryside.

There is a turn or twist towards the end of the poem, when he shifts his attention to humans.

The tone is confident. The poet is familiar with the kind of countryside, animals and people that he describes, as well as with the effects that the cold has on them.

Questions: 1. What time of day does the poem describe? Quote one word as your answer. (1) 2. What pattern can you identify in the poem? Look at the three lines below for clues:

Stanza 1: carp, badger, butterfly, owl Stanza 2: trout, hare, snail, owl Stanza 3: cod, deer, flies, sparrows (4)

3. Explain the similes in the following lines: 1-3, 5-6, 7-8, 9-10, 11-12, 13-14, 17-18, 19-20, 21-22, 23-24, 25-26, 29-30, 31-32, 33-34, 35-36. (15x2)

4. Explain the effectiveness of the simile in lines 41-43 AND explain how this simile differs from the rest of the similes in the poem. (4)

5. What point does Hughes make about the difference between humans and animals? (2) 6. What does the ordered structure of the poem imply? (2) 7. Why is line 40 on its own? (2) 8. Find and explain one example each of a metaphor and personification. (4) 9. Explain the title of the poem. (2)

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List of Sources

1. https://www.poetryarchive.org/poem/right-word 2. https://genius.com/Imtiaz-dharker-the-right-word-annotated 3. https://poetryshark.wordpress.com/2016/01/10/language-and-reality-the-right-word-by-imtiaz-dharker-poem-

analysis/ 4. http://findingground.co.za/Home/Shop/Clive's-Poetry 5. Holm, Linda Kathu High School Poetry Booklet 2018 6. https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/.../stopping-by-woods-on-a-snowy-evening 7. Krone, B. Shuters English Home Language Poetry Anthology 10 Shuter&Shooter, Pietermaritzburg, 2015 8. http://mentalfloss.com/article/75541/11-facts-about-i-know-why-caged-bird-sings 9. http://benson.k12.mn.us/common/pages/DisplayFile.aspx?itemId=3137595 10. https://learn.stleonards.vic.edu.au/yr8eng/files/2015/02/Caged-Bird-by-Maya-Angelou-Text-and-Activities.pdf 11. http://knowledge4africa.com/english/poetry/june16-a.jsp 12. http://mrsavarind.blogspot.co.za/2011/10/young-mans-thoughts-before-jun-16th.html 13. https://www.ecexams.co.za/2013_September_Trial_Exams_Gr12/Gr12-ENGHL-P2-S13-QP-Eng.pdf 14. https://interestingliterature.com/2015/11/06/a-short-analysis-of-yeatss-he-wishes-for-the-cloths-of-heaven/ 15. https://poemanalysis.com/hope-is-the-thing-with-feathers-emily-dickinson-poem-analysis/ 16. https://quizlet.com/10330476/hope-is-the-thing-with-feathers-study-pg435-flash-cards/ 17. http://www.literarytourism.co.za/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=64:shabbir-

banoobhai&catid=13:authors&Itemid=28 18. https://www.s-cool.co.uk/gcse/english/poetry-of-ted-hughes/revise-it/the-warm-and-the-cold

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Suggested answers for Grade 10 Poetry The Right Word Imtiaz Dharker

1. Identify the 6 different names attributed to the boy in the poem. Match each name to a word from the following list: taking shelter, lost, watchful, waiting, lurking, defying. (6)

Terrorist – lurking; freedom fighter – taking shelter; hostile militant – waiting; guerrilla warrior – watchful; martyr – defying; a child - lost

2. The names/words freedom fighter and terrorist carry very different connotations. Explain each carefully by choosing words from the following list: willing to die, willing to kill, brave, intimidating, sacrificial, fearful, violent, principled. (6)

Freedom fighter – willing to die, brave, sacrificial, strong principles

Terrorist – willing to kill, intimidating, fearful, violent

PLEASE ensure learners understand the difference! 3. How does the word lurking (line 2) create an ominous atmosphere? (2)

‘Lurking’ is a word associated with thieves/criminals. The word creates an ominous atmosphere as the reader is unaware of the person’s intentions. We do not know why the person is there.

4. What is the purpose of the rhetorical question in line 4? (2)

The poet asks herself if she has described the person correctly. It shows that the poet is unsure of her description of the person outside her door. Shows doubt.

5. What is it that the poet has not got right in line 8? (2)

She feels that she has not described the person correctly – he is, according to her, neither a ‘terrorist’ nor a ‘freedom-fighter’.

6. Who is the reader addressing in line 24? (1)

She addresses the reader. 7. The word outside is used 7 times in the first 7 stanzas. In the last 2 stanzas the word in in used. What does this show us

about the poet’s change in thinking? (3)

The movement from outside to in shows what happens literally as the person outside comes into the house. It also demonstrates the figurative change in the poet’s thinking: she starts the poem by separating herself from the person and at the end of the poem she integrates him into her own life and sees the person as someone who looks like her own son.

8. Why does the child remove his shoes when he enters the poet’s house? What does this symbolise? (3)

The child removes his shoes which is a mark of respect and humility. The poet is (I RESEARCHED THIS!) a Muslim woman. In Muslim culture, a person does not wear ‘outside’ shoes inside the house.

9. Explain the image of the door in the poem and how it relates to words. (3)

The image of the door returns throughout the poem. A wall simply divides two sides. Yet a door can open, providing an opportunity for the two sides to connect. One side must take the risk and reach out, opening the door to the other and welcoming them in. Dharker argues that words can create an artificial barrier between people, hiding our similarities and emphasising – or imagining – fundamental differences. But the right words, like a door, can open up new spaces for friendship and understanding.

10. Discuss the context of what was taking place in the world at the time the poem was written. (3)

The poem was written 5 years after the events of 9/11 – the attack on the United States of America. Many people were outraged by the attack and misdirected their anger at all Muslim people everywhere, imagining terrorists around every corner. Muslim people were feared and banded together – she tries to make that point that not all Muslim people are terrorists! This is a universal theme – we cannot judge people based on actions of others. (i.e. Not all white people are racists etc.)

Soccer, Karoo Style Clive Lawrance

1. Why does the poet use the word ‘shoo’ in line 1? (2)

Creates informal feeling, South African colloquialism, humour, puts reader ‘into’ the action. AVA 2. Identify and explain the effectiveness of the metaphor in stanza 1. (3)

“The ball… burst into a flower.” The ball is compared to a flower – just like a flower has petals that open, so too the split ball has flaps of fabric that spread out from its centre. The split ball looks like a blooming flower.

3. Identify an example of onomatopoeia from stanza 2 and explain how this word reflects the unfolding events on the soccer field. (3)

“psst” – the word echoes the sound made by the air escaping the soccer ball as it goes flat. There is a risk, when the ball goes flat, that the game will also go ‘flat’ and have to be stopped.

4. Examine the characteristics of the great dane in lines 3 and 18. Discuss how these images create humour. (3)

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The dog is described as “somnambulant” – a sleepwalker. He needs to be carried off the field as he blocks the penalty spot. This emphasises the informality of the play, and the way in which the opposing teams work together. When the game concludes, the dog ‘slouches’ back to his spot. The humour stems from the fact that it seems that the dog accommodates the players and he remains indifferent to the drama of the game.

5. Explain the contrast between the (burst) soccer ball and a flower. (2)

See answer for question 2. 6. What does the word ‘goalless’ imply about the game? (2)

Neither team scored a goal – good defence? A friendly game? 7. Write a short description of what you know about life in this village based on what you learnt from the poem. (4)

People are poor – soccer pitch where animals roam and an old ball which splits halfway through the game. The players are determined – they move animals off the pitch. They are resourceful – they stuff old clothes into the ball so that the game can continue. A seemingly unhurried, rural environment.

Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening Robert Frost

1. The speaker is torn between wanting to stay and needing to leave. Discuss this contrast (dichotomy) by referring to the diction in the poem. (4)

The woods represent that which is restful, seductive, “dark and lovely”. Their unexplored depths represent the unknown and unchartered possibilities. The speaker wants to stay and relish the atmosphere. On the other hand, the speaker is reminded that he has “promises to keep” and even his little horse finds it strange to dawdle long on this “darkest evening of the year”.

2. Discuss how the regular rhythm affects the overall atmosphere of the poem. (2)

The regularity and predictability of the rhythm allows for a sense of security and comfort in the face of the unknown and dark woods. (I really hate questions like these.)

3. Identify and explain the effectiveness of the assonance in stanza 3. (3)

The repetition of the soft ee sound (“sweep” and “easy”) echoes the gentle whispering of the falling snow. (Could one argue that the hard “ake” sound in “mistake”, “shake” and “flake” stand in opposition to the

gentility of the falling snow? I know that’s not technically assonance, but it sounds cool?! 😉) 4. How does the alliteration in line 9 contribute to the image we have of the horse? (3)

The repetition of the harsh “ss” sound echoes the clattering noise made by the bells on the harness. This emphasises the frustration of the horse as he shakes his head.

5. Discuss the effectiveness of the repetition of the last two lines within the context of the poem as a whole. (3)

The repetition emphasises the two possible meanings of the word “sleep”: literally it denotes rest. Figuratively, the connotations relate to death. In this way, the dichotomy that typifies the poem – that which is both lovely and awful – is emphasised at its close. The poet feels he has so much to do before he rests/dies.

Caged Bird Maya Angelou

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

“leaps, floats, dips” are all movements. The bird can fly unrestricted in many different directions. It makes the most of the space, wind and currents available to it. It can take risks and make choices, reflected in “dares” and it is powerful: “claim the sky”.

2. By referring to stanza 2, explain the ways in which the caged bird is trapped and explain why he stalks. (4)

The cage is narrow, there is little view, his wings are clipped and his feet are tied. He stalks because his movement is so limited by these restrictions. He cannot fly or even walk normally. “Stalks” could also suggest the rage referred to, implying hostility or anger in the movement, in response to its circumstances.

3. What does the caged bird’s singing reveal about him?

A - He is terribly unhappy. (1) 4. Explain why the caged bird’s song is fearful. (3)

“Fearful” could imply that the singing is anxious, uncertain or that the bird is afraid because it does not know what suffering lies ahead – “things unknown”. More likely it has the connotation of ‘powerful’, ‘very great’. It is stated that ‘he opens his throat’ – the sound is released, not quiet and is heard even ‘on the distant hill’. It could imply a warning to those who have caged it: the repressed longing, anguish and anger reflected in his song will seek release.

5. Explain the following metaphor: a caged bird stands on the grave of dreams. (3)

A grave is where someone or something which has died is found. “A grave of dreams” would hold dreams which have died. A person who is oppressed, who does not have opportunities to flourish and live life fully will have dreams that have not been realised: his/her dreams will die.

6. Explain how the refrain contributes to the overall meaning of the poem. (2)

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The refrain contributes to the musicality of the poem; it is like a song’s chorus which is repeated. This is relevant to “the caged bird” singing. The repetition of the refrain hints at ongoing resistance to oppression. Voices against inequality and oppression will ‘sing out’ again and again. They cannot be silenced even though they are caged.

7. What are the differences between how the caged bird sees and experiences the world and how the free bird sees the world? (4)

The caged bird is trapped and has very little view. He cannot leave or move unrestricted. He has no freedom. The free bird can ‘leap’ and ‘float’ to its heart’s content. He is unrestricted and can see panoramas from above. There is no mention made of the free bird ever singing.

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

He claims the sky as his – he is free to own. The sky is virtually limitless, as is the free bird’s freedom (for lack of a better word). He names the sky – HE takes the action, does not wait for an instruction. He is free to do what he pleases and when it suits him.

9. The caged bird “sings of freedom”. Why would he do this, and why would the free bird not do the same? (3)

He sings as an expression of his desire for freedom. His desire to be heard cannot be suppressed. The free bird does not need to sing of freedom, as he is already free. He desires nothing, as he is free.

Reapers in a mieliefield Mbuyiseni Oswald Mtshali

1. What are the labourers doing? (2)

They are harvesting mielies. 2. What equipment do they have? (2)

They have sacks and a tractor and trailer. 3. Describe the weather conditions. (2)

It is extremely hot and dusty. 4. What do they drink when they are thirsty? (2)

They drink home-made beer called ‘maheu’. 5. Identify the poetic device used in stanza 4. Discuss how it contributes to your understanding of the labourers working

conditions. (3)

Personification – the sun is personified as a slave driver or prison warder who carries a red-hot rod which he uses to lash the workers to force them to keep working. This image evokes extreme pain and suffering. The conditions are dreadful.

6. Refer to lines 25 – 26: Identify the figures of speech and how they illustrate the effect of the break that the labourers have taken. (4)

Line 25: simile – the heavy bags which contain mielies become as light as bags containing feathers. There is a renewed energy as a result of the break. Line 26: metaphor – the women are described as “prancing wild mares”. This comparison demonstrates the renewed vigour with which the women return to their task.

7. In your opinion does the poet succeed in conveying the extreme working conditions of the workers? Give a reason for your answer by referring closely to the text. (3)

Mtshali conveys the extreme working conditions. The work is physically demanding – he describes their faces as “furrowed” and the exertion makes them “wet with sweat”. It is also very dusty work. Their vests are “baked brown with dust”. The sun beats down mercilessly – “lashes the workers with a red-hot rod”.

8. Describe the mood of the poem by referring closely to the diction. (3)

There is a definite sense of oppression. Although the poem is mostly narrative, it portrays extreme labour in extreme circumstances with a “pipe-puffing man” overseeing the labour done.

9. Identify the sound devices in the following extracts: (5)

wet with sweat - assonance

rustling - onomatopoeia

loaded by thick limbed labourers - alliteration

brine-bathed brow - alliteration

battered cans/bubbling with malty maheu – alliteration and onomatopoeia

a young man’s thoughts before june the 16th Fhazel Johennesse 1. Identify three things that the poet knows he will have to give up once he embarks on his journey of protest. (3)

His youth, his mother and his friends. 2. Find an example of each of the following: enjambment, euphemism, alliteration. (3)

Enjambment – lines 3-4; 10-11

Euphemism – line 13 – “sunset is drenched with red”

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Alliteration – line 6 (f); line 7 (b) lines 8-9 (s); line 11 (b); line 12 (s) 3. Discuss the context in which this poem was written. (3)

This poem was written during Apartheid and some time after the events of June 16 1976. School children took to the streets in protest against being taught in Afrikaans – the language of the oppressor. The young man in the poem foresees the tragic events of the day in which many school children were killed by the police.

4. Explain the meaning of the last two lines of the poem. (3)

In the last two lines the young man indicates that he may die in the protest march and therefore will not be able to sing the song himself. He mentions his ‘sunset’ which is a symbol for the ending of his life. He describes it as being ‘drenched with red’, which means that he imagines that he might die in a bloody, violent way.

5. Summarise the message of the poem in a short sentence. (2)

The poem concentrates on the human aspect of this young freedom fighter, rather than his political intentions. The poet uses the poem to convey the HUMANITY of resistance, the life of one young man. Political criticism does not feature in this poem.

6. Comment on the effectiveness of the alliteration in the following lines:

“the broad belch of beer” - The alliteration of “a broad belch of beer” evokes the picture and sound of happy young people enjoying an evening together in a carefree manner.

“a sad song sung by a woman” – the sibilant ‘s’ slows down the sentence – the emphasis is on the sadness of the impending song. Melancholy.

“strummed by an old man with a broken brow” - emphasis on the ‘broken brow’ – frowning, pain, foreshadows horrors of the following day?

“o sing my sad song sing for me" – sibilant ‘s’ emphasises the sadness (2 x 4) 7. Describe the structure of this poem (not what it is about) and say whether you think it is effective. (3)

free verse/no punctuation/stream of consciousness poetry. It is suitable because it clearly describes the anxious, disordered thoughts of a teenager who does not know what the next day will bring.

8. What is implied about the persona in the lines, “i take with me only the sweet/memories of my youth”? (1)

The persona has a sense that they are leaving their youth behind – it is now just a memory. ‘sweet’ implies that he had a good childhood – good memories.

9. From lines 8 – 12, the poet mentions adults and what their response will be “tomorrow”. In the context of the poem, explain why the adults should sing and play a “sad song”. (2)

“tomorrow” is June 16th, the day of the Soweto Uprising, when the brutal murders of teenaged protesters caused their parents and adults in their community to go into mourning.

10. Do you find the last line a fitting ending to the poem? Explain your answer. (2)

It is fitting for several reasons – the red sunset speaks of blood and the end of something, so foreshadows the day ahead. The blood of innocent children was shed and “drenched” - helps us feel that horror// OR the persona speaks of “my sunset” being ‘drenched”, changing what is normally beautiful, a sunset, life, into something grotesque// OR it is a young person’s response to an indescribable horror – it must be expressed strongly.

11. Comment on the rich imagery used in the last line. (3)

Sunset is often the metaphor for the end of life - death. Here, however, it is not a gentle death but one which is ‘drenched with red’. Notice the harshness of the word ‘drenched’. The life of the young people has been ripped apart by police bullets, and their blood flows freely, drenching the sunset (and streets) with red.

12. Refer to the title. Explain the significance of the date. (1)

Soweto Youth Uprising – children marched peacefully against Afrikaans policy in schools. Police shot and killed many children.

13. What is suggested about the road that “winds to the top of the hill” (line 2)? (2)

Long road to freedom – will be an ‘uphill’ journey – difficult and long. 14. How does the poet create a sense of immediacy and realism? Quote in support of your answer. (2)

‘tomorrow’, ‘I’, the intimacy of drinking beers with friends, reference to his mother. Present tense verb in line 12.

15. Identify the tone in lines 8 – 13. Refer to an image and the use of diction in support of your answer. (3)

Ominous, fearful, resolute? He asks for a ‘sad song’ and knows that there will be blood in his ‘tomorrow’. 16. Sunsets are often “red”. Here, the poet suggests something more. Discuss. (2)

See answer to question 11.

He wishes for the cloths of heaven William Butler Yeats

1. What does the poet wish he could give his beloved? (2)

He wishes he could give her the sky and its changing lights.

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2. Discuss the effectiveness of repetition in this poem. Quote and discuss two examples. (4)

“my dreams” – he states that he does not have money to give her, only HIS dreams.

“under your feet” – he is humbled before her – he wants to lay his ‘gifts’ at her feet as a symbol of her power over him.

3. Identify the refrain and discuss its effectiveness. Refer to the attitude of the poet towards his beloved. (3)

“under your feet” – he expresses his vulnerability. He is humbled before her. 4. Discuss the change in tone that occurs between lines 5 and 6. (3)

The first five lines have a romantic tone, created by images of heaven. The word ‘But’ introduces the change. The tone in the last three lines is almost apologetic, as the speaker excuses his poverty. He can only offer his dreams which make him very vulnerable.

5. Discuss the ‘message’ of the poem in no more than 4 sentences. (4)

The speaker wants to give his beloved everything her heart desires or could possibly desire. However, the speaker is a poor man who does not own much. He offers his dreams to her, he is willing to lay it under her feet. Think here of the incident where Sir Walter lay his coat over a puddle for Queen Elizabeth I.

Hope is the thing with feathers Emily Dickinson

1. Identify and explain the qualities of the bird revealed in the first stanza. (3)

The bird is small enough to perch on the soul which is invisible. It sings without knowing all the details. This suggests that it sings whatever the circumstances. It is tenacious and determined.

2. What does the gale represent in this poem? (1)

Obstacles, problems, everyday difficulties 3. Explain the significance of the poet’s choice of words in line 5: And sweetest in the gale is heard. (3)

The most significant words in the line are ‘sweetest’, ‘gale’ and ‘heard’. The implication is that the sound of hope (the birdsong) sounds ‘sweetest’ in the ‘gale’ (the storms of life). That is when we need the sweet song of hope the most, and it does not fail us. The song is audible above the storm – it is clear and determined.

4. How can hope’s song be endless? (1)

Hope never ceases, never stops. We must ALWAYS have hope, even when life is tough. 5. Explain what the poet is implying when she says: And sore must be the storm / That could abash… warm. (3)

‘Sore’ implies pain – but hope is strong enough to counter even the worst of any ‘storm’ / problems / the worst trials life can throw at you. ‘and sore must be the storm’ suggests that it would have to be a mighty storm to abash/deflate hope, to make hope give up. Hope keeps so many ‘warm’ – hope keeps us protected and alive. Hope is strengthened by hardship.

6. Discuss the effectiveness of the last stanza in the context of the poem as a whole. (3)

The last stanza suggests that hope is to be found everywhere, both on ‘land’ and at ‘sea’, in the ‘chillest’ and ‘strangest’ places. The choice of these superlatives is in keeping with extremity. In even the most uncomfortable and distressing times, hope is present. Hope gives and never asks for anything in return – the bird does not ask a crumb of the speaker. The speaker’s gratitude is evident in the simple, yet powerful diction.

by your own definition Shabbir Banoobhai

1. Using words from the list provided, complete the sentences below. Your answers should illustrate your understanding of stanzas 1-3 in sequence. (Word list: imaginative, trusting, passionate)

According to you, I (the poet) am too PASSIONATE, too TRUSTING, and too IMAGINATIVE in my approach to life and nature. (3)

2. Comment on the effectiveness of the poet’s use of alliteration in stanza five. (3)

The poet’s energetic, joyful and appreciative approach to life is evoked. Just as his life “lifts and leaps”, so too do the lines “lift and leap” off the tongue and the page, through the repetition of the ‘l’ sound. His meaning is intensified through the use of the alliteration.

3. Explain how the lack of punctuation and the unusual structure of the poem contribute to the poet’s intention. (4)

The poet celebrates his creativity and unconventional view of life. He enjoys seeing the world in a unique way, unfettered by convention, rules and practical concerns. His choice to let his words and ideas flow unconstructed from one to the next without the conventions and formal structure of punctuation suits his meaning. The organic shape of the poem on the page ties in well with his use of natural images and diction throughout the poem.

4. How effective is the final simile in conveying the poet’s frustration? (2)

The simile (“like trying to crush the skull of a mountain”) is effective because it conveys the impossibility that the poet faces: one cannot crush the skull of a mountain and one cannot force someone to see the world as you see it.

30

The warm and the cold Ted Hughes

1. What time of day does the poem describe? Quote one word as your answer. (1)

“dusk” 2. What pattern can you identify in the poem? Look at the three lines below for clues: (4)

The pattern is that in each stanza the poet describes a fish, a mammal, an insect and a bird. 3. Explain the similes in the following lines: 1-3, 5-6, 7-8, 9-10, 11-12, 13-14, 17-18, 19-20, 21-22, 23-24, 25-26, 29-30, 31-

32, 33-34, 35-36. (15x2)

1-3: ‘dusk closes like a trap’ – dusk approaches quickly and is inescapable, like a trap/snare. The cold ‘captures’ all exposed to it, you cannot escape the cold.

5-6: ‘carp…like a planet in its heaven’ – In the same way that a planet is ‘comfortable’ and suited to be in the sky (heaven), so too the carp is comfortable in the freezing water. It does not need to escape the cold.

7-8: ‘badger…like a loaf in the oven’ – The badger is cosy and warm in its nest/bedding. Although badgers do not hibernate, they will spend long periods asleep in their nests, like a loaf of bread baking in an oven, to be taken out when ready.

9-10: ‘butterfly…like a voil’ – the butterfly is in a cocoon, ready to come out when the cold is over. The viol rests in a padded, safe case until needed. The butterfly and viol are both padded and protected.

11-12: ‘owl…like a doll in its lace’ – the owl’s feathers keep it warm and makes it look pretty, like a doll with a lace dress.

13-14: dusk…like a nut screwed tight’ – dusk has a firm grip on the day, inescapable. Refer to lines 1-3.

17-18: ‘trout…like a chuckle in a sleeper’ - A trout winters in a hole in a lake or riverbed. They don't hibernate, but when the water is below 35 degrees they do slow down and appear to sleep. To maintain a modicum of warmth they find a hole, which means safety and survival for them. When we sleep, we are usually wrapped in blankets and we dream and snuggle and maybe give a soft chuckle at pleasant sleepy thoughts. It's a feeling of safety. When people do not feel safe they have a hard time getting to sleep.

19-20: ‘hares…like a root going deeper’ – like roots that grow straight down into the soil, the hare is running a straight path down the highway (??) I don’t get this one. Help! Ross? Lynne? Kirst? Panda? ANYONE?!

21-22: snail…like a seed in a sunflower’ - Here the snail is compared to the dryness and compactness of a seed in a sunflower. It also suggests a sense of warmth and radiant heat.

23-24: ‘owl…like a clock on its tower’ – the owl looks like it is standing guard on the gatepost, like a clock on its tower. Elevated, constant? Round face of the owl similar to the face of a clock?

25-26: ‘Moonlight…like a mammoth of ice’ – the moon looks HUGE, like a mammoth (of ice) – shaggy world could refer to a mammoth’s furry coat.

29-30: ‘cod…like a key in a purse’ – safe, secure? I am running out of ideas…

31-32: ‘deer…like smiles on nurses’ – deer are serene, quiet and kindly-looking creatures. Nurses have similar characteristics.

33-34: ‘flies…like lost score of a jig’ – The noise made by flies behind the plaster (wall) is like lively music. The buzzing movement of the flies is also like the movement of a busy dance, a jig.

35-36: ‘sparrows…like money in a pig’ – Sparrows are small and money is small. The sparrows hide in the ivy in order to save their lives, in the same way money gets saved in a piggy bank.

4. Explain the effectiveness of the simile in lines 41-43 AND explain how this simile differs from the rest of the similes in the poem. (4)

The farmers are sweating (exertion or over-heated homes) and cannot sleep peacefully. They ‘turn in their sleep like oxen on spits’. There is a clear sense of discomfort. This is different from all of the other similes which describe how comfortable and happy the animals are in the cold. The humans are definitely not comfortable.

5. What point does Hughes make about the difference between humans and animals? (2)

Animals suited to this weather, humans not! Animals can adapt, humans struggle to do that. 6. What does the ordered structure of the poem imply? (2)

Nature is ordered – everything in its place, all have purpose and live symbiotically. The last 7 lines deviate from this ‘neatness’ and structure – emphasises how humans do NOT fit in and adapt to the cold weather.

7. Why is line 40 on its own? (2)

Emphasis – change in tone and subject matter. Nature vs Humans. 8. Find and explain one example each of a metaphor and personification. (4)

Metaphor – ‘The past and future / Are the jaws of a steel vice’;

Personification – ‘trees… hills that can no longer feel’; ‘dusk has tightened’; flimsy moon has lost her wits’ 9. Explain the title of the poem. (2)

Nature/Humans have different reactions to the heat and cold. Nature adapts when it gets cold, humans cannot.