Top Dog Education Grade 12 NSC Poetry Guide

Top Dog

Poetry - Learner’s Guide

National Senior Certificate syllabus aligned

GRADE 12

Chinua Achebe (1930 – 2013)

English Home Language

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Contents INTRODUCTION: How to analyse a poem

2 THE POEMS

Remember

Chris na Rosse

9

First Day A er the War

Mazisi Kunene

15

The Zulu Girl

Roy Campbell

21

Motho Ke Motho Ka Batho Babang

Jeremy Cronin

29

Funeral Blues

W.H. Auden

36

A Hard Frost

Cecil Day-Lewis

43

An African Thunderstorm

David Rubadiri

50

An African Elegy

Ben Okri

57

somewhere i have never travelled,gladly beyond

e.e. Cummings

64

The Garden of Love

William Blake

71

Felix Randal

Gerard Manley Hopkins

77

Vultures

Chinua Achebe

85

Solu ons to ques ons

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1

Introduction How to analyse a poem When you are faced with a poem you are required to analyse or answer ques ons about, read it through a few mes so that you can obtain some idea of its meaning.

Ask: ·

What is the poem about?

·

What is its subject ma er?

·

What is the poet saying about his subject ma er?

In order to do this, it is important to know something about the poet and the place and me in which the poem was wri en. This will help you to establish when and where the scene of the poet is set. This is known as the context or se ng of the poem.

As an example, let's look at the poem "Rockfall" by Sipho Sepamla. Sepamla was born in Soweto in 1932 and spent most of his life in the Johannesburg area. He became a teacher and in the 1970s joined a group of poets, who highlighted and protested against the injus ces of the apartheid era.

Rockfall – Sipho Sepamla Last night the house shook the earth grumbled crockery cla ered in sway the world teetered on the brink of collapse fear paralysing the neighbourhood

2

I counted the dead and the injured read the morning newspaper's record heard the mine management bemoan the seismographical scale reading

We walk this earth with death so we must die but there must be a be er reason than to make some richer others cast in the gloom of premature orphanage

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Firstly, look at the tle. It tells us that there has been a rockfall, so we know that there must be some tragic consequences.

Content The poem discusses a fall of rock in one of the goldmines around Johannesburg. The first stanza shows the fear of those who live near the mine as the earth 'grumbles' and 'crockery cla ers'.

The second stanza describes the fate of the miners who have been killed or injured, and the reac on of the mine management, who are mainly interested in sta s cs and the loss of profit. (A seismograph is an instrument which registers and records the size of an earthquake).

Finally, in the third stanza, the poet comments that while we have to accept that all men must eventually die; he finds it difficult to understand why some must die in order to enrich others.

Finally, he states that the children of the dead men are sent to gloomy miserable orphanages.

Inten on We now need to ask ourselves what is the poet's reason for wri ng the poem.

Ask: ·

What is the poet's inten on?

·

What does he want to share?

·

How does he feel about his subject ma er?

We know that Sepamla is one of the protest poets of the 1970s, and in the third stanza we realise that he is protes ng against the inhumane way the miners were exploited and compelled to work in dangerous situa ons.

Tone His a tude is reflected in the words he uses.

Ask: ·

What tone does the poet use to explain his feelings about the subject?

The tone reflects his emo ons. Is he sad, angry, amused, bi er, or serious?

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3

In "Rockfall", the poet's tone changes in each stanza. In the first stanza, he describes the fear of the families by using emo ve words such as “grumbled”, “teetered” and “paralysing”. We realise that he iden fies with these people and he encourages the reader to share their frightening experience.

In the second stanza, his tone changes to deliberate indifference. He provides us with the impersonal voice of the official report - "I counted the dead and the injured".

At the beginning of the final stanza, his tone is philosophical. He considers the inevitability of death. However, he changes to a tone of bi er condemna on and irony, as he considers the needless loss of life in order to increase the wealth of a few.

Mood Let us now consider the mood of the poem. The mood includes the feelings that are expressed by the speaker, as well as the feelings of the reader when he reads the poem. It is closely related to atmosphere.

Mood can be described, for example, as peaceful, serious, gloomy, playful, or nostalgic. The mood in "Rockfall" is sombre and serious. The poet contemplates the lack of equality in South Africa during the apartheid era. He says, “I counted the dead/ And the injured" and then he ends the poem with the most telling statement – "others cast in the gloom of a premature orphanage".

Once we have decided what the poet is saying, we need to examine how he puts his message across.

This includes form and structure; dic on and imagery; and rhyme and rhythm.

Structure and form The structure of the poem refers to the way that ideas are grouped in different stanzas. It shows us how the words and ideas of the poet are organised into lines and how the lines are put together.

Ask: ·

How are the ideas of the poet organised?

·

How does the poet develop his theme?

In 'Rockfall', each stanza reflects a different viewpoint. In stanza 1, we see the distress of the miners' families, in stanza 2 we observe the indifference of the mine management and the press,

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and in stanza 3 the poet makes a personal comment about the situa on. He is bi er and angry.

The form refers to the overall organisa on of the lines in the poem.

Ask: ·

Are the lines grouped into stanzas?

·

Do they have a specific length?

·

Do they assume a specific shape that reflects the subject ma er of the poem?

The lines in 'Rockfall' are indented in such a way that they imitate a fall of rock.

Furthermore, they are of different lengths. They reflect the chaos, lack of order and fear which have resulted from the rockfall.

Rhyme schemes and Rhythm We now need to iden fy the rhyme scheme and the rhythm of the poem.

The rhyme scheme of a poem is the repe on of similar sounds which normally occur at the ends of the lines. It gives structure to the poet's thoughts and emphasises certain important words. It adds a musical sound quality to the poetry.

Ask: ·

Is there a rhyme scheme?

·

Why has the poet used this rhyme scheme?

·

Does the rhyme scheme add to the overall effect of the poem?

In the poem "The Tyger", William Blake uses an aabb rhyme scheme for the first four lines of this poem.

"Tyger! Tyger! burning bright In the forests of the night, What immortal hand or eye Could frame thy fearful symmetry?"

The rhyme scheme adds a rhythmic feeling to the poem and the repe the sense of awe felt by Blake as he gazes at the ger.

on of sounds reinforces

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5

Rhythm We also need to look at the rhythm of the poem. In addi on to rhyme, rhythm adds to the mood, quality and meaning of a poem.

Ask: ·

Is the rhythm of the poem slow, steady or fast?

·

Is the rhythm constant or does it vary with the meaning?

For example, a slow rhythm suggests sadness, relaxa on or disappointment, while a fast rhythm suggests excitement, danger or anger.

A poet achieves a specific rhythm by using different lengths of sentences, varying the lengths of his words and by using punctua on. Many breaks create a choppy effect, while no stops at all might cause a smooth, flowing effect.

"Rockfall" has no rhythm or rhyme scheme. This is known as free verse. The poet wants the reader to focus on the meaning of the poem rather than the beauty or musicality of his words.

Dic on and imagery Finally we need to look at the poet's dic on and his imagery. Does he use nega ve or posi ve adjec ves and verbs?

The words which a poet uses is called his dic on.

Ask: ·

Are his words vivid and striking or merely informa ve?

·

Are there inverted word orders and if so, what is the reason for this?

Dic on can be colloquial or formal; serious or light-hearted.

Sepamla uses serious, formal language in order to put his message across. Words such as "teetered", "paralysing" and "collapse" are connota ve words that describe the fear of those living above the ground. These words allow the reader to experience the situa on.

Imagery and figures of speech Imagery is a 'word picture' that allows us to understand what the writer has to say. It shows a

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meaning that is below the surface. Figures of speech help the reader to form a vivid picture in their minds.

Ask: ·

What effect is produced by the use of figura ve tools such as metaphors, similes, personifica on and symbolism?

In "Rockfall" the poet refers to the earth that “grumbled”. He thus insinuates that even the earth is unhappy about the situa on. This is an example of personifica on. Furthermore, by personifying the fear that “paralyses the neighbourhood”, the poet allows us to perceive the extent of the people's fear.

Imagery appeals to our five senses: It can be visual. John Keats in the poem "To Autumn" writes: "Thy hair so -li ed by the winnowing wind; Or on a half-reap'd furrow sound asleep Drowsed by the fume of poppies."

This immediately conjures up an image of "autumn" which is likened to a reaper sleeping in a field.

Imagery can also appeal to the sense of hearing. The poet makes use of sound effects such as onomatopoeia, allitera on and assonance which add to the experience of the reader.

Ma hew Arnold, in "Dover Beach" allows us to hear the roar of pebbles as the waves fling them on to the beach.

"Listen! You can hear the gra ng roar Of pebbles which the wave drew back..."

Sepamla uses both allitera on and onomatopoeia in the phrase - "crockery cla ered". The repe on of the 'c' sound encourages the reader to form an image in his mind which, in turn, allows him to experience the sound of the plates banging together.

Imagery can also be tac le. One can imagine that you can touch the object that is being described.

Denise Levertov in her poem "The Green Snake" describes how the snake feels when draped around her neck.

"Green Snake, when I hung you round my neck and stroked your cold, pulsing throat as you hissed at me, glin ng

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7

arrowy gold scales, and I felt the weight of you on my shoulders …”

We are able to visualise the touch and weight of the snake in these lines and we therefore iden fy with the poet.

Imagery can also be olfactory. It can describe the smell of an object.

Stephen Gray in "The Herb Garden" allows us to experience the smell of various herbs: "Something in her English soul Amid rough South Africans Called for the tenderness of mint The old scent of lavender and sage."

Finally, the imagery can appeal to our sense of taste. This is probably the sense which is used least in poetry.

Keats in "Ode to a Nigh ngale" writes: "O, for a draught of vintage! That hath been Cool'd a long age in the deep delved earth, Tas ng of flora and the country green.”

When you write about imagery you need to describe the picture that is created in your mind and comment on the feeling that the image has created in you.

8

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Remember Christina Rossetti Remember me when I am gone away, Gone far away into a silent land; When you can no more hold me by the hand, Nor I half turn to go yet turning stay.

Remember me when no more day by day You tell me of our future that you plann'd: Only remember me; you understand It will be late to counsel then or pray.

Yet if you should forget me for a while And a erwards remember, do not grieve: For if the darkness and corrup on leave A ves ge of the thoughts that once I had, Be er by far you should forget and smile Than that you should remember and be sad.

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9

Glossary counsel – to give advice, guidance or direc on corrup on – dishonest or fraudulent conduct ves ge – a small part or amount of something larger, stronger, or more important that s ll exists from something that existed in the past

About the poet Chris na Rosse was born in London in 1830. Her father was the poet, Gabriele Rosse , and her brother was the well-known painter and poet, Dante Gabriel Rosse . Chris na wrote poetry that expressed her religious faith and her love of natural beauty. She is best known for her ballads and mys c religious lyrics. Her poems are marked by symbolism and intense feeling.

From an early age, she suffered from nervous stress and depression, and it was during this period that religious devo on began to play a major role in her life. Her early poems o en featured themes such as death and loss. Her most famous collec on, Goblin Market and Other Poems, appeared in 1862 and received widespread cri cal praise.

She is considered a major Victorian poet and has been compared to Emily Dickinson. She died in London in 1894, and one of her brothers, William Michael, edited her collected works in 1904.

However, her Complete Poems were only published in 1979.

Content of the poem In the first eight lines of the poem, (the octave) the speaker calls upon her beloved to remember her and to keep her memory alive a er her death. She pleads with him to remember her when he can no longer hold her hand, and when she is no longer able to turn back to him. Furthermore, she asks him to remember her even when they cannot plan their future lives together, or when he is no longer able to give her any advice, or comfort her with prayer.

In the final six lines (the sestet) there is a change in tone, introduced by the word “yet”. She acknowledges that his happiness is ul mately of greatest importance and she tells him that if he should forget her for a short period of me , he shouldn't be upset or grieve. She foresees a me when his grief (the darkness and corrup on) will contaminate the image he once had of her.

Finally, in the last two lines, we realise that she truly loves him and that his happiness is of the greatest importance to her. She states that it would be be er if he were to forget her and be happy, than remember her and be sad.

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Top Dog Poetry - Learner’s Guide is a comprehensive guide based on the NSC Grade 12 Poetry syllabus.

Top Dog’s Grade 12 Poetry Study Guide: Ÿ Is designed to assist students studying the NSC's Ÿ Ÿ Ÿ Ÿ

Ÿ

prescribed Poetry syllabus Has an introduction to poetry analysis Contains all 12 prescribed poems, with a comprehensive discussion on each, stanza by stanza Includes a glossary of words in context Includes a discussion on the background of the poet, intention, mood and tone, structure and form and imagery for each poem Has short questions and multiple choice questions on each poem, with full solutions at the back of the guide