P a g e |1

Dreaming Black Boy

James Berry
I wish my teacher’s eyes wouldn’t
go past me today. Wish he’d know
it’s okay to hug me when I kick
a goal. Wish I myself wouldn’t hold
back when answer comes.
I’m no woodchopper now
like all ancestors.
I wish I could be educated
to the best of tune up, and earn
good money and not sink to lick
boots. I wish I could go on every
crisscross way of the globe
and no persons or powers or
hotel keepers would make it a waste.
I wish life wouldn’t spend me out
opposing. Wish same way creation
would have me stand it would have
me stretch, and hold high, my voice
Paul Robeson’s, my inside eye
a sun. Nobody wants to say
hello to nasty answers.
I wish torch throwers of night
would burn lights for decent times.
Wish plotters in pyjamas would pray
for themselves. Wish people wouldn’t
talk as if I dropped from Mars.
LITERARY DEVICES
1. REPETITION: The constant repetition of the phrase ‘I wish’ points to
a yearning, a desperation even, for the basic things that life has to
offer. The repetition gives credence to the idea that the persona might
believe that his wishes are actually dreams that might not come true.
2. ALLUSION: Stanza 1, lines 6 and 7, alludes to slavery, the state of
lacking control over one’s own life and destiny. The fact that reference
is made to this hints to how the persona feels about his life. He does
not feel as if he has control over it.
Stanza 3, lines 19 to 20, alludes to Paul Robeson, a black intellectual,
who attained success despite difficult circumstances. The persona
yearns to be like this person. He wants room to stretch intellectually.
Stanza 4, lines 22 to 25, alludes to the klu klux klan. Burning lights
refers to the burning of crosses and the pyjamas alludes to their white
outfits that look like pyjamas. The persona wants them to leave him
alone, find something else to do other than make his life difficult by
contributing to his wishes remaining in the realm of the dreams.
IMPORTANT WORDS / PHRASE
3.’not sink to lick boots’- This refers to the concept of being
subservient. To have no choice but to kowtow to people in order to get
ahead.
4. ‘Inside eye a sun’- This refers to the persona’s mind. He wants to
show how intelligent he is without fear. He wants his mind to be a sun.
Sun represents brightness and light, that is how he wants his
intelligence to shine.

I wish only boys were scared
behind bravados, for I could suffer.
I could suffer a big big lot.
I wish nobody would want to earn
the terrible burden I can suffer.
TONE - The tone/mood of the poem is one of sadness. The persona is
thinking about how he is treated and he reacts to this in a sad way. He
keeps wishing that things were different.
THEMATIC CATEGORY:
Racism, survival, oppression, desire/dreams and childhood
experiences

Summary - The persona is a young black male wishing for things he should have already been
guaranteed for being a human. He has suffered great racial discrimination throughout his life, and this has
affected him to the point where he isn't as bold as he should be. He knows that he is different from his
enslaved ancestors, but he feels still trapped by the prejudice he has to bear. He wants to travel the world
and be educated, rather than having to do demeaning jobs to get by. He wishes to be like the
revolutionary Paul Robeson, whom he idolizes. This boy has suffered through seeing members of the Ku
Klux Klan discriminating against and lynching black people like him, and he hopes that no one else has to
bear this terrible burden he does. The speaker’s tone is one of wistfulness, subdued optimism, restrained
anger, sadness and despair. Like the attitude of the black boy, the atmosphere of the poem is one of
despair, sadness and deep suffering.

South
Kamau Brathwaite
But today I recapture the islands'
bright beaches: blue mist from the ocean
rolling into the fishermen's houses.
By these shores I was born: sound of the sea
came in at my window, life heaved and breathed in me then
with the strength of that turbulent soil.
Since then I have travelled: moved far from the beaches:
sojourned in stoniest cities, walking the lands of the north
in sharp slanting sleet and the hail,
crossed countless saltless savannas and come
to this house in the forest where the shadows oppress me
and the only water is rain and the tepid taste of the river.
We who are born of the ocean can never seek solace
in rivers: their flowing runs on like our longing,
reproves us our lack of endeavour and purpose,
proves that our striving will founder on that.
We resent them this wisdom, this freedom: passing us
toiling, waiting and watching their cunning declension down
to the sea.
But today I would join you, travelling river,
borne down the years of your patientest flowing,
past pains that would wreck us, sorrows arrest us,
hatred that washes us up on the flats;
and moving on through the plains that receive us,
processioned in tumult, come to the sea.
Bright waves splash up from the rocks to refresh us,
blue sea-shells shift in their wake
and there is the thatch of the fishermen's houses, the path
made of pebbles, and look!
Small urchins combing the beaches
look up from their traps to salute us:
they remember us just as we left them.
The fisherman, hawking the surf on this side
of the reef, stands up in his boat
and halloos us: a starfish lies in its pool.
And gulls, white sails slanted seaward,
fly into the limitless morning before us.
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, which appeared to be the very opposite of his island.
The persona appeared, at that point, to be homesick for his
island and resented the ease and comfort that the
Northerners’ felt towards their land. He then shifts back to
the present where he appreciates certain features of the
island, particularly those that remind him of his past on the
island.
P a g e |2
Figurative Devices
1. Alliteration - "bright beaches, blue mist from the
ocean"(line 2), (line 4), (line 13), (line 18), (line
21)
2. Personification - "sound of the sea came in at my
window, life heaved and breathed in me then
with the strength of that turbulent soil." (lines 4-
6), (line 11), (lines 14-16)
3. Simile - "their flowing runs on like our longing,"
(line 14)
IMPORTANT WORDS/ PHRASES
4. ’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.
5. ’Since then I have travelled’ --This line indicates
that the persona did not remain on the island of
his birth.
6. ’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.
7. ’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.
8. ’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.
9. ’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.
10. ’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.
THEME: Patriotism, places, desires and dreams

Test Match Sabina Park
by Stewart Brown
Summary - The persona, a white male, proudly
enters Sabina Park to watch a cricket match
between England and the West Indies. The
persona notices that the game is slow and that the
crowd is not reacting well. He is, in fact, initially
shocked that there is a crowd at all because this is
usually not the case at Lords. By lunch, England is
sixty-eight for none, and the crowd gets abusive.
They even state that maybe they should borrow
Lawrence Rowe. The persona tries to explain the
reason behind the slow pace of the British side but
fails to convince even himself. His embarrassment
at England’s performance has him eventually
skulking out of the venue.
P a g e |3
LITERARY DEVICES
1. RHETORICAL QUESTION - Stanza 2, lines 6-7: This question
reveals that, despite the fact that cricket is a popular sport in
England, the venues for the matches are not crowded. This
question could also point to the fact that Sabina Park was very
crowded. Stanza 3, line 10, Stanza 4, lines 16-18
2. ALLUSION–The allusion to Lawrence Rowe, a very colourful
and successful West Indian cricketer, emphasizes the fact that
the match is slow and boring.
3. SARCASM - To ‘boycott’ is to abstain from, or to stop, doing
something. Therefore, the persona is being sarcastic because
excitement is a good thing. People usually boycott for
something negative, therefore the persona is, again,
highlighting the slow and boring pace of the cricket match.
IMPORTANT WORDS/ PHRASES
4.’rosette of my skin’ - Rosette implies a reddish colour, or tint,
to the skin, that sometimes resembles a rose. This description
immediately identifies the race of the persona as caucasian.
The persona is proud of his race, as he enters Sabina Park.
5.’strut’ - This word means to walk proudly. It emphasizes the
fact that the persona is proudly walking into Sabina Park.
6.’something badly amiss’ - The persona is jolted by the fact
that the match is going slowly. The word ‘amiss’ implies wrong,
the game should not be going so slowly.
7.’vociferous partisans’ - Vociferous means to be very noisy
and clamorous, while partisan is a person who shows biased,
emotional allegiance. Therefore, the West Indian crowd was
extremely noisy in their support of their team. They were also
very unappreciative of the slow pace of the match.
8 ’England sixty-eight for none at lunch’ - While this is a good
score, it never-the-less highlights the slowness of the match,
hence the fact that the experience, for the crowd, was far from
exciting.
9.’the wicket slow’ - The purpose of the wicket is to ‘out’ the
opposing side. Therefore, no ‘outing’ is occurring, the wickets
are standing. Everything about the match is going slowly.
10.’sticky wickets’ - This implies a sticky, or awkward situation.
It highlights England’s situation.
11.’loud ‘busin’ - The English team was being loudly abused.
12.’skulking behind a tarnished rosette’ - Skulking implies
hiding in shame, and tarnished means tainted. Therefore, the
proud Englishman is now embarrassed, and the rosette of his
skin is making him stand out. Initially this was a very good
thing, but now it is a disadvantage.
13.’blushing nationality’. - At this point, the Englishman admits
to being embarrassed for his team, as well as himself. *There is
a distinct CONTRAST between the beginning of the poem when
the persona is proud, and ‘struts’. However, by the end of the
poem, he is embarrassed and ‘skulking’
VOICES: There are two distinct voices in this poem. The
Englishman’s and the West Indian’s.
MOOD/ ATMOSPHERE: The mood of the poem is tense.
TONE: The tone of the poem is one of frustration (West Indian)
and embarrassment (English man).
THEME: Discrimination, places, culture and sports
 P a g e |4

Theme for English B LITERARY DEVICES

BY LANGSTON HUGHES 1.RHETORICAL QUESTION - Stanza 2, line 6: The persona
The instructor said, ponders the ease of what he is asked to do. This
question, in turn, actually highlights the difficult nature of
Go home and write
the task. Stanza 3, line24, Stanza 4, line 32
a page tonight.
2. REPETITION - This repetition emphasizes the profound
And let that page come out of you—
impact that Harlem, New York, has had on the
Then, it will be true.
personality of the persona.
I wonder if it’s that simple?
IMPORTANT WORDS/ PHRASES
I am twenty-two, colored, born in Winston-Salem.
3.’here to this college on the hill above Harlem.’ - The
I went to school there, then Durham, then here
fact that the college is on a hill, above Harlem, is very
to this college on the hill above Harlem.
important. It highlights the fact that the college is a
I am the only colored student in my class.
superior entity. The people of Harlem look up at it,
The steps from the hill lead down into Harlem,
showing their inferiority.
through a park, then I cross St. Nicholas,
4.’I am the only colored student in the class.’ - This line
Eighth Avenue, Seventh, and I come to the Y,
emphasizes the persona’s ‘otherness’ in relation to
the Harlem Branch Y, where I take the elevator
every-one else in the class. He is different. The isolation
up to my room, sit down, and write this page:
of the sentence (enclosed by full stops/periods) also
It’s not easy to know what is true for you or me emphasizes the persona’s ‘otherness’.
at twenty-two, my age. But I guess I’m what 5.’The steps from the hill lead down into Harlem,
I feel and see and hear, Harlem, I hear you. through a park, then I cross St. Nicholas, Eighth Avenue,
hear you, hear me—we two—you, me, talk on this page. Seventh, and I come to the Y, the Harlem Branch Y,
(I hear New York, too.) Me—who? where I take the elevator up to my room’ - This line
highlights the fact that the college is a great distance
Well, I like to eat, sleep, drink, and be in love.
from his home. This distance is also metaphorical
I like to work, read, learn, and understand life.
because it is implied that the experiences that he has at
I like a pipe for a Christmas present,
the college are also a great distance from the experiences
or records—Bessie, bop, or Bach.
that he has in Harlem. They are two different worlds.
I guess being colored doesn’t make me not like
6.’But it will be a part of you, instructor. You are white –
the same things other folks like who are other races.
yet a part of me, as I am a part of you. That’s American.’
So will my page be colored that I write?
- This statement reveals the fact that America is viewed
Being me, it will not be white.
as a melting pot by the persona. He believes that
But it will be
different races and cultures influence each other, thereby
a part of you, instructor.
forming the term ‘American’.
You are white—
7.As I learn from you, I guess you learn from me –
yet a part of me, as I am a part of you.
although you’re older – and white – and somewhat
That’s American.
more free. - This statement, by the persona, repeats his
Sometimes perhaps you don’t want to be a part of me.
belief that the American society is a melting pot. It also,
Nor do I often want to be a part of you.
however, states that not every-one is equal within this
But we are, that’s true!
society.
As I learn from you,
I guess you learn from me—
MOOD/ ATMOSPHERE: is reflective.
although you’re older—and white—
TONE: The tone of the poem is also reflective.
and somewhat more free.
THEMES: Racism, places
This is my page for English B.
Summary – The persona’s lecturer gave him an assignment to write a page that reflects ‘him’, or his character. The
persona wonders if this is a simple task, and begins to think about his life. Things like his age, place of birth, race and
place of residence. Based on these musings, he surmises that he is confused due to his youth. He guesses that he is
what he feels, sees and hears, which is Harlem, New York. He continues his musing about what he likes, and
concludes that he likes the same things that people of other races like. On this basis, he questions whether or not
his page will be influenced by race. He concludes that it will not be white. He admits that his instructor, as well as
the fact that this instructor is white, will have some influence on his page. He states that they both influence each
other, that is what being American is about. He believes that both of them might not want to influence each other,
but it cannot be helped. He concludes that both of them will learn from each other, despite the fact that the
instructor has the advantage of being older, white and ‘more free’. All of these musings and conclusions become
his page for English B.
 P a g e |5

My Parents
BY STEPHEN SPENDER

My parents kept me from children who were rough

Who threw words like stones and wore torn clothes
Their thighs showed through rags they ran in the street
And climbed cliffs and stripped by the country streams.
I feared more than tigers their muscles like iron
Their jerking hands and their knees tight on my arms
I feared the salt coarse pointing of those boys
Who copied my lisp behind me on the road.
They were lithe they sprang out behind hedges
Like dogs to bark at my world. They threw mud
While I looked the other way, pretending to smile.
I longed to forgive them but they never smiled.
Summary – This poem is a reflection on an experience in
the childhood of Spencer. The recalls his parents
keeping him sheltered from the children of the
community he seems to be a weak child while the
children in this community were wilder, he never got the
chance to go out and play with them and even if he did
he seems not to be accepted by them. The bullying he
endured as a young child by these neighborhood kids
was one of the reasons why they kept him away, they
would constantly make fun of his lisp, threw dirt at him,
etc. Spencer expresses his desire to make amends with
these children but they never gave him an opportunity
to do so.
FIGURATIVE DEVICES
Simile:
“Who threw words like stones” the words the boys
use where harsh and hurt when they would say them.
“muscles like iron” they boys were strong and Spence
may have not been strong enough to fight them off so
to him they were much stronger than him and it
would hurt to be hit by them.
“Like dogs to bark at my world” not literal dogs but
they were loud and unrelenting like dog’s barks
frightening and offensive getting ready to attack.
Metaphor:
“the salt coarse pointing of those boys” salt is rough
and salt in wounds sting. The pointing by the boys
would point and it would hurt emotionally for
spencer.
Allusion:
“While I looked the other way” an allusion to Jesus
turning the other cheek as a form of forgiveness, like
Spencer wanting to forgive the boys.
Possible Themes: Parent-Child Relationship,
Childhood Experiences, Forgiveness Bullying

STANZA BY STANZA ANALYSIS

Stanza 1: The poem begins with the narration by a child Spencer “My parents kept me from children who were rough,// Who
threw words like stones and wore torn clothes”. Spencer seems to be a sheltered child, he also seems to be from a household
that was more affluent. The first line shows what has happened to Spencer, by saying his parents kept him from these children it
could be that they were protecting him. The children in the community seem to be poor and would often make fun of Spencer.
“There thighs showed through rags they ran in the streets” this line also enforces the notion that these children might be
poorer than Spencer. “And climbed cliffs and stripped by the country streams” the activities in this line are what Spencer may
have considered being rough.
Stanza 2: This stanza expresses the fear Spencer had of these children how they bullied him “I feared more than tigers their
muscles like iron” Spencer equating their muscles to irons shows how much stronger these boys were than him and it also gives
an image of a weak and fragile Spencer. “There jerking hands and knees tight on my arms” they physically bullied Spencer as
well as pinning him down to beat him, and also verbally abusing him. Spencer who had a lisp “I feared the salt coarse pointing of
those boys// Who copied my lisp behind me on the road” this stanza shows how much Spencer really feared the ridicule of the
neighborhood children.
Stanza 3: “They were lithe they sprang out behind hedges, // Like dogs to bark at my world.” The word lithe means the boys
were agile. They would be quick when they came out from behind the bushes, they may not have been noticed by Spencer until
they started to tease him. They may not have literally “barked at his world” but meaning the loud abusive bullying that invades
Spencer’s space fighting him, making him uncomfortable and sad. “They threw mud// While I looked the other way, pretending
to smile.” We can see that even though Spencer was bullied by these boys he also longed for acceptance; he may have also been
putting up a brave face. Turning the other was also an allusion to turning the other cheek meaning to forgive, “turning the other
way’ trying to look past what they did. ”I longed to forgive them but they never smiled” as we said before he wanted to forgive
them, but they never showed him any kindness or even a smile. He longed to forgive them but he never did as he had no reason
to, he longed to make friends but he was never able to.

Little Boy Crying
Mervyn Morris
Your mouth contorting in brief spite and hurt,
your laughter metamorphosed into howls,
your frame so recently relaxed now tight
with three-year-old frustration, your bright eyes
swimming tears, splashing your bare feet,
you stand there angling for a moment’s hint
of guilt or sorrow for the quick slap struck.
The ogre towers above you, that grim giant,
empty of feeling, a colossal cruel,
soon victim of the tale’s conclusion, dead
at last. You hate him, you imagine
chopping clean the tree he’s scrambling down
or plotting deeper pits to trap him in.
You cannot understand, not yet,
the hurt your easy tears can scald him with,
nor guess the wavering hidden behind that mask.
This fierce man longs to lift you, curb your sadness
with piggy-back or bull fight, anything,
but dare not ruin the lessons you should learn.
You must not make a plaything of the rain.
Summary – The poem is narrating an
interaction between a father and his son, who
he has punished for playing in the rain. The little
boy feels somewhat betrayed by his father,
and finds no sign of remorse in him. So, he sees
him as evil figure, likening him to the evil giant
from the fairy tale of Jack and the Beanstalk.
The poem accurately shows how the child
feels in the moment- a sudden emotion of cold
hate and anger towards this 'colossal cruel'
who has harmed him. In the third stanza
though, the poet introduces the perspective of
the father, who evidently cares for his son.
Through the child's eyes, he is painted in a light
of supreme cruelty and callousness due to
emotionally-caused exaggeration. The father
is shown to be caring because he feels guilt
and remorse when he sees the tears of his son.
But the dilemma within is obvious- he doesn't
enjoy making his son feel this way, but he must
teach him this lesson. He wants to comfort him
and show his care; but he knows that he must
maintain his composure in order for his son to
truly learn the lesson.
The poem is written from a third person
omniscient perspective. The themes are
parenting, vulnerability and childhood
experiences. The mood is tense.
P a g e |6
FIGURATIVE DEVICES
1. Hyperbole - "your bright eyes swimming tears, splashing
your bare feet,"
2. Alliteration - (slap struck) "you stand there angling for a
moment’s hint of guilt or sorrow for the quick slap struck."
3. Allusion - "The ogre towers above you, that grim giant,
empty of feeling, a colossal cruel, soon victim of the tale’s
conclusion, dead at last." to the fairy tale Jack and the
Beanstalk ('...that grim giant')
Stanza 1: The poem begins with a description of a child crying.
However, his cries seem harsh and fierce “Your laughter
metamorphosed into howl”. This also suggests that the child is
normally a happy one and something happened to have changed
his happiness. The last line in the stanza informs us that the
reason why the child is crying is because he has been beaten “the
quick slap struck”. The little boy is also staring at the parent
hoping that he might be feeling guilty for hitting him. This might
mean that the child is trying to play on the parent’s emotion “you
stand there angling for a moment’s hint”.
Stanza 2: It is important to note that the stanza is giving the point
of view of the parent. The parent is imagining that the child is
demonizing him for hitting him “The ogre towers above you, that
grim giant,// empty of feeling a colossal cruel”. From this, we can
understand that the parent thinks that the child believes that he
is cruel and evil for hitting him and therefore is thinking of ways
to overcome or get away from the parent.
Stanza 3: Poet makes it clear that the father loves his son.
However, he is slapping him for is own good. He also suggests
that the father is hurt by the son’s tears and would do anything to
make him stop crying. “This fierce man longs to lift you//……” Yet,
the lesson must be taught.
Stanza 4: Maybe this stanza suggests that no matter that there
are often important behaviour or lessons children must learnt by
children.
THEMES:
1. Parent – Child Relationship (The father seems to be firm and
strict with his son. Although he loves him he does not allow
him to have his own way.)
2. Childhood Experiences (The little boy experiences pain and
resentment for his parent. Unlike Ana, his childhood is not
one that is carefree without any consequences for undesired
behaviour.)
3. Parenting (The father tries to be a good parent. In his eyes
there are some lessons that his son must learn. Therefore, he
carries out physical punishment so that he can learn these
lessons)

It is the Constant Image of Your Face
Dennis Brutus
It is the constant image of your face
framed in my hands as you knelt before my chair
the grave attention of your eyes
surveying me amid my world of knives
that stays with me, perennially accuses
and convicts me of heart’s-treachery;
and neither you nor I can plead excuses
for you, you know, can claim no loyalty –
my land takes precedence of all my loves.
Yet I beg mitigation, pleading guilty
for you, my dear, accomplice of my heart
made, without words, such blackmail with your beauty
and proffered me such dear protectiveness
that I confess without remorse or shame,
my still-fresh treason to my country
and I hope that she, my other, dearest love
will pardon freely, not attaching blame
being your mistress (or your match) in tenderness.
Summary – The persona reflects on the image of
someone he cares for. This love interest accused him,
with their eyes, of breaking their heart. The persona
admits that both of them (he and the love interest) can
make no excuses for his behaviour because the love
interest does not take precedence over his land, or
country. Despite this fact, the persona begs for mercy,
pleading guilty for being seduced by his love interest’s
beauty. This person protects him dearly and he admits
that, as a result of this, he has committed treason against
his country. He hopes that his country, his other dearest
love, will pardon him because he loves both his country
and his love interest.
P a g e |7
FIGURATIVE DEVICES
1. PERSONIFICATION - Lines 4, 6-7: The love
interest’s eyes constantly accuse and convicts
the persona. This device highlights the extent to
which the persona has hurt this person.
Lines 18-20: The persona hopes that his
country, his other dearest love, will forgive him
for the treasonous act of loving another. This
highlights the patriotism that defines the
persona’s relationship to his country.
2. OXYMORON - The term heart’s-treachery
implies that the heart, something so vital and
indicative of love, has committed a terrible
crime. It highlights the heartbreak that the
persona has caused his love interest.
IMPORTANT WORD/ PHRASES
3. ‘constant image’ - This implies that the persona
constantly, or always, remembers his love
interest’s face. It emphasizes the guilt he feels in
relation to this person.
4. ‘grave attention’ - The love interest’s eyes
display grave attention. The word grave implies
intensely serious, so this person is truly hurt.
5. ‘world of knives’ - A knife inflicts pain and
destroys. The persona, therefore, is identifying
his world with causing pain.
6. ‘such blackmail with your beauty’- To blackmail
someone is to have something over them that
puts their will in your control. The love interest’s
beauty has captivated the persona in such a way
that he betrays his country with this person.
7. MOOD/ ATMOSPHERE - The mood of the poem
is reflective. The persona is thinking about his
two loves and how he is torn between them.
8. TONE: The tone of the poem is sadness and
guilt. The persona is guilt-ridden over this love
triangle and sadness permeates the words that
he uses to describe it.
9. THEMATIC CATEGORY: Love, guilt, patriotism,
places, desires/ dreams

The Woman Speaks to the Man who has Employed her Son
Lorna Goodison
Her son was first made known to her
as a sense of unease, a need to cry
for little reasons and a metallic tide
rising in her mouth each morning.
Such signs made her know
That she was not alone in her body.
She carried him full term
tight up under her heart.
She carried him like the poor
carry hope, hope you get a break
or a visa, hope one child go through
and remember you. He had no father.
The man she made him with had more
like him, he was fair-minded
he treated all his children
with equal and unbiased indifference.
She raise him twice, once as mother
Then as father, set no ceiling
On what he could be doctor,
earth healer, pilot take wings.
But now he tells her he is working
for you, that you value him so much
you give him one whole submachine
gun for him alone.
He says you are like a father to him
she is wondering what kind of father
would give a son hot and exploding
death, when he asks him for bread.
She went downtown and bought three
and one-third yards of black cloth
and a deep crowned and veiled hat
for the day he draw his bloody salary.
She has no power over you and this
at the level of earth, what she has
are prayers and a mother’s tears
and at knee city she uses them.
She says psalms for him
she reads psalms for you
she weeps for his soul
her eyewater covers you.
She is throwing a partner
with Judas Iscariot’s mother
the thief on the left-hand side
of the cross, his mother
is the banker, her draw though
is first and last for she still
throwing two hands as mother and
father.
She is prepared, she is done. Absalom.
P a g e |8
FIGURATIVE DEVICES
1. SIMILE - Lines 1-2: The persona emphasizes that the mother placed all her
hopes in her son. When you are poor, generally, you have no prospects,
you only dream and hope. Therefore, the persona uses this metaphor to
emphasize the mother’s dependence on her son’s success.
Line 17: The employer is being compared to a father figure. This implies
that this person fills a gap in the son’s life.
2. 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.
3. IRONY (situational) - 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.
4. ALLUSION (biblical) - Lines 28-29: The verse questions what the actions of
a good father should be.
Lines 38-39: In this chapter there are verses for protection, the mother
uses those for her son, as well as verses for retribution and rebuking
Lines 43-45: In the Christian Bible, Judas Iscariot betrayed Jesus.
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.
5. MOOD/ ATMOSPHERE - The mood of the poem is reflective. The persona
is thinking about a mother’s response to her son’s life choices.
6. TONE - The tone of the poem is pragmatic and pessimistic. The persona is
telling the tale as it is, with no positive energy.
7. THEMATIC CATEGORY - Death, love/love and family relationship, survival,
dreams and aspirations, childhood experiences, religion
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 is told that he
has an employer who values him so much that he is given his own
submarine gun. 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.

Once Upon a Time
Gabriel Okara
Once upon a time, son,
they used to laugh with their hearts
and laugh with their eyes:
but now they only laugh with their teeth,
while their ice-block-cold eyes
search behind my shadow.
There was a time indeed
they used to shake hands with their hearts:
but that’s gone, son.
Now they shake hands without hearts
while their left hands search
my empty pockets.
‘Feel at home!’ ‘Come again’:
they say, and when I come
again and feel
at home, once, twice,
there will be no thrice-
for then I find doors shut on me.
So I have learned many things, son.
I have learned to wear many faces
like dresses – homeface,
officeface, streetface, hostface,
cocktailface, with all their conforming smiles
like a fixed portrait smile.
And I have learned too
to laugh with only my teeth
and shake hands without my heart.
I have also learned to say,’Goodbye’,
when I mean ‘Good-riddance’:
to say ‘Glad to meet you’,
without being glad; and to say ‘It’s been
nice talking to you’, after being bored.
But believe me, son.
I want to be what I used to be
when I was like you. I want
to unlearn all these muting things.
Most of all, I want to relearn
how to laugh, for my laugh in the mirror
shows only my teeth like a snake’s bare fangs!
So show me, son,
how to laugh; show me how
I used to laugh and smile
once upon a time when I was like you.
P a g e |9
FIGURATIVE DEVICES
1. METAPHOR - The people’s eyes are as cold as ice. This means that
there is no warmth or real feeling in the words that they say, or
how they behave. This metaphor literally allows you to visualize a
block of ice, cold and unwelcoming.
2. SIMILE - Stanza 4, lines 20-21 emphasizes the constant changes in
the persona’s face. If you think of how often a woman changes her
dress, then that is how often the persona adjusts his/her’s
personality to suit an audience. The list of faces that follow this line
emphasizes this point.
3. Stanza 4, lines 23-24 compares people’s faces to smiles in a portrait.
If you think about a portrait, it is usually very formal and stiff, even
uncomfortable. Therefore, the implication is that the smiles are
actually fake and stiff. They are conforming, or trying to fit, to a
preconceived mold that is set up by societal expectations.
4. Stanza 6, lines 38-40 compares the persona’s laugh to a snakes.
When you think of a snake, words such as sneaky and deceitful
come to mind. Therefore, the implication is that the persona is fake,
just like the people he/she despises.
5. REPETITION - This phrase is repeated at the beginning and the end
of the poem. This usually signals the beginning of a fairy tale.
Therefore, it is implied that the persona is nostalgic about the past.
6. It is IRONIC that the persona is behaving in the exact way that
he/she despises. There is an implication that things cannot go back
to what he remembers, due to the influence of societal
expectations.
7. MOOD/ ATMOSPHERE: The mood of the poem is nostalgic. The
persona is remembering how things used to be when he was young
and innocent, like his son.
8. TONE: The tone of the poem is sad. The poet’s response to his
nostalgia is sadness.
9. THEMES: Childhood experiences, Hypocrisy, Loss of innocence,
Appearance vs reality
Summary – In this poem, the persona, a father (or mother)
seems to be speaking to his son about how people, as well
as he himself have changed from showing genuine emotion
to being insincere and ingenuine. The persona reminisces
about times gone when people would "laugh with their eyes"
and "shake hands with their hearts." He disdainfully remarks
about the disingenuous pretences people put on now of
feigned laughs and heartless handshakes whilst they search
him for information about his financial status. The persona
also speaks about his own adaptation to this new insincere
world by saying nice things and acting amiably in contrast
to what he really feels. However, he expresses to his son as
well how much he misses people being genuine, and being
sincere himself- as he finds himself unable to really laugh. He
wants to be young and able to show his true feelings again
like his son.

West Indies, U.S.A.
Stewart Brown
Cruising at thirty thousand feet above the endless green
the islands seem like dice tossed on a casino’s baize,
some come up lucky, others not. Puerto Rico takes the pot,
the Dallas of the West Indies, silver linings on the clouds
as we descend are hall-marked, San Juan glitters
like a maverick’s gold ring.
All across the Caribbean
we’d collected terminals – airports are like calling cards,
cultural fingermarks; the hand-written signs at Port-
au-Prince, Piarco’s sleazy tourist art, the lethargic
contempt of the baggage boys at ‘Vere Bird’ in St. Johns...
And now for plush San Juan.
But the pilot’s bland,
you’re safe in my hands drawl crackles as we land,
“US regulations demand all passengers not disembarking
at San Juan stay on the plane, I repeat, stay on the plane.”
Subtle Uncle Sam, afraid too many desperate blacks
might re-enslave this Island of the free,
might jump the barbed
electric fence around ‘America’s
back yard’ and claim that vaunted sanctuary...
‘Give me your poor...’
Through toughened, tinted glass the contrasts tantalise;
US patrol cars glide across the shimmering tarmac,
containered baggage trucks unload with fierce efficiency.
So soon we’re climbing,
low above the pulsing city streets;
galvanised shanties overseen by condominiums
polished Cadillacs shimmying past Rastas with pushcarts
and as we climb, San Juan’s fool’s glitter calls to mind
the shattered innards of a TV set that’s fallen
off the back of a lorry, all painted valves and circuits
the roads like twisted wires,
the bright cars, micro-chips
It’s sharp and jagged and dangerous, and belonged to
someone else.
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 looks good
on the outside, but broken on the inside.
P a g e | 10
FIGURATIVE DEVICES
1. 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
2. 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.
3. 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.
4. Line 39: The road is compared to twisted wires.
This does not carry a positive connotation, but
implies confusion.
5. 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.
6. SARCASM - Line 20: 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. The persona believes that
the Americans are being blatantly discriminatory,
and are attempting to camouflage it through the
use of regulations.
7. Line 20: The statement, ‘give me your poor…’ is
particularly sarcastic because it is a direct quote
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.
8. 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.
9. 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
10. CONTRAST - 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.
11. MOOD/ ATMOSPHERE - The mood of the poem is
sarcastic.
12. TONE - The tone of the poem is slightly bitter,
which is fueled by the sarcastic atmosphere.
13. THEMATIC CATEGORIZATION - Discrimination,
oppression, places, culture.

A Stone's Throw
Elma Mitchell
We shouted out
'We've got her! Here she is!
It's her all right '.
We caught her.
There she was -
A decent-looking woman,
you'd have said,
(They often are)
Beautiful, but dead scared,
And not the first time
By any means
She'd felt men's hands
Greedy over her body -
But ours were virtuous,
Of course.
And if our fingers bruised
Her shuddering skin,
These were love-bites, compared
To the hail of kisses of stone,
The last assault
And battery, frigid rape,
To come
Of right.
For justice must be done
Specially when
It tastes so good.
And then - this guru,
Preacher, God-merchant,
God-knows-what -
Spoilt the whole thing,
Speaking to her
(Should never speak to them)
Squatting on the ground - her level,
Writing in the dust
Something we couldn't read.
And saw in her
Something we couldn't see
At least until
He turned his eyes on us,
Her eyes on us,
Our eyes upon ourselves.
We walked away
Still holding stones
That we may throw
Another day
Given the urge.
P a g e | 11
FIGURATIVE DEVICES
1. SARCASM: The persona is making the point that the lady was in fact NOT decent
looking.
2. 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.
3. PUN: 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.
4. ALLUSION (biblical): The content of the poem alludes to the story of Mary
Magdalene in the Christian Bible. See John 8 v 5-7.
5. CONTRAST Lines 13-15: These lines show that the men who were ‘holding
stones’ believe they are more morally upright than the other men with whom
the woman associates.
6. IRONY: One would think that men with ‘virtuous’ hands would have only pure
thoughts, but these men intend to stone the woman, who seems utterly
defenseless. Also, images of cruelty are used, such as ‘bruised’, ‘kisses of stone’,
‘battery’ and ‘frigid rape’.
7. TONE: The tone of the poem is mixed. At times it is almost braggadocious, then it
becomes sarcastic, moving to scornful.
8. THEMES: Discrimination- The poor treatment the persona receives by the men in
the poem as a result of her profession. Religion, Appearance vs Reality,
Hypocrisy, Oppression, Power and Powerlessness
Summary - The persona is addressing some sort of unknown audience
who he either wants to convince or shares his point of view. He appears
to be a misogynist, objectifying the woman who is the subject of the
poem and the victim of the abuse of the persona. The persona
stereotypes the woman as a harlot, and considers his assault of the
woman to be righteous as a result. The recounting of this tale of
violence by the persona is laced with glee, self-righteousness and
sexual overtones. As the members of the village 'rough her up,' the
persona notes callously that she had felt men's hands greedy over her
body before. There is a sense of irony throughout the poem due to the
assertion of the persona that they, assaulting this woman are more
virtuous than the woman herself or any man with whom she had been
with. However, as the persona and presumably a group of others in the
village (as suggested by the use of 'we') prepare to exact 'justice' upon
this woman through stoning her to death, a guru/preacher (Jesus)
'spoils their fun' by speaking to the woman. He sees a sort of humanity
within the woman which the persona cannot and judges them, letting
the woman judge them, and therefore triggering introspection in the
surrounding crowd. They now leave, still holding stones- and their
judgements against her- which they hope to throw another day given
the urge.

Dulce et Decorum Est
Wilfred Owen - 1893-1918
Bent double, like old beggars under sacks,
Knock-kneed, coughing like hags, we cursed through sludge,
Till on the haunting flares we turned our backs
And towards our distant rest began to trudge.
Men marched asleep. Many had lost their boots
But limped on, blood-shod. All went lame; all blind;
Drunk with fatigue; deaf even to the hoots
Of tired, outstripped Five-Nines that dropped behind.
Gas! Gas! Quick, boys!—An ecstasy of fumbling,
Fitting the clumsy helmets just in time;
But someone still was yelling out and stumbling
And flound'ring like a man in fire or lime...
Dim, through the misty panes and thick green light,
As under a green sea, I saw him drowning.
In all my dreams, before my helpless sight,
He plunges at me, guttering, choking, drowning.
If in some smothering dreams you too could pace
Behind the wagon that we flung him in,
And watch the white eyes writhing in his face,
His hanging face, like a devil's sick of sin;
If you could hear, at every jolt, the blood
Come gargling from the froth-corrupted lungs,
Obscene as cancer, bitter as the cud
Of vile, incurable sores on innocent tongues,—
My friend, you would not tell with such high zest
To children ardent for some desperate glory,
The old Lie: Dulce et decorum est
Pro patria mori.
Summary - 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’s country).
P a g e | 12
FIGURATIVE DEVICES
1. 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.
2. 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.
3. 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.
4. Stanza 4, line 39: Cancer is a horrible disease
that takes many lives on a daily basis. Therefore,
to compare this to dying soldiers face to this
disease is to emphasize the agony that the
soldier was going through, which was reflected
on his face.
5. 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.
6. ALLITERATION - Stanza 1, line 7: This device
points to the level of fatigue that the soldiers
were undergoing. Stanza 1, lines 7-9: This
highlight 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.
7. MOOD/ ATMOSPHERE - The mood of the poem
is reflective. The persona/ poet is thinking about
his experiences in WW1.
8. 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.
9. THEME - War, death, survival, patriotism
 P a g e | 13

Mirror
Sylvia Plath

I am silver and exact. I have no preconceptions.

Whatever I see I swallow immediately
Just as it is, unmisted by love or dislike.
I am not cruel, only truthful ‚
The eye of a little god, four-cornered.
Most of the time I meditate on the opposite wall.
It is pink, with speckles. I have looked at it so long
I think it is part of my heart. But it flickers.
Faces and darkness separate us over and over.
Now I am a lake. A woman bends over me,
Searching my reaches for what she really is.
Then she turns to those liars, the candles or the moon.
I see her back, and reflect it faithfully.
She rewards me with tears and an agitation of hands.
I am important to her. She comes and goes.
Each morning it is her face that replaces the darkness.
In me she has drowned a young girl, and in me an old
woman
Rises toward her day after day, like a terrible fish.
Summary - The “life” of a mirror owned by a woman
recapping what it is seeing and what he has seen.
The monotony of the day-to-day occurrences set
the scene for the poem and the plain and
sagacious way of speaking because of this we see
that the mirror seems to be quite old. It recalls the
woman who seems to be the owner searching the
mirror to find herself as she is now an old woman
who has spent time in the mirror since she was a
young woman and now seems to be going through
a crisis trying to accept the image of herself in the
mirror as she is now. She finds alternative ways to
view herself but she is unable to come to terms with
aging is trying to grasp at her youth as her
perception of her now old self causes her grief.
FIGURATIVE DEVICES
1. Metaphor: “In me she has drowned a young girl,”- the
woman, she has been looking at the mirror since she
was a young woman now her youth has passed and she
is now old
2. “I think it is part of my heart”- the mirror has been
reflecting the wall for so long is has become a standard
part of its existence as it always there
3. Simile: “Rises toward her day after day, like a terrible
fish.” – making a comparison to the woman’s reflection
and her perception of herself as a terrible fish showing
how much she disdains her reflection.
4. Personification: “Now I am a lake”-
“I am silver and exact. I have no preconceptions.” – the
mirror is personified throughout the poem as it is the
narrator it now gives itself more human qualities and
referring to itself as a being.
5. Imagery: “It is pink, with speckles.”- the description of
the wall allowing us to imagine the wall
“But it flickers. Faces and darkness separate us over
and over.” we can imagine the moving of faces, the
darkness and the light which give the impression of time
moving
6. Mood: somewhat reflective (hehe, get it?) and pensive
(engaged in, involving, or reflecting deep or serious
thought).
7. Tone: is matter-of-fact (dignified) based on the mirror’s
pride in its impartial reflective properties.
8. Possible Themes:
a. Identity/Self-image
b. Loss of youth
c. Woman vs aging
d. Depression
e. appearance vs reality
 P a g e | 14

Ol’ Higue
Mark McWatt

You think I like all this stupidness

FIGURATIVE DEVICES
gallivanting all night without skin
1. SIMILE - Cane-fire has a very distinct quality. It burns
burning myself out like cane –fire
very quickly and its presence is felt through it’s pungent
To frighten the foolish?
smell. Therefore, when the Ol’ Higue compares herself
And for what? A few drops of baby blood?
to cane fire in her fireball state, it implies that she uses
You think I wouldn’t rather
a lot of energy quickly, and is very visible.
take my blood seasoned in fat
black-pudding, like everyone else?
2. RHETORICAL QUESTION
And don’t even talk ‘bout the pain of salt
•Stanza 1,line 4: This rhetorical question highlights the
And having to bend these old bones down
scant regard that the Higue has for the average person.
To count a thousand grains of rice!
She is thoroughly annoyed that she has to literally waste
her energy on them.
If only babies didn’t smell so nice!
•Stanza 1, line 5: she is annoyed that she has to expend
And if I could only stop
so much energy to obtain a few drops of baby blood.
Hearing the soft, soft call
•Stanza 1, lines 6-8: The Ol’ Higue is emphasizing the
Of that pure blood running in new veins,
fact that regular people ingest blood too, just in a more
Singing the sweet song of life
palatable manner.
Tempting an old, dry-up woman who been
•Stanza 3, lines 22-23: At this point the Ol’ Higue is
Holding her final note for years,
making excuses for her presence, claiming that she
Afraid of the dying hum…
serves an actual purpose in the scheme of life. If a child
dies of unknown causes, she can be scapegoated for it.
Then again, if I didn’t fly and come
•Stanza 3, lines 24-25: ‘The murder inside your head’
to that fresh pulse in the middle of the night,
refers to the moments, when out of pure frustration
how would you, mother,
and tiredness, a mother might wish ill on her child. The
name your ancient dread,
Ol’ Higue is implying that, again, she can be used as a
And who to blame
scapegoat if something unfortunate happens to the
for the murder inside your head…?
child. The mother is relieved of bearing the burden of
Believe me –
guilt.
As long as it have women giving birth
A poor ol’ higue like me can never dead.
3. REPETITION - The repetition of the word ‘soft’
Summary - In this poem, the Ol’ Higue / emphasizes the fact that the call of the child’s blood has
soucouyant tells of her frustration with her lifestyle. captured and beguiled the Ol’ Higue’. She implies that
She does not like the fact that she sometimes has she cannot resist that call.
to parade around, in the form of a fireball, without
her skin at night. She explains that she has to do 4. ALLITERATION - This device emphasizes the Ol’ Higue’s
this in order to scare people, as well as to acquire dependence, even addiction, to the sweet blood of the
baby blood. She explains that she would rather baby.
acquire this blood via cooked food, like every-one
else. Her worst complaint is the pain of salt, as well 5. MOOD/ ATMOSPHERE - The mood of the poem is
as having to count rice grains. She exhibits some reflective.
regret for her lifestyle but implies that she cannot
resist a baby’s smell, as well as it’s pure blood. The 6. TONE - The tone of the poem is slightly bitter and
‘newness’ of the baby tempts the Ol’ Higue, and resigned. She accepts that the cycle of her life cannot
she cannot resist because she is an old woman change.
who fears death, which can only be avoided by
consuming the baby’s blood. She affirms her 7. THEMATIC CATEGORIZATION - Supernatural
usefulness in the scheme of things, however, by
claiming that she provides mothers with a name
for their fears (this being the death of a child), as
well as some-one to blame when the evil that they
wish for their child, in moments of tired frustration,
is realized. She implies that she will never die, so
long as women keep having babies.
 P a g e | 15

An Africa Thunderstorm
by David Rubadiri

From the west

FIGURATIVE DEVICES
Clouds come hurrying with the wind
1. Simile: “Like a plague of locusts, ” the storm is coming
Turning sharply
with a destructive force
Here and there
“Like a madman chasing nothing.” Show the chaotic
Like a plague of locusts
movement of the storm
Whirling,
“Like sinister dark wings;” showing the harshness and
Tossing up things on its tail
“evil” of the storm
Like a madman chasing nothing.
2. Imagery: “From the west Clouds come hurrying with the
Pregnant clouds
wind Turning sharply”
Ride stately on its back,
“…on their backs Dart about In and out”.
Gathering to perch on hills
“Clothes wave-like tattered flags Flying off”
Like sinister dark wings;
The wind whistles by
3. Onomatopoeia: “Rumble, tremble and crack”
And trees bend to let it pass.
“The wind whistles”
In the village
4. Personification: “Pregnant clouds,” not literal pregnant
Screams of delighted children,
clouds but clouds filled with rain
Toss and turn
The wind whistles
In the din of the whirling wind,
Women,
5. Mood: chaos/destruction/anticipatory/ominous
Babies clinging on their backs
• There is a sense of anticipatory dismay at what
Dart about
damage the impending storm can caused based on past
In and out
knowledge.
Madly;
• The chaos and destruction caused by storms adds to
The wind whistles by
the feelings of despair.
Whilst trees bend to let it pass.
• However, the dynamic and ominous nature of the
building storm is almost hypnotic in its power.
Clothes wave like tattered flags
Flying off
6. Tone: dismay/fear/anxious
To expose dangling breasts • The dismay stems from the expected damage that can
As jagged blinding flashes be caused by the rain and wind.
Rumble, tremble and crack • The fear and anxiety about what can be lost and when
Amidst the smell of fired smoke the storm will hit is ever-present.
And the pelting march of the storm. • The tone is unusual as it contrasts with the normal
African view that rain is a blessing, however this storm
is anticipated to bring destruction.
Summary - The poem tells of a storm violent storm
moving, this storm makes its way towards an 7. Themes:
African village causing havoc has it moves a. Nature
toward and through the village having the trees b. Man vs nature
themselves bending over the strength of the c. Colonization/Colonialism
winds. Clouds heavy with rain moving quickly,
children laugh and shout as the storm makes it
way but the mothers take them as they try to find
shelter from the storm. The duality of the actual
storm and colonization in the poem gives a
hidden meaning in lines of the poem much like
those of the songs of the slaves.

This is the Dark Time, My Love
Martin Carter
This is the dark time, my love,
All round the land brown beetles crawl about.
The shining sun is hidden in the sky
Red flowers bend their heads in awful sorrow.
This is the dark time, my love,
It is the season of oppression, dark metal, and tears.
It is the festival of guns, the carnival of misery.
Everywhere the faces of men are strained and
anxious.
Who comes walking in the dark night time?
Whose boot of steel tramps down the slender grass?
It is the man of death, my love, the strange invader
Watching you sleep and aiming at your dream.
Summary - This poem is written in the context of
the pain and suffering associated with war, and
specifically the struggles of Guyana during British
colonization in 1953. At that point, the constitution
had been suspended to allow Britain to send
soldiers into Guyana to crush the uprising of the
people. It is likely that the ‘love’ spoken of by the
persona is his country, however it could also simply
be a woman who he loves. The poet
communicates a gloomy atmosphere plagued
with the sentiment of doom due to oppression by
soldiers and weapons of terror. Nature reflects this
gloom, as seen in the absence of sunlight and
drooping flowers. The people of the country are
all melancholy and anxiety-stricken, visibly
oppressed by the spoils of war. Death (and war) is
personified as a man who tramples not only
nature, but the peace and dreams of the
persona’s country underfoot.
P a g e | 16
FIGURATIVE DEVICES
1. REPETITION - Stanza 1, line 1 & stanza 2, line 7: The
repetition of this phrase highlights that there is
something seriously amiss. The persona is telling his
‘love’ that this is a sad and terrible time.
2. ALLITERATION - This device literally draws the reader’s’
visual attention to the sentence. The sentence implies
that everything that is good and positive is hidden away,
or gone. This alliteration sets a sad tone at the very
beginning of this poem.
3. PERSONIFICATION - This device emphasizes the sad
tone of the poem. This is the case because flowers are
usually associated with feelings of happiness and
cheerfulness. Therefore, if the flowers – ambassadors of
joy – are sad, then it highlights how really sad the times
have become.
4. METAPHOR - The contrast in this device is startling. The
terms ‘festival’ and ‘carnival’ not only describes fun and
festivity, but also a large amount of each. Both words
are associated with huge crowds. This emphasizes how
terrible the times have become because guns and
misery are plentiful.
5. RHETORICAL QUESTION
Stanza 3, line 13: This device informs the reader/
audience that a threat exists and that it comes in the
dark of night.
Stanza 3, lines 14 – 15: It is implied that the threat is a
soldier through the term ‘boot of steel’. The ‘slender
grass’ is the innocent youth who is cut down and
trampled by these ‘boots of steel’. The fact that we are
given this information through the use of rhetorical
question adds mystery and intrigue to the poem.
6. MOOD/ ATMOSPHERE - The mood of the poem is a sad
one. The persona is giving his ‘love’ sad and depressing
news.
7. TONE–The tone of the poem is also a sad one.
8. THEMES–Racism, War, Oppression, Dreams and
Aspirations, places.