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CURRICULUM GRADE 10 -12 DIRECTORATE

NCS (CAPS)

ENGLISH HOME LANGUAGE

GRADE 12 POETRY
LEARNER GUIDE

JUST IN TIME (JIT) PROGRAMME

MAY 2023
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INTRODUCTION

This booklet aims to assist you in understanding poetry. It provides a series of tasks and
activities which must be done during the lesson and for consolidation after the lesson.
CONTENTS PAGE
TOPIC SUB-HEADINGS PAGE
1 Introduction 1
2 Analyzing a poem Ten Steps to analyse a poem 5

3 Methodology Summary – Brainstorming key points for 6

analysis

Guidelines – Answering the contextual question 7-9

Guidelines – Answering the Essay question 10

Guidelines – Answering the Unseen Poem 11 - 12

4 Learner Activities My Mistress Eyes (Sonnet 130) 13

The child who was shot dead 14

At a Funeral 15

Poem of Return 16

Talk to the Peach Tree 17

Prayer to Masks 18

This Winter Coming 19

Solitude 20

The Morning Sun is Shining 21

It is a beauteous evening, calm and free 22

Fern Hill 23 - 24

Shipwreck 25

5 References Acknowledgement of sources 26 -27

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TEN STEPS TO ANALYSE A POEM

When reading a new poem, it is important to identify the main ideas and the
techniques used to present them. The diagram below shows the ten steps that
take a reader to comprehend and explore the stylistic features of a poem.
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SUMMARY - BRAINSTORMING KEY POINTS FOR ANALYSIS

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GUIDELINES: ANSWERING CONTEXTUAL TYPE QUESTIONS IN POETRY

 These Guidelines highlight the types of questions found in the Poetry section of
an exam paper.
 You need to know and apply these skills to answer the questions set on your
current poems.

QUESTION TYPE 1: What impression… (2 marks)

This is a LEVEL 3 question.
LEVEL  You need to respond to the given information by
making a judgement

STEPS INVOLVED:  Step One: Analyse the identified words.

 Step Two: Explain the response that these identified
words evoke in you
E.g.
What is your Your response will take the form of an EVALUATION of
impression of your his /her character.
best friend?  A typical response could be that he / she is a sensitive and
a perceptive person.
 This conclusion will be based on observable actions.

QUESTION TYPE 2: Comment on... (3marks)

This is a Level 3, Level 4 or Level 5 question.

LEVEL  You are required to give an opinion (comment) on
the value that the techniques such as diction,
imagery, tone, etc adds to the poem.

There are three steps involved in answering this question

for you to achieve 3 marks.
 Step One: Analyse the identified words.
STEPS  Step Two: Deal with the technique mentioned in the
INVOLVED question.
 Step Three: Give your opinion (comment) on how this
technique adds value to the poem.

E.g.: Comment on your friend’s attitude towards figures of

authority.
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 Firstly, you have to describe the attitude of your friend and

then you have to either approve or disapprove of your
friend’s attitude.
SUGGESTED  Essentially a comment is your personal view based on a
RESPONSE particular aspect / context.
 Your typical response will entail identifying your friend’s
attitude as either being respectful or rebellious towards
authority.
 This should be followed by a personal view for e.g. Is
your friend correct in his / her attitude?

QUESTION TYPE 3: Critically discuss / discuss... (3 marks)

This is a Level 3, Level 4 or Level 5 question.

 You are required you to examine an issue from various
angles and make a judgement.
LEVEL  ‘Critically’ requires a deeper examination of the issue
than the instruction ‘Discuss’ does.
 This is similar the instruction that asks you to comment on
how techniques such as diction, imagery, tone, etc add to
the poem. •

There are three steps involved in answering this question

for you to achieve 3 marks.
STEPS  Step One: Analyse the words in the given lines.
INVOLVED:  Step Two: Deal with the technique mentioned in the
question.
 Step Three: Write a balanced view of the way in which
this technique adds value to the poem.

QUESTION TYPE 4: What does the diction... (2 marks or 3 marks) •

 This is a LEVEL 5 type of question.

 You are asked to respond to the writer’s craft.
 Diction refers to the writer’s choice of words.
 You have to explain WHY the speaker chose to use
LEVEL THESE PARTICULAR WORDS in the poem.
 Sometimes the word ‘diction’ is not used in the question,
but the question asks for the REASON for the use of
certain words.
 Step One:
 Identify the word(s) related to the instruction question.
 Underline/highlight them.

Step Two:
STEPS  Analyse the word/s you have identified in Step One by
INVOLVED focusing on what is conveyed.

Step Three:
 Use the analysis of the word to elaborate on / answer the
instruction in the question.

QUESTION TYPE 5: Questions dealing with MOOD (2 marks or 3 marks)

This is a Level 3 question.

 You are asked to arrive at a conclusion (mood) based on the
LEVEL words used in the poem.
 In poetry, mood depends on the way in which words create
an atmosphere (e.g. of joy, sorrow, grimness,
hopelessness, etc).
 You are required to understand how the words build an
atmosphere/mood.

 Step One: Analyse the word/s in the question.

STEPS  Step Two: Use the analysis to show how a particular ‘vibe’
INVOLVED • (feeling) or atmosphere comes through in the line / stanza
/poem. That is the mood

QUESTION TYPE 6 : Questions dealing with CENTRAL IDEA OF THE POEM

(3 marks)

 This is a Level 3, Level 4 or Level 5 question.

LEVEL  You are asked to relate the literary technique that the question
has identified, to the central idea/message of the poem.

 Step One: Identify the literary technique in the question.

STEPS INVOLVED  Step Two: Discuss this technique using evidence from the
poem.
 Step Three: Show how the technique captures the central idea /
theme / message of the poem.
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GUIDELINES: ANSWERING ESSAY TYPE QUESTIONS IN POETRY

THE POETRY ESSAY

 In a critical essay, one discusses the issues raised in the question by

examining contents of the poem and poetic devices present in the poem.
 A literary/critical essay is not a paraphrase (the meaning of each line) of the poem.
 In a literary essay, one has to discuss how the issues raised in the question are
conveyed by the poetic or literary devices such as figures of speech, imagery, diction
(choice of words), tone and rhythm, etc.
 This discussion will include specific references to the poem itself.

THE LAYOUT / STRUCTURE OF THE POETRY ESSAY

THE INTRODUCTION
 Begin with an introductory paragraph.
 Write two or three sentences on the issue(s) raised in the question and
link these issues to an overview of the poem. •
 You must use PARAGRAPHS in this essay.

THE BODY
 The body is an analysis of the poem, from the perspective of the issues raised in the
question.
 This is where you use the diction, tone and imagery to show how the poet’s message is
conveyed.
 This will be more than one paragraph. •

THE CONCLUSION
 The concluding paragraph could be two to three sentences summarizing your analysis.
 It is important to emphasise in the conclusion that you have answered theliterary essay
question.

NOTE:
 Remember that it is a ‘mini-essay’ – only 250–300 words
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GUIDELINES ON HOW TO APPROACH THE UNSEEN POEM

Your first step might be to paraphrase i.e to put into words the meaning of each sentence. This
makes the understanding of the poem clearer or simpler. Start with a very quick, straightforward
exercise:

T - TITLE
W - WORDS (DICTION)
I - IMAGERY
S - STRUCTURE (Consider language and structure)
T - Theme /Technique

DURING EXAMS
To analyse a poem successfully in a limited time, you must take into account the
following FOUR main approaches. This should be done before looking at the
questions.

1.Language
How does the poet use language, word choice/diction to emphasise or portray
the message?
What key words/phrases stand out and why?
What literary devices/figures of speech can you identify and explain?

2. Structure
The structure of a poem refers to the way it is presented to the reader. This could
include technical things such as the line length and stanza format. Or it could
include the flow of the words used and ideas conveyed.
Structure includes: stanzas, verses, octave, sestet, couplet, line structure, rhythm
and rhyme, limerick, ode, sonnet, lyric, etc.

3.Tone and Mood

The tone of a poem is the style, manner or expression of its writing. Although
tone may be conveyed and expressed in a variety of ways, it is generally either
through the attitude of the poet/writer/narrator/subject matter/character/events.
The mood refers to the atmosphere that is prevalent in the poem. Different
elements of a poem such as its setting, tone, voice and theme help establish this
atmosphere. As a result, the mood evokes certain feelings and emotions in the
reader. A poem generally has one overall mood, but the types of mood that
poetry may exhibit vary greatly.
TONE and MOOD refer to HOW a writer uses language to get a response from
the reader; and HOW a reader feels after reading the text.
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Rubric for the poetry Essay

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SONNET 130 – WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE Structure :

 This is a Shakespearean or Elizabethan

1 My mistress’ eyes are nothing like the sun;
2 Coral is far more red, than her lips red:
3 If snow be white, why then her breasts are dun;
4 If hairs be wires, black wires grow on her head.
5 I have seen roses damasked, red and white,
6 But no such roses see I in her cheeks;
7 And in some perfumes is there more delight
8 Than in the breath that from my mistress reeks.
9 I love to hear her speak, yet well I know
10 That music hath a far more pleasing sound:
11 I grant I never saw a goddess go,
12 My mistress, when she walks, treads on the ground:
13 And yet by heaven, I think my love as rare,
14 As any she belied with false compare.
sonnet. It consists of three quatrains (4 lines
each) and a rhyming couplet (2 lines).
 The rhyme scheme is consistent with this
format: abab cdcd efef gg.
 The couplet serves as a final argument to
drive home the speaker’s point. The rhythm of
the point is consistent, too, and follows
traditional iambic pentameter. There are 10
syllables in each line.
. Tone :
• Sincerity / Appreciative / Impassioned / Mocking
/ Satirical

Themes :
• Escape from Idealism – Shakespeare does not idealise his beloved. She in unlike the Petrarchan ideal – she is “real”, and he loves
her despite her imperfections.
• Femininity – This sonnet addresses the problem of stereotyping female beauty by setting unreachable standards for it. The fixed
‘definition’ of beauty is unrealistic and will make females inferior by not achieving the ideal standards of beauty. He questions real love
– we should love our partners in spite of their imperfections.
• Love – The speaker expresses his love for his beloved. He describes his values of love. He states that real love is not based on
outwards appearances and idealised looks. His love is based on connection and emotion, not the superficial.
• Real love doesn’t need false tributes - any woman can be beautiful.

Essay Question
Sonnet 130 – My Mistress’ Eyes, the speaker satires conventional views on love and beauty. With close reference to diction, imagery
and tone, discuss the validity of this statement in relation to the poem.
Contextual Question
1. Explain how the structure and tone of this poem allows the poet to emphasise the central message.
2. Who is the speaker ridiculing in the poem?
3. Why does he do this?
4.. Explain what is meant by:“ My mistress, ?when she walks, treads on the ground.
5. Show how the last line completes his argument. Refer, in particular, to the word “false”.
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Title :
THE CHILD WHO WAS SHOT DEAD BY
SOLDIERS AT NYANGA – INGRID JONKER  The Child – Symbol of all the innocent child who
were killed by soldiers under Apartheid in SA
because he only “wanted to play in the sun”.
 Shot Dead by Soldiers – emphasizes the extreme
The child is not dead
brutality of the soldiers
the child raises his fists against his mother  The title evokes a sympathy for the child - he is
who screams Africa screams the smell vulnerable and helpless against Apartheid.
of freedom and heather
in the locations of the heart under siege
The child raises his fists against his father Structure :
in the march of the generations
who scream Africa scream the smell  divided into four sections.
of justice and blood  free verse.
in the streets of his armed pride

The child is not dead Tone :

neither at Langa nor at Nyanga  expressive of firm determination
nor at Orlando nor at Sharpeville Mood :
nor at the police station in Philippi  anger
where he lies with a bullet in his head  protesting,
 unrelenting.
The child is the shadow of the soldiers Themes :
on guard with guns saracens and batons
 protest and resistance
the child is present at all meetings and legislations
 police brutality,
the child peeps through the windows of houses and
 horrors of apartheid,
into the hearts of mothers
 quest for freedom.
the child who just wanted to play in the sun at
Nyanga is everywhere
the child who became a man treks through all of
Africa
the child who became a giant travels through the
whole world

ESSAY QUESTION
The poem The child who was shot dead by soldiers at Nyanga powerfully taps into the themes of protest against oppression and
discrimination. With close reference to the diction, imagery and tone critically evaluate this statement in an essay of 250-300 words

CONTEXTUAL QUESTION :

1. Explain the significance of the repetition of ‘the child’.

2. Critically comment on how the imagery used in lines 20-23 contributes to the mood in the poem.
3. How does the diction in stanza 1 contribute to the central idea of the poem?
4. Comment on the effectiveness of the last line of the poem
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AT A FUNERAL – DENNIS BRUTUS Title:

1 Black, green and gold at sunset: pageantry  The poem is a tribute to Valencia
2 And stubbled graves: expectant, of eternity, Majombozi. – a reference to a
3 In bride’s-white, nun’s-white veils the nurses gush their specific individual – this technique
bounty has a greater impact on the reader.
4 Of red-wine cloaks, frothing the bugled dirging slopes  Death of the subject, in context,
5 Salute! "hen ponder all this hollow panoply alludes to a sense of frustration
6 For one whose gifts the mud devours, with our hopes. and aborted hopes.

7 Oh all you frustrate ones, powers tombed in dirt,

8 Aborted, not by Death but carrion books of birth Structure:
9 Arise! The brassy shout of freedom stirs our earth;
 Two stanzas of equal length.
10 Not death but death’s-head tyranny scythes our ground
 A specific rhyme scheme (aaabab,
11 And plots our narrow cells of pain defeat and dearth: cccdcd)
12 Better that we should die, than that we should lie down  The formality of the poem mirrors the
formal rites and rituals of a funeral
Mood: ceremony.
 stanza 1 : sad
Tone:
 Stanza 2 : vengeance
 Anger
Intention: • Dismay
to highlight the plight of the oppressed. To make readers aware of the effects of • Frustration
apartheid. • Disappointment

OD
Themes:

 Criticism of Apartheid / oppression.

 Call to arms -- people should get up and fight
 Frustration and aborted hopes.

ESSAY QUESTION

The poem The child who was shot dead by soldiers at Nyanga powerfully taps into the themes of protest against oppression
and discrimination. With close reference to the diction, imagery and tone critically evaluate this statement in an essay of 250-300
words.

CONTEXTUAL QUESTIONS:

1. Account for the actions/ instructions in lines 1-6.

2. Comment on the effectiveness of the last line of the poem.
3. How does the diction in stanza1 contribute to the central idea of the poem?
4. Critically comment on how the imagery used in lines 20-23 contributes to the mood in the poem.
5. Explain the significance of the repetition of ‘the child’
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POEM OF RETURN – JOFRE ROCHA Title:

The speaker is returning to his
1 When I return from the land of exile and silence country. At this stage he does not
2 do not bring me flowers. know whether it is a voluntary or
forceful return.
3 Bring me rather all the dews,
4 tears of dawns which witnessed dramas.
5 Bring me the immense hunger for love
6 and the plaint of tumid sexes in star-studded night. Tone :
7 Bring me the long night of sleeplessness
• Regret, sadness, somber, loss
8 with mothers mourning, their arms bereft of sons.
• sadness initially, building up to anger
9 When I return from the land of exile and silence, “snaking from their eyes.
10 no, do not bring me flowers ...
11 Bring me only, just this • Militant
12 the last wish of heroes fallen at day-break
13 with a wingless stone in hand
14 and a thread of anger snaking from their eyes.

Mood :

Structure: Imagery
The poem has 14 lines and but does not conform to the strict Italian Sonnet form. (Although there is a distinct division between
stanzas 3 and 4, separating the ‘octave’ from the ‘sestet’.) It does not have a rhyme scheme and is not written in iambic
pentameter, common to the Sonnet form. It is written in free verse, more typical of contemporary poetry.

Themes:

 The poet captures the sentiment of loss, lost opportunity and lost experience
 A poignant poem about the return from exile and what should be celebrated is sadness, mourning and inevitably, anger.
Rocha ends with a parting shock of anger at the lost opportunities and experiences that some young people suffered as a
result of colonization, civil war and exile

ESSAY QUESTION
In the poem ‘Poem of Return’ the speaker believes that the people who were not in exile suffered a great deal’
With reference to diction, tone and imagery discuss to what extent do you agree with the above statement. Your response
should be in the form of a well-constructed essay of 250-300 words (about 1 page)

CONTEXTUAL QUESTIONS
1. Why does the speaker not want flowers upon his return?
2. Comment on the description of the speaker’s “host country” as the “land of exile and silence”.
3. Comment on the effectiveness of the anaphora (“When I return…”).
4. Discuss the change in tone from stanza 2 to 3.
Quote in support of your answer.
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TALK TO THE PEACH TREE Title:

– SIPHO SEPAMLA
The peach tree is mentioned in several of his
Let's talk to the swallows visiting us in summer poems. It is one of his prized possessions
ask how it is in other countries which he bequeaths to his children in the
poem The Will. The peach tree can symbolize
Let's talk to the afternoon shadow the strength of a family structure – strong
ask how the day has been so far roots give rise to strong stems. The values
and morals that are rooted in them should be
Let's raise our pets to our level as steadfast as the peach tree and how to
ask them what they don't know of us uproot the peach tree is like uprooting black
people during the apartheid era. The peach
words have lost meaning tree is fixed in the ground, it has land, a place
like all notations they've been misused to call it’s own unlike black people during
apartheid.
most people will admit
a whining woman can overstate her case Structure
The poem is written in free verse i.e no
Talk to the paralysing heat in the air recognizable poetic form.
inquire how long the mercilessness will last
Tone:
Let's pick out items from the rubbish heap
ask how the stench is like down there  Cynical
 Absurd
Let's talk to the peach tree  Desperation
find out how it feels to be in the ground  Conversational
 Frustration
Let's talk to the moon going down
ask if it isn't enough eyeing what's been going on  Themes
Proper communication without physical injury /
come on Harsh realities of apartheid / The burning desire
let's talk to the devil himself for change / Walking in another person’s shoes
t's about time

ESSAY -TYPE QUESTIONS

In the poem ‘Talk to the Peach Tree’, the poet/speaker uses personification to disguise the way in which he highlights his thoughts
about the importance of dialogue in ending the Apartheid rule.
In an essay of 250-300 words, discuss the validity of this statement.

CONTEXTUAL QUESTIONS:
1. Account for the actions/ instructions in lines 1-6.
2. Refer to stanza 4. “words have…been misused.”
Critically discuss the effectiveness of the imagery in these lines.
3. Examine stanza 6: “talk to the … will last .”
Comment on the impact of the words “paralysing” and “mercilessness” in the context of the poem.
4. Refer to lines 19 – 21: “come on … it’s about time.”
Discuss how the tone and register used in these lines reflects the poet’s attitude
towards negotiation.
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PRAYER TO MASKS – Title:

LÉOPOLD SÉDAR SENGHOR
prayers – appeal to a higher power / ancestors –
Masks! Oh Masks!
positive connotation.
Black mask, red mask, you black and white masks,
Rectangular masks through whom the spirit breathes, masks – traditional masks as worn in African culture
I greet you in silence! / to hide real emotions / hide true intentions.
And you too, my lionheaded ancestor.
You guard this place, that is closed to any feminine The title implies a ‘thank you’ to those who have
laughter, to any mortal smile. been wearing the masks and to the masks
You purify the air of eternity, here where I breathe the air themselves for being able to hide true feelings.
of my fathers. In “Prayer to Masks”, the carved masks collectively
Masks of maskless faces, free from dimples and wrinkles. represent the culture of the Fathers:.The living is
You have composed this image, this my face that bends connected to the past by the masks. It is these
over the altar of white paper. masks and the glorious culture that represent the
In the name of your image, listen to me! poet’s appeals in the face of colonialism and the
Now while the Africa of despotism is dying – it is the agony death of contemporary Africa and Europe.
of a pitiable princess,
Like that of Europe to whom she is connected through the
navel – Structure:
Now fix your immobile eyes upon your children who have
 The line lengths are varied.
been called
 The short sentences emphasise the speaker’s
And who sacrifice their lives like the poor man his last
intent. The speaker, at first, addresses the
garment
masks and then expands the message of the
So that hereafter we may cry ‘here’ at the rebirth of the poem.
world being the leaven that the  The (rhetorical) questions are answered by the
white flour needs. speaker at the end of the poem
For who else would teach rhythm to the world that has died  The direct speech allows the reader to
of machines and cannons? “eavesdrop” on the conversation the speaker
For who else should ejaculate the cry of joy, that arouses the is having with the masks. The speaker uses
dead and the wise in a new dawn? the 1st person pronoun “you” to engage the
Say, who else could return the memory of life to men with reader
a torn hope?
They call us cotton heads, and coffee men, and oily men.
They call us men of death.
But we are the men of the dance whose feet only gain
power when they beat the hard soil.
Tone :
Themes:
 Honouring Our Ancestors Strengthens Us. Senghor uses “Prayer to the Masks” to look back at his ancestors and history. The poem
concludes with a renewed sense of vigour, signifying that honouring the past helps us in the present are criticism of Western
civilization and its attendant colonialism, nostalgia for and glorification of Africa, and a firm belief in a future Africa which is
prosperous, united and strong

ESSAY QUESTION
is
Thethepoem,
poem‘Prayer
of a young mangrapples
to Masks’ seekingwith
to connect withofawhether
the question past hethe
senses
appealwill give him
to the inspiration
ancestral
Mood to struggle
spirits: will be able topast
helpthe
thedamaged life of the
African people
overcometothe
present forge a better
present statefuture for himselfand
of subjugation andhopelessness.
his people. With close reference to diction, imagery and tone, critically discuss the validity of this
statement.
CONTEXTUAL QUESTIONS
1. Explain why the poet/speaker greets the ancestors in ‘silence’ (line 3)
2. Refer to the line : “You have composed this image, this my face that bends over the altar of white paper;”
2.1 To whom does ‘this my face’ refer? Imagery
2.2 Explain the meaning of, ‘bending over the altar of white paper’.
3. Explain what the masks represent in the poem.
4. What is the speaker’s attitude to the masks he addresses?
5 Discuss how the speak creates hope towards the end of the poem
 JIT MAY 2023 Page 17 of 25

. Title :
THIS WINTER COMING – KAREN PRESS
The use of the pronoun this is suggests that
something is going to happen very soon.
walking in the thick rain
Winter could be read literally. However, in the poem,
of this winter we have only just entered,
it can be interpreted as an extended metaphor for
who is not frightened?
transition and social change that marks the death of
an old order, and the emergence of a new order.
the sea is swollen, churning in broken waves (violent continual
coming – suggests that the looming arrival of this
motion)
season and what it represents, cannot be averted.
around the rocks, the sand is sinking away 5
the seagulls will not land
under this sky, this shroud falling (something that covers or
conceals)
who is not frightened? Structure :
in every part of the city, sad women climbing onto buses, This poem consists of 5 stanzas of differing
dogs barking in the street, and the children 10 lengths. Each stanza deals with a different
in every doorway crying, aspect of the situation. Each section islinked by
the world is so hungry, madam’s house is clean the refrain: “who is not frightened?” This
and the women return with slow steps repetition /anaphora highlights the point that
to the children, the street, the sky tolling like a black bell; everyone fears what might happen.
these women are a tide of sadness
15
they will drown the world, Tone :
who is not frightened?  Repressed anger
 Undertone of rebellion
on every corner men standing
 Defiance
old stumps in the rain, tombstones
 Fear
engraved with open eyes 20
watching the bright cars full of sated faces (more than
Mood :
satisfied)
pass them, pass them, pass them, Fearful, anxious
who is not frightened?

into the rain the children are running Themes :

thin as the barest twigs they kindle a fire 25  The effects of apartheid
to fight the winter, the bare bodies  The desire for change
a raging fire of dead children  Impending danger - social upheaval, and
and the sky collapsing under centuries of rain a foreshadowing of the writer’s view of
the wind like a mountain crying, change, accompanied by violence, death
who is not frightened of this winter 30 and destruction
coming upon us now?

Questions: (Contextual)
1. Discuss the background of this poem.
2. Explain the significance of the repetition of “who is not frightened?
3. Explain the effectiveness of the simile “the sky tolling is like a black bell”
4. Comment of the effectiveness of the repetition in line 22

Enrichment /(Essay ) discussion questions

5. Establish what feelings, the poet evokes in the reader and then assess the mood of the poem?
6. Suffering and hardship are major themes in the poem "This Winter Coming."
With close reference to diction, tone and imagery discuss to what extent you agree with
the above statement. Your response should be in the
form of a well-constructed essay of 250-300 words (about ONE page).

7.
8. In the poem ‘This Winter Coming’ the themes of suffering and deprivation
 JIT MAY 2023 Page 18 of 25

SOLITUDE – ELLA WHEELER WILCOX Title:

Laugh, and the world laughs with you;
Solitude” means a lonely place/being
Weep, and you weep alone.
alone or away from other people.
For the sad old earth must borrow its mirth, The tone of the title (“Solitude”) is not
But has trouble enough of its own. obvious. “Solitude” can imply a state of
Sing, and the hills will answer; 5 being alone by choice and is not
Sigh, it is lost on the air. automatically
The echoes bound to a joyful sound, negative. It can also have connotations
of isolation and loneliness.
But shrink from voicing care.
Mood:
Rejoice, and men will seek you;
Grieve, and they turn and go. 10 The poem has an atmosphere of sorrow
They want full measure of all your pleasure, and depression.
Hopelessness
But they do not need your woe.
Loneliness
Be glad, and your friends are many;
Be sad, and you lose them all. Tone:
There are none to decline your nectared wine, 15
But alone you must drink life's gall. On the whole, the tone is
melancholy/sad/depressed. Although
the poet reminds us that happiness is
Feast, and your halls are crowded;
possible (this is the connotations of
Fast, and the world goes by.
words and phrases like “laugh”, “sing”,
Succeed and give, and it helps you live, “rejoice”,
Structure“nectared
: wine” and “halls of
But no man can help you die. 20 pleasure”) the poet contrasts these
There is room in the halls of pleasure words and phrases with their opposites
For a long and lordly train, (“weep”, “sigh”, “be sad”, “life’s gall” and
But one by one we must all file on “narrow aisles of pain”.
Through the narrow aisles of pain.

Themes:
Happiness/Pain – throughout the poem the speaker states that one must face one’s problems head-on and not seek comfort in
others in lieu of addressing one’s problems/issues. She states that we cannot run from our problems forever.
 Individual vs outside world – the relationship between these two concepts is clear in this poem. This poem acts as a
‘map’ to the individual and how to create your own happiness and face the realities of the world. Wilcox makes it clear
that she believes that all people exist in a state of solitude. Life needs to be tackled with practicality and self- reliance.
 This poem is about how people respond to the emotional state of others: happy people tend to attract the company and
friendship of many others; sad people tend to become isolated and lonely because people tend to shy away from
negative emotions. In the final stanza, the poet explains how everyone must ultimately go through pain and suffering
alone - althoughothers can bear witness, this experience is inevitably a solitary one. The poet is not necessarily saying
that people are selfish - just that a person can observe others’ deepest feelings but cannot actually experience them.

CONTEXTUAL QUESTIONS:
1. Comment on the personification in line 1.
2. Discuss the effectiveness of the title of the poem in relation to its contents.
3. Describe the structure of the poem.

ESSAY QUESTION:
In the poem “Solitude” the poet does not give a very encouraging picture of the nature of humans in general.
With close reference to diction, imagery and tone, critically discuss the validity of this statement. Your response should take the
form of a well-constructed essay of 250-300 words
 JIT MAY 2023 Page 19 of 25

THE MORNING SUN IS SHINING – OLIVE SCHREINER Title:

The title introduces a positive
The morning sun is shining on
image – we associate a bright,
The green, green willow tree, sunny morning with warmth and
And sends a golden sunbeam happiness. However, there is a
To dance upon my knee. figurative irony: Her sun (child) is
The fountain bubbles merrily, 5 no longer shining (has died).
The yellow locusts spring, The title and the first 12 lines of
‘The Morning Sun is Shining’ invite
Of life and light and sunshine
the reader to see the beauty of
The happy brown birds sing.
Olive Schreiner’s Karoo,blessed
The earth is clothed with beauty, with green willow trees, golden
The air is filled with song, 10 sunshine, bubbling fountains,
The yellow thorn trees load the wind springing locusts, birdsong and the
With odours sweet and strong. scent of the thorn trees’ yellow
There is a hand I never touch flowers
And a face I never see;
Now what is sunshine, what is song, 15 Tone:
Now what is light to me?
The tone of the first 12 lines is
cheerful/happy/positive/joyful.
Structure: Nature is beautiful and celebrated.
The last 4 lines changes to a tone
A 16-line poem made up of 4 distinct parts. In line 1-4 she discusses the sense of
sight, 5-8 hearing and 9-12 smell. All these senses enjoy the morning with the sun of despair, negativity, sadness,
shining. There is a regular rhyme scheme and rhythm throughout lines 1-12. The hopelessness. She is describing
lastfour lines deviate from this pattern. This ‘break’ in pattern increases the impact her sorrow and how the beautiful
of the unexpected contents of the last four lines. morning makes her sadness even
greater, more poignant.

Themes:
“Happiness is real when shared”. The poet comments on the beauty of a morning in which the sun is shining. She
high-lights the various elements that make the morning so beautiful, but then she changes track / direction and
asks, rhetorically, what is the purpose of a beautiful morning if it cannot be shared with anyone.
Mood :
A nature poem that shows the beauty of nature, but highlights her loneliness as she has no one to share it with.

ESSAY QUESTION
Imagery of the poem.
In a carefully planned essay, discuss how the poet uses form, imagery and tone to convey the message
Your response should be in the form of a well-constructed essay, of 250-300 words.

CONTEXTUAL QUESTIONS:
1. Describe the mood of the first four lines of the poem. Pay attention to imagery and diction in your answer.
2. The poet/speaker uses sensory imagery to capture and paint a vivid picture of nature bustling in the morning sun. Give
two examples of this.
3. Identify the tone in the first twelve lines of the poem and suggest why it changes in the last four lines.
4. Refer to lines 3-4.
“ And sends a …my knee”
Identify and explain the effectiveness of the figure of speech used in lines.
 JIT MAY 2023 Page 20 of 25

Title:
IT IS A BEAUTEOUS EVENING, CALM AND
FREE – WILLIAM WORDSWORTH The speaker is struck by the physical beauty of
the evening and the mood it creates. The
speaker views the scene through a spiritual
It is a beauteous evening, calm and free, lens and assures his young companion
The holy time is quiet as a Nun (believed to be his daughter, Caroline) that
Breathless with adoration; the broad sun God’s presence is everywhere, even if we are
Is sinking down in its tranquility; not fully conscious of it.
The gentleness of heaven broods o'er the Sea; 5

Listen! the mighty Being is awake, Structure:

And doth with his eternal motion make
A sound like thunder—everlastingly.
Dear child! dear Girl! that walkest with me here,
If thou appear untouched by solemn thought,
Thy nature is not therefore less divine:
Thou liest in Abraham's bosom all the year;
And worshipp'st at the Temple's inner shrine,
God being with thee when we know it not.
This is a Petrarchan (or Italian) sonnet
consisting of 14 lines. The octave (first 8 lines)
describes the breath-taking beauty of the
10 scene. The sestet (last 6 lines) serves as the
speaker’s comment on the beauty and
spirituality of the scene. He addresses his
companion (his daughter) directly in the sestet
and acts as a commentary of the speaker’s
understanding of the spirituality of life in
14 general.

Tone :
Amazed / awe / tranquility /respect
lines 1 -12 : peaceful , happy tone describes nature. The last four lines of the poem changes to a resentful, bitter tone, sorrow and
regret “ a hand I never touched” (line 13 )

Themes:
The Holiness of Nature
Childhood and Faith
The beauty of nature reveals God.
Permanence of nature
Despair. loneliness
Futility of human relations
The transience (brief) nature of human life

POETRY ESSAY QUESTION:

With close reference to diction, imagery and tone used in this poem, discuss how the speaker expresses his appreciation for the
beauty of God’s creation in the natural world.
Your response should take the form of a well-constructed essay of 250 – 300 words (about ONE page).

CONTEXTUAL QUESTIONS
2.1 Explain the mood or atmosphere that is depicted in line 1.
2.2 Account for the repetition of the word ‘Dear’ in line 9.
2.3 Comment on the effectiveness of the simile and the use of the word ‘everlastingly’ in line 8.
2.4 Refer to lines 12 – 14: ‘Thou liest in … know it not’
Critically discuss how the diction in these lines conveys the speaker’s view about the girl.

[Refer to DBE: ‘Mind the Gap’ Grade 12 Study Guide – 2023 for Suggested Answers].
 JIT MAY 2023
FERN HILL – DYLAN THOMAS
Now as I was young and easy under the apple boughs
About the lilting house and happy as the grass was green,
The night above the dingle starry,
Time let me hail and climb
Golden in the heydays of his eyes,
And honoured among wagons I was prince of the apple towns
And once below a time I lordly had the trees and leaves
Trail with daisies and barley
Down the rivers of the windfall light.
And as I was green and carefree, famous among the barns
About the happy yard and singing as the farm was home,
In the sun that is young once only,
Time let me play and be
Golden in the mercy of his means,
And green and golden I was huntsman and herdsman, the
calves
Sang to my horn, the foxes on the hills barked clear and cold,
And the sabbath rang slowly
In the pebbles of the holy streams.
All the sun long it was running, it was lovely, the hay
Fields high as the house, the tunes from the chimneys, it was air
And playing, lovely and watery
And fire green as grass.
And nightly under the simple stars
As I rode to sleep the owls were bearing the farm away,
All the moon long I heard, blessed among stables, the nightjars
Flying with the ricks, and the horses
Flashing into the dark.
And then to awake, and the farm, like a wanderer white
With the dew, come back, the cock on his shoulder: it was all
Shining, it was Adam and maiden,
The sky gathered again
And the sun grew round that very day.
So it must have been after the birth of the simple light
In the first, spinning place, the spellbound horses walking warm
Out of the whinnying green stable
On to the fields of praise.
And honoured among foxes and pheasants by the gay house
Under the new made clouds and happy as the heart was long,
In the sun born over and over,
I ran my heedless ways,
My wishes raced through the house high hay
And nothing I cared, at my sky blue trades, that time allows
In all his tuneful turning so few and such morning songs
Before the children green and golden
Follow him out of grace,
Page 21 of 25
In the moon that is always rising,
Nor that riding to sleep
I should hear him fly with the high fields
And wake to the farm forever fled from the
childless land.
Oh as I was young and easy in the mercy of
his means,
Time held me green and dying
Though I sang in my chains like the sea.
Title:
This poem speaks of the beauty of an actual place
named Fern Hill, where Thomas spent time as a
child. It is essentially a reflection on his happy times
at this place. It is certainly an autobiographical
poem.
Structure:
This poem consists of six stanzas, each comprising
nine lines. There is a strict syllabic count in each line
which is repeated in each stanza:
14,14,9,6,9,14,14,7,9. Despite the strict syllabic
count/rhythm, there is no specific form to this poem.
The poem is song-like in its rhythm. The poem can
be divided into two parts: the first 3 stanzas are
related to the poet’s experience as a child and the
last 3 stanzas focus on the awakening in the child
which signifies the loss of innocence.
Tone :
A reflective tone throughout the poem. He indicates
the transition from child to adult as well as the
interactions with Time.
 The tone is joyful/ fervent/ emotional
/ecstatic/rhapsodic: it is a hymn of praise to
youth and innocence.
 In the final stanza the tone changes to one
of melancholy at the lost and irretrievable
days of childhood.
 Nostalgic
Themes:
- Childhood joy and Innocence
- The Power of Time
- The end of childhood grace
- The harmony and wonder of nature
Mood :
Imagery
 JIT MAY 2023 Page 22 of 25

ESSAY QUESTION:
In the poem ‘Fern Hill’, colour is symbolic in the childhood of the poet/speaker. In an essay of 250-300 words, discuss the symbolism
of colour in the poem
CONTEXTUAL QUESTIONS:
1. Describe the tone in the first four stanzas.
2. Discuss the shift in tone.
3. Discuss the poet’s idea of time.
4. What does this poem suggest about Thomas’ view of the relationship between humankind and Nature?
 JIT MAY 2023 Page 23 of 25

THE SHIPWRECK – EMILY DICKINSON Title:

The – tells the reader that this poem is about a
Glee! The great storm is over!
specific shipwreck.
Four have recovered the land; Shipwreck – implies a tragedy, usually involving
Forty gone down together the loss of lives, grief and mourning This sets the
Into the boiling sand. tone for the poem.

Ring, for the scant salvation! 5 Structure:

Toll, for the bonnie souls, --
Neighbour and friend and bridegroom, This poem has 4 stanzas of 4 lines each. It follows
a strict rhyme pattern: abcb defe ghih jklk. It is
Spinning upon the shoals!
close in form to a ballad but does not have the
prerequisite refrain characteristic of this form.
How they will tell the shipwreck The first two stanzas focus on the positive
When winter shakes the door, 10 news of the survival of four people. The last
Till the children ask, ‘But the forty? two stanzas focus on the grief of the loss of 40
Did they come back no more?’ lives.

Then a silence suffuses the story, Tone:

And a softness the teller's eye;
And the children no further question, 15  Joyful
And only the waves reply.  Celebratory
 Sombre
 Sad
 Melancholic

Mood:

Shifts from joy (stanzas 1,2) to sorrowful and depressing (stanzas 3,4)

Themes:
 Contrasts evident throughout:
o Joy vs Grief
o Celebration vs Mourning
o Saved vs Lost
o Living vs Death
 the response to the loss of life.

ESSAY QUESTION
In the poem ‘Shipwreck’, the poet/ speaker contrasts the joy of the survival of four people with the sorrow of the loss of 40 people
. With close reference to diction imagery and tone, critically discuss the validity of this statement

CONTEXTUAL QUESTIONS
1. Refer to lines 1-2
“Glee!” …the land”. Account for the tone in these lines.
2. Discuss the effectiveness of the imagery in line 4 .
3. Refer to line 8. “Spinning…shoals”
Comment on the effectiveness of this imagery in the context of the poem.
4. Refer to stanza 4. Critically discuss how the final stanza conveys the poet’s message of the impact of the shipwreck.
JIT MAY 2023 Page 24 of 25

References Acknowledgement of sources

POEM LINKS

(Sonnet 130) 1. https://litpriest.com/poems/sonnet-130-summary/

1 2. https://owlcation.com/humanities/Analysis-of-Sonnet-130-by-William-Shakespeare
2 The child who was shot…
3 At a Funeral
•https://poemanalysis.com/ingrid-jonker/the-child-who-was-shot-dead-by-soldiers-in-
nyanga/
•https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ijK59s5IQEU
•https://youtu.be/ijK59s5IQEU
 https://youtu.be/TIQsX17uupo (detailed analysis)
• https://youtu.be/rLlJxABy7mE
• https://www.litcards.com
• https:www.studocu.com
 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TIQsX17uupo
 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G9XTDV2X9Us

4 Poem of Return  https://www.teacharesources.com/product/poem-of-return-by-jofre-rocha-poetry-pack-

2023-prescribed-poetry/

 https://www.studocu.com/en-za/document/brainline/english-poetry/poem-of-returndraft-
just-a-small-summary
5 Talk to the Peach Tree  https://www.teacharesources.com/product/talk-to-the-peach-tree-by-sipho-sepamla-
poetry-pack-2023-nsc-prescribed

6 Prayer to Masks  https://youtu.be/uwma1WpmJN8

• https:www.studocu.com
• https://youtu.be/rLlJxABy7mE
7 This Winter Coming  https://www.teacharesources.com/product/this-winter-coming-by-karen-press-poetry-
pack-2023-nsc-prescribed-poetry

 https://www.biblio.com/book/winter-coming-press-karen/d/822722168

8 Solitude  https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/45937/solitude-56d225aad9924
•https://poemanalysis.com/ella-wheeler-wilcox/solitude/
•https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bXJHT4758kI
9 The Morning Sun is Shining  https://youtu.be/ezv5jQNoMlY
 https://www.slideshare.net
 https://www.studocu.com
 https://youtu.be/ezv5jQNoMlY (detailed analysis)
10 It is a beauteous evening…  https://goodstudy.org/beauteous-evening-summary-
analysis/#.YsvezWBBzIhttps://poemanalysis.com/william-wordsworth/it-is-a-
beauteous-evening-calm-and-free
 https://interestingliterature.com/2020/02/analysis-wordsworth-beauteous-evening-
calm-free
 https://www.sparknotes.com/poetry/wordsworth/section5/
11 Fern Hill •https://study.com/academy/lesson/fern-hill-summary-analysis.html
•https://www.litcharts.com/poetry/dylan-thomas/fern-hill
•https://poemanalysis.com/dylan-thomas/fern-hill/

12 The Shipwreck  https://youtu.be/x2oF9bO9mMYsinking of the Titanic

 https://www.litchards.com
 https:www.studocu.com
JIT MAY 2023 Page 25 of 25

ADDITIONAL RESOURCE LINKS

1. https://www.mondaymadeeasy.com

2. https://www.poetryfoundation .org

3. https://www.superteachergirl

4. https://ww.123helpmew.ed.ted.com

5. https://www.poetryessay-mindset-u-tube

6. How to analyse a poem for the first time :https://youtu.be/Ebd-0bjUjZk