Thi s po em i s a l ament (mo ur n) fo r
G ener al r eference to the pr o tes ters .
the dead/mo ur nful s o ng to be
s ung at a funeral , fo r tho s e
chi l dren gunned do wn whi l e
co nducti ng a peaceful pro tes t.
The po et i s s peaki ng i n the 1 s t
pers o n, putti ng hi ms el f i n the
s ho es o f each o f the yo ung
peo pl e who were gunned do w n
and di ed o n thi s day. It w as a
nati o nal tragedy, and as s o , was
Thet by
fel dayevery
befo co
r e ncer
the pro
nedtes
ci tit zmar
i n. ch.
Thi s po em co ncentr ates o n
the human as pects r ather
than po l i ti cal co nvi cti o ns .
The s acr i fi ces o f the yo ung
man, w hi ch i s meani ngful
to hi m & l acks materi al
i tems .
Speaker co nveys (makes
kno wn) hi s di s tres s /anx i ety,
w hi ch s ugges ts that danger
awai ts hi m.
“s ” al l i ter ati o n i s cal l ed
s i bi l ance: repr o duces the
hi s s i ng s o und o f w o men
s o bbi ng & weepi ng.
“s ” al l i ter ati o n i s cal l ed
s i bi l ance: repr o duces
the s adnes s , tear s .
Imagery
“ b” al l i ter ati o n s ugges ts
s upr es s i o n & o ppr es s i o n.
“o ” i s an
i nterj ecti o n/ex cl amati o n:
emphas i z es the s peaker ' s
gr i ef.
Suns et i s a metapho r fo r death.
Enjambment: The running on of the thought from one line, couplet, or stanza to the next without a
syntactical break/punctuated pause.
Sibilance: a consonant characterized by a hissing sound (like s or sh).
Onomatopoeia: Words that sound like their meanings.
A Young Man's Thoughts Before
June the 16th
Fhazel Johennesse (1956-)
Metaphor for life journey
tomorrow i travel on a road
Path ahead is twisted & difficult
that winds to the top of the hill
i take with me only the sweet
memories of my youth
Continuing pain
my heart aches for my mother
for friday nights with friends
“b” alliteration
around a table with broad belch of beer
“s” alliteration
i ask only for a sad song
Hiding sorrows by avoiding eye contact
sung by a woman with downturned eyes
Played Strength of age
and strummed by an old man with
“b” alliteration “o” assonance
a broken brow
“s” alliteration
o sing my sad song sing for me
Death
for my sunset is drenched with red
Sugges t that the po em i s r efl ecti ve.
June 16 marks the anni ver s ar y o f
the 1976 upr i s i ng begun by
s cho o l chi l dren i n So w eto to
pro tes t agai ns t the co mpul s o ry
us e o f Afr i kaans , the l anguage o f
o ppr es s i o n. O ver 1 000 peo pl e,
many o f them yo ung, l o s t thei r
l i ves .
The r o ad o f l i fe l eadi ng wi th twi s ts
& di ffi cul ti es i nevi tabl y up the hi l l
to wards the ul ti mate go al , i n thi s
Enjambment
cas e death (metapho r).
“ br o ad bel ch” br i ngs o ut the
carefree atti tude o f yo uth.
“ b” al l i terati o n po rtr ays the
Enjambment
s trength o f yo ung peo pl e who
ar e i n cel ebr ati o n – fr ee & happy.
5
“ bel ch” o no mato po ei a.
Burp It i s a di r ge: l ament fo r the
dead o r mo ur nful s o ng to
be s ung at a funer al .
The po et br i ngs o ut the
depth o f s ho ck & s adnes s
that the new s o f the
mas s acr e pro duces .
10 Deno tes a wr i nkl ed bro w wi th
Enjambment
care & s o r ro w. C o nno tes a
bro ken s pi ri t.
B l o o d that has been s hed
vi o l entl y o n thi s parti cul ar day.
Blood/violence
It i s no t a gentl e death but o ne
Imagery
w hi ch i s “dr enched w i th r ed”. The
l i fe o f many yo ung peo pl e has been
r i pped apar t by po l i ce bul l ets , &
thei r bl o o d fl o ws fr eel y, drenchi ng
the s uns et (& s tr eets ) wi th bl o o d.