english Notes

Form 4 English – READING LITERARY WORKS

msomimaktaba,

ANALYSIS OF THE FOLLOWING POEMS

1.      SUNRISE

Morning of the poem

–      The sons of the land have risen up like the sun when it rises, singing the beauty of the sunrise.

–      Indirectly, it means liberation struggle where by the sun symbolizes a nationalist leader.

Type of the poem

It is modern poem which does not follow most of the poetic principles.

Tone of the persona

Excitement

Sound features

Irregular rhythmic pattern and no rhymes.

Themes obtained are;

(i)Liberation struggle.
Rising of the nationalist leaders led to rise of confidence of the sons of the land, such as peasants, workers and all the oppressed.

(ii)   Courage

African warriors are nglish-swahili/courage” target=”_blank”>courageous and thus willing to rise as the sun against their enemy (common enemy).

(iii)           Unity

Together in unity they rise to fight the colonialist.

(iv)           Hope…

Expected to achieve victory e.g. “wait and see what glory they bring at sunset”

Hence, here they are being optimistic.

(v)              Determination

This is well portrayed in the 7th verse.

Structure

It consists of a single stanza with 15th verses.

Message

Be optimistic on the challenges an individual faces.

Relevance

It is relevant to many African countries which were colonized by the European countries.

Language use

Language used is simple and well understood. No figure of speech employed.

2.      HOLLOW HEADS

Meaning of the poem

The poem is about an individual who complains about oppression.

He says he is tortured, oppressed. He is tired of being oppressed and he or she has decided to wage war against all evils.

Type of the poem

It is a free verse/open/ modern poem.

Tone of the persona

The tone is that of seriousness because the persona is ready to fight till his/ her last blood.

Sound features

There is irregular rhythm also there is a rhyme pattern.

E.g.: In the 1st Stanza, the words ignorance, darkness, silence

Structure of the poem

It has stanzas with variable number of verses for each stanza when counted.

Language use

The language used is simple and well understood.

Figures of speech;-

(i) Repetition; words like wits and ears and eyes

(ii)   Personification; e.g.”Hollow heads torture me”

(iii)    Irony; The persona calls his enemies friends in the 3rd stanza he says, ” All right, my friends.

It’s a battle and I’ll fight it”

Themes obtained are;-

(i)    Oppression; Treated in a cruel way e.g. The whole of the 2nd stanza

(ii)      Protest and determination e.g. In the 4th stanza “And I will fight to the last cell”

(iii)    Patriotism

(iv)   Ignorance e.g. In the 1st stanza

(v)    Awareness.

Message

Determination in any straggle is a key tool to achievements.

Relevance

It is relevant those African societies which underwent and are still undergoing such situation of oppression,
protest as well as awareness, due to their background.

Extra meaning of the poem is: The African leaders are the hollow heads who oppress the other (the mass).

3.      LOST BEAUTY

Title of the poem

It is direct because it simply explains the lost beauty of the dark African skin in short.

Type of the poem

It is a modern poem. Also it reflects deep feelings (i.e. Lyric), though this is not necessary to be included.

Tone of the persona

The persona is disappointed and filled with anxiety.

Sound features

There are no rhyme pattern(s) and there is irregular rhythmic pattern.

Structure of the poem

It is comprised of 5 stanzas with variable number of verses in each stanza.

Figures of speech

(i)     Imagery e.g.: with skin sweating darkness

(ii)    Hyperbole e.g.: a dark face as the night

(iii) Simile e.g.: face a dark as night

(iv)    Repetition e.g.: my eyes oh! My eyes, word “black” in all stanzas

Themes

(i)     Deterioration of culture, changing of their skin colour.

(ii)    Lack of self worth, among of African women.

(iii)    Disappointment

(iv)    Beauty

(v)   Value of black women.

 Message

Or African culture should be treasured and preserved by us.

The persona

He is black himself, “I am not black either portrays that he himself is in the group of those who,
change skin colour through mainly the artificial methods. The persona tries to show that “everybody” has to change.

Relevance

Both men and women in the current situation face cultural deterioration.

4.      Title of the poem

It is direct to show that the women (dada) is lost.

Type of the poem,

It is a modern poem.

Structure of the poem

The poem has 6 stanzas (six) with variation in the number of verses from 4, 5 to 6.

Figures of speech

Some of the have been used by the poet such as:

(i)Personification e.g.:           

“The tenderness that asks where my wallet is”

“Your passions chasing my bank account”

(ii)   Barbarism

Use of borrowed words such as “dada” which is a Swahili word such as “dada” which is a Swahili word meaning sister.

Themes presented are

(i)   Unfaithfulness

(ii)    Hypocrisy e.g. In the 3rd stanza

(iii)   Awareness

(iv)     Lust for money

 Messages

(i)   Should be trustworthy to your partner in a relation

(ii)  Have true love, not only for money

 Relevance

Most women in the society are money oriented.

5.      A FREEDOM SONG

Title of the poem

It is indirect since in the poem Atieno is not granted for freedom and rights as a child and also as a human being.

Type of the poem

It is a modern poem also it is narrative (though it is not necessary to say whether its narrative or not).

Tone of the persona

It is described as sympathetic.

Structure of the poem

It has 7 stanzas with constant number of verses which is six (6).

Sound features

There is regular rhythm and it has rhyme pattern in the 2nd and 4th verses in every stanza. There is a refrain   “Atieno yo”.

Also this is a figure of speech.

Themes obtained are;

(i)     Child oppression; in the 1st stanza.

(ii)  Discrimination; in the 4th stanza.

(iii) Jealousness; in the 3rd stanza (but this is according to the uncles perception) although Atieno may not be jealous in real sense.

 Message

Stop child oppression

Relevance

In our society for instance houses which employ young children such as housekeepers. Also families which treat the children harshly since they are not theirs.

Failure

The poet did not show the solution to the problem of child oppression.

6.      THE POOR MAN

Title of the poem

It is direct,because it explains / reveals the life of the poor person.

Type of the poem

It has 6 stanzas with a constant number of 2 verses in each stanza.

Language use

The language used is a simple one and easy to understand.

Poetic diction and license

When the choice of words is met to ensure world economy as well as breaking of grammatical rules to meet rhythmical rules of a poem ,
e.g. “The poor man knows not how to eat” instead of “the poor man does not know how to eat”.

Figures of speech

(i)Metaphor, no conjunction is used e.g. “It makes him a beast to be fed on grass”.

(ii)   Imagery; with a lot of imagination e.g. “with blood of lice under his nail”.

Themes presented are:

(i)    Poverty, in the 5th stanza.

(ii)   Uncivilization in the 3rd stanza.

(iii)    Classes in the society, the rich class which segregate the poor/ low class e.g. in the 1st stanza.

(iv)           Greediness in the 2nd stanza.

Message

People should be treated equally despite their economic status, whether poor or rich e.g. “A poor man eats the head”

Relevance

Poor in the society face the problem of famine whereby they lack food.

7.      LULLABY

Title of the poem

It is direct.

Tone of the persona

The persona’s tone is described as being happy and proud of the child’s good behavior of getting contented with what is given to her/him.

Structure of the poem

It is a single stanza poem with nine (9) verses.

Sound features

There is a rhyme pattern e.g. “mine” but there is irregular rhythmical sound.

Figures of speech

Repetition: e.g. “But you are mine”

Language use

The language used by the poet is simple and clear.

Themes obtained are;-

(i)    Love to the child

(ii)    Poverty e.g. ” To rear on a torn mat”

(iii)   Value of the child e.g. proudly saying “But your mine”

8.      PSALM 23 PART II

Type of the poem

It is a modern poem.

Title of the poem

It is indirect because the whole poem is on irony and it is not true at all.
Also relating with Biblical meaning it does not reflect the message as described in the original Psalms 23 that is to say as the real Psalm 23 of the Holy Bible.

EXERCISE
Define the following terms.

i) POEMS: These are precise of writing using beautiful and reactive language arranged in fixed lines with a particular beat.
ii) POETRY : It is an art of composing and correcting poems.
iii) STANZA: It is the correction of different verses. OR Is the arrangement of verses.
iv) RHYTHM: Means a regular beats or pattern of sounds in a poem.
v) RHYME: Is the similar sound at the end of the verses.
vi) VERSES: These are single line present (found) in the poem which form a stanza.
vii) POET : A man (male) person who compose poem.
viii) POETESS : A female person who compose poem.
ix) Personal: A person or dramatist who speaks in a poem, but not the poet/ poetess.

Mention five characteristics of poem
i) Poetry is imaginative
ii) Poetry reflects experience (ideas) of people
iii) Poetry is rich I n figures of speech (images)
iv) Poetry arouse emotion
v) Poetry is rhythmical – Is arranged in a potent of verses which form stanza.

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English Language Study Notes English Study Notes Form 4 English Study Notes Msomi Maktaba All Notes

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