Form 4 English – READING LITERARY WORKS

POEM 2: A FREEDOM SONG

(By Marjorie Oludhe)

1. What is poem about?

The poem is about a girl called Atieno. She is oppressed, humiliated and segregated by her maternal uncle. Atieno is overworked. At the age of eight she was plinking the chicken. She was neither taken to school nor paid for her services. Later she become pregnant and died due to post delivery bleeding.

2. Who is speaking in the poem?

The speaker is either Atieno’s uncle or someone who has been the observe of what happened to Atieno. Hence he pretends to be Atieno’s uncle. The speaker is not happy with Atieno’s life. The speaker is aware of child abuse.

3. What is fore of the speaker?

The fore is sarcastic states that Atieno has gone to glory.

4. The mood of the speaker is sadness to what happened to Atieno.

5. Point out eight themes from the poem and explain

(i) Child labour

Atieno is working as house girl in her uncle’s house. At this age Atieno is supposed to be at school.

(ii) Oppression

Atieno is overworked. At the age of eight. Atieno plucks the kitchen washes dishes and sleeps in the kitchen on sacks.

(iii) Exploitation

Atieno is exploited. The young girl is working hard but does not get any returns. She is not paid, taken to school or bought nice clothes.

(iv) Segregation

Atieno is not treated equally like her uncle’s children. Atieno’s uncle educates his children but keeps Atieno at home. Worse still Atieno sleeps in the kitchen sacks.

(v) Lack of parental care

Atieno lacked good parental care. She had no one to guide her on morals. She becomes pregnant at the tender age.

(vi) Poverty

Atieno is poor. She lacks basic needs like proper shelter, good clothes and food. She has difficult life conditions.

(vii) Death

Atieno died due to over bleeding soon after delivery.

(viii) Early pregnancy

Atieno become pregnant at the age of fourteen. She was still very young. Hence she died.

6. Relate your poem to your experience

There are girls in many societies who become pregnant at the young age. These girls face childbirth difficulties, some of the girls die in the process.

On the other hand we have child labour, child abuse and exploitation

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