CSEC English B Short Story Summaries

A Midsummer Night's Dream
SUMMARY
This play is a love story that is split between four sets of lovers; Hippolyta and Theseus, Hermia and
Lysander, Helena and Demetrius and Titania and Oberon. The story begins with a distraught father,
Egeus, asking the Duke, Thesus, to bring the law upon his daughter's, Hermia‟s, head. His request is
made because he wants her to marry Demetrius and she has disobeyed him by seeing Lysander in
secret. The Duke gives Hermia up to the day of his wedding to decide to obey her father or suffer the
consequence of consignment to a nunnery if she chooses to oppose him. This decision spurs Hermia
and Lysander to meet in the woods to facilitate their elopement. Things get interesting at this point
because Puck, a fairy, carries out Oberon‟s request to meddle in the lovers‟ lives. Mistaken identity
occurs with hilarious consequences. The tale of Titania, Oberon and Bottom intersect as a subplot, as
well as the play within the play. The play ends with all the lovers being wed.
SETTING
 The play is set in Athens

 Some scenes occur within the palace walls
 While others occur in the wood, outside of Athens
CHARACTERS
Puck
Puck, also known as Robin Goodfellow, is a mischievous fairy who delights in playing pranks
on mortals.
 His antics are responsible for many of the complications that propel the other main plots
 He mistakes the young Athenians, applying the love potion to Lysander instead of Demetrius,
thereby causing chaos within the group of young lovers
 He also transforms Bottom‟s head into that of an ass.
Oberon
 The king of the fairies, Oberon is initially at odds with his wife, Titania, because she refuses to
give him a young Indian prince.
 Oberon‟s desire for revenge on Titania leads him to send Puck to obtain the love‐potion flower
(love in idleness) that creates so much of the play‟s confusion.
Titania
 Titania is very stubborn because she resists her husband‟s attempts, Oberon to obtain the
child.
 She has a brief, potion‐induced love for Nick Bottom, whose head Puck has transformed into
that of an ass.
Lysander
 A young man of Athens who is in love with Hermia.

 Lysander‟s relationship with Hermia highlights the theme of love‟s difficulty
 He cannot marry Hermia openly because Egeus, her father, wishes her to wed Demetrius
 He becomes the victim of misapplied magic and wakes up in love with Helena.
Demetrius
 A young man of Athens who is initially in love with Hermia

 He ends up, ultimately, falling in love with Helena.
Hermia
 Egeus‟ daughter.
 A young woman of Athens.
 Hermia is in love with Lysander and is a childhood friend of Helena.
 She is in love with Lysander
 She is left without a lover when both Lysander and Demetrius suddenly fall in love with
Helena.
 She ends up marrying Lysander
Helena
 A young woman of Athens.

 She is in love with Demetrius.
 Demetrius and Helena were once courted, but when Demetrius met Helena‟s friend Hermia,
he fell in love with her and abandoned Helena.
 Lacking confidence in her looks, Helena thinks that Demetrius and Lysander are mocking her
when the fairies‟ mischief causes them to fall in love with her.
Egeus
 Hermia‟s father, who brings a complaint against his daughter to Theseus:

 Egeus has given Demetrius permission to marry Hermia, but Hermia, in love with Lysander,
refuses to marry Demetrius.
 Egeus‟s severe insistence that Hermia either respect his wishes or be held accountable to
Athenian law places him squarely outside the whimsical dream realm of the forest.
Theseus
 He is the duke of Athens.

 He is engaged to Hippolyta.
 Theseus represents power and order throughout the play.
 He appears only at the beginning and end of the story, he is therefore removed from the
dreamlike events of the forest.
Hippolyta
 The queen of the Amazons.

 She is engaged to Theseus.
 Like Theseus, she symbolizes order.
Nick Bottom
 The overconfident weaver chosen to play Pyramus in the craftsmen‟s play for Theseus‟s
marriage celebration.
 He is full of advice and self‐confidence.
 He frequently makes silly mistakes and misuses language.
 He is the comic relief in the play because of he is unaware that he possessed an ass‟ head.
Peter Quince
 A carpenter.
 The „leader‟ of the craftsmen‟s attempt to put on a play for Theseus‟s marriage celebration.
 Quince is often ignored by the overly confident Bottom.
 He plays the Prologue in the play within the play.
Francis Flute
 The bellows‐mender.
 He is chosen to play Thisbe in the play within the play.
 Forced to play a young girl in love.
Robin Starveling
 The tailor.
 He was to chosen to play Thisbe‟s mother in the play within the play
 He ends up playing the part of Moonshine.
Tom Snout
 The tinker.
 He is chosen to play Pyramus‟s father in the play within the play.
 He ends up playing the part of Wall, dividing the two lovers.
Snug
 The joiner.
 He is chosen to play the lion in the play within the play.
 Snug worries that his roaring will frighten the ladies in the audience.
Philostrate
 Theseus‟s Master of the Revels.

 He isresponsible for organizing the entertainment for the duke‟s marriage celebration.
Peaseblossom, Cobweb, Mote, and Mustardseed
 The fairies ordered by Titania to attend to Bottom after she falls in love with him.
SUMMARY
Act 1
Scene 1
Theseus and Hippolyta are ecstatic about their wedding day. The scene continues with Egeus, who
wants his daughter, Hermia, to marry Demetrius instead of Lysander. Egeus visits the duke of Athens,
Theseus, to request the enforcing of the old Athenian law which states that a disobedient daughter
may be sent to her death by her father. Hermia could accept the death sentence, marry Demetrius, or
join the nunnery. The chapter ends with Lysander and Hermia planning their elopement, and telling
Helena, Hermia‟s childhood friend, of their plans.
Scene 2
Quince, Snug, Bottom, Flute, Snout and Starveling meet to discuss a play that they will enact on the
Duke‟s wedding night. Quince is the main organizer and Bottom appears to be the person that wants
to play everyone‟s part. Quince gives everyone their roles and asks them to meet the following night in
the palace woods.
Act 2
Scene 1
This scene opens with the fairy and Puck conversing. Both Oberon and Titania enter and start arguing.
The audience learns that nature is being affected negatively by this and Oberon suggests that she
should just give him the changeling boy to end it all. She refuses, and Oberon retaliates by plotting,
with Puck, to acquire the flower, „love‐in‐idleness‟, to let her fall in love with the first creature that she
sees. This scene continues with Demetrius‟ blatant rejection of Helena in the woods. The scene
continues with Oberon informing Puck that he is going to drop the love juice on Titania‟s eyelids. He
instructs Puck to do the same to Demetrius.
Scene 2
Titania enters the wood and instructs her fairies to sing her to sleep. Oberon then arrives and places
the love juice on her eyelids. As a result, Titania falls in love with Bottom, the first „creature‟ that she
sees. Lysander and Hermia then make their entrance in the woods, where Hermia suggests that
Lysander sleep further away from her, for the sake of propriety. After this scene, Puck enters and
mistakenly anoints the Lysander, instead of Demetrius, with the love juice. Lysander awakes to see
Helena and declares his love for her. Helena believes that he is mocking her and storms off angrily,
with Lysander in tow. Hermia then awakes from a bad dream finding herself alone.
Act 3
Scene 1
The craftsmen met in the woods to rehearse the play. They discuss, and decide, on changes that are to
be made to the play and the rehearsal begins. During the rehearsals, Puck is watching and sees Bottom
leave the scene. Puck follows him and, without his knowledge, transforms Bottom‟s head into that of
an ass. Most of the artisans flee in terror. Bottom suspects that his companions are trying to make an
ass of him and decides to sing to himself. The song awakens Titania, who immediately sees Bottom
and falls in love with him. Titania asks him to remain with her in the woods; she will have him
attended to and cared for by her fairies. She summons Peaseblossom, Cobweb, Moth and
Mustardseed, and tells them to lead Bottom to her bower.
Scene 2
Puck speaks to Oberon about the mischief that has occurred. He reports that Titania has fallen in love
with Bottom. Hermia and Demetrius enter, with Hermia accusing Demetrius of killing her beloved
Lysander, who has vanished. The argument reveals no truths so Hermia departs in search of Lysander,
leaving Demetrius to sleep. At this point, Puck and Oberon realized that a mistake has been made and
Puck is sent in search of Helena while Oberon enchants the sleeping Demetrius. They unintentionally
wake Demetrius who immediately falls in love with Helena because she is the first person that he sees.
Helena now thinks that Demetrius is a part of the prank because of his sudden change of heart. The
situation escalates when Hermia enters. Lysander and Demetrius fight over Helena, while Helena
starts a fight with Hermia. Helena thinks Hermia is also a part of the prank. Oberon rushes to retrieve
the Indian boy from Titania, while Puck leads the lovers away from each other before a life is lost.
They get lost in a fog and fall asleep to wake up in love.
ACT 4
Scene 1
Titania and Bottom get acquainted, with Titania being completely enamored with Bottom. She offers
him the services of her fairies and they both fall asleep. Oberon decides to take the spell from Titania's
eyes, after she consents to giving up the Indian boy. After Puck removes the asses head from Bottom,
the fairies leave the wood. Theseus and his followers then arrive for a celebration in the wood. They
meet upon the lovers and awaken them. After a conversation with the pairs of lovers, Theseus declares
that both pairs of lovers should marry, along with himself and Hyppolyta, in the palace. They all leave,
then Bottom wakes up and makes his way to Athens.
Scene 2
The actors are worried about the missing Bottom, and about whether or not the play can go on
without him. He then makes a dramatic entrance.
ACT 5
Scene 1
Theseus and Hyppolyta are back at the palace discussing the experiences that the lovers described. All
the couples choose Bottom's play for the evening's entertainment. The play progresses, the actors
leave, and then Puck gives a closing speech.
THEMES
Romantic love
Infatuation
Power and authority
Magic vs. reality
Women in society
Class
The Wine of Astonishment
SUMMARY
The book is about Eva and Bee Dorcas, members of the Spiritual Baptist Church. It is about their
experiences of being persecuted for their religious affiliation and the faith that they have in Ivan
Morton to change their situation. The character Bolo is also at the forefront of this story because he
embodies the result of not being able to be a man in a society that does not view being Black as
valuable.
SETTING
Time / Place:
 The story is set over a 20 year time period, 1932 – 1951

 Set in a small, remote village in Trinidad called Bonasse
Political structure:
 Trinidad was still a colony under the British Empire

 Trinidad was ruled under the Crown Colony system – Head of State in England governed the
island via the Governor, who was his or her representative
 Political power, therefore, lay in the governor, assisted by a Council
 Universal adult suffrage (right of all adults to vote) did not occur to Trinidad until 1946.
 Power still lay in the hands of those who owned plantations and these people, in turn,
controlled the instruments of power; the legislature, the courts and the police.
Economy:
 The economy was still predominantly agricultural; sugar, cocoa, coffee, coconuts and citrus.
 The petroleum industry was just beginning to make an impact.
 Subsistence farming (production of foodstuff for domestic use) was the norm
 World War II led to the establishment of American bases, which introduced opportunity to
earn money
 WW II also introduced a consumer attitude to life in Bonasse
Social structure:
 Trinidad boasted a very diverse Creole society populated by a variety of ethnic groups (Indian,
Black, Chinese, White), each with its own cultural and religious practices.
 Trinidad was still a series of small villages connected by a network of tiny roads, hence, travel
between villages was infrequent
Religion:
 The protagonists in the novel are Spiritual Baptists/ Shouter Baptists

 This religion arose out of a fusion of Protestant Christianity and African Orisha elements
 The religion was outlawed in 1917 on the grounds that they disturbed the peace with their bell
ringing, loud singing and highly expressive behavior during worship.
 See video clip of Spiritual Baptist in Grenada at the bottom of this page.
MAJOR CHARACTERS
Eva Dorcas:
 The wife of Bee Dorcas and mother to 5 children


She is the emotional support for her husband
 She is a strong Christian
 The story is told through her eyes (1st person narrator)
 She is patient and long suffering
Bee Dorcas:

Eva‟s husband and father of her 5 children
 Pastor of the Shouter Baptist church in the text
 He is a strong Christian
 He is considered to be the pillar of the community
 He is very wise, patient and long suffering
 He is very persistent, as seen in his lobbying for Ivan Morton
 Shoulders his responsibilities well and does not view them as a burden
Bolo:
 Local stick fighting champion

 Initially beloved and admired by the community, seen as a hero/warrior figure
 Was imprisoned for 3 years for defending his mother, and the church, during a police raid of
the Shouter Baptist church
 Later becomes the terror of the community because of how he bullied every-one after his
return from prison
 A brave, yet simple character that was crushed by the realities of life as a black man in
Trinidad
Ivan Morton:
 Local boy who was considered to be the pride of the community because he was „bright‟
 Failed his college Exhibition examination twice
 He eventually became a teacher within the community
 He married a light skinned girl from Tunapuna, and abandoned Eulalie and their illegitimate
baby
 The community chose him to represent them on the Council and he became a true politician;
talk without action
MINOR CHARACTERS
Clyde:
 Ivan Morton‟s driver

 A lot of second hand information about Ivan is gleaned from this character, via Joyce
 Eventually marries Joyce
Mr. Buntin:
 Black owner of the local shop

 He believed in Black empowerment
 He was not a good businessman; a lot of people owed him and his shop was virtually empty by
the end of the book
 He enjoyed the company of his patrons
Mitchel:
 Carpenter on the American Base

 Money-lender and contact man
 Owner of the local shop that eventually „competes‟ with Buntin‟s shop
 An example of some-one who has profited from the American presence in Trinidad
 Bolo destroys his establishment
 He campaigns for Ivan Morton during his bid for re-election to the council
Clem:
 The polar opposite of Bolo

 Calm and able to go with the flow
 A musician who eventual leaves Bonasse to become the successful Lord Trafalgar
 He got along with everyone
Eulalie:
 The most attractive girl in Bonasse

 Widely believed that she would eventually marry Bolo
 She dated Ivan Morton instead
 She became pregnant by Ivan and was abandoned by him
 She eventually went to live in the United States
Corporal Prince:
 He was tall and stocky

 Enforced the law at all costs
 Arrested and brutally beat Bolo, 1st time
 Raided the Shouter Baptist church
 He was unsympathetic to the Shouter Baptists
Primus:
 Quiet and gentle resident of Bonasse

 He tried to be friendly with every-one
 Bolo kidnapped his two daughters
Winston:
 Oldest of the Dorcas children

 19 years old at the beginning of the story
 Leaves Bonasse to become a police
Taffy:

 The most troubled of the Dorcas children
 He got in trouble with the law and had to flee to Port of Spain
 Also the most charming of the children
Joyce:

 Reader gets all the second hand news about Ivan Morton from her, via Clyde
 Dated, then eventually got married to Clyde
 At the end of the book, she is pregnant with her first child
Reggie:
 8 years at the beginning of the text

 A very intelligent young man
 Preparing to take the college Exhibition exam in the middle of the text
 Gets caught up with talk of black empowerment at Buntin‟s shop
 gains a place in high school on his own initiative, at the beginning of the text
Gem:
 4 years old
 Youngest child
 Playful and very „bright‟
CHAPTER SUMMARIES
Chapter 1:
The readers are introduced to the narrator, Eva, and her husband Bee, along with three
of their children: Joyce, Gem and Reggie. Reggie has failed his examination and the
couple debates whether or not to ask Ivan Morton for help. It becomes apparent that
the hope of the community rests on this young politician‟s shoulders. He disappoints
the community, however, when he does not support the Shouter Baptists. The reader is
introduced to the budding relationship between Joyce and Clyde, as well as Bolo‟s
disappointment in the church‟s apathy. The chapter ends with Reggie being placed in a
high school after previously applying without his parents‟ knowledge.
Chapter 2:
This chapter charts the changes in Bonasse and how it affects Bolo and Clem. Clem
accepted and went with the flow, while Bolo just could not accept change and became
disruptive. The banning of carnival, hence stick fighting, became a reality, and the
change that Americans had on the cultural identity of the people was emphasized
throughout this chapter.
Chapter 3:
The church plays a vital role in this chapter. The pride that is felt about its existence and
perseverance is expressed by Eva. However, a law is passed that makes the church
illegal, thereby forcing the members to plot to keep the church alive. The formulated a
plan to be „quiet‟ in the way they worship and to try to „put a man in the Council‟. Other
things that occur in the chapter are: the tragic tale of Eulalie/Ivan/Bolo, Bolo losing his
temper and its tragic results, and the coming of Prince. In the end, Bee decides to break
the law because the church is slowly dying.
Chapter 4:
In this chapter, the reader learns about Bee‟s children, as well as their response to his
talk of „breaking the law‟. Winston wants to become a police and Taffy wants to leave
Trinidad. Bolo sits in church as a question mark and eventually leaves, while Bee finally
„breaks the law‟.
Chapter 5:
Bee breaks the law continuously until the church is raided. Everyone is dragged to jail,
but Bolo intercedes on behalf of his mother. He is beaten and subsequently imprisoned
for three years with hard labour. Bee was left with no choice but to sell his cow to avoid
going to jail. Buntin‟s shop becomes „black empowerment‟ central, attracting all the
youngsters, including Reggie, to join the discussions. Taffy stabs a boy and runs off to
stay with his uncle in Port of Spain, while the Winston leaves Bonasse in order to
become a police.
Chapter 6:
This chapter is all about the campaign trail and how diligently Bee worked to get Ivan
elected. An air of freedom and joy pervades this chapter. It ends, however, with Eva‟s
observation of the changes that Ivan makes in his life, in accordance with his new
position, as well as her views on the implications behind Ivan Morton‟s procurement of
the house on the hill.
Chapter 7:
This is a very dramatic chapter that highlights Bolo‟s release from jail and the extent to
which things had changed during his incarceration. He tried to get land and did not
succeed, he tried to stick fight and faced cowards. The chapter ends with the
destruction that he wrought on the drums in order to express his anger and frustration.
Chapter 8:
This chronicles Bolo‟s descent into a mode of destructive behavior: (a) obtaining a job
and (b) extorting products from the market vendors, rum shop and gambling shop.
Bolo‟s fame extends outside Bonasse in this chapter, thereby highlighting the severity of
his anger.
Chapter 9:
Joyce, the Dorcas‟ only daughter, gets married, while Bolo kidnaps Primus‟ two
daughters. Bee tries to get men to „challenge' Bolo, since that is what he wants, but he
barely succeeds at this. The police intercede and Bolo, as well as Primus‟ youngest
daughter, gets killed.
Chapter 10:
Election time and Ivan is on the trail. The reader is not made aware of whether or not
he is re-elected, but what is known is that the Shouter Baptists were legalized. The irony
at the end of the book, however, is that on the cusp of their great victory, the spirit left
the church. Despite this tragedy, Eva hears it in the music that the boys play on the steel
pan.
THEMES
Racism
Women in society
Religion
Education vs. religion
Change
Power and authority
Violence
A Contemplation Upon Flowers
LITERAL MEANING
The persona wishes that he could be as brave as the flowers, who are aware of
their allegiance to the earth. They know their place and obey the order, or cycle, of life
and death. The persona wishes that he could be this way because he is the opposite, he
wants to live forever. The persona wants the flowers to teach him NOT to fear death, but
to accept it.
LITERARY DEVICES
1. SIMILE
 Stanza 1, line: The persona is wishing that he could be as brave as the flower. This implies that the p
does not think that he is brave, but a coward in the face of death.
 Stanza 2, line 14: This is another comparison between the persona and the plant. The persona
wishes that he could look death in the face and be cheerful, like the plant. Again, this
emphasizes that he fears death.
2. EUPHEMISM
This phrase is a replacement for the word death. It softens death and makes it appear welcoming and
pleasant.
3. IRONY
It is ironic that the flowers look so fresh and alive, when they are facing their very mortality, on the top
of a casket. Death is a sad affair, yet the flowers are at their best when ushering people back to the
earth.
4. PERSONIFICATION
The persona is speaking directly to the flowers and giving them human qualities, therefore, the whole
poem is an example of the use of personification at its best. He even goes as far as to ask the flowers to
teach him things that will allow him to acquire their qualities.
IMPORTANT WORDS/ PHRASES

5. 'galant'
This word literally means brave or heroic. The word, however, also brings to mind adjectives such as
charming and attentive, like a knight would be in olden days. So the plants are not simply brave in
their acceptance of death, but they are also gracious.
6. 'harmless show'
The word harmless sticks out in this phrase because it implies that the flowers are demure and quiet
in their beauty.
7. 'bier'
This is a movable frame on which a coffin or a corpse is placed before a burial or cremation, or on
which they are carried to the grave.
8. 'teach me that my breath like yours may sweeten and perfume my death'
This implies that if death is not feared, then the person will go into death's arms joyfully, without any
sorrow, remorse or bitterness.
TONE
The tone of the poem is admiration, because the persona literally admires the flowers for its accepting
attitude towards death.
MOOD/ ATMOSPHERE
The mood, or atmosphere of the poem is a pensive one. The persona is thinking about death, how he
relates to it versus how others relate to it.
CONTRAST
A contrast in this poem is the persona's fear of death, versus the flowers' acceptance of it.
THEMATIC CATEGORY
Death, nature
A Stone's Throw
LITERAL MEANING
A crowd has caught a woman. The persona implies to the reader that the woman is not
decent. She was beautiful, but scared because she had gotten 'roughed up' a little by the
crowd. The persona states that the woman has experienced men's hands on her body
before, but this crowd's hands were virtuous.
He also makes a proviso that if this crowd bruises her, it cannot be compared to what
she has experienced before. The persona also speaks about a last assault and battery to
come. He justifies this last assault by calling it justice, and it is justice that feels not only
right, but good. The crowd's 'justice' is placed on hold by the interruption of a preacher,
who stops to talk to the lady. He squats on the ground and writes something that the
crowd cannot see. Essentially, the preacher judges them, thereby allowing the lady to
also judge the crowd, leading to the crowd inevitably judging itself. The crowd walks
away from the lady, still holding stones [which can be seen as a metaphor for
judgments] that can be thrown another day
LITERARY 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, bu
actually utilized to emphasize something painful that has happened to the lady; she was stoned.
3. PUN
 Title: The title of the poem is itself a pun on two levels. A stone's throw is used by many people i
Caribbean to describe a close distance. eg. "She lives a stone's throw away". The other use of the tit
highlight the content of the poem. It is a figurative stoning, or judging, of a woman.
 Line 23: There is a play on the word 'come'. The persona is telling the reader that the crowd is
planning to eanrape the lady. This act is to come, or occur, in the near future. Come, in this
context, also ms to ejaculate, the culmination of the act of sex. The rapists in the crowd also
plan to 'come'.
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. 'we'
This immediately tells the reader that the persona is in a crowd, which highlights to us that the mob
mentality exists in this context. The crowd acts as one entity.
6. 'they'
The use of this word immediately alienates the lady and places her in the scornful realm of the 'other'.
7. 'dead scared'
The use of the term 'dead' to describe the lady's emotional state of fearfulness implies that she is
extremely frightened, it is beyond regular fear.
8. 'tousled'
This word means to be handled roughly and, as a result, to look disorderly and disheveled. It is the
perfect word to use in this context because it adds to the sexual innuendo that exists throughout the
poem.
9. 'nothing much'
The persona disregards the damage that they have done to the lady. He admits to the rough treatment,
but tries to make himself, and the crowd, look favourable despite their wrong doings.
10. 'But ours were virtuous, Of course'
This is almost like a tongue in cheek admittance that their touch was actually the opposite of virtuous.
The use of the term 'of course' highlights this interpretation.
11. 'battery'
In the Caribbean context, battery refers to the slang term for the rape of an individual, conducted by
several people in succession. Therefore, the persona is pointing out the intent of the crowd, or some
people in the crowd.
12. 'Of right'
This is a clear indication, from the persona, that he believes that he and the mob are in the right.
13. 'tastes so good'
'Taste', to a lot of individuals, is one of the higher senses. Therefore, when the persona uses this word,
he is highlighting the intense pleasure that he anticipates from meting out this 'justice'.
14. 'this guru, Preacher, God-merchant, God-knows-what'
The persona's annoyance at this individual for disrupting his fun comes out in this statement. The
persona is deliberately being disrespectful.
15. '(Should never speak to them)'
This particular line speaks to the alienation that the lady faces. She is scornfully grouped as 'them'.
16. 'And saw in her something we couldn't see'
The intruder saw value in the lady, something that the crowd did not see.
17. 'He turned his eyes on us, Her eyes on us, Her eyes upon ourselves.'
This speaks to the fact that the preacher and the lady judge the crowd, and, more importantly, the
crowd judges itself. The preacher's act of kindness sheds light on the cruelty that is inflicted on the
lady by the crowd.
18. 'We walked away Still holding stones'
This implies that the crowd still plans to keep judging, and acting on their judgments, as they see fit.
TONE
The tone of the poem is mixed. At times it is almost braggadocious, then it becomes sarcastic, moving
to scornful.
THEMATIC CATEGORY
Discrimination, religion, survival, hypocrasy, oppression, alienation.
Dreaming Black Boy
LITERAL MEANING
The poem is about a black boy who wishes that he could have regular things in life.
Things such as a congratulatory hug, to be educated to the highest level and to travel
without harassment. The persona yearns to stop fighting for the basic right to be
successful and to rise above societal expectations
LITERARY DEVICES
1. REPETITION:
The constant repetition of the phrase 'I wish' points to a yearning, a desperation even, for the basic things that
to offer. The repetition gives credence to the idea that the persona might believe that his wishes are actually
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
fact that reference is made to this hints to how the persona feels about his life. He does not feel as if
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.
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.
Dulce et Decorum Est
LITERAL MEANING
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
aboutgas, 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).
LITERARY 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 b
well.
 Stanza 2, line 19: This device gives a visual image of how the soldier physically reacted to the g
Floundering implies flopping about, therefore, the soldier was flopping about violently. We know
violent because fire and lime illicit excruciating pain.
 Stanza 4, line 39: This device gives a visual image of the expression on the soldier's face. This is a pa
grotesque image that highlights the soldier in the throes of death.
 Stanza 4, line 39: Cancer is a horrible disease that takes many lives on a daily basis. Therefore,
to compare this dying soldiers face to this disease is to emphasize the agony that the soldier
was going through, which was reflected on his face.
 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.
ALLITERATION
 Stanza 1, line 7: This device points to the level of fatigue that the soldiers were undergoing.
 Stanza 1, lines 7-9: This highlights 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.

3.'Bent double'
The soldiers are bent over with fatigue. It is very significant that the poet/ persona initiates the poem
by highlighting the exhaustion of the soldiers. He is trying to emphasize the harsh realities of war.
4.'haunting flares'
Flares are typically used to signal distress. The flare is fired from a flare gun, in the air, where rescue
crafts, at sea or in the air, can have a general idea of the location of the soldiers who are in distress.
Therefore, to describe the flares as haunting implies that the soldiers are severly distressed by their
situation.
5.'deaf even to the hoots of tired, outstripped Five-Nines that dropped behind.'
Five-nines are German 5.9 artillery shells. This means that bullets were firing around them while they
were walking. The extent of the soldiers' tiredness is also emphasized at this point because the soldiers
do not hear the shells going off around them.
6.'An ecstasy of fumbling'
The word ecstasy, that is used to describe the fumbling, implies the level of panic that this one word
(gas) elicits. The soldiers' were so tired that they could not even hear the five nines, but this one word
immediately wakes them up.
7.'Dim, through the misty panes and thick green light, as under a green sea, I saw him drowning.'
This describes exactly what the outside world looks like through the lens of a gas mask. The effect of
the gas is seen in the mention of the word 'drown'. It implies that the unfortunate soldier could not
breathe.
8.'He plunges at me, guttering, choking, drowning.'
This is the very graphic result of breathing in the gas. It is a very violent reaction, as seen in the word
'plunge'. The dying soldier did not simply reach for the persona/poet, but he did so in
a desperate manner, while all the time being unable to breathe.
9.'wagon that we flung him in'
The statement implies that the soldier was left for dead in a wagon. No regard was shown to him,
through the use of the word 'flung'. This implies that war is heartless and tragic.
10.'Dulce et decorum est pro patria mori.'
This statement literally means it is sweet and honourable to die for one's country. The persona/ poet
clearly does NOT believe this to be the case.
MOOD/ ATMOSPHERE
The mood of the poem is reflective. The persona/ poet is thinking about his experiences in WW1.
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.
THEMATIC CATEGORIZATION
War, death, survival, oppression, patriotism
Epitaph
LITERAL MEANING
The poem is an epitaph to a slave that was hung in the past. The first stanza explains that the nameless
slave was hung in the morning, and while some respect was paid to his memory, in the form of the
children's actions, life essentially went on. In stanza two, the persona makes it clear that this slave's
death has little relevance in the present, except as a passing memory when islanders think about what
has influenced their lives up to the present.
LITERARY DEVICES
1. SIMILE
 Stanza 1, line 4: The swinging body of the slave is compared with an apostrophe to pain. This
comparison is very powerful because, in English grammar, an apostrophe represents
ownership. Therefore, it is implying that the pain of the black race is so palpable that it is
almost something that they own. It emphasizes the painful nature of their history.
 Stanza 2, line 14: The dead slave's body's swing is compared to sighs. A sigh is an exhalation of
breathe that can signal many feelings; relief, agitation, joy, etc., with the major quality being
brevity. Therefore, the emphasis is not necessarily on the feeling that the dead slave elicits,
upon being remembered, but the brevity with which he is remembered.
2. METAPHOR
This metaphor emphasizes the fun that the children paused, out of respect for the swinging body of
the dead slave.
3. ALLUSION
This line alludes to the Negro Spiritual 'Swing Low'. This spiritual speaks of an individual's journey to
heaven. This relates to this poem because it carries the implication that the slave's soul has gone to
heaven. He hung 'sweet and low' and the chariot came for him, his soul is at rest.

4.'clement morning'
The slave was hung on a clear, mild and pleasant morning. This highlights the fact that there is no
regard for this human being and emphasizes the sadness of this fact. Not even nature cares to coincide
with the sadness of this hanging.
5.'swung'
'This is a visual image of the hanging slave. One can literally see the slave swinging.
6.'the cane kept growing'
Despite the death of this slave, life literally went on, as chronicled by the growth of the cane.
7.'what can we recall of a dead slave or two'
This highlights the disregard shown towards the slave. This line also contributes to the sarcastic tone
of the poem.
8.'punctuate our island tale'
To punctuate a sentence is to insert commas, full stops etc, in order for the sentence to make sense.
Therefore, in this context, when the slave is inserted, or acknowledged in the island's history, it
implies that he has an important place in it.
9.'the brutal sentences
'This refers to the actual history of the island.
10.'anger pauses till they pass away.'
The reaction to the recollection of the dead slave and his contribution to the island's history is anger.
However, this anger is put on hold until the memory of the slave passes away.
MOOD/ ATMOSPHERE
The mood of the poem is reflective
TONE
The tone of the poem is reflective and slightly sarcastic.
Death, racism, desires and dreams
Forgive My Guilt
LITERAL MEANING
An adult is reminiscing about a traumatic childhood experience. The persona went hunting and shot
two birds, plovers. He suffers extreme guilt about this action in adulthood. The poem describes the
event, the actions of the bird, how he reacts, and, by the last line, asks the birds to forgive his guilt.
LITERARY DEVICES
1.METAPHOR
 Line 4: The nature of frost is that it covers everything in its path, therefore, when the flowers are comp
frost, it implies that there were a lot of flowers, enough to hide the boy from the birds.
 Line 8: The sand is being compared to gold, the colour. It is emphasizing how beautiful the
setting was.
 Line 12: This metaphor emphasizes the injuries that the birds sustained. The bones are
compared to jagged ivory, which is a direct contrast to the smooth feathers that existed before
the injury.
 Lines 20-21: The birds are compared to a flute, an instrument that plays beautiful music. This
emphasizes the sadness that is related to their death.
2. SIMILE
 Line 5: The air and the flowers are being compared, both are blue.
 Lines 6-7: This simile offers a beautiful visual image of the birds. Dreams are beautiful, and
the birds are compared to this.
 Line 7: The speed of the birds is being highlighted, while also maintaining that beautiful visual
imagery.
3. PUN
The pun is between the words 'airy' and 'air'. 'Airy' means light and beautiful, while 'air' refers to the
sky and flying. The poet is lamenting that these light and beautiful things can no longer fly and feel the
pleasure of air rushing past them.

4. 'the blue'
This literally translates to the sky. The birds were crying out to the other birds that were flying away.
5. 'in war or peace'
This phrase highlights the fact that the persona feels extremely guilty about killing the birds, so much
so that he thinks about it all the time. Their cries went out for literally one day, but he thinks about the
birds all the time.
6. 'drown'
It is important that the poet chooses to use the word drown, because it means death. He cannot get rid
of the sounds of sorrow that the birds made while they were dying.
MOOD/ ATMOSPHERE
The mood of the poem is nostalgia and guilt.
TONE
The tone of the poem is sad. The poet's response to his guilt is sadness.
THEMATIC CATEGORY
Death, childhood experiences, nature, guilt, loss of innocence, desire/dreams.
God's Grandeur
LITERAL MEANING
The poet expresses that the world is full of God's glory and greatness. This greatness,
however, will burn out in a dramatic manner because of man who smears, smudges
and pollutes everything without consciousness. Nature is resilient, however, and will
persevere from deep in the earth and burst forth, counteracting all of man's ill.
1. SIMILE
 Line 3: This line indicates that the world will burn out in a brilliant way. Think of how shiny and refle
can be, that is the brilliance with which the earth will temporarily burn out.
 Line 4: Think of the manner in which oil slowly spreads across water, eventually taking over as muc
surface as possible. That is the way in which the world gathers to a greatness.
2. RHETORICAL QUESTION
The persona questions why men do not care about God's wrath. He implies that this wrath is sure
because the Earth is charged, or commanded with the grandeur of God.
This 'rod' refers to the rod of correction that is found in the Christian Bible. See 2 Samuel 7:14. This
line implies that God will punish man for being reckless with the world.
4. REPETITION
This device highlights the damage that man has done to the world. Trodding implies that one walks, or
tramples, in order to crush or injure.
5. ALLITERATION
 Lines 10-11: This device emphasizes the impact that man has had on his environment. He has
impacted every crevice of the world in some negative way, as implied by words such as
'smudge'.
 Lines 14-15: This device clarifies that the Earth is resilient, no matter what man does to harm
it, it will bounce back.
 Lines 18-19: This device simply re-iterates the resilience of the Earth, we can actually visualize
the sun rising.

7. 'charged'
This word implies intensity, impassioned. Therefore, the world has been gifted with intensity of the
greatness of God.
8. 'grandeur'
This implies that something is awesome, or awe inspiring. Therefore, the world is infused with the
'greatness' of God.
9. 'And all is seared with trade; bleared, smeared with toil;
Everything in the world is tainted and influenced by man's presence.
10. 'nor can foot feel, being shod'
This means that man is blind to the damage that he has caused. If one is wearing shoes, it protects
them from stones etc, therefore, man's consciousness is deadened by his inability to see the damage
that he has caused.
11. 'Holy Ghost over the bent World broods with warm breast and with ah! bright wings'
This can be interpreted to mean that the Holy Ghost is protective of the world. The word 'broods'
implies that the Holy Ghost is like a mother hen protecting her hurt young chick. 'Warm breast'
implies that the Holy Ghost has warm, or maternal feelings, towards the damaged world, while the
phrase 'bright wings' implies hope, that all will be well in the long run.
MOOD/ ATMOSPHERE
The mood of the poem is pensive because the persona is reflecting on man's influence on the world.
TONE
The tone of the poem is one of confidence and formality.
THEMATIC CATEGORY
Nature, religion
It is the Constant Image of your Face
LITERAL MEANING
The persona reflects on the image of some-one 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.
LITERARY DEVICES
1. PERSONIFICATION
 Lines 4, 6-7: The love interest's eyes constantly accuses 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.
MOOD/ ATMOSPHERE
The mood of the poem is reflective. The persona is thinking about his two loves and how
he is torn between them.
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.
THEMATIC CATEGORY
Love, guilt, patriotism, places, desires/ dreams
Le Loupgarou
LITERAL MEANING
This poem tells the tale of old LeBrun, a man that was rumoured by the townspeople to
be a loupgarou. Old women would relax under eaves and gossip about Le Brun, while
literally shutting him out of their lives with their closing windows. The prevailing
gossip, in this poem, is that he transformed into a hound one night, but was dealt a
wound by his own watchman. He then lugged his entrails back to his doorstep, almost
dead.
LITERARY DEVICES
1. ALLITERATION
 Lines 1-3: This alliteration gives the reader a visual imagery of the manner in which the gossip
about Le Brun spread. A thread is thin and fine and can weave itself in any crevice, sometimes
in a very non-linear and sinuous manner. This describes the way in which the gossip spread. It
managed to touch the whole village in an almost insiduous, and complete, manner.
 Line 5: This literary device speaks to the results of the gossip. Le Brun is alienated from the
people of the town. Their fascination with him, however, is evident by the fact that they slowly
shut their jalouses/windows. The lack of speed implies that they are watching him, while also
alienating him.
 Lines 17-21: This alliteration highlights the severity of the loupgarou's injuries. You can
almost see and hear the wetness of the blood, as well as see the entrails trailing wet through
the use of this device.
2. ONOMATOPOEIA
The tap-tapping cane is a part of Le Brun's physical description. He appears to stand out, in terms of
his physical appearance, down to the use of his cane.
3. PARADOX
This statement appears nonsensical at first, but actually makes sense in the long run. The loupgarou
is, in fact, a man who is leading a half life as man and beast, so he is not really 'living'. The fact that he
can pass on the 'gift' of becoming a werewolf clarifies the fact that Le Brun is actually 'licensed to sell
sick fruit', or pass on his sick 'gift'.
4. OXYMORON
The words 'Christian' and 'witches', placed together, emphasizes the dual nature of the women in the
village. They are good Christian women who mean no harm, but their fear of the 'difference' that they
sense in Le Brun (contributed by his mode of dress), leads them to react in an unchristian manner,
like witches, in dealing with him.
* IRONY
It is ironic that Le Brun's own watchman dealt him a lethal blow.

5.curious
This word emphasizes the strangeness of the story that is circulated about Le Brun.
6.white linen-linen suit, pink glasses, cork hat (and cane)

This outfit would let anyone be seen in a crowd, or other wise. It emphasizes Le Brun's difference ,
hence, one of the reasons that he would be the focus of gossip. Imagine an individual dressed in the
combination below:
7.Alsatian hound, a slathering lycenthrope
This description of Le Brun displays the distaste that is felt towards him in his animal form.
MOOD/ ATMOSPHERE
The mood of the poem is reflective.
TONE
The tone of the poem is calm and reflective. The persona appears to be simply recounting a piece of
gossip.
Supernatural
West Indies, U.S.A

LITERAL MEANING
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 Iooks good on the outside, but broken on the inside.
LITERARY 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 w
numbers, or losing numbers. Puerto Rico comes up with winning numbers in the game of chance, as r
in its wealthy exterior, which is supported by America.
 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.
 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. The airport is also
compared to a cultural fingerprint. A fingerprint is an individual thing, therefore the airport
gives the traveler an idea of the island's cultural landscape.
 Line 39: The road is compared to twisted wires. This means that the roads, from above, look
both plentiful and curvy. This does not carry a positive connotation, but implies confusion.
2. 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.
 Lines 5-7: An allusion is being made to the well known cliche; 'every cloud has a silver lining'.
It means that behind everything that is seemingly bad, there is good. In the context of this
poem, it means that the good, the silver lining, has a mark, or stamp, that authenticates its
good quality; it is hallmarked. This implies that it will always have its silver lining showing.
3. SARCASM
 Line 20: This statement means the exact opposite of what is stated. 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. You just have to
remain in the air craft, no matter the waiting period, until it is time for takeoff. The persona
believes that the Americans are being blatantly discriminatory, and are attempting to
camouflage it through the use of regulations. He does not believe that they have achieved their
goal of subtlety.
 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. The statement is sarcastic because it is loaded with an alternate
meaning, due to the contrast in statement and action.

4. 'plush'
This word implies soft, like a teddy bear. It also implies luxury. So San Juan is all of these things.
5.'desperate blacks might re-enslave this Island of the free'
These 'desperate blacks' to whom the persona is referring are the poor people of the Caribbean. If they
converge on the glistening San Juan, sucking up its resources, then it might become re-enslaved by
poverty.
6.'America's back yard'
A backyard means one of two things for people. It is a haven where you relax, therefore you decorate it
and invest time and money in it. Or, you ignore it and spend all your time indoors, not investing any
time, energy or money in it. America viewed Puerto Rico as the latter, a prize in which it saw value.
Therefore, when the persona uses this phrase, he is implying that while it is valued, it is still at the
back. Slight sarcasm is being used here.
7.'the contrasts tantalise'
When something, or someone, is tantalising, it implies that it is intriguing. The persona, by using this
phrase, is trying to draw the readers attention to to the jarring contrasts by stating that he finds
them intriguing.
8.'fierce efficiency'
The word fierce, used to describe the level of efficiency with which the people worked to get the plane
off the ground, shows the extent to which they were not wanted on the island.
9.'fools-glitter'
This implies that the flashiness of San Juan was not authentic.
10.'It's sharp and jagged and dangerous, and belonged to some-one else.'
This implies that San Juan is not safe. The cultures are not melding, but jarring against each other.
The reason for this is because it belongs to someone else.
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.
MOOD/ ATMOSPHERE
The mood of the poem is sarcastic.
TONE
The tone of the poem is slightly bitter, which is fueled by the sarcastic atmosphere.
Discrimination, oppression, places, culture.
To An Athlete Dying Young
The persona is recalling the fact that an athlete, who was a fellow townsman, won a race
for their town. As a result, the athlete was cheered by the townspeople and brought
home on their shoulders. The persona then takes the poem into the present by making
the reader/ audience aware that the athlete is now dead. The third stanza reveals the
persona's views on the death of the athlete. He believes that the athlete was smart to
die. This is the case because he has left a world where glory is fleeting. The persona goes
on to explain that if a person is dead, they cannot see their record broken. He believes
that the athlete is lucky because he will not be one of the many athletes who have worn
their honours out, and have been beaten. The persona is basically pointing out that if
you die young, in the midst of your success, you will not see your record, or the
standard that you have set, broken.
LITERARY DEVICES
1. ALLITERATION
 Stanza 1, line 1: This device sets a meandering, yet interesting, pace to the poem. This is so because o
slow down to pronounce each 't'. It is almost as if the persona is about to tell us, the
audience, a story.
 Stanza 6, lines 21-22: This device emphasizes the major point of this poem; that glory is
fleeting, therefore, the persona is lucky that he is no longer in the race. He has set his 'fleet
foot', or speedy legs, at death's door. The interesting repetition of two different consonants
first draws the reader's eye, then the words emphasize the main point of the poem.
2. PUN
The pun is placed on the word 'chaired' and 'cheering'. The first word implies that the athlete was
carried on the shoulders of the townsfolk, while the second word, implies that the athlete was
applauded by the inhabitants of the town. Both words carry the implication that people of the town
were pleased with the athlete's performance.
3. REPETITION
The repetition of this particular phrase highlights the fact hat, whether in life or death, the athlete was
respected.
4. EUPHEMISM
 Stanza 2, line 8: The term 'stiller town' is used to replace the word cemetery. It is a term that
softens the tone of the poem.
 Stanza 4, line: 13: The term 'shady night' is used to replace the harsher word 'death'. It too
softens the tone of the poem.
5. SIMILE
A laurel is literally a plant with dark, green glossy leaves. This plant was worn on the head as an
emblem of victory, or a mark of honour, in classical times. This plant is compared to the rose because
it is said, according to the persona, to wither faster. On a figurative level, this could be interpreted as
meaning that victory, as represented by the laurel, does not last.
6. OXYMORON
The contrast exists between silence being given a sound. This immediately draws the reader/
audience's attention, which, in turn, purposefully highlights the main theme of the poem; it is better to
die before one witnesses their record cut. Silence is no worse than cheers when one can hear neither of
them.

7.'smart lad, to slip betimes away from fields where glory does not stay'
The persona believes that the athlete is smart to die before his record was shattered by some-one
else.
8.'after earth has stopped the ears'
Earth, in this context, literally means the dirt that covers a coffin. Therefore, the athlete can
hear neither silence nor cheers when his coffin is enclosed by dirt.
9.'rout'
This word literally means an overwhelming defeat. The persona is, therefore, saying that the athlete
will not become a part of the group of athletes that are defeated if he dies before his record is broken.
10.'wore their honours out'
This line refers to the fact that when an athlete outlives his record, he is no longer placed on a pedestal
and adored. He has, therefore, worn his honours out.
11.'lintel'
This word is defined as a horizontal architectural member supporting the weight of an opening
(window or door). In this context, the lintel is the supporting structure above the coffin and the
persona is holding it up. This implies that the athlete will remain victorious in death.
12.'early laurelled head'
This line means that the athlete was victorious in his youth.
13.'and find unwithered on its curls the garland briefer than a girl's'
The dead will find that the athlete is still victorious, even in death. Therefore, the laurel, which
signifies success and victory, will be fresh and unwithered on the athlete's head.
MOOD/ ATMOSPHERE
TONE
The tone of the poem is reflective.
Death, sports
This is the Dark Time, My Love

The persona speaks to some-one that he cares for. He tells this person that this is the
dark time, which is, in essence, a time of sadness. It is implied, by certain key terms;
such as 'dark metal', that it is a time of war. The persona warns his 'love' that it is a
dark, sad time.
LITERARY DEVICES
1. REPETITION
 Stanza 1, line 1 & stanza 2, line 7: The repetition of this phrase highlights that there is something serio
amiss. The persona is telling his 'love' that this is a sad and terrible time.
2. ALLITERATION
This device literally draws the readers' 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 - embassadors 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.
 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.'All round the land brown beetles crawl about.'
Some variety of brown beetles are scavengers that feed on decaying or dead carcasses. Therefore,
when the persona states that they crawl about, it implies that a lot of dead or decaying bodies exist in
the land.
7.'season of oppression, dark metal, and tears.'
A season is an extended period of time. Therefore, the persona is telling his 'love' that it is a period of
extreme sadness. This sadness is brought about by the 'dark metal', which can be literally interpreted
as vehicles of war.
8.'man of death'
The man of death, in this context, is the soldier.
9.'Watching you sleep'
Sleep is a state of extreme vulnerability. This is the case because when one falls asleep, they fall into
unconsciousness, which equates to a state of defenselessness. The fact that the man of death, ie
soldier, watches the persona's 'love' while he/she sleeps, implies that this person is not only
vulnerable, but in extreme danger.
10.'aiming at your dream.'
The man of death's purpose is to destroy the persona's 'love's' dreams, or desires.
MOOD/ ATMOSPHERE
The mood of the poem is a sad one. The persona is giving his 'love' sad and depressing news.
TONE
The tone of the poem is also a sad one.
Racism, places.
Theme For English B
LITERAL MEANING
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.
LITERARY DEVICES
1.RHETORICAL QUESTION
 Stanza 2, line 6: The persona ponders the ease of what he is asked to do. This question, in turn, actuall
highlights the difficult nature of the task.
 Stanza 3, line24: This question highlights the persona's confusion as to who he is, or his character. He
unsure.
 Stanza 4, line 32: The persona is wondering whether his race will affect what he writes on the page. T
despite the fact that he concludes that race does not hinder people, in general, liking the same things.
2. REPETITION
This repetition emphasizes the profound impact that Harlem, New York, has had on the personality of
the persona.

3.'here to this college on the hill above Harlem.'
The fact that the college is on a hill, above Harlem, is very important. It highlights the fact that the
college is a superior entity. The people of Harlem look up at it, showing their inferiority.
4.'I am the only colored student in the class.'
This line emphasizes the persona's 'otherness' in relation to every-one else in the class. He is different.
The isolation of the sentence (enclosed by full stops/periods) also emphasizes the persona's
'otherness'.
5.'The steps from the hill lead down into Harlem, through a park, then I cross St. Nicholas, Eighth
Avenue, Seventh, and I come to the Y, the Harlem Branch Y, where I take the elevator up to my room'
This line highlights the fact that the college is a great distance from his home. This distance is also
metaphorical because it is implied that the experiences that he has at the college are also a great
distance from the experiences that he has in Harlem. They are two different worlds.
6.'But it will be a part of you, instructor. You are white - yet a part of me, as I am a part of you.That's
American.'
This statement reveals the fact that America is viewed as a melting pot by the persona. He believes
that different races and cultures influence each other, thereby forming the term 'American'
7.As I learn from you, I guess you learn from me - although you're older - and white - and somewhat
more free.
This statement, by the persona, repeats his belief that the American society is a melting pot. It also,
however, states that not every-one is equal within this society.
* It is interesting to note that the persona's 'page for English B' becomes a journey of self discovery
that actually does not end. He forms no conclusion as to who he is because his personality is still 'in
process'
MOOD/ ATMOSPHERE
TONE
The tone of the poem is also reflective.
Racism, places
The Woman Speaks to the Man Who Has Employed Her

Son
LITERAL MEANING
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.
LITERARY DEVICES
1. SIMILE
 Lines 1-2: The persona emphasizes that the mother placed all her hopes in her son. When you are poo
generally, you have no prospects, you only dream and hope. Therefore, the persona uses this metapho
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
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.
 Lines 28-29: This line alludes to a particular verse in the Christian Bible, Luke 11 vs 11. The
verse questions what the actions of a good father should be.
 Lines 38-39: Psalms is a particular chapter in the Christian Bible. In this chapter there are
verses for protection, the mother uses those for her son, as well as verses for retribution and
rebuking. It is implied that the mother chooses those for the employer.
 Lines 43-45: In the Christian Bible, Judas Iscariot betrayed Jesus. Therefore, it does not bode
well for the mother if she is in a 'partnership' with this person's mother because she might
also be betrayed. The banker in the 'partnership' also happens to be the thief on the left hand
side of the cross' mother. This also does not bode well for the mother if the apple does not fall
far from the tree.
 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. 'a need to cry for little reasons and a metallic tide rising in her mouth each morning.'
These two symptoms are early signs of pregnancy. The metallic tide refers to vomiting. These signs
usually occur in the first trimester of pregnancy.
6. 'full term'
This means that the mother carried her son for the full nine months that a pregnancy should last.
7. 'tight up under her heart'
This hints at the love that the mother harbours for her child. He was not simply 'close to her heart',
but 'tight up' under it. It implies that the son holds a special place in her heart.
8. 'set no ceiling'
A ceiling is something that blocks you in, you cannot get past it. The mother set no limits on her son,
he could be anything he wanted to be.
9. 'his bloody salary'
This implies that the mother believes that the result of the son's 'job' will be death.
10. 'the level of earth'
The mother has no power to change her son's situation. Earth is used to emphasize her powerlessness
on this level, the realm of 'reality'.
11. 'knee city'
This refers to the fact that the mother constantly prayed for her child.
12. 'eye water covers you'
This implies that the mother cried constantly for the plight of her son. The fact that it 'covers him'
speaks to the high quantity of tears that were shed.
13. 'partner'
This is an informal saving scheme set up with a specific number of individuals for the duration of a
specific time span. Each person agrees to pay a designated figure on a monthly basis. The 'draws' are
decided, meaning who gets the money first, second, third etc, on a monthly basis.The banker then
collects the money and gives the monthly pool to the person who is to receive their 'draw'. Therefore, a
'partnership' is dependent upon the honesty of the banker, who could abscond with the money, as well
as the honesty of the members of the savings scheme, who could decide NOT to pay after they have
received their draw.
14. 'banker'
The banker, or financial controller, of this partnership is the mother of a thief. This does not bode well
for the mother if the thief on the cross learnt it from his mother.
15. 'her draw though is first and last for she still throwing two hands as mother and father'.
This statement implies that though the mother has the advantage of first draw as mother, she loses
that advantage because she also has the role of father. Mothers cannot father sons. The fact that the
son has found a father figure proves this to be true. Therefore, she has the last draw, which carries
with it the disadvantage of not receiving a full 'draw'. The longer one waits for a draw is the more
likely that dishonesty will come into play on the part of the participants.
MOOD/ ATMOSPHERE
The mood of the poem is reflective. The persona is thinking about a mother's response to her son's life
choices.
TONE
The tone of the poem is pragmatic and pessimistic. The persona is telling the tale as it is, with no
positive energy.
THEMATIC CATEGORY
Death, love, survival, desires/ dreams, childhood experiences.
Test Match Sabina Park
LITERAL MEANING
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.
LITERARY DEVICES
 Stanza 2, lines 6-7: This question reveals that, despite the fact that cricket is a popular sport in Englan
venues for the matches are not crowded. This question could also point to the fact that Sabina Park wa
crowded.
 Stanza 3, line 10: This question represents the general frustration of the West Indians in the
crowd. They are annoyed that the cricket match is progressing so slowly.
 Stanza 4, lines 16-18: These questions imply that the West Indian crowd's level of frustration
has escalated.
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.

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 patisan 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 English man'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).
Discrimination, places, culture and sports
South
LITERAL MEANING
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.
LITERARY DEVICES
1. ALLITERATION
 Stanza 1, lines 1-2: The sound that the alliteration illicits, when spoken, is a positive one. This is the c
because the alliteration forces the reader to sound cheerful, thereby facilitating the interpretation that t
persona is happy to be home.
 Stanza 1, lines 4-5: This alliteration, again, draws the reader through the sound that it illicits. One can
hear the sound that the sea makes through the repetition of the 's' sound. It emphasizes the joy that the
feels to be home.
 Stanza 2, lines 13-14: This alliteration, when spoken, is staccato. It literally emphasizes the persona's
discomfort, and dislike, of the new context that he is faced with. It is alien to him, as seen when contra
with the scene that he describes in the first stanza.
 Stanza 4, line 33: This device gives the reader a visual image of the scene. It is simple image
that highlights the persona's excitement at being home and seeing scenes, even seemingly
inconsequential ones, that he knows and loves.
 Stanza 5, line 43: This alliteration gives the reader a visual of what the persona sees as
pleasant and calming, as opposed to the alliteration in stanza 2. The sound that the
alliteration illicits is a calm one, implying that the persona is at peace.
2.PERSONIFICATION
 Stanza 1, lines 6-7: This device gives a beautiful impression of the effect that the island had on
the persona. He felt whole when he was there, at peace.
 Stanza 2, lines 16-17: The shadows, in this context, represents his past life and experiences on
the island. The memories of his island illicits feelings of sadness, even homesickness. These
memories cast an oppressive shadow over his life in the north.
3.SIMILE
The persona compares the flowing of the rivers, which represents the north, to his longing for his
island home. This comparison indicates that his longing is an intense one, he is homesick.

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.'there'
The emphasis placed on this word, through the use of italics, highlights the fact that the persona is
both happy and excited to be home.
11.'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.
Patriotism, places, desires and dreams
Sonnet Composed Upon A Westminster Bridge,
September 3, 1802
LITERAL MEANING
The persona in this poem is reflecting on the perfection of the city. He believes that
there is nothing on Earth so beautiful as the city in the morning. Only a dull person
would not appreciate such a majestic sight. He is awed by the calm of the city.
LITERARY DEVICES
1. SIMILE
The persona compares the manner in which the beauty of the morning settles over the city, to that of a
garment on a body. This emphasizes the perfection of the beauty of the morning, just as a garment
flows smoothly over a body.
2. PERSONIFICATION
 Lines 9-10: The sun is referred to as a male who rises sharply and beautifully. This emphasizes
the beauty of the city in the morning. The use of this personification also helps the reader to
personalize this beauty.
 Line 12: Like the sun, the river is personalized as well. This allows the reader to see the river
as real, instead of a thing. It comes alive and we can visualize it's movement, gliding, as
beautiful.
 Line 13: When some-one is asleep, they are usually peaceful. Therefore, when the persona
describes the houses as sleeping, he is emphasizing the peace that exists in the city in the
morning. The inhabitants of the houses are asleep, therefore the houses are quiet and
peaceful.

4. 'fair'
The word fair, in this context, literally means beautiful. The persona is setting the stage
for the reader, introducing the fact that the city is beautiful.
5. 'majesty'
This word implies that the city is regal in it's splendour. Therefore, it is beyond
beautiful and has become stately.
6. 'steep'
This word describes the way in which the sun ascends into the sky. It is stressed that it
does so in a beautiful manner.
MOOD/ ATMOSPHERE
The mood of the poem is pensive, or thoughtful. The persona is expressing his thoughts,
and reaction to, the city in the morning.
TONE
The tone of the poem is one of awe.
Nature, places.
Orchids
LITERAL MEANING
The persona is moving from a house that she has occupied for five weeks. She has sent
her belongings to her future home, but one item remains in her old space, an orchid.
The persona clarifies that she was given the orchid as a gift, but implies that it holds no
value because the gifting of orchids is habitual for the person who gave her. She
describes the flower as odourless, but attractive. She watered the orchid once,
expecting it to die, but it survived. It not only survived, but bloomed. The persona
contemplates plucking the bloom and pressing it between the pages of a book. The
purpose of this is to allow her to appreciate the flower.
LITERARY DEVICES
1. SIMILE
The orchid's full blown blossoms are being compared to a polished poem. The word polished in this comparis
implies perfection, shiny and pleasant to read.
2. PUN
The purple heart literally refers to the splash of color in the center of the orchid's bloom, but it could
also refer to the bravery of the flower. This is so because a purple heart, in the army, is a medal that a
soldier receives for bravery.

3. 'box pieces'
This phrase implies that the persona's life is literally in boxes, all her belongings are stored and ready
to be moved.
4. 'from a bouquet one who makes a ritual of flower-giving sent.'
This phrase implies that the persona places no value in the orchid because its giver gifted it without
any sentiment attached.
5. 'unfurled'
This word literally means to open. Therefore, despite the persona's attempts at killing the orchid,
through starvation, it not only survived but flourished.
6. 'full-blown blooms'
These full-blown blooms represent the flower at its peak, where it is most full of life, as well as where
it is most usually appreciated.
7. 'pages of memory'
This refers to the practice of placing a flower between the pages of a book, thereby drying, or killing
the flower. The purpose of this act is to keep the flower for nostalgic reasons.
8. 'peculiar poetry'
This phrase highlights the persona's desire to discover the value in the flower. It is very IRONIC,
however, that she would choose to kill it in order to achieve this goal. Usually people place value in a
living flower that can give pleasure through its beauty.
MOOD/ ATMOSPHERE
The mood of the poem is pensive, or thoughtful. The persona is thinking about the lack of value that
she places in the orchid.
TONE
The tone of the poem is one of almost bored musing.
THEMATIC CATEGORY
Death, nature, survival, desire/ dreams.
Once Upon A Time
LITERAL MEANING
A parent is talking to his/her's son and telling him how things used to be. The parent
tells the son that people used to be sincere, but are now superficial and seek only to take
from others. The persona tells the child that he/she has learnt to be just like these
people, but does not want to be like that anymore. The parent wants to be as sincere as
the son.
LITERARY 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
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
woman changes her dress, then that is how often the persona adjusts his/her's personality to suit an au
The list of faces that follow this line emphasizes this point.
 Stanza 4, lines 23-24 compares people's faces to smiles in a portrait. If you think about a portrait, it is
very formal and stiff, even uncomfortable. Therefore, the implication is that the smiles are actually fak
stiff. They are conforming, or trying to fit, to a preconceived mold that is set up by societal expectatio
 Stanza 6, lines 38-40 compares the persona's laugh to a snakes. When you think of a snake, words suc
sneaky and deceitful come to mind. Therefore, the implication is that the persona is fake, just like the
he/she despises.
3. 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.

4.'they only laugh with their teeth'
This emphasizes the insincerity of the people around the persona. To laugh with your teeth means that
only the bottom half of your face is engaged, the laugh does not reach the eyes.
5. 'shake hands with their heart'
To shake hands with your heart implies a strong handshake that is sincere, this is the opposite of what
now occurs between people.
6. 'search behind my shadow'
This implies that the person cannot look the persona in the eye, they are looking everywhere but there.
Looking someone in the eye during a conversation implies that one is sincerely interested in what you
have to say. Not being able to do so implies shiftiness.
7. 'hands search my empty pockets'
People are only 'seemingly' nice to get something from you. So, they smile with you, but it is not
sincere, they are seeking to get something from you.
8. 'unlearn all these muting things'
The word mute means silence, think of what happens when you press the mute button on the TV
remote. Therefore, there is an implication that the insincere actions that the persona describes are
muting, they block, or silence, good intentions. Hence, the persona wants to 'unlearn' these habits.
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.
TONE
The tone of the poem is sad. The poet's response to his nostalgia is sadness.
Death, childhood experiences, hypocrisy, loss of innocence, desire/dreams.
* 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.
O'l Higue
LITERAL MEANING
In this poem, the Ol' Higue / soucouyant tells of her frustration with her lifestyle. She
does not like the fact that she sometimes has to parade around, in the form of a fireball,
without her skin at night. She explains that she has to do this in order to scare people,
as well as to acquire baby blood. She explains that she would rather acquire this blood
via cooked food, like every-one else. Her worst complaint is the pain of salt, as well as
having to count rice grains. She exhibits some regret for her lifestyle but implies that
she cannot resist a baby's smell, as well as it's pure blood. The 'newness' of the baby
tempts the Ol' Higue, and she cannot resist because she is an old woman who fears
death, which can only be avoided by consuming the baby's blood. She affirms her
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
LITERARY DEVICES
1. SIMILE
Cane-fire has a very distinct quality. It burns very quickly and its presence is felt through it's pungent
smell. Therefore, when the Ol' Higue compares herself to cane fire in her fireball state, it implies that
she uses a lot of energy quickly, and is very visible.
 Stanza 1,line 4: This rhetorical question highlights the scant regard that the Higue has for the
average person. She is thoroughly annoyed that she has to literally waste her energy on them.
 Stanza 1, line 5: This highlights the fact that, again, she is annoyed that she has to expend so
much energy to obtain a few drops of baby blood.
 Stanza 1, lines 6-8: The Ol' Higue is emphasizing the fact that regular people ingest blood too,
just in a more palatable manner. She would not mind if she could ingest it in the same manner
as well.
 Stanza 3, lines 22-23: At this point the Ol' Higue is making excuses for her presence, claiming
that she serves an actual purpose in the scheme of life. If a child dies of unknown causes, she
can be scapegoated for it.
 Stanza 3, lines 24-25: 'The murder inside your head' refers to the moments, when out of pure
frustration and tiredness, a mother might wish ill on her child. The Ol' Higue is implying that,
again, she can be used as a scapegoat if something unfortunate happens to the child. The
mother is relieved of bearing the burden of guilt.
3. REPETITION
The repetition of the word 'soft' emphasizes the fact that the call of the child's blood has
captured and beguiled the Ol' Higue'. She implies that she cannot resist that call.
4. ALLITERATION
This device emphasizes the Ol' Higue's dependence, even addiction, to the sweet blood
of the baby.

5. 'stupidness!'
This is a distinctly Caribbean phrase that highlights frustration or scorn. Therefore, it
highlights the Ol' Higue's frustration with her lack of self control.
6. 'gallivanting'
This term refers to some one 'playing around', having fun. The Ol' Higue is being
sarcastic at this point. She is expressing displeasure at having to fly around to seek
prey.
7. 'pure blood running in new veins'
Babies are often associated with purity, this is what is emphasized here. The Ol' Higue
simply cannot resist the lure of new and pure blood.
8. 'holding her final note for years and years, afraid of the dying hum ...'
This tells us that the Ol'Higue has been living this desperate existence for a long time. It
also implies that she will keep hanging on, despite her frustration. The final line
confirms this point: 'As long as it have women giving birth a poor Ol' Higue like me can
never dead'
MOOD/ ATMOSPHERE
TONE
The tone of the poem is slightly bitter and resigned. She accepts that the cycle of her life
cannot change.
Supernatural
Berry
SUMMARY
Berry is about a young black man called Millberry Jones who is employed at Dr. Renfield's Home for
Crippled Children. He was reluctantly employed by Mrs. Osborn, the housekeeper, because the
Scandinavian kitchen boy had left without notice, leaving her no choice in hiring Berry. Her reluctance
to hire Berry stemmed from his race, which initiated questions such as where he would sleep, as well
as how the other employees would react to the presence of a Negro. She had a meeting with Dr.
Renfield and they decided to hire Millberry on a reduced salary. He was overworked and underpaid,
but took solace in the children whom he loved. An unfortunate incident occurred, however, where a
child fell from his wheel chair while in the care of Berry. The result was that Berry was fired and given
no salary for the week that he had worked.
SETTING
 Dr. Renfiled's Home for Crippled Children

 New Jersey coast
CHARACTERS
Millbury Jones (Berry)
 A Black male, approximately 20 years old.

 Described as good natured and strong.
 Poor and uneducated.
 Very observant and intuitive about people and places.
 Very good with children due to his gentleness.
Mrs. Osborn
 The housekeeper at the children's home.

 Rumoured to be in love with Dr. Renfield.
 Very high handed with her staff, but docile with Dr. Renfield.
 Displays racist characteristics in subtle forms.
Dr. Renfield
 Rumoured to have romantic affairs with his female staff.

 Berry observes that the Home is 'Doc Renfield's own private gyp game' (Hughes, p. 162),
meaning that he runs his establishment for his own profit, instead of a desire to take genuine
care of the children.
 He is blatantly racist.
THEMES
Racism
This theme is apparent when Berry was being considered for employment at the Home. Mrs. Osborn
was concerned about where Berry would sleep, implying that he could not sleep with the white
servants because he was considered to be beneath them. His salary was also cut due to his race, and he
was overworked, with no discussions of days off, 'everybody was imposing on him in that taken-for-
granted way white folks do with Negro help.' (Hughes, 162). Even more importantly, when the
unfortunate accident occurred with the child, there was no attempt at discerning what led to the
incident, but blame was laid on the obvious person - Berry. As a result, he was relieved of his job in a
hail of racist slurs.
Blackout
SUMMARY
This short story is about a white American woman's encounter with a black man on the street of an
unnamed island in the Caribbean. The story opens with the young lady waiting at a bus stop on the
night of a blackout. She encounters a young man who approaches her and politely asks for a light (for
his cigarette). She explains that she does not have a light, but he points out that she is smoking a
cigarette. She grudgingly acquiesces to give him a light from her cigarette. She holds her arm out for
him to take her cigarette and light his, but instead, as is the case with many smokers, he bends over
the offered arm and lights his cigarette. He looks up to thank her and realizes that she has discarded
her cigarette. An ongoing internal monologue occurs, where it is revealed that the white woman is
racist. The black male proceeds to educate her on the differences in race relations in the Caribbean
versus America. The situation remains unresolved as the woman boards the bus and goes on her way
and the man remains at the bus stop, where he picks her half smoked cigarette out of the gutter.
SETTING
 An unnamed island in the Caribbean.

 The story occurred around the time of World War II.
CHARACTERS
American Woman (White)
 Took pride in the fact that she was an American young woman who did not scare easily.
 Considered herself to be superior to the young man.
Caribbean Man (Black)
 Had a sense of pride about being black.

 Did not consider himself to be inferior to the American woman.
THEME
Racism
This is a strong theme in this short story. The simple act of asking for a light becomes a
tension filled moment in time where two individual's honestly confront each other
about their beliefs. The fact that the woman feels that she is superior to the man, based
on race, is highlighted when she expresses the following views:
1. 'She could snub him quietly, the way she should have properly done from the start"
(Mais, p.10)
2. 'In America they lynched them for less than that' (Mais, p.10)
3. 'Do you really think that all men are created equal?' (Mais p.10)
The young man's reaction to her rejection of him is to be quietly contemptuous, a
reaction that she categorizes as insolence, proving that she believes herself to be
superior to him. Her reaction implies that he should be accepting of whatever she
'dishes out' to him. She boards her bus, shaken, but still holding on to her beliefs, as
seen in her refusal to take a last look at him. However, the young black males show of
strength is, ironically, lessened by the fact that he picks her cigarette out of the gutter.
Emma
SUMMARY
This short story is told from the first person perspective of a little girl called Dorian York. The focus of
her thoughts is her mother; the games that they play together, and the games that she plays with her
friend, that revolve around her mother. The first person perspective of the narrative gives the reader
an intimate view of how the little girl sees her mother, as well as how she feels about her. We are also
able to garner information about the people around her from her innocent narrative, innocent because
the little girl does not understand many of the things that she reports. The audience learns that Emma
and Mr. York have a volatile relationship that is seemingly caused by his infidelity. This infidelity is
initially implied by Emma‟s constant watching of the clock and waiting for her husband to return
home, as well as the fight that Dorian reported. Grandfather‟s visit, however, brings a happy
atmosphere to the family unit because daddy starts to do things with the family, hence they seem
more like a conventional happy family. The audience is given the impression that things go back to
normal after grandfather leaves, however, due to the spectral presence of the „lady at the train station‟,
as well as Mrs. Robinson‟s pointed discussion about Mr. York‟s status as a „player‟. The narrative
climaxes with the death of Emma at the train station. She saw her husband with the mysterious lady
and runs away, followed closely by Dorian and Jack. Unfortunately, when Jack caught her by the arm,
she ran into the path of an oncoming vehicle and was killed. Jack and Mrs. Robinson then get
romantically involved, and they send both Maria and Dorian to St. Agnus, a boarding school, in the
country.
SETTING
 The story occurs in three places; the York residence, an unnamed mall and the old train
station.
 The mood of the story fluctuates from happiness to sadness.
CHARACTERS
Jack York (Daddy)
 He is Doran‟s father and Emma‟s husband.

 He is characterized as a „player‟ by Mrs. Robinson.
 He is not faithful to his wife.
 He was not ready for the arrival of his daughter, Dorian, and does not seem to have a close
relationship with her.
Emma York
 She is Dorian‟s mother and Jack‟s wife.

 She is a good mother who plays with her child and treats her well.
 She is a good wife who loves her husband (as seen in how she greets him when he gets home)
and is considerate of his feelings; as seen in her reasons for not having another baby.
 She is a very smart and polished lady who can handle herself with people who are coy and
critical of her; as seen in her argument with Mrs. Robinson in the mall.
Dorian York
 A very innocent little girl who is the first person narrator of the story.
 She is younger than her friend Maria, who is nine (9) years old.
 She adores her mother and her grandfather.
 She is often puzzled by the content of adult discussion.
Grandaddy
 Emma‟s father.
 Brought joy into the family because daddy stayed home, came home early, and spent quality
time with the family, due to grandaddy's implied interference.
 Loved her grandfather because he seemed to do what her dad didn‟t – spent time with her –
and her first person perspective of him reflected her love.
Ruby Robinson
 She is Emma‟s friend and Maria‟s mother.

 She is not a good friend to Emma because she is both critical and jealous of her.
 She gets romantically involved with Jack after Emma dies.
 She‟s very impatient with both girls.
 She sends Maria and Dorian to boarding school in order to enact her plan to keep the „player‟.
Maria Robinson
 She is the nine (9) year old daughter of Ruby Robinson.

 She is Dorian‟s playmate.
 She filters and explains a lot of the adult conversations that Dorian does not understand.
THEMES
Innocence
This theme is epitomized by Dorian York. The story is told from her perspective,
therefore, the reader gets a firsthand view of the innocence behind her
misunderstanding of adult conversation and situations. She senses emotions, but
misses a lot of the innuendo, as is seen when she tells the audience about the fight that
her parents had. Her innocence is also seen in her expectation that her mother would
come home after the accident, but instead, she finds Mrs. Robinson in her mot her‟s
bed. Her growth, or advancement into maturity, is highlighted in the end of the short
story when Dorian reassures Maria that everything will be ok, they will play adult
games better.
Love and family relationship

There are two types of families in this short story, the nuclear family and the single
family unit. Dorian‟s family is the nuclear family, consisting of mother, father and
child. This family is a troubled one because the father is seemingly more absent than
present due to an implied „other woman‟, who is later confirmed as very real. He also
seems uncomfortable around his only child, as is confirmed by Emma, who decides to
forgoe having another child because „Jack wasn‟t ready for Dori‟ (Cole, p.53). Emma, on
the other hand, seems to live to please both her child and husband. She is very
affectionate with Dorian, and this love is returned ten fold, as seen in the adoration that
imbues the tone of the narrator. She is the same with her husband, but the reception is
less enthusiastic. It would be unfair to say that the family is dysfunctional, because one
parent is at least invested in the emotional happiness of the child, but the family has
issues because the head of the household‟s concentration lies elsewhere.
Mrs. Robinson is a single mother, parenting her only child; Maria. She does not appear
to be particularly liked by both girls because no-one wants to „play‟ at being her. She
aggravates her child constantly and appears to be unhappy with her life. This family
structure can be seen as dysfunctional because the parent does not seem to devote her
energies toward making her child feel loved and comfortable, which is one of the
primary aims of any family structure.
Friendship
There are two contrasting friendships in this short story. There is the friendship
between Dorian and Maria, which is characterized by play, conversations and support
of each other. Then there is the friendship between the adults, Emma and Mrs.
Robinson, which is contrastingly characterized by cattiness and jealousy; mostly on
Mrs. Robinson‟s part.
MOTIF
Play
The motif of play appears to be a strong one in this short story, perhaps due to the fact
that the narrator is a young child. The children „play‟ at being adults, immitating – and
fighting over – their favourite adult. They also literally see the life of adults as play.
Dorian confirms this at the end of the story when she reassures Maria that „I learned a
lot about this game. When it‟s our turn to play, we‟ll play smarter.‟ (Cole, p.58).
SYMBOL
Deck of cards
The deck of cards that Emma carries around in her purse is a powerful symbol for life.
In any card game that is being played, every-one has a chance at success, or failure,
depending on how they play the game. Mrs. Robinson gives Emma an alternate way to
play the game of life, with success being the joy of keeping her „player‟ husband. Emma,
however, chooses to play the game in an another way, one in which she attempts to
satisfy the needs of both Dorian and Jack. Emma is the loser in the game, however,
because she dies with the joker in her hand. This signifies that her future could have
gone in any direction because the joker introduces the element of chance to the game; it
can be a bonus, a penalty, or both, depending on how it is used in the game. In the game
of life, Emma lost because she chose to take a chance with pleasing both members of
her family, instead of concentrating soley on her husband, as Mrs. Robinson suggested.
The game of life gives every-one chances however, just like a card game, and Mrs.
Robinson was given a chance to bag her rich man with Emma‟s exit from the game.
Mom Luby and the Social Worker
SUMMARY
This short story is about an elderly woman, fondly called Mom Luby, who fosters two small children.
The story opens with her visit to the Social Welfare office, in order to obtain monetary assistance in
taking care of the children. She then returns home to find people waiting to enter the speakeasy that
she runs in her back room. There is a knock on the door, but instead of the police - coming to collect
money - it is a social worker. The social worker, Miss Rushmore, visits in order to investigate the living
conditions of the children. She is skeptical about some of the answers that Mom Luby gives, but gives
her information about the many forms, along with lengthy directions, regarding the acquisition of
clothes and shoes for the children. Mom Luby is astonished, yet slightly amused, about the length of
time it could take to obtain clothes and shoes for the children. She responds by stating that she simply
did not have enough time because she had a long list of chores to attend to. Miss. Rushmore
volunteers to go along with Mom Luby, expressing her disbelief that she could accomplish so much in
such a short time. They both return from completing the chores, with Miss Rushmore looking very
bedraggled. She states that Mom Luby does not need her help because she got more things done in
two hours than Miss Rushmore has managed to complete in two years. The great irony of the situation
is revealed when Mom Luby comments that the Social Welfare office should consider hiring her, but
Miss Rushmore comments that that is not possible because Mom Luby is not qualified.
SETTING
 The United States of America.

 Between 1920-1933, the time of the Prohibition in the United States.
CHARACTERS
Mom Luby
 An elderly woman who is as strong as any young woman.

 She has white hair and false teeth.
 She runs a speakeasy in the back room of her house.
 She fosters two young children.
 She is a midwife, herb doctor and ordained minister of the Gospel.
 She's a very productive woman who helps the people in her community.
 She is very proud.
Miss Rushmore
 She works at the Department of Child Welfare, Bureau of Family Assistance.

 She is very thorough in her investigation of Mom Luby.
 She is awed by Mom Luby's productivity.
Elijah (narrator) & Puddin' - The two young children that Mom Luby fosters.
THEME
Love and Family Relationship
The love that Mom Luby has for her two young charges is apparent by her simple act of
fostering them. She is a poor, older woman who runs a speakeasy to survive. This is not
the profile of someone who should be willing to take care of two young children, as well
as a whole community, yet she does. The act of visiting the Social Security Office is a
testament to her commitment to taking care of the two children. The great irony in this
short story is that a poor, older lady, is able to take better care of two little children than
the State agency that is assigned to do so. This is because she can get more
accomplished in two hours, to benefit them, than the agency can accomplish in two
years with their most motivated agent.
Septimus
SUMMARY
The short story 'Septimus' is set in Barbados. It is told from the perspective of an adult and opens in
the „present‟. Mama is crying over a letter that she has received from Septimus. The last sentence of
the letter makes Mama cry “… at last I can have a whole apple for Christmas”. A flashback occurs at
this point. Septimus‟ family resides in the Gap and the reader learns that the seven children have
claimed the place and its residents. The story really begins one Christmas Eve when Mama sent the
girls on an errand at Aunt Bless‟ house. She had recently returned from shopping in town and
Septimus saw three shiny apples on the top of the shopping bag. He ran off with one because he
wanted it for himself. He was told that this was impossible because the three apples had to be shared
among the nine members of the family. Septimus was not pleased, but he was appeased by Aunt Bless
who later gave him an apple for himself. When he returned home he sliced the apple in nine pieces
and offered it to his mother.
SETTING
The story is set in Barbados.
CHARACTERS
Mama:
 Gentle and caring.

 Strict with her children, for example, the girls thought that Septimus would get in trouble for
accepting the apple.
Septimus:
 The seventh child out of six.

 The only boy and the youngest child.
 6 years old at the beginning of the story with a childish selfishness.
 Performs a caring and beautiful act by sharing his apple with his family.
Aunt Bless:
 Real name is Letitia.

 Given the nick name by Septimus because of her habit of greeting people with a blessing.
 Loves all the children.
 Septimus is her favourite of the seven children.
Old Bostic:
 A watch maker.
 A very grumpy man who tolerates the children.
THEMES
Poverty:
The family is very poor, as seen in the description of where they live, the Christmas gifts
that Mama bought and the sharing of three apples among nine people. The narrator
herself confirms that the family is poor, “the principle had to be established that what
we had – which was not much – had to be shared…” p. 107.
Happiness:
Despite their physical state of being poor, the seven children were very happy. A major
part of this happiness was their ownership of the Gap and the people in it, they had a
sense of belonging.
Innocence:
Septimus defines this through his youth, as well as his actions based on his youth. He is
perturbed by the concept of sharing, initially, but once he got pass this feeling, he
embraced the concept with the vivacity of innocence and youth.
SYMBOL
Apple:
The apple represent knowledge and a loss of innocence because a six year old child is
forced to face the reality of being poor. He cannot have a whole apple for himself. The
child is no longer innocent after he is faced with this reality because he learns that life is
not fair because he cannot always get what he wants. The apple also represents growth
as well because Septimus is able to accept his situation by voluntarily sharing his apple.
Shabine
SUMMARY
'Shabine' is the story of Justene, a mixed race woman who is constantly mocked for being poor, of
mixed heritage, and presumably promiscuous. She was taunted with the words jamette and shabine
(half white, or of mixed heritage) on the streets. The story opens with the narrator explaining that she
had a fiery temper, which she unleashed on her tormentors when provoked. Her two sons, Gold and
Silver, were subjected to similar taunts, with Silver reacting in the same way as his mother, while Gold
tried to do damage control. The reader then learns that Justene had lived with her mother, who was a
maid in Justene's father's house. It is implied, by the narrator, that her mother invited white sailors
surreptitiously into her house to sleep with Justene. The rest of the story is filled with the narrator's
regret for what could have existed between him and Justene.
SETTING
 The name of the Caribbean island is not mentioned.

 The story is set around the time of WWII, when American troops were prevalent in the
Caribbean.
MAJOR CHARACTERS
Justene (Shabine)
 She is described as having 'pale, reddish skin colour, the mass of coarsish red hair that
resembled the wool of sheep, the grey eyes ... the chocolate freckles.' (Simmonds-McDonald,
p.14).
 She is very coy and provocative, as can be seen in her response to the narrator.
 She does not fear her taunters, but boldly defends herself.
 She is fiercely protective of her children, as can be seen when she defends them.
 She is a proud woman who does not want her children to stoop to the level of their taunters.
Narrator
 He is male.
 He seems to be completey enthralled by Justene, as is seen with the token gift of paradise
plums, that he ritualistically left for her on the gate post.
 He mourns the loss of the possibility of a future that he might have had with Justene.
MINOR CHARACTERS
Gold - Justene's son. He had thick wooly red curls, red bushy eyebrows, a freckled face
and grey eyes.
Silver - Justene's son. He was sort of blond, he had straight close cropped, sun bleached
white hair and he was fearless.
Mr. Cazaubon - Justene's mother's employer. He is also Justene's father, but he does not
acknowledge her.
Mrs. Cazaubon - Wife to Mr. Cazaubon. She is aware of Justene's parentage, and treats
mother and child in a contemptuous manner.
Shabine's mother - Mrs. Cazaubon's maid. It is rumoured that she died from 'too much
rum and grief because Misie Cazaubon had never kept his promise to her to
acknowledge Justene as his daughter and to send her to Convent School.' (Simmonds-
McDonald, p.13).
THEMES
Love and Family Relationship
This theme is brought out by Justene and her two children. She protects them by
dispersing her children's tormentors in a hale of her own words and stones. She then
told them that they should not respond to their tormentors because they would become
like them. This is the hallmark of a loving mother. She defends and protects her
children, yet teaches them the value of maintaining their pride. This is in contrast with
the very vague details surrounding the relationship with her mother.
Whereas the reader sees Justene hugging and comforting her children, there is only the
implication that Justene's mother allowed white sailors to 'visit' her home, implying
that Justene might have been the lure, or the mother herself. The narrator also implies
that he had good intentions towards Justene through his shy, patient and consistent
courting. However, Justene's mother discourages this: 'Justene's mother had come to
complain about his giving of paradise plums and putting ideas in Justene's head and
upsetting her life' (Simmonds-McDonald, p.14 ). The narrator implies that the mother
robbed her daughter of a future that was close to 'paradise' as Justene would have
gotten. She is not a totally bad mother, however, because she stands up for her child
when Mrs. Cazaubon attempted to treat her like a servant.
Women in Society
This short story highlights the fact that women, in general, have very few choices.
Justene's mother has a child by her employer and remains under his roof. Many people
would argue that she had a choice to leave with her child, but that is easier said than
done. Raising a child takes a village, so it is difficult for anyone to decide to leave a
space of financial security. The argument is the same for Mrs. Cazaubon. She stays with
a man who has fathered a child, in her own home, with their maid. What is even worse
is that the maid and the child, the evidence of her husband's indiscretion, remains in
her home. Her impotence, concerning the situation and her life, is seen in her
treatment of Justene and her mother, as well as her quarrels, or rather, abusive
monologues, with Mr. Cazaubon. Both women are tied to this man based on the fact
that he provides financial security in a world that can be even more cruel to women who
lack this.
The severe hypocrasy in the society, as it concerns the sexual indiscretions between
men and women, is also highlighted in this short story. Justene and Mr. Cazaubon are
treated very differently for their sexual indiscretions. Mr. Cazaubon remains a
respected gentleman, despite fathering a child with the maid, and having them reside
under the same roof with his wife, while Justene is stoned and castigated in the streets
for keeping company with white sailors, as implied by the narrator. Society appears to
have different rules for women and men in the sexual arena.
SYMBOL
Paradise Plums
Paradise plums represent the alternate life that Justene could have had. The fact that
this candy/ 'sweety' was used to court Justene in such a shy, innocent and consistent
manner, implies that her life with the narrator could have been very pleasant and
healthy.
The Boy Who Loved Ice Cream

SUMMARY
This short story is about a little boy's obsession with ice-cream. Benjy is a little boy who lives in rural
Jamaica. His family is extremely poor and the most important, and festive, day for them is the Harvest
Festival. It is an even more important event for Benjy because this is the only place that he can access
the coveted ice cream. Benjy has never tasted ice-cream, but he relishes the very thought of it through
the second hand description that is passed on to him by his sister. The story opens with
the family's preparations to attend the festival and their scenic journey down the hill. Benjy's
obsession with ice-cream becomes evident at the festival when he cannot enjoy himself due to his
anxiety surrounding when the ice-cream will be forthcoming. This mirrors his father's obsession with
scouting out the man whom he believes to be his wife's lover and Benjy's father. The obsessions collide
when Benjy finally gets his ice cream and it falls out of his hand because his father sees a male talking
to his wife and drags Benjy along to confront him. The story, therefore, ends in disappointment for
Benjy.
SETTING
 The story occurs in the small town of Springville in rural Jamaica.

 The family is from an even smaller town called One Eye, located in the mountains of
Springville.
CHARACTERS
Benjy
 The second youngest child.

 He is a really intense child in terms of achieving his desires.
Elsa
 Benjy's older sister.

 She takes care of Benjy when his mother is busy.
 She introduces Benjy to the foggy concept of ice cream.
Mother
 She was very progressive and forward thinking.

 She was a very sociable and friendly person.
 Always eager to go or do something different.
Papa
 He was a farmer.
 The short story reveals that he was wedded to the soil.
 He did not like to go out.
 He preferred a predictable lifestyle.
 He was very jealous.
THEME
Jealousy:
Papa is irrationally jealous about his wife's activities. It is revealed that he believes that
she cheated on him when she spent three weeks away from him in Springville, where
she was attending to her dying mother. He watches her like a hawk at the Harvest
Festival, thereby getting very little enjoyment out of the fair. This jealousy has serious
implications for his relationship with his son Benjy. He does not believe that Benjy is
his biological child, but a product of his wife's 'affair' in Springville. Benjy, therefore, is
not treated well by his father, but viewed with suspicion and slight contempt. The
narrator tells us that Benjy is in a state of constant suspense, as well as anxiety, in terms
of what his father's response to him will be.
SYMBOL
Ice cream:
Ice cream, in this short story, is the symbol for anything that is intensely desired,
anything that is anticipated to bring great pleasure.
The Day the World Almost Came To An End
SUMMARY
This short story was told from the perspective of an adult and chronicles the events behind a child‟s
(the adult narrator) belief that the world was about to end. The story is set on a plantation in
Louisiana in 1936, where the church was the axis around which plantation life revolved. Despite this
fact, the narrator was holding on to being a sinner because she believed that she could not „live
upright‟. One day, while she was playing, her cousin Rena informed her that the world was coming to
an end. This was based on a conversation that Rena overheard, and misunderstood, about the eclipse.
The hellfire sermons in church did not help to stem the narrator's mounting panic and she worried
herself into a frazzle as a result. She had a conversation with her father about this issue and he tried to
quell her fears, but unfortunately, he only managed to increase it with his statement that the world
could come to an end at any time. The narrator spent the night conjuring images of dooms day, which
led to her overreaction to hearing the rumblings of an old airplane. She ran out of her house
screaming that the world was coming to an end. Her father caught her on the road and calmed her
down. She appreciated life a lot more after that incident and lived her life to the fullest.
SETTING
The story occurs on a plantation in Louisiana in 1936.
CHARACTERS
Daddy:
 Understanding
 Has a good relationship with his daughter
1st person narrator:
 Imaginative
 Bold
 Naive
Rena:
 Naive
THEMES
Religion:
This is the central theme in this short story. Plantation life was centered on religion to
the extent that even the narrator's father was a deacon in the church. Religious fervor,
in the form of hellfire preaching, is also the fuel for the panic that overtakes the
narrator/protagonist in this short story.
Love & Family Relationship:

The love and trust between father and daughter is glaring. When the
narrator/protagonist was worried about the world coming to an end, the first person
that she thought to consult on this issue was her father. His response to her childish
fears, in turn, highlights the easy relationship between the two. Daddy's care in
covering his daughter after her mad dash through the turnrow is also an indication of
the love that he has for his child.
The Man of the House
SUMMARY
This short story is about a little boy called Sullivan who has a sick mother. Sullivan is initially
unconcerned about his mother‟s illness, and mildly pleased, because he got to stay home and play at
being the „man of the house‟. However, his initial delight changes to concern on the second day due to
his fear that his mother has pneumonia. The second night and the third day are even more frightening
because he had to fetch the doctor and travel to the North Dispensary to get her medication. At the
dispensary he meets a young girl who tricks him into drinking, and sharing the medicine, with the
result being an empty bottle to take home to his mother. Sullivan suffers extreme guilt as a result of
this and goes home crying. His mother consoles him and forgives his childish misdemeanor.
SETTING
 A town called Cork, in England.
CHARACTERS
Sullivan
 A very responsible little boy.

 Enjoys playing at being a man by taking care of his mother and the household chores.
Mother
 A sickly lady.
 She feels guilty that her son has to display such maturity by taking care of her.
 Displays what a loving mother she is by understanding that Sullivan is an innocent boy that
succumbed to peer pressure.
 She also takes excellent care of her son when she is able to do so.
Minni Ryan
 She is a family friend who advises Dooly during the course of his mother‟s illness.
 A middle aged woman who is very knowledgeable.
 Very pious and gossipy; according to Dooly.
Doctor
 He was a fat, loud voiced man.

 He was the cleverest doctor in Cork.
THEME
Love & family relationship
This is shown in the relationship between the mother and her son. Sullivan is
frightened that his mother will die of pneumonia, so, despite his fear, he enters a public
house (pub) in order to ensure that she gets her home-made remedy, and travels to an
unsavory neighbourhood in order to get her medicine. The mother is equally devoted to
her son, as seen in her guilt over the fact that he has to take care of her. She is also very
understanding when he succumbs to the peer pressure of drinking her medicine. She
understands that one cannot expect a child to be a man, no matter how well he does at
playing at being a man. Her love for her child is also manifested in the pride she feels
when he displays the level of maturity akin to an adult.
Innocence
The fact that Sullivan does not recognize that his new friend is using him for a taste of
his cough syrup proves that he is still an innocent young man, at least in relation to the
ways of the world. Despite playing at being a man, he is still an innocent child. His
reaction, after realizing that he was used, also points to his innocence. He reacts in the
manner that any child would, he ran home crying.
To Dah-Duh in Memoriam
SUMMARY
This short story is about a young girl's visit, from New York, to the island of Barbados. The
protagonist, along with her sister and mother, visit Dah-Duh. The visit is an interesting one in which
Dah-Duh and the protagonist develop a caring, yet competitive, relationship. Dah-Duh introduces her
to the riches of Barbados (nature), while the protagonist introduces her grandmother to the steel and
concrete world of New York (industrialism). There is a competitive edge to their conversations
because they each try to outdo each other on the merits of their separate homes. Dah-Duh, however, is
dealt a blow when she learns of the existence of the Empire State building, which was many stories
taller than the highest thing she had ever laid her eyes on – Bissex Hill. She lost a little bit of her spark
that day and was not given a chance to rebound because the protagonist left for New York shortly
after. The story progresses with the death of Dah-Duh during the famous ‟37 strike. She had refused to
leave her home and was later found dead, on a Berbice chair, by her window. The protagonist spent a
brief period in penance, living as an artist and painting landscapes that were reminiscent of Barbados.
SETTING
 The story is set in Barbados, in the 1930's.
CHARACTERS
Dah-Duh:
 A small and purposeful old woman.

 Had a painfully erect figure.
 Over eighty (80) years old.
 She moved quickly at all times.
 She had a very unattractive face, which was „stark and fleshless as a death mask‟ (Marshall,
p.178).
 Her eyes were alive with life.
 Competitive spirit.
 Had a special relationship with the protagonist.
Protagonist:
 A thin little girl.

 Nine (9) years old.
 A strong personality.
 Competitive in nature.
 Had a special relationship with Dah-Duh.
THEMES
Race:
This theme is apparent when Dah-Duh and the protagonist discuss the fact that she
„beat up a white girl‟ in her class. Dah-Duh is quiet shocked at this and exclaims that the
world has changed so much that she cannot recognize it. This highlights their
contrasting experiences of race. Dah-Duh‟s experience of race relations is viewing the
white „massa‟ as superior, as well as viewing all things white as best. This is
corroborated at the beginning of the story when it was revealed that Dah-Duh liked her
grandchildren to be white, and in fact had grandchildren from the illegitimate children
of white estate managers. Therefore, a white person was some-one to be respected,
while for the protagonist, white people were an integral part of her world, and she
viewed herself as their equal.
Love and family relationship:

This story highlights the strong familial ties that exists among people of the Caribbean,
both in the islands and abroad (diaspora). The fact that the persona and her family left
New York to visit the matriarch of the family, in Barbados, highlights this tie. The
respect accorded to Dah-Duh by the mother also shows her place, or status, in the
family. The protagonist states that in the presence of Dah-Duh, her formidable mother
became a child again.
Gender Issues:
This is a minor theme in this short story. It is highlighted when it is mentioned that
Dah-Duh liked her grandchildren to be boys. This is ironic because the qualities that are
stereotypically found in boys - assertive, strong willed, competitive - are found in her
grand daughter. An example of this is the manner in which the protagonist / narrator
was able to win the staring match when she first met Dah-Duh, this proved her
dominance and strength.
SYMBOL
Empire State Building
This building represents power and progress. It is in the midst of the cold glass and
steel of New York city and, therefore, deforms Dah-Duh‟s symbol of power; Bissex Hill.
It is not by accident that the knowledge of this building shakes Dah-Duh‟s confidence.
Steel and iron, the symbol of progress, is what shakes the nature loving Dah-Duh. It
can, therefore, be said that her response to the knowledge of the existence of the
Empire State Building – defeat – is a foreshadowing of her death. This is the case
because it is metal, in the form of the planes, that „rattled her trees and flatten[ed] the
young canes in her field.‟ (Marshall. p.186). This is a physical echo of her emotional
response to the knowledge of the existence of the Empire State building. The fact that
she is found dead after this incident is not a surprise to the reader.
Contributor: Leisa Samuels-Thomas

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What is the play about?

What is the play about?

What are some of the main themes in the story?

What are some of the main themes in the story?

A Midsummer Night's Dream

 The play is set in Athens

 A young man of Athens who is in love with Hermia.

 A young man of Athens who is initially in love with Hermia

 A young woman of Athens.

 Hermia‟s father, who brings a complaint against his daughter to Theseus:

 He is the duke of Athens.

 The queen of the Amazons.

 Theseus‟s Master of the Revels.

Peaseblossom, Cobweb, Mote, and Mustardseed

 The story is set over a 20 year time period, 1932 – 1951

 Trinidad was still a colony under the British Empire

 The protagonists in the novel are Spiritual Baptists/ Shouter Baptists

 The wife of Bee Dorcas and mother to 5 children

 Local stick fighting champion

 Ivan Morton‟s driver

 Black owner of the local shop

 Carpenter on the American Base

 The polar opposite of Bolo

 The most attractive girl in Bonasse

 He was tall and stocky

 Quiet and gentle resident of Bonasse

 Oldest of the Dorcas children

 16 years old at the beginning of the story

 15 years old at the beginning of the story

 8 years at the beginning of the text

IMPORTANT WORDS/ PHRASES

IMPORTANT WORDS/ PHRASES

IMPORTANT WORDS / PHRASE

 Stanza 1, line 1: This simile introduces the exhaustion of the soldiers.

IMPORTANT WORDS/ PHRASES

IMPORTANT WORDS/ PHRASES

IMPORTANT WORDS/ PHRASES

IMPORTANT WORDS/ PHRASES

IMPORTANT WORD/ PHRASES

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6.white linen-linen suit, pink glasses, cork hat (and cane)

West Indies, U.S.A

IMPORTANT WORDS/ PHRASES

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This is the Dark Time, My Love

IMPORTANT WORDS/ PHRASES

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The Woman Speaks to the Man Who Has Employed Her

IMPORTANT WORDS/ PHRASES

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IMPORTANT WORDS/ PHRASES

IMPORTANT WORDS/ PHRASES

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Death, childhood experiences, hypocrisy, loss of innocence, desire/dreams.

IMPORTANT WORDS/ PHRASES

 Dr. Renfiled's Home for Crippled Children

 A Black male, approximately 20 years old.

 The housekeeper at the children's home.