GR 11 Poetry Guide

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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
STUDY GUIDE
ENFLISH FIRST
ADDITIONAL LANGUAGE
POETRY GRADE 11
PRESCRIBED POEMS
POEM POET Date of administration

1. A sleeping Black Mongane Wally Serote
Boy
2. Composed upon William Wordsworth

Westminster Bridge
3. For Billie Holiday Keorapetse Kgositsile
4. For my father Shabbir Bannobhai

5. Forgotten People Nkhatazo ka Mniyayiza
6. Mirror Sylivia Plath
7. The Call Gabeba Baderoon
8. The Chosen Ones Christopher Van Wyk
FOREWORD
This guide was developed by English Specialists with a view of improving

performance in poetry. It is dedicated to English FAL learners in the Limpopo
Department of Education. The teaching of poetry has been neglected and has
resulted in learners failing to perform optimally in literature as a whole. Teachers are
encouraged to use this booklet as a guide only and not as a replacement of the
prescribed text.
The Department of Education in the Province has invested resources to ensure that
this booklet is produced and distributed electronically to all learners doing poetry.
We hope that the interest of our learners in poetry will be aroused and sharpened.
The developers.
1. A Sleeping Black Boy – Mongane Wally Serote
ABOUT THE POET
(Picture adapted from https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.poetryfoundation.org)
Dr Serote is a distinguished poet and respected political leader who was born in the
year 1944, in Sophia Town but was brought up in Alexandra. He spent 9 months in
solitary confinement in the year 1969 but was later released without being charged for
anything. He won the Ingrid Jonker Prize in 1973 which got him a Fullbright
scholarship, enabling him to study for a Master of Fine Arts at Columbia University in
New York. After returning to South Africa in 1979, he went into a self-imposed exile in
Botswana, where he worked at the Medu Arts Ensemble. He permanently returned to
South Africa in the year 1990 and was elected to Parliament and appointed as the
chairman of ANC’s portfolio committee for Arts, Culture, Language, Science and
Technology in the year 1994. He has written short stories, the novel To Every Birth
its Blood and Gods of Our Time, edited anthologies and has won different other literary
prizes, including the Noma Award in 1993. Some of his written work have played a big
role in the rise of the Black Consciousness in South Africa, causing him to become
one of the country’s very distinguished poets. The English Academy judged him to be
the most significant poet to have come out of South Africa in the 1970s. He is the
Director of the Freedom Park Heritage Project and head of the ANC Department of
Arts and Culture in Pretoria.
TITLE ANALYSIS
The title ‘A Sleeping Black Boy’ is descriptive in that in describes the state in which the
boy is in – that he is sleeping. We are made aware that the person in a sleeping
position is not a grown up but a young male who could be in a vulnerable or peaceful
position. A sleeping position is vulnerable because anything (good or bad) can happen
to a person when they are asleep or peaceful because when one is asleep they are at
peace and at rest. We also get the race of the, which is black. This allows the reader
to picture a black boy in a sleeping position. The title doesn’t suggest a place where
the black boy is sleeping at or what relations this boy has with society, which we will
read about in the poem.
A SLEEPING BLACK BOY
He lay flat
face deep into the green grass
the huge jacket covered his head, the heat into his ears
he is dirty 5
the dirt screams from his flesh like a rotten smell
he is pinned down by the throbbing footsteps passing by
his lullaby is the hiss of the water from the pond and the
roaring steel river;
and the eyes of adults passing by 10
dart around like bubbles of boiling water –
this small boy will die one day
his lips stuck together, glued by the glue he smokes.

SUMMARY
The poem is about a homeless boy who sleeps in uncomfortable and unconducive
areas because there is no one to be responsible for his wellbeing. He has no place to
clean himself up and gotten himself engaged in the life of smoking illegal drugs and
glue. This boy has now gotten used to the noise around him so much that they are
now part of sleeping pattern. Not only doesn’t he have anyone to be responsible for
his wellbeing, he also has no one to stop and check-up him when they see him
struggling because people are busy with their day to day busy schedules. Although
people can tell that he is urgent need because of how he looks, they still pass him by.
This boy has all hope lost because the poet writes that he will die one day, suggesting
that he is awaiting the day of his passing.
This picture shows people going about their business (Adapted from
https://www.pexels.com/photo/people-walking-on-a-car-park-during-night-time-10560661/)
STRUCTURE OF THE POEM
This poem is written in free verse, with lines that differ in length. There is specific
rhyming scheme and some lines have short three words that carry the weight that
emphasizes their meaning and impact. The poem just flows to show that the struggles
of the homeless sleeping black boy are unending.
GLOSSARY
Word Part of Speech Meaning

Pinned verb Hold firmly in a specified position so they are
unable to move
Throbbing adjective Beating with a strong, regular rhythm
Lullaby noun A quiet, gentle song sung to cause a
baby/child to sleep
Pond noun A small body of still water
Roaring adjective A loud sound made by a lion to communicate
or claim its territory
Dart noun An act of running somewhere suddenly and
rapidly.
THE SETTING
The poem takes place in a park/pavement/sidewalk or public place where people and
cars pass by in abundance, possibly near the robots/traffic lights.
POEM ANALYSIS
Lines 1-3: These lines are written in the past tense and they describe the state in
which the boy is in. The boy is lying flat on his face to show that he probably tired or
weak from the duties of the day with nothing but his jacket keeping him warm. The
jacket is said to be huge, meaning he might’ve gotten it from someone older or bigger
in stature than he is and it is the only thing he has to keep him warm but not warm
enough because it covers only his head fully but could suffocate him because his
breathing creates heat that only circulates inside the jacket. This means that there is
an imbalance to his body temperature, which may cause him to be sick.
Lines 4-5: These lines are written in the present tense and they give more detail about
the boy’s current condition. The boy is dirty because he is homeless and has no place
to wash himself or his clothes, let alone have a place to keep his clothes clean. Line 5
speaks of the dirt that ‘screams’ meaning that the dirt is beyond normal, suggesting
that this boy needs urgent assistance, the dirt and the smell is at the verge of causing
him to be sick. The smell is clearly one others passing by can also smell because it is
said to be very loud.
Lines 6-8: These lines also explain the current harsh conditions of the boy in more
detail. The boy is pressed down/suppressed/weighed down by the noise of people
passing by and heavy traffic. The surprising thing about these lines is that instead of
the noise disturbing him from sleeping, they cause him to sleep peacefully. The
footsteps are regarded as ‘throbbing’, meaning that they are regular and have a certain
rhythm about them that go the same way every day. These footsteps are needed so
the boy can sleep. We see this by the use of the word ‘lullaby’ in line 7. The boy has
heard this noise so much that he is now comfortable sleeping while people pass by
and. The lullaby is also the sound of water from the nearby pond and the river
represented by the sounds cars make during traffic or peak times.
Lines 9-10: These lines focus on the adults/grown up who not only pass by but notice
him lying there while they avoid assisting him. These adults are aware that he is a
child but they look and walk away without helping. Their rapid eye movements are
compared to bubbling water because they avoid looking at him by looking at many
other things around them as they pass by. These adults know he is there but they
don’t want to do anything that will help him or alleviate his condition.
Lines 11-12: These lines reveal that not only is he a boy but is a small boy who will
eventually succumb to the harsh results of smoking glue. He is far too young to be in
this condition of homelessness and of smoking glue. It is revealed that the boy smokes
glue because he has his lips stuck together and possibly looking pale/white (although
he dark skinned), which is evidence because these adults walk past him on a daily
basis, showing that he is always smoking glue. His smoking has clearly turned into
addiction or will result in addiction and possibly an overdose one day.
THEME
The theme of the poem is of abandonment – of children who end up living in the
streets and aren’t taken care of by people/adults who should be responsible for them.
These children ended up in the streets due to neglect or abuse, which may even lead
to a life of crime for survival purposes. It is also of addiction – this boy is able to sleep
with loud noises around him because he is high on glue or probably other illegal drugs.
People smoke to escape their realities or situations and the same can be said about
the boy because he is probably smoking so he can forget his abandonment and lack.
The boy in the picture is sleeping face down into green grasshttps://www.alamy.com/stock-photo
The boy in the picture is smoking glue, numbing himself to the realities
of life. He looks dirty and out of place (Adapted from
https://www.thenewhumanitarian.org/photo/200707166/numb-himself-
against-their-surroundings-njoroge-street-boy-has-taken-drugs-and)
IMAGERY/ DICTION/FIGURATIVE LANGUAGE/FIGURES OF SPEECH
 Alliteration – (Sound device) The repetition of the same sound at the beginning
of two or more words close together
a) green grass in line 2 emphasize the look of the grass this boy has his face
buried in.
b) huge jacket covered his head, the heat into his ears in line 3 emphasizes
the size of the jacket and how comfortable he gets when he has covered his
head with it. There is an image of breathing or a sigh created by this ‘h’
sound.
c) roaring steel river in line 8 emphasizes on the sound of flowing water in the
river but in this case being the screeching car tyres, hooting and/or doors
opening.
d) bubbles of boiling water in line 10 shows the sound water makes when it
boils.
 Metaphor – Used as a compact vehicle of associated meaning, it gives a direct
comparison between two things. This comparison doesn’t use the word/s ‘as’
or ‘like’.
There is a comparison between the water and traffic in line 7 where the water
is made to sound like a snake (a hissing sound) and the traffic sounds like a
lion (roaring), which reveals that both of them are dangerous and pose as a
threat to the boy’s sleep and vulnerability.
 Irony – Implying opposition/the opposite, irony is seen when words and phrases
are used to convey the opposite to their literal meaning.
In line 11-12, we see irony because the boy doesn’t use glue for its intended
purpose, which is to stick things together. He smokes the glue instead, which
causing his lips to be stuck together at the end of the day, signifying that one
day he will smoke it and his lips will be sealed together unto death.
 Simile – A figure of speech in which two completely different things are
compared to each other. Usually seen by the use of the words ‘as’ or ‘like’.
There is a comparison in line 9-10 between the eyes of the adults passing by
and bubbles (which move around quickly) of boiling water to show that these
adults look all around so that they don’t need or get to look at the boy, so their
eyes wander around. So the way in which they try to avoid looking at the boy
by looking at many other things is likened to bubbles of boiling water that don’t
settle in one place.
 Onomatopoeia – (Sound device) used to create mood and atmosphere while
stressing the meaning, it is the use of words to imitate sounds that reflect the
sense of the word. The word has the same sound as what it describes.
Lines 7-8 shows us ‘his lullaby is the hiss of the water from the pond’ signifying
that the sound of water from the pond is soft and causes one to sleep peacefully
as a lullaby does to babies. We also see ‘the roaring steel river’ signifying that
the sound the river makes is loud like the sound of a roaring lion, in a way that
should make someone unable to sleep.
 Contrast and contradiction – The use of images that don’t belong together and
usually with opposite meanings that are in contradiction.
Two different senses are used in line 5 to describe the smell of the boy’s body.
The poet uses the sense of hearing and the sense of smell to show that his
smell couldn’t be avoided because it is like a ‘rotten’ smell that ‘screams’ at
people around. People are supposed to recognize that the boy needs help from
this smell.
Line 8 shows that these cars are moving in a loud manner while we know that
rivers flow, they are not loud to the point of disturbance.
TONE AND MOOD
The tone of this poem is of pity, condemnation or despair and they are descriptive and
ironic. This tone describes the state of the boy and his surrounding, which triggers
emotions of pity towards him. It is ironic that the boy should be pitied by adults passing
but he isn’t, giving the sense that they might be condemning him, assuming that he
chose this life for himself. We get a mood of sadness because the boy goes hungry
daily and finds himself having to fend for himself. In the process of trying to survive,
he finds himself having to smoke glue to numb himself from the pain he goes through.
The glue that is spoken of in the last line is used for sticking things together for good
or long periods of time but here the glue the boy smokes will kill him, causing his lips
to be stuck together in death, never to be separated again.
TEST YOUR KNOWLEDGE

1. What is a lullaby? (1)
2. Give TWO reasons why the poet uses the word ‘lullaby’ to describe the sounds
around the boy. (2)
3. What is the theme of the poem? (1)
4. Explain the theme with relevance to the poem. (2)
5. Quote word/s from the poem to prove that:
a) The boy does not have a home (1)
b) The boy is not bothered by the noise around him (1)
6. Refer to line 8 (‘roaring steel river’)
Identify the sound device used in this line (1)
7. Refer to line 11-12 (‘this small boy … the glue he smokes’)
a) Identify the tone used in these lines (1)
b) Why is the tone appropriate in the last lines of the poem? (2)
8. Refer to line 12 (‘his lips stuck together by the glue he smokes’)
a) Explain the irony in this line (2)
b) How (visually) does the poet see that the boy smokes glue? (1)
9. Explain why the poet repeats the words ‘passing by’ in the poem. (1)
10. Complete the following line in your own words:
The boy’s ‘lips stuck together’ suggests … (1)
11. Explain the relevance of the title of the poem. (2)
12. What is the irony of the poem? (2)
13. Refer to line 5 (‘the dirt screams from … rotten smell’)
a) What is the figure of speech of the underlined words? (1)
b) Explain its relevance (2)
14. Give an explanation of why the poet thinks the boy will end up dying from
smoking glue. (1)
ANSWERS
1. A lullaby is a song sung to help babies/children fall asleep. √

2. – To alert us that the boy doesn’t have parents/anyone to take care of
him/tuck him in to bed. √
- To show that the boy is fast asleep/is sleeping peacefully. √
3. The theme is of abandonment/neglect. √
4. The boy has been neglected/abandoned by his biological parents or family,
√ resulting in him being homeless, alone and without proper clothing and
hygiene. √
5. a) ‘he lay flat face deep into green grass’ √
b)’his lullaby is the hiss of water from the pond’ √
6. Onomatopoeia √
7. a) pity/condemnation √
b)The poet feels pity towards this boy √ because the life he has embarked
on of smoking glue will someday end his life√ / He condemns the actions of
the boy √ because glue is intended for something else and not for smoking.
√
8. a) It is ironic that glue is used to stick things together but this boy uses the glue as
a smoking stimulant and is probably addicted to it so it will cause his lips to stick to
each other unto death. √√ (Both parts of the answer must be correct)
b) The boy’s lips are stuck together √ / The boy’s lips look pale/white √
9. The poet repeats the words ‘passing by’ to emphasize that no one from all the
people who pass by stops to check if he is alright or if he needs help. √
10. The boy’s ‘lips stuck together’ suggests that the boy is always smoking glue √ /the
boy has made a habit out of smoking the glue.
11. The title is relevant in that it speaks of a boy who is sleeping √ in a public place
while people pass by without assisting him. Line 1 speaks of the boy lying flat and line
11 mentions ‘this small boy’ to show that it is a young person sleeping. √
12. A sleeping (‘black’) boy normally leaves a tone of tranquillity/calmness but this
sleeping boy causes worry/concern. He sleeps not because he is tired but because
he is drugged. √√ (Both parts of the answer must be correct)
13. a) Contrast and contradiction √
b) It shows that the smell of the boy is extreme √ and it ranges from bad to worse by
using the sense of hearing and of smell to describe how he was smelling. √
14. He thinks the boy will die because he has no one to look after him or remind him
of the dangers of smoking glue √ /because there’s no hope for his situation to change
so he will continue smoking glue until he dies √.
Acknowledgement of sources
Alamy. (2020) Homeless sleeping grass Stock Photos and Images. Available at:
https://www.alamy.com/stock-photo/homeless-sleeping-grass.html?sortBy=relevant
(Accessed: 4 October 2023).
Blanche, S. 2015. Vistas of Poems: English Poetry Anthology Grade 11 FAL. First
Published by Lectio Publishers (Pty) Ltd.
Department of Education. 2019. English First Additional Language Grade 11 Literature

Module: Poetry Lesson Plan. NECT Program. Pages 32-40. (Available at:
www.nect.org.za).
Digitalskillet. (2014) iStock. Available at: https://www.istockphoto.com/photo/teenage-

boy-sleeping-gm499259047-42690066 (Accessed: 4 October 2023).
Mwelu Julius. (2007) IRIN Available at:

https://www.thenewhumanitarian.org/photo/200707166/numb-himself-against-their-
surroundings-njoroge-street-boy-has-taken-drugs-and (Accessed: 5 October 2023).
Poetry Foundation. (2012) Poetry Foundation. Available at:

https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.poetryfoundation.org
%2Fpoets%2Fmongane-wally-
serote&psig=AOvVaw3gR7wKSBO1DMWc4Zvgfyak&ust=1696533073849000&sour
ce=images&cd=vfe&opi=89978449&ved=0CBQQ3YkBahcKEwiI_cnXjN2BAxUAAAA
AHQAAAAAQAw (Accessed: 4 October 2023).
Roman S. (2012) iStock. Available at: https://www.pexels.com/photo/people-walking-

on-a-car-park-during-night-time-10560661/ (Accessed: 4 October 2023).
Southey, L. 2015. Study Work Guide: Vistas of Poems Grade 11 First Additional
Language. First Published by Lectio Publishers (Pty) Ltd.
2. Composed upon Westminster Bridge
Background information about the poet: William Wordsworth.
William Wordsworth (1770-1850). Born and educated at Cockermouth, in

Cumberland, England. His mother died when he was eight, his father died five years
later. He and four siblings were placed under the guardianship of uncles. He studied
at Cambridge and went to France in 1791 where he made friends with supporters of
French Revolution. He collaborated with Samuel Taylor Coleridge in shaping the
ideas of English Romanticism. His two poems in heroic couplets are An Evening
Walk (1793) and Descriptive Sketches (1793). Poems in Two volumes appeared in
1807, his poetry, collected in poems including Lyrical Ballads (1815), was frequently
revised. The Prelude was published posthumously in 1850. He won Poet Laureate
from 1843 until his death in 1850.
Composed upon Westminster Bridge, September 3, 1802
Earth has not anything to show more fair:
Dull would he be of soul who could pass by
A sight so touching in its majesty;
This City now doth, like a garment, wear
The beauty of the morning; silent, bare, 5
Ships, towers, domes, theatres, and temples lie
Open unto the fields, and to the sky;
All bright and glittering in the smokeless air.
Never did sun more beautifully steep
In his first splendour, valley,rock, or hill; 10
Ne’er saw I, never felt, a calm so deep!
The river glide than his own sweet will:
Dear God! The very houses seem asleep;
And all that mighty heart is lying still!
William Wordsworth
Summary of the poem.
In Composed upon Westminster bridge, September 3, 1802, the speaker describes a

view from the bridge that leads from Westminster Cathedral to the rest of London
and observes the city at sunrise. The speaker is attracted by the beauty of the scene
and compares the city to a person who is wearing the morning like a garment. From
this vantage-point on the bridge , the speaker can see “Ships, towers, domes,
theaters and temples, which are “open unto the fields and to the sky; “All bright and
glittering in the smokeless air,” The speaker suggests that this sight is more splendid
than anything he has seen outside of the city, in the natural world, and that this
image of the city “steeped” in the light of the sun makes him feel a deeper calm than
he has ever felt before. The speaker continues his personification by saying that the
river “glideth at his own sweet will” and comparing the houses to people who are
asleep. Finally, the speaker ends on a line that gathers up different parts of the city
into one personification, saying “ all that mighty heart is lying still!” suggesting that
the city is displaying both its strength and its tranquility for this moment, but also
hints that once the day moves on , the city will come to life and the tranquility will be
disturbed by the activities of the day.
Structure:
It is a sonnet as it consists of 14 lines. Petrarchan/ Italian sonnet.
The first eight lines are called an octave , and the last six a sestet.
The rhyme scheme is abba abba cdc dcd.
Analysis of the poem:
Lines 1-3. Wordsworth begins by describing the view from Westminster Bridge and
praises it, says that “ there is nothing …. “ . And anyone who could see such a sight
and just carry on walking past without stopping to admire the panoramic view would
be senseless.
Lines 4-8. The city is personified as if it is a person wearing a morning gown. The
ships, towers,, and other buildings that make up the London skyline are silent and
bare. Here there is no flashiness but plain and simple beauty, despite the man-made
origins of these structures. These buildings appear to be working harmoniously with
nature: they lie/ open to the fields and the sky, those earthly and ethereal landscapes
that sandwich them, as if the city buildings are between earthly beauty and the
beauty of heavens, and exist not in contrast to them, but as a natural bridge between
them. Considering the fact that the daily activities haven’t started yet and the wheels
of industry are still. The air is unpolluted at the moment as there is no smoke in the
air.
Lines 9-12. Wordsworth praises being a nature poet that the sun never rose so
beautifully, not even the natural features of valleys, rocks, or hills, have looked so
beautiful and the poet felt so calm to watch the scales and the outlines of these city
buildings. He connects with the calm of the country’s capital before the business day
begins.
Lines13-14. The river Thames appears to be taking its time, slowly flowing through
the city and under the speaker’s feet. Wordsworth returns to the buildings in his
reference to the houses: the people are indoors asleep, but the bricks and mortar of
the houses seem to be hypnotized. The heart of London, the people who make it
what it is, are all lying asleep,still and calm. In the end, the poet appears to be
stunned into complete silence by the beauty of London, this is evidenced by “Dear
God!”. This also implies that the speaker feels joy and wonder observing the divine
beauty and serenity of the city early in the morning.
Theme: Nature and man-made structures complimenting each other’s beauty.
Tone: The tone of the whole poem: Relaxed and calm.
Imagery: Imagery is a literary device used in poetry, novels, and other writing that
uses vivid description that appeals to a reader’s senses to create an image or idea in
the head. Through language, imagery does not only paint a picture, but aims to
portray the sensational and emotional experience within text.
In line 1 the poet uses a hyperbole to emphasise the splendid beauty of the city
which outsmarts all the beauties of the world. Line 2 he uses inversion just to show
that a normal person would not pass without appreciating the sight. Anyone doing
that would be regarded as a stupid person.
The city in line 3 is described to be majestic in nature which implies that it deserves a
royal stature. This in itself is a metaphor which shows that this beauty deserves to be
respected like one would do to person from a royal house, a King for example. In line
4 the city is compared to a woman who is wearing a morning gown, this is an
example of personification. From the same line another figure of speech could be
identified: Simile, we are being guided by the use of the word “like”.
Alliteration in line 6 has been used, which is the repetition of the same consonants
sound at the beginning of words. “theatres and temples” for example.
Line 10. The sun has been personified, this is substantiated by the fact that a
personal pronoun “his” is giving us a clue. Line 13 the poet says “ Dear God!” This is
an apostrophe as the poet addresses God directly as if present.
In the closing line the poet compares the city to a heart to emphasise the fact that
the city is an economic hub of London, the figure of speech employed here is a
metaphor.
Symbolism: This is a literary device which can be used to add depth and broaden
the meaning of poetry beyond what is stated in the text itself.
(a) The bridge symbolizes the bond between human and natural world.
(b) Temples symbolize the house of the Lord ( Holy place).
(c) Theatres symbolize the places of entertainment / recreational facilities.
QUESTIONS FOR PRACTICE PURPOSES:

1. Describe the structure of the poem.
2. Rewrite line 1 in your own words.
3. Identify the figure of speech used in line 3.
4. Explain the effectiveness of the figure of speech referred to above.
5. According to line 8 the air is polluted. True/ False. Quote one word from
the octave to support your choice of answer.
6. Why does the speaker say “ Dear God!” ? Briefly explain.
7. Mention the river referred to in line 12.
ANSWERS:
1. It is a sonnet which consists of 14 lines.

2. It is divided into an octave and a sestet. The rhyme scheme is abba abba cdc
dcd.
3. Metaphor.
4. To emphasise the fact that this beauty deserves to be treated with utmost
respect.
5. False. “ smokeless”.
6. He feels joy and wonder observing the divine beauty and serenity of the city
early in the morning.
7. Thames.
3. For Billie Holiday by Keorapetse Kgositsile
1. About the Author
Keorapetse William Kgositsile was a South African poet of

Tswana origin, journalist and political activist. He was born on 19
September 1938 in Johannesburg. Besides his engagement with
written and performance poetry, Bra Willie, as he was popularly
known in literary circles, also took interest in the study of African-
American Literature and jazz-and-blues music. He spent the years
1962 to 1975 in the United States, during which he tried to forge a
link between African and African American poetry. His love for
jazz and African American culture made him write to and about
jazz personalities like Nina Simone, Billie Holiday and B. B. King.
Kgositsile was honoured with the title of Poet Laureate in 2006.
He died on 3 January 2018, in the Milpark Hospital in

Johannesburg at the age of 80..
2. For Billie Holiday by Keorapetsi Kgositsile
Day Lady Day Ghetto Street

Lady Day of no happy days
who lives in a voice
sagging with the pain
where the monster’s teeth
are deep to our marrow

carried in a voice so blue
she could teach any sky A monster
all about the blues

Mrs Scag still roams
the treacherous ghetto streets
of white design wasting
the young bloods who think
themselves too hip to learn
from your hurt
Lady Day
them that got power
wealth and junk A willow tree
are still picking your pain
for profit and fun
Lady Day Lady Day

of no happy days
the willow still weeps for you

though now we should know
that all tears are stale
though now we should know
that tears ain’t never done nothin for nobody
3. Title Analysis
Billie ‘Lady Day’ Holiday
Billie Holiday (real name Eleanora Fagan) was born on April 7, 1915, in
Philadelphia to African American unwed teenage couple Clarence Halliday and
Sarah Julia "Sadie" Fagan. Sarah moved to Philadelphia at age 19, after she was
evicted from her parents' home because of the premarital pregnancy.
After a turbulent childhood, including attempted rape by a neighbour, spending two
decades without enjoying the care of her biological mother, dropping out of school
at the age of 11 years and doing errands in a brothel, Holiday began singing in
nightclubs in Harlem, where she met music producer, John Hammond who got her
career to a good start. However, by the late 1940s and early 50s, she was beset
with legal troubles, drug abuse and several prison stints.
In her final years, Holiday had been progressively swindled out of her earnings by
McKay. She died on July 17, 1959 aged 44 with a very meagre balance in her
bank account. Holiday won four Grammy Awards, and other recognitions; all
posthumously,
4. Summary of the Poem
The poem is dedicated to the memory of Billie Holiday, the famous songstress,
who was nicknamed Lady Day, a reference the Holy Virgin Mary, the mother of
Jesus Christ probably because she saved souls with her singing. The poem
describes the sorrow she lived in, the pain of the sorrow she sang about in her
blues (type of music she sang). While the Holy Virgin experienced happiness with
the birth of Jesus, Holiday had nothing to be happy about (‘no happy days’) in her
life because of government sponsored poverty (‘ghetto streets’), exploitation (‘hurt’)
and greedy producers, promoters and recording companies (‘them that got power
wealth and junk…’).
The message is that although Billie Holiday could sing well, she never enjoyed the
fruits of her success because she was taken advantage of, and thus never knew
happiness from birth to death.
5. Structure of the Poem
The poem is a lyrical type in which the speaker expresses his/her intense feelings
of hurt about the life of self-sacrifice, exploitation and sadness that Billie Holiday, a
singer, endured in her lifetime. It is a personal lament about the person the
speaker knew and respected, hence she is called Lady Day of the song. The poem
is meant to be sung, with each stanza representing a different note (tune). The
poem is a free verse without a consistent rhyme scheme. The lines are of different
lengths. The poem is divided into five stanzas of different lengths, but each
opening with the words ‘Lady Day’. The stanzas are further divided into two
groups, with stanzas 1–2 comprising the first group with a more detached
approach while the stanzas 3–5 are a direct address to the singer. The repetitive
nature of the address emphasises the hurt that the speaker expresses in the
poem. Although the addressee is no longer alive, the last three stanzas see the
speaker addressing her like she is still alive and at a hearing distance.
The poem has no punctuation marks except for the use of capital letters in proper
names like Lady Day and Mrs Scag. This unconventional way of addressing issues
reflects the anger and defiant approach the speaker adopts.
6. Poem Analysis
Stanza 1
The first stanza of the poem opens with the words ‘Lady Day’*, repeated three
times and jutting into the second line. This is actually the name of the lady the
speaker is dedicating this poem to. Lady Day was a phrase used to describe
Mary, the mother of Jesus.
* In the Western liturgical year, Lady Day is the traditional name in some
English-speaking countries of the Feast of the Annunciation, which is
celebrated on 25 March, and commemorates the visit of the archangel Gabriel
to the Virgin Mary, during which he informed her that she would be the mother
of Jesus Christ, and therefore the name means ‘(Our) Lady’s Day’. The day
commemorates the tradition of archangel Gabriel's announcement to Mary
that she would give birth to the Christ.
Although Billie Holiday gave birth to many happy souls and ears through her
music, unlike Mary who was happy and blessed by this birth, she never got
happiness from the birth. She never knew happiness from her success in music.
Lines 3–4 say that Lady Day still ‘lives in a voice /sagging with pain’. This means
that her songs are heavily laden with the pain she went through during her life
time. She expressed her pains that denied her happiness in her songs. People
listening to her songs are able to experience her pains. Her songs are encumbered
(‘sagging’) with the expression of her pains. She was hurt to the marrow by the ills
of the music industry (‘the monster’s teeth’). These ills could refer to exploitation,
abuse, rip-offs and drugs. The monster’s grip was both inescapable and difficult to
heal because it went deep into her life, like a cancer that infects and affects even
the marrow (‘deep to our marrow’, line’).
Stanza 2
The idea of unhappiness continues in the second stanza. The unhappiness
continues to reverberate in her music (‘carried in a voice so blue’). The words
‘blue’ and ‘blues’ refer to the type of music that she sings – a type of jazz called
blues. She sings so beautifully that she surpasses the blue sky (‘teach any sky all
about the blues’) because although the sky is blue, it sometimes gets dark in bad
weather. The use of personification (‘a voice so blue she could teach any sky …’)
shows how strong her voice was and how beautiful her songs are. She can teach
the sky how to stay blue at all times.
Stanza 3
This seven-line stanza changes the approach; the speaker addresses the singer
directly as if she is within the hearing distance. The speaker says the hurt that
Billie Holiday suffered is communicated in her songs. In other words, her songs
serve to warn young people (‘the young bloods’) and those of loose morals (‘Mrs
Scag’) about the danger of the life in the ghetto. The ghetto streets are
dangerously sneaky (‘treacherous’), always likely to pose danger. Young people,
who defy conventional values (‘too hip to learn’) and refuse to learn from her
experience (‘hurt’) are warned. The main message of the stanza is that one should
not be too smart to learn, because even a person of the subculture of ‘hip’ can
learn something of value from other people’s experiences.
Stanza 4
The speaker verbally attacks the people who exploited Billie Holiday in her music
career. The inversion of the word order in ‘them that got power’ is a rapper style
that the speaker adopts to express anger. Music, especially by a great musician
like Billie Holiday, can be very profitable. Unfortunately, she could not get any
happiness from the proceeds of her work while recording companies, producers
and promoters became rich, more influential and could afford expensive drugs
(‘got power wealth and junk’). What angers the speaker more is that even after her
death, these people continue to gain more from the royalties and the joy that her
music brings (‘still picking your pain/ for profit and fun’). The stanza shows how
cruel the music industry can be.
Stanza 5
The willow tree provides shade, beauty, calmness and cover. It is a symbol of
renewal, birth and vitality. She provided comfort, hope and liveliness to many
through her music. The willow is personified to represent a person (or people) who
still misses (miss) her (‘the willow still weeps for you’). Unfortunately, it is too late
as she has now died (‘tears are stale’). The speaker concludes with a bold
statement in American slang, that crying cannot change what was done (‘tears
ain’t never done nothin for nobody’). The message of the stanza is that although
Billie holiday will be sorely missed, crying for her and what happened to her will not
reverse the situation.
7. Themes
Irony: Billie Holiday lived her life making people happy by entertaining and
enriching some, but never secured happiness for herself/ Billie Holiday was named
Lady Day but never experience daylight happiness throughout her life.
Exploitation: The poem is about the exploitation that unsuspecting musicians face
in the industry.
Arrogance: in the fourth stanza, the poem warns arrogant people who are too
proud to learn from other people’s experiences so that they could be able to avoid
the same undesirable experiences.
Cruelty: People can be cruel to other people, for example by exploiting those that
are under their care.
Selflessness/ Generosity: Although Billie Holiday never experienced joy, she
nevertheless entertained and enlightened other people by infusing her pains in her
music.
8. Imagery
In this poem, imagery is used to infuse figures of speech. The following are
examples of figures of speech used in the poem.
Metaphor: In the first stanza, the speaker talks about ‘a voice/ sagging with the
pain…’ The voice is compared to a heavy load that weighs down the bearer. This
could also be hyperbole as the speaker exaggerates the weight (value) of the
message the voice has to carry.
Personification: In stanza two, the image of the voice that teaches the sky to be
blue personifies the beauty of the songs that is better than the colour of the sky
that is sometimes covered by clouds.
Simile: The phrase ‘the voice so blue …’ is simile as it compares the voice of the
singer with the blue sky.
9. Tone
Bitterness: The speaker is bitter and irritated by the way Billie Holiday was treated
as a musician.
Frank/ honesty: The speaker is honest about the challenges behind Holiday’s life
and wants other to learn from her experiences.
Empathy: The exploitation and the unhappy life Holiday lived is pathetic.
Vulnerability: The ghetto life experiences made Holiday vulnerable to dishonest
managers.
10. Test Your Knowledge
Study the poem below and then answer the questions that follow.
For Billie Holiday by Keorapetse Kgositsile
1 Day Lady Day

2 Lady Day of no happy days
3 who lives in a voice
4 sagging with the pain

5 where the monster’s teeth
6 are deep to our marrow

8 carried in a voice so blue
9 she could teach any sky
10 all about the blues

12 Mrs Scag still roams
13 the treacherous ghetto streets
14 of white design wasting
15 the young bloods who think
16 themselves too hip to learn
17 from your hurt
18 Lady Day
19 them that got power
20 wealth and junk
21 are still picking your pain
22 for profit and fun
23 Lady Day Lady Day

24 of no happy days
25 the willow still weeps for you
26 though now we should know
27 that all tears are stale
28 though now we should know
29 that tears ain’t never done nothin for nobody
.10.1. Match the words in column A with their explanation sin Column B
COLUMN A COLUMN B
(a) sag A type of music.
(b) blues B arrogant subculture adherent.
(c) monster C dangerously sneaky place.
(d) treacherous D suffering from depression.
(e) hip E unprincipled music producer.
(4)
10.2 (a) Who is the poem addressed to? (1)
(b) Why is the person referred to as Lady Day? (1)
10.3. Refer to lines 1 –2 (‘Day Lady Day … no happy days’)
Explain the irony of the above quoted lines. (2)
10.4 Who is the ‘monster’ referred to in line 5 (‘where the monster’s teeth’.) (1)
10.5 Refer to stanza 2 (‘Lady Day of … about the blues’)
(a) What tone would the speaker use in this stanza? (1)
(b) Why would the speaker use this tone? (1)
10.6 Refer to line 15 (‘the young bloods who think ... ’)
(a) Identify the figure of speech used in the above quoted line. (1)
(b) Which two things are being compared? (2)
(c) Provide the reason why you think it is a good comparison. (2)
10.7 Choose the correct answer from the FOUR options given below.
The words ‘who think themselves too hip to learn’ (lines 15–16) suggests
that these people are …
A. ignorant
B. arrogant
C. discouraged
D. repentant (1)
10.8 Refer to stanza 4 (‘Lady Day them …profit and fun’).
(a) Mention three things that Billie Holiday’s exploiters do with the (3)
money.
(b) Briefly explain how the words ‘junk’ and ‘fun’ are related in the
context of this stanza. (2)
10.9 One of the themes in the poem is exploitation.
Discuss this theme. (3)

10.10 The last stanza provided a good conclusion to the message of the poem
Discuss your view. (3)
10.11 ‘For Billie Holiday’ can be classified as a protest poem. Discuss your (2)
view.
Responses
10-1 (a) D/ suffering from depression. 

(b) A/ type of music. 
(c) E/ unprincipled music producer. 
(d) C/ dangerously sneaky place. 
(e) B/ arrogant subculture adherent.  (5)
10.2 (a) Billie Holiday  (1)
(b) Like Mother Mary, she brings joy to the world/ she is generous with
her voice.  (2)
10.3. Although Billie Holiday is named Lady Day, the name becomes ironic
because she does not enjoy the day activities that she does, although
she makes others happy.  (2)
10.4 The music industry as an institution.  (1)
10.5 (a) empathy / complementary  (1)
(b) The speaker is hurt by the situation that Billie Holiday experienced/
the speaker appreciates the talent and effort Billie Holiday put in her
performances.  (2)
10.6 (a) metaphor/ synecdoche  (1)
(b) Blood and young people (youths). (2)
(c) If metaphor: young blood is warm and fresh in the same way
that young people are energetic and progressive. 
If synecdoche: the speaker uses part of a young person,  (2)

namely blood, to represent young people. 
10.7 B/ arrogant  (1)
10.8 (a) influence (‘power’); property (‘wealth’); drugs (‘junk’); generate
revenue (‘profit’); entertainment (‘fun’).  (3)
(b) Junk is slang for heroine,  a drug that addicts use to get high (fun
moments).  (2)
10.9 - Captains of music industry make money at the expense of Holiday.
- Holiday gets too little from her singing career while managers make
more. (3)
- Although she has problems, her managers do not help her out.
10.10 Yes.
- The last stanza gives an idea of finality. While the cry and protests are
acknowledged, they came too late to be of any value.
- Tears are appreciated but they cannot solve the problem.
- Billie Holiday was let down by the people she was available to serve
when they had time to save her.
No.
- While it is true that tears cannot solve problems, they are an indication
that people care.
- By saying that words have become late, the speaker actually
invalidates the words expressed throughout the poem.
- Protesting against unfair practices serves humanity buy ensuring that
these are never repeated.
(3)
10.11 ‘For Billie Holiday’ can be classified as a protest poem. Discuss your
view.
Yes.
- The poem is a critical look at the handlers of Billie holiday.
- The message is actually directed to all swindlers (crook) to stop the
practice.
- The structure of the poem – no punctuation marks, is a protest against

normal conventions in an abnormal situation.
- The slums (ghetto streets) created by government neglect were
responsible for some of Holiday’s problems.
No.
- This is only a lament for a well-known person and nothing more will
happen.
- Billie Holiday was herself not innocent as she knew the situation and
therefore should have done something about it. (3)
- The speaker actually admits the strong words uttered in the poem are a
futile exercise.
4. For my father – Shabbir Banoobhai
1. About the Author
Shabbir Banoobhai is a South African poet born in Durban on 23

October 1949. A product of the protest poetry era, most of his
poems follow unconventional structure. He wrote poems by his
‘own definition’.
Banoobhai studied teaching at Springfield College because he
could not afford university education. In 1970, while at the college,
he was elected president of the Student's Representative Council.
He later became the assistant editor of Aspect, the college
newspaper. Due to its tone in relation to the apartheid system, the
paper experienced a number of bans. It was at Springfield College
that he met antiapartheid struggle icon, Fatima Meer. She advised
him to meet with poet Douglas Livingstone to sharpen his poetry
writing skills.
His desire for a university education never diminished and he was
able to find time to study for a Bachelor of Commerce Degree
through the distance learning institution of Unisa. The degree
helped him to work as an accountant after a short period in
teaching because he wanted a space that would allow him ‘to
promote a vision of a more humane society – a society that not
only respects all its members as human beings but which
considers them as spiritual beings and essentially divine.’
2. For My Father
for my father
days
when you roughshod your way
through town and village and countryside
when your father bought the radio

he had promised so long ago
and the laughter of the child rippled in his eyes
when the boy cracked the whip of exuberance

and the mother stayed quiet
for she knew he was young
when the man emerged

from the hideout of the boy
and caught the blast of life on his face
when the man spat on his hands

and ploughed the land
and watched the sky for rain
when wife and child

sat by his side
and lit the fire that was once his pride
nights
when the light of a full, full moon
seemed dull against your bright, white face
when we still hoped

held your hand
tried to breathe our strength into you
when you faltered at last

slipped from our grasp
lost your will in the hills
3. Title Analysis
The poem, ‘for my father’ is a dedication to the speaker’s father. The speaker actually
says that ‘this is for my father’. As the father is no longer alive, this would be the speaker’s
way of elegising about the father. In an elegy the speaker expresses grief or sadness over
the loss of something. The title tells us that the poem is about the father, although we only
find out later that the father is dead.
4. Summary of the Poem
The speaker talks about his/her father’s life in ‘days’ and ‘nights’, from childhood to late
adulthood and eventually death. Although the speaker was obviously born years after the
father was born, he/she knows the father’s childhood and youth days. This shows how
close the two were as this information would have been passed from father to child.
The father lived a simple life, doing all things that boys are expected to do, like visiting
towns, villages and the bush areas, and playing with noisy whips. Later, as a young adult,
the father began to work in the fields to feed his family. Then the aging period, associated
with night, came. The father became weak and was then looked after by the wife and
child. Unfortunately, night comes with death. The father dies in the care of the family.
The poet follows a simple narrative form but well-structured and easy to follow. The
language is accessible but appropriate enough to express the sense of loss the speaker
feels about the death of the father.
The poem is therefore an expression of the loss the speaker feels about the death of the
father from natural causes associated with aging.
5. Structure of the Poem
The poem has 27 lines divided into nine stanzas of three lines each. It is further divided
into two main parts of ‘days’ (first six stanza, in lines 1 – 18) and ‘nights’ (last three
stanzas, from lines 19 – 27). The ‘days’ section is longer. Naturally human life is longer
during the time of activity (called daytime). One should do his/her work during the day so
that when time comes, there is little left to finish up. The ‘night’ part is shorter, with only
three stanzas.
The lines of the poem are of unequal length with the second line in each stanza indented
into the poem (slanting inward). There are no punctuation marks used throughout the
poem. The poem is a free verse, with no definite rhyme scheme. The use of
onomatopoeia lends a musical effect to the poem. It has several settings identifiable by
the activity taking place in the stanza.
6. Analysis of the Poem
The poem is divided into 9 stanzas, each showing a progression from one level to
another.
Stanza 1
The first stanza opens with the word ‘days’, signifying the beginning the daylight of the
father’s life. When the father was young, he walked carelessly and confidently
(‘roughshod’) in urban areas (‘town’), rural area (‘villages’) and in the expansive fields
(‘countryside’). He had the freedom to do what he wanted. He had his way.
Stanza 2
The second stanza is about father’s childhood. The father obviously asked for a radio
from his father (the speaker’s grandfather), who though took long, finally fulfilled his
promise. The child (now father) was so delighted that his laughter changed his faces as
he could not hide his happiness. The phrase ‘the laughter of the child rippled in his eyes’
is a metaphor that compares the child’s laughter with water, whose waves permeate the
eyes so that his joy is felt everywhere. The explosive ‘p’ sound in ‘rippled’ creates the
musical effect, elevating his joy to ecstasy.
Stanza 3
The third stanza refers to a tolerant mother. When father was still a child, he made a lot of
noise (‘cracked the whip of exuberance’) but the mother was tolerant because she felt that
he was, like any other child, merely playing. The word ‘exuberance’ emphasises the
energy with which the whip was cracked. The line ‘for she knew he was young’ suggests
that she was not permissive but tolerant of the child’s healthy activities. The explosive ‘c’
sound in ‘cracked’ is onomatopoeic and suggests the intensity of the sound.
Stanza 4
The fourth stanza is about father’s manhood. As a boy he was protected by the presence
of the parents and the freedom of boyhood (‘hideout’). There was a sudden change
(‘blast”) from boyhood to manhood, like a bomb exploding and releasing (‘emerged’) the
man from a boy. In becoming a man, father would have been overwhelmed since this
seemed to have come unexpectedly, like a bomb that cracks in his face.
Stanza 5
As a man, father is suddenly saddled with the responsibility of providing food for his
family. He wetted his hands with saliva (‘spat on his hands’) so that he has a firm grip on
the plough. It must not slip from his hands as he cultivates the soil to produce food.
Having planted the food producing seeds, he, like everybody else, waits for the rain to
come (‘watched the sky for rain’).
Stanza 6
In stanza 6 the father is in the twilight of his years. He is about to enter the dark stage as
he is now cared for by his family (‘wife and child’) as he can no longer do certain things
that he used to do on his own. He needs family members by his side as they provide him
with the fire he liked so much. He now needs the intervention of family members to assist
him in doing what he was once proud to do on his own. The lines ‘when wife and child/ sat
by his side’ means that he can no longer sit properly on his own and therefore needs
support structures to lean on. He is sick and frail.
Stanza 7
Stanza 7 is the first of the ‘nights’ stanzas. This is the turning point of the poem. The
speaker now addresses the father from a hearing distance. Unlike in the first six stanzas
where the speaker was talking progressively in second to third person narrative forms, he
now uses the second person narrative form.
Night has arrived and the father seems to have lost the will to live. The moon shines
brightly outside but does not cheer him up even though his face is illuminated by the light
from the moon.
Stanza 8
There is a sense that the father did not make it. He died. Wife and son have been
supporting him, holding his hands for support, and even tried to assist him in breathing,
but failed.
Stanza 9
In the end father loses the fight for his life as he fades away (‘faltered’). They were
holding him tightly, thinking he might make it, but they were not successful. Life is a
struggle. It is an uphill struggle (‘hill’), and the father lost his will to go up the hill. His soul
escaped (‘slipped’ away) from them.
The old man dies in the presence of his wife and child.
7. Themes
Loss/death: The speaker believes that death is the ultimate destination and there is
nothing one can do to stop it.
Aging: Aging is part of life and it has many stages with loss of strength and death as the
final stages.
Caring/love: Wife and child have been very supportive to father during his last stages,
caring for him until his last breath.
Course of life: While death can come at any time, there is a sense of acceptance when
one dies at an advanced age, having gone through all the stages of life.
8. Imagery/ figures of speech

Although the poem uses simple language, there are words and phrases that have
figurative meanings. Few examples are given below.
Metaphor: In ‘when you roughshod your way’ (line 2) the speaker compares walking with
uncaring attitude. The boy walks everywhere uncaringly but in an innocent way.
Hyperbole: In the words ‘the laughter of the child rippled in his eyes’ (line 6) the speaker
exaggerates the effect of the boy’s happiness on his face, as if it is waves covering his
face.
Onomatopoeia: In the phrase ‘cracked the whip’ (line 7), the explosive sound of the ‘c’
imitates the sound that the whip makes as the boy swings it. Youthfulness is explosive.
Figurative language: The phrase ‘spat on his hands’ (13) is figurative language meaning
ready to tackle a difficult task.
Literal language. The words ‘lit the fire’ (line 18) mean that wife and child actually lit real
fire to keep the father warm.
Oxymoron/antithesis: The following expression, ‘seemed dull against your bright, white
face’ is an oxymoron (or antithesis) because it appears to be self-contradictory as two
opposite scenarios are placed next to each other
9. Tone
Celebratory: The poem is a celebration of a simple life well lived.

Sadness: Although the father lived through almost all the stages a human being has, the
speaker is sad that he has lost the father he/she loved and cared for so much.
Finality/Definite/ acceptance: The speaker is content with what the family did to care
for the father in his last days. He lived a relatively fulfilling life and had lost the will to live
due to aging.
10. TEST YOUR KNOWLEDGE.
10.1 Match the words in column A with their explanations in column B
COLUMN A COLUMN B
(a) Sonnet A Poem without regular metrical pattern.
(b) Free verse B Poem lamenting somebody’s death
(c) Ballad C A poem with two lines.
(d) Elegy D A poem with fourteen lines.
(e) Lyric E Poem written rhythmical pattern.
(f) Couplet F Poem with stanzas of similar lengths.
(4)
10.2 The poem is divided into two main sections, namely ‘days’ and ‘nights’
(a) Which narrative point of view is employed in the ‘days’ section. Explain. (2)
(b) Which narrative point of view is employed in the ‘nights’ section. Explain. (2)
(c) Which theme is explored in the ‘days’ section. (2)
(d) Which theme is explored in the ‘nights’ section (2)
10.3 What does the first stanza reveal about the character of the father when he (2)
was younger?
Substantiate your answer.
10.4 What does the second stanza reveal about the character of the father when (2)
he was younger?
10.5 Which atmosphere (mood) is revealed in the third stanza? (2)
10.6 Explain why the following statement is FALSE.
Father was a very irresponsible family man. (1)
10.6 What does stanza 6 reveal about the kind of the relationship father had with
his wife and child?
Substantiate your answer. (2)
10.7 In stanza 7 the speaker changes the narrative form from third person to
second person.
Provide a possible reason for this change. (1)

10.8 Refer to line 24 (‘tried to breathe … strength into you’).
(a) Identify the figure of speech used in this line. (1)
(b) Explain the effectiveness of this figure of speech. (2)
10.9 Refer to the last stanza (‘when you faltered … in the hills’).
(a) What tone would the speaker use in this stanza? (1)
(b) Why would the speaker use this tone? (1)
10.10 The death of father is a great loss to wife and child.
Discuss your view. (3)
POSSIBLE ANSWERS
10.1 (a). D/ A poem with fourteen lines 

(b). A/ Poem without regular metrical pattern 
(c). F/ Poem with stanzas of similar lengths. 
(d). B/ Poem lamenting somebody’s death 
(e). E/ Poem written rhythmical pattern. 
(f). C/ A poem with two lines.  (4)
10.2 (a) Third and second person.  The speaker moves from present to past
events about his father.  (2)
(b) Second person.  The speaker addresses the person present.  (2)
(c) Growth/youthfulness.  (2)
(d) Aging  (2)
10.3 Energetic/ fearless.  He was never worried about where he walked to.  (2)
10.4 Patience/hopeful.  Although it took long for him to get the radio he (2)
requested, he was still excited when he received it. 
10.5 Excitement/ jovial.  The father (when young) is very happy and energetic.  (2)
10.6 Father worked hard to provide for his family.  (1)
10.6 Caring relationship.  They cared for him when he needed them.  (2)
10.7 The person he is addressing is now there with him and he is talking about
current issues.  (1)
10.8 (a) Metaphor.  (1)
(b) The family are desperate to keep the father alive and would drain
themselves of anything, including the air they breathe. (2)
10.9 (a) Sadness/ empathy/resignation/acceptance.  (1)
(b) Sadness/empathy. The speaker is sad to lose the father of the family. 
Resignation/acceptance. The speaker accepts that everything has been
done to save father without success.  (1)
10.10 Yes.
- The speaker is hurt that despite the efforts made to save him, father died.
- Father was a caring and loving person to his family.
- He was a happy child and could have carried this to his adulthood.
No.
- Father had gone through all the stages of growing up and this had to end
somewhere.
- The family did all it could to save him and it was time to go.
- The child was now a grown-up person while the wife was no longer getting
any care from him as he was sick. (3)
5. FORGOTTEN PEOPLE – NKATHAZO KA MNYAYIZA
1. POET’S BACKGROUND
Nkathazo ka Mnyayiza is a South African poet. His work is published in journals nd

anthologies including Staffrider, Ophir, English Alive, The Transatlantic Review, New
Classic an
d the Return of the Amasi Bird.
2. TITLE ANALYSIS
The poem’s title is about abandoned /forgotten people. It speaks to all the black
people who live in extreme poverty and do not know where their next meal will come
from. The people are forgotten because nobody seems to care about their wellbeing.
1 Broken
2 rusty
3 and hanging gates
4 fallen leaves on unswept yards
5 where many dogs stretch out their empty beings
6 and where fowls peck fruitlessly at unwashed dishes
7 I saw him the old man on an old bench seated
8 leaning his old back against the crumbling mud walls
9 thoughts far off man’s reach and sight
10 and like the setting sun
11 he gave way to the dying embers of life
12 and slowly he slouched into bed
13 with dry and an empty stomach

14 to await another empty day or death
Glossary
Rusty – discoloured due to rust
mangy dogs – dogs having skin disease and losing its hair and developing crusty
patches
fowls - poultry
peck – bite/prick
embers - piece of wood that continues to burn after fire has no more flames
slouched – sit in lazy drooping way
Figure 1 mangy dog
Figure 2 Dying embers of fire/life

Figure 3 Slouched old man

3. SUMMARY
This poem describes the extreme poverty and hopelessness of an old man. The poet
saw the old man seated on a bench with his back leaning against crumbling mud
walls. The gate is broken and the dishes not washed. His spirit is broken and his
surroundings neglected. He does not know where his next meal will come from. It
appears he is just waiting for death.
4. STRUCTURE OF THE POEM
- It is a free verse.
- It is written in the first person.
- It has no punctuation
- no rhyme scheme
- no stanzas
- no structure
- Consists of two sections. Use of capital letter shows the division of the poem
First Section – ‘Broken” – gives description of the place the old man lives
Second Section – ‘ I’ –introduces description of how the old man spends his days
5. ANALYSIS
The poem describes the place the old man lives in. The poet starts by giving a
picture of a rusty broken gate. There were leaves around the yard as it was not
swept. The dog looked sick and there were crusty patches on its skin. Unwashed
dishes were lying around. The fowls were looking for something to eat and were
pecking on the dirty dishes. The old man sits on an old bench supporting his back on
the crumbling mud wall. His only company, the mangy dogs and the fowls. He sits
there the whole day and goes to bed hungry. It appears as if he sits there and wait
for his death.
6. THEME
The breakdown of society which is displayed by the failure to take care of the old
man. Nobody bothers to give the old man food or clean his yard.
7. IMAGERY
- broken (line1 ) just like the white government
- The area is not clean, line 4 ‘fallen leaves on unswept yards’
- Pets not taken care of lines 5 and 6 (‘mangy dogs’ (line 5) and ‘fowls pecking dirty
plates fruitlessly for food’ (line 6) – use of ‘fruitlessly’ suggests desperation
- Place falling apart line 8 (‘crumbling mud walls’)
- The poet describes the old man as deep in thought, ‘thoughts far off man’s
reach and sight’ ( line 9)
-The old man’s life is empty and lonely
-The old man is compared to the setting sun, line 10 (‘and like the setting sun’) –
simile
- Metaphor )’he gave way to the dying embers of life’) line 11

- ‘slouched into bed’ line 12. Sign of defeat. The old man has been defeated.
- ‘dry and empty stomach’ line 13. He cannot afford to buy anything
- ‘ to await another empty day of death’ shows that his life is worthless
8. TONE
Solemn
Pensive
Grim
Gloomy
distressing
Mood –depressing, melancholy, sad
Emotions we may feel after reading the poem : empathy, shock, remorse
9. QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
QUESTIONS
(a) Describe the setting of the poem (2)
(b) Which words and images in ‘Forgotten people” suggest that the people, including
the old man are struggling to survive and retain the will to live? (4)
(c) According to you, what led to the ‘crumbling mud walls? (1)
(d) Explain what the poet means by ‘far off man’s reach and sight’ (line 9)
(e) Refer to line 11.

‘he gave way to the dying embers of life’
(i) Identify the figure of speech used in this line. (1)
(ii) Explain what is implied by ‘dying embers of life’. (2)
ANSWERS
(a) The setting of the poem is a neglected home of an old man who lives alone and
does not know where his next meal will come from.√√
(b) The broken gate√
Dirty dishes √
Unswept yard√
Mangy dogs√
(c) Poor workmanship and lack of maintenance√

(d) The old man was thinking of the olden times and his broken dreams
(e) (i) Metaphor √
(ii) Ember is a piece of wood that continues to burn after a fire has died.√
The state of the old man’s life, which was almost at the end is compared to
embers of fire which signify death. √
6. MIRROR – Sylvia Plath (1932 – 1963)
1. POET”S BACKGROUND
Sylvia Plath, pseudonym Victoria Lucas, (born October 27,

1932, Boston, Massachusetts, U.S.—died February 11, 1963, London, England),
American poet whose best-known works, such as the poems “Daddy” and “Lady
Lazarus” and the novel The Bell Jar, starkly express a sense of alienation and self-
destruction closely tied to her personal experiences and, by extension, the situation
of women in mid-20th-century America.
Plath published her first poem at age eight. She entered and won many literary
contests, and, while still in high school, she sold her first poem to The Christian
Science Monitor and her first short story to Seventeen magazine. She entered Smith
College on a scholarship in 1951 and was a cowinner of
the Mademoiselle magazine fiction contest in 1952. At Smith Plath achieved
considerable artistic, academic, and social success, but she also suffered from
severe depression, attempted suicide, and underwent a period of psychiatric
hospitalization. She graduated from Smith with highest honours in 1955 and went on
to Newnham College in Cambridge, England, on a Fulbright fellowship. In 1956 she

married the English poet Ted Hughes; they had two children. The couple separated
in 1962 after Hughes’s affair with another woman.
She is credited with advancing the genre of confessional poetry and is best known
for two of her published collections, The Colossus and Other poems 1960). She died
at the age of 30.
2. TITLE OF THE POEM
Mirror – Represents the central metaphor in the poem
It is a reflection of who you are. Mirror is like society.

1 I am silver and exact. I have no preconceptions.

2 Whatever I see I swallow immediately
3 Just as it is, unmisted by love or dislike.
4 I am not cruel, only truthful ‚
5 The eye of a little god, four-cornered.
6 Most of the time I meditate on the opposite wall.
7 It is pink, with speckles. I have looked at it so long
8 I think it is part of my heart. But it flickers.
9 Faces and darkness separate us over and over.
10 Now I am a lake. A woman bends over me,

11 Searching my reaches for what she really is.
12 Then she turns to those liars, the candles or the moon.
13 I see her back, and reflect it faithfully.
14 She rewards me with tears and an agitation of hands.
15 I am important to her. She comes and goes.
16 Each morning it is her face that replaces the darkness.
17 In me she has drowned a young girl, and in me an old woman
18 Rises toward her day after day, like a terrible fish.
GLOSSARY
Preconception – an idea or opinion formed beforehand
Unmisted – mirror reflects truthfully and impartially
Meditate – think about/consider
Speckles – a small spot or patch of colour
Flickers – light shine unsteadily/glimmer
agitation – state of anxiety/ wringing the hands or clenching the fist
downed – knocked down

3. SUMMARY
The main idea of the poem constitutes the poet’s attempts to tackle issues related to
old age. It is a reflection on what it means to be a woman, uncertain of the future and
haunted by the past. The poem is about time and appearance, although the speaker
is a mirror. The woman feels sad for the loss of her beauty, deluding herself with the
flattering candlelight and moon. The mirror and the lake are personified as they
provide honest reflections and help her to review her state.
4. STRUCTURE OF THE POEM
The poem is written in free verse.
It is written from the point of view of a personified mirror.
5. ANALYSIS
Stanza 1
 The mirror is described as silver and ‘exact’ (line 1) because it shows and
reflects whatever it sees in all its exactness.
 The mirror is described as ‘unmisted’ line 3) because it is clear. This
suggests that the mirror is objective and has no prejudice. The mirror does
not display any bias in determining what it would reflect.
 It does not hide, tone down, twist, or distort what it sees as human beings do.
It is accurate.
 The literal meaning of the mirror being ‘four-cornered (line 5)’ is that it is
rectangular and it has four corners. Its metaphorical meaning is that it can
see everything in this world.
 Therefore like God, the mirror watches us fairly from all four angles. Just as
“the eye” observes everything, so too, nothing escapes the penetrating gaze
of the mirror.
 The mirror declares that it ‘meditate on the opposite wall’ (line 6). This
means that the mirror keeps looking at the wall in a steady gaze like
mediators do while they meditate and reflect upon God.
 The phrase ‘It is pink, with speckles (line 7 refers to the pink wall, with the
passage of time has got discolored here and there.
 It is only when individuals come in-between the wall and itself, or when there
is darkness, that its constant rapport with the wall breaks, making the latter to
‘flicker’ (lines 8-9)
Stanza 2
 An altered view of the mirror is given in this stanza. It is now a lake that
reflects the image of a woman, who ‘bends over’ it to search for something
more than her mere form (line 10).
 As she next turns to ‘the candles or the moon’( line 12) the personified lake
designates them as ‘liars’, thereby emphasizing how, due to diminished light,
both impart flawed reflections.
 However the lake finally receives its reward, when the woman showers it with
‘tears’ and ‘an agitation of hands’ (line 14), thereby suggesting the extent to
which she has been moved by her truthful image.
 The lake is ‘important’ to her, and she continues her habit of seeing herself
daily.
 The last two lines epitomize the poet’s reigning problem – the fact that she’s
aging day by day. Thus, the lake becomes a passive spectator of her
increasing paleness, candidly defining her gradual breakdown from youth to
old age. Her rusty form as such resembles a ‘terrible fish’.
6. THEME: The theme of this poem is self-reflection. The woman in the poem looks
to the mirror in an effort to find out who she really is, however the mirror only reflects
her exact image.
7. IMAGERY/SYMBOLS: Metaphors and personification have been explored in the

poem. The mirror itself serves as a metaphor for self-reflection and self perception.
The poet’s preoccupation with the notion of a divided self or the projection of two
selves, the true self and an imposed version of self reflected through the mirror,
moon, the male gaze, and finally the view of the patriarchal society.
8. SYMBOLS: Mirror symbolizes perception. The mirror is the poem’s speaker,

main character, provider of the woman’s reflection and metaphor through which the
poet contemplates aging and identity. On one hand, the mirror functions as a
medium for objectivity, when one looks in the mirror, what they see is what they are.
Lake symbolizes parts of a non-human world that is indifferent to human feelings,

and thus cruel.
Water imagery in the second stanza since it provides the same reflective qualities as
the mirror, but also suggests depth, coldness, the unknown, and the threat of death
by drowning.
9. TONE: The tone is casually detached.
TEST YOUR KNOWLEDGE:
1. Who is the “I” referred to in line 1 ?

2. Fill in the missing word. The mirror is ………. In colour.
3. What is the theme of the poem ?
4. Identify the figure of speech used in line 2 and explain its effectiveness in the
context of the poem.
5. What do you think the “terrible fish” in the last line symbolizes?
6. Why has mirror been depicted as unmisted ?
ANSWERS:
1. The speaker/ the mirror which is personified.

2. Silver.
3. The theme is mainly about aging.
4. Personification. To emphasise that the mirror does not waste time in
reflecting the object before it.
5. The terrible fish symbolizes old age.
6. As it shows whatever comes in front of it clearly and unchanged.
7. The call: Baderoon Gabeba

About the poet
Baderoon Gabeba (1969-)
Born in Port Elizabeth and grew up in Cape Town.
She studied in Cape Town, Sheffield and Pennsylvania
Wrote The dream in the next body, The Museum of Ordinary Life and a Hundred
Silences
In addition to being a poet she is a writer on art and culture
The call
1 The sound of the phone

from my flatmate’s room catches
me on the landing halfway
down the stairs, my palm on the handle
5 not enough to still
the impetus of the suitcase. It takes ‘impetus’ -force
a bruise on my thigh to stop it
From the box of things to give away
-signs I was once here-
10 I grab my phone, plug it in the passage, and sit
On the stack of phonebooks against the wall. ‘ phonebooks’- telephone
directories
Hallo, Mama, I answer.
I am leaving for a new place,

Each further from where I started.
15 Across the seven-hour time difference I fear
I will never see her again.
I want to say out loud I am losing a centre to which I can return,
But do not.
She speaks too in a way flattened

20 By what is not said, coming only so close
To the parting between between us by telling me
to leave safely.
source google.com
The title of the poem
The call has two meanings, literal and figurative.
The speaker in a literal sense receives a call from her mother. Figuratively a ‘call’ or
‘calling’ can refer to something we feel we must or should do. The title is about a
story around a phone call.
Summary
The mother calls the speaker as she is about to leave the flat she has occupied with
a friend to move somewhere else, it’s a distance away. She stops to receive the call
and it appears that it’s her mother who lives far away from her in another country.
The conversation between her and the mother is not detailed, however it’s
unpleasant and makes her uncomfortable.
Structure
This is a narrative poem, it tells the story from the beginning to the end. The poem is
typically told by one speaker. The young woman is the first character and the mother
is the second character.
Analysis
Stanza 1
The speaker (young woman) is about to leave her flat and is half way down the stairs
on her way out and hears a phone ringing in another room. She has packed
everything in her suitcase and puts it down bruising herself in the process. The
suitcase is heavy as it’s full of her stuff. She reaches for her old telephone handset
and plugs it into the wall socket to take her mother’s call. Sitting down on ‘the stack
of phonebooks’ (telephone directories) the speaker greets her mother, ‘Hallo, Mama’.
Stanza 2
The speaker informs her mother that she is leaving for another place that is farther
away. It comes to her mind that she might not see her mother again,’ I fear
I will never see her again’. Though the speaker would like to tell her mother that she
might return in the future she doesn’t bring herself to.
Stanza 3
The mother is so disappointed by the news of the possibility of her daughter not
coming home soon that she speaks in a ‘flattened’ tone. The mother doesn’t enquire
much about her daughter traveling to another place but reconciles herself with the
possibility that she might not also see her daughter again. The poems ends with the
mother being emotional and can only tell her daughter to travel safely, ‘… the parting
between between us by telling me to leave safely’.
Theme
Emotional distance: This is created by the distance between the mother and the
daughter.
Migration: The young woman moves from one place to another perhaps in search of
greener pastures.
Mood and Tone

Feeling of sadness and loss
Symbol
a. Suitcase: A symbol of traveling
Questions
1. What type of poem is The call? (1)

2. Explain the literal and figurative meaning of the poem? (2)
3. What is the mood of the poem? Mention two things. (2)
4. How do you know that this is not the first time the speaker is moving to
another place? Quote from stanza 2 to support your answer. (2)
5. Why does the speaker think she will never see her mother again? (2)
6. Why did the mother’s tone become flattened? (1)
7. What is the meaning of impetus of the suitcase? (1)
8. How does the speaker want to be remembered that she once stayed
at the flat? (2)
Answers
1. A narrative poem (1)

2. The literal meaning refers to the speaker receiving a call from her mother.
Figuratively a ‘call’ or ‘calling’ can refer to something we feel we must or
should do. (2)
3. Sadness and loss (2)
4. ‘Each further from where I started’. (2)
5. She is probably old and moving farther away means it will be more difficult to
visit her. (2)
6. She was emotional emotions/she was disappointed. (1)
7. The force
(1)
8. She had a box of things to give away. (2)
9. The Chosen Ones: Christopher Van Wyk
About the poet
Van Wyk was born in Johannesburg in 1957 and died 2014, age 57.
He was a co-founder of the journal Wietie and edited Staffridel magazine.
His poetry collection is called It’s Time to Go Home.
He published non-fiction, essays and criticisms.

The poet also published biographies on liberation figures like Nelson Mandela,
Desmond Dudu and Chris Hani.
The Chosen Ones

1. Some people
it seems
have to carry
their crosses
5. for the rest
of their lives.
Others think
they can get away
with it
10. simply by
throwing their
into ballot boxes
Ballot Box source google.com
The title of the poem
The title of the poem is sarcastic in the sense that the speaker makes a powerful and
stinging comment on the nature of politics during apartheid period.
Summary
The poem describes how some people had to suffer by carrying their crosses while
others did not have to and had a good life.
Structure
This is a satirical poem, the poet uses sarcasm to criticise or ridicule the political
system of the time. It’s a short and simple poem comprising of two stanzas.
Analysis
Stanza 1
The first stanza bears testimony to the simple statement of truth that some people
have to bear and endure suffering for the rest of their lives, ‘Some people it seems
have to carry their crosses for the rest of their lives’. Only those who did not vote had
to suffer the injustice of the apartheid regime.
Stanza 2
The second stanza introduces a contrast by stating that others think they can avoid
the suffering by making use of a vote, ‘Others think they can get away with it simply
by throwing theirs into ballot boxes’. Casting votes into the ballot box gave others the
impression that the protection of their livelihood was guaranteed.
Theme
Injustice: Unjust treatment of blacks by denying them the right to vote.

Oppression: Oppression of black by white people
Language
The speaker employs simple language to put the message across.
Pun: The ‘cross’, the first meaning refers to the mark that people make when they
vote.
The second one suggests a Biblical cross.
Tone
Sarcastic: The Chosen Ones are not really chosen, the ruling minority was not
chosen by anyone to oppress others.
Critical: The speaker is critical of apartheid system.
Symbol
Cross: Symbolises christianity
Questions
1. A satirical poem is _____. (1)
(a) a poem of fourteen lines
(b) a poem that is written for children
(c) a poem that is intended to criticise
2. Two groups of people are mentioned, "some" and "others". Who are "some", and
who
are "others"?
Remember that this poem was written during the apartheid years.
(2)
3. What is a ballot box?

(2)
4. What is the Biblical meaning of carrying the cross?
(2)
5. What kind of cross is mentioned in the poem?
(1)
6. Explain the phrase ‘can get away with it’.
(2)
7. Why has the poet used the title The Chosen One?
(2)
8. What is ‘theirs’ in line 11 referring to?
(1)
Answers
1. (c) A poem that is intended to criticise

(1)
2. Some refers to black people and others white
(2)
3. It’s a sealed box that voters put ballot papers into.
(2)
4. Showing love to others and setting time aside to spend with God/
Living the life that imitates Christ
(2)
5. The voting cross
(1)
6. Doing something wrong or risky and not have to suffer the consequences.
(2)
7. Because White people thought that they were special and chosen.
(2)
8. White votes
(1)

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POEM POET Date of administration

2. Composed upon William Wordsworth

4. For my father Shabbir Bannobhai

This guide was developed by English Specialists with a view of improving

1. A Sleeping Black Boy – Mongane Wally Serote

ABOUT THE POET

(Picture adapted from https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.poetryfoundation.org)

A SLEEPING BLACK BOY

face deep into the green grass

the dirt screams from his flesh like a rotten smell

he is pinned down by the throbbing footsteps passing by

roaring steel river;

and the eyes of adults passing by 10

dart around like bubbles of boiling water –

this small boy will die one day

his lips stuck together, glued by the glue he smokes.

STRUCTURE OF THE POEM

Word Part of Speech Meaning

IMAGERY/ DICTION/FIGURATIVE LANGUAGE/FIGURES OF SPEECH

TONE AND MOOD

TEST YOUR KNOWLEDGE

1. A lullaby is a song sung to help babies/children fall asleep. √

13. a) Contrast and contradiction √

Department of Education. 2019. English First Additional Language Grade 11 Literature

Digitalskillet. (2014) iStock. Available at: https://www.istockphoto.com/photo/teenage-

Mwelu Julius. (2007) IRIN Available at:

Poetry Foundation. (2012) Poetry Foundation. Available at:

Roman S. (2012) iStock. Available at: https://www.pexels.com/photo/people-walking-

2. Composed upon Westminster Bridge

Background information about the poet: William Wordsworth.

William Wordsworth (1770-1850). Born and educated at Cockermouth, in

Composed upon Westminster Bridge, September 3, 1802

Earth has not anything to show more fair:

Dull would he be of soul who could pass by

A sight so touching in its majesty;

This City now doth, like a garment, wear

The beauty of the morning; silent, bare, 5

Ships, towers, domes, theatres, and temples lie

Open unto the fields, and to the sky;

All bright and glittering in the smokeless air.

Never did sun more beautifully steep

In his first splendour, valley,rock, or hill; 10

Ne’er saw I, never felt, a calm so deep!

The river glide than his own sweet will:

Dear God! The very houses seem asleep;

And all that mighty heart is lying still!

Summary of the poem.

In Composed upon Westminster bridge, September 3, 1802, the speaker describes a

It is a sonnet as it consists of 14 lines. Petrarchan/ Italian sonnet.

The rhyme scheme is abba abba cdc dcd.

Analysis of the poem:

Theme: Nature and man-made structures complimenting each other’s beauty.

Tone: The tone of the whole poem: Relaxed and calm.

QUESTIONS FOR PRACTICE PURPOSES:

1. It is a sonnet which consists of 14 lines.

3. For Billie Holiday by Keorapetse Kgositsile

1. About the Author

Keorapetse William Kgositsile was a South African poet of