AT A FUNERAL

BY

Dennis Brutus
POEM & ACTIVITIES
 AT A FUNERAL
Welcome
In this pack you will find what you need to successfully teach or study
the poem 'At a Funeral' by Dennis Brutus.

Please don't hesitate to contact me with feedback on how your

preparations are going.

Included in this pack...

Blank student copies for students to annotate
An annotated version of the poem
A pre-reading activity on Dennis Brutus.
Worksheets on important themes in the poem.
A TP-CASTT analysis worksheet.
A PowerPoint slideshow to present a line-by-line analysis in
your class.
Post-reading activities

Suggestion:
Collaboration and communication are important skills for
21st-century students to master. Why not assign the
worksheets as a group activity?
Divide the class into groups of 3 students.
Each group member selects a theme to work on.
New groups form according to the themes they have selected.
Groups complete the worksheet on their given theme.
Once the worksheet is complete they return to their original
groups where they will give feedback as 'experts' on the
theme.
 AT A FUNERAL
Dennis Brutus

1. Black, green and gold at sunset: pageantry

2. And stubbled graves: expectant, of eternity,

3. In bride’s-white, nun’s-white veils the nurses gush their bounty

4. Of red-wine cloaks, frothing the bugled dirging slopes

5. Salute! "Then ponder all this hollow panoply

6. For one whose gifts the mud devours, with our hopes.

7. Oh all you frustrate ones, powers tombed in dirt,

8. Aborted, not by Death but carrion books of birth

9. Arise! The brassy shout of freedom stirs our earth;

10. Not death but death’s-head tyranny scythes our ground

11. And plots our narrow cells of pain defeat and dearth:

12. Better that we should die, than that we should lie down
 indefinite article - impersonal tone
Tone:

AT A FUNERAL
Themes: Contemplative
Fighting oppression Melancholic
brevity of life Anger
Aborted hope + wasted Dismay
potential
Dennis Brutus Frustration

(For Valencia Majombozi, who died shortly after qualifying as a doctor.)

Reference to a specific person - personal tone.
Colours have multiple meanings:
1. black = mourning, green = growth / hope, gold = wealth / prosperity
2. Political connotation = colours of the opposition party (ANC)
elaborate display - suggests it is just for show.
end of day + end of life
Also suggests formality + rituals - a funeral is a
1. Black, green and gold at sunset: pageantry A culturally prescribed event.
unkempt / cut ends of stalks
Personification: The graves are anticipating. Suggests that
- graves were neglected the graves are not only markers of the end of life, but also
2. And stubbled graves : expectant, of eternity, A sites of hope and promise. The dead are transformed from
mortal beings (temporary) to something more eternal.
Associations to a bride = implies innocence, purity + new life
flow rapidly generosity The nurses are depicted as having
power, bestowing their gifts on
3. In bride’s-white, nun’s-white veils the nurses gush their bounty A the deceased.
Nurses from the hospital attended the funeral music from a bugle- suggests it is
wearing cloaks, lined with bright red. a military funeral Personification - slopes (and the land)
4. Of red-wine cloaks, frothing the bugled dirging slopes B are also mourning.
imperative verbs - asks the reader to think about the implications dirge - funeral song
To honour think empty display = insincere Metaphor: The superficial aspects of the funeral
5. Salute! "Then ponder all this hollow panoply A are compared to empty armour/weaponry -
suggests they are meaningless.
Things (abilities) the deceased gave the loss of the person has also
to the world during their life taken away hopes + dreams
6. For one whose gifts the mud devours, with our hopes. B
Metaphor/personification: The mud in the graveyard is compared to a mouth that eats the
deceased and all the hopes and dreams associated with them greedily.
buried - associated with restriction, like they are trapped

Apostrophe: The speaker addresses the dead directly.

those who have been denied the power and recognition deserved Hyperbole: Magnifies the loss of potential and life of
7. Oh all you frustrate ones, powers tombed in dirt, C the deceased. Suggests that their power has been
buried and wasted.
metaphor: their potential has been taken away
by something other than death.
deliberate ending Personified rotting flesh metaphor: Records (passbooks) have been discarded like
8. Aborted, not by Death but carrion books of birth C the remains of a dead animal + their potential with it.
imperative verb = emphasises the urgency Call to action - addresses injustice and
resembles sound of brass instrument oppression. Urges them to rise up and
9. Arise! The brassy shout of freedom stirs our earth; C reclaim their power and dignity.
metaphor: Oppression is the real cause of death + destruction. It destroys potential like a scythe cuts down crops.
human skull = mortality cut down violently Reference to tyranny faced by non-
10. Not death but death’s-head tyranny scythes our ground D whites due to the Apartheid government.
Consequences of oppression - Oppression restricts
individuals. Causes them to suffer. = Lack of prosperity.
lack of something
11. And plots our narrow cells of pain defeat and dearth: C
prison = restriction
1st person pronoun - speaker identifies with the struggle
surrender/submit
12. Better that we should die, than that we should lie down D Antithesis: Contrasts the idea of lying down in
defeat with the idea of dying. Suggests that death
is preferable to being defeated and opPressed.
The poem is about the funeral of Valencia Majombozi, an African woman who became a doctor after her parents
made sacrifices for her education. Her funeral is used as a symbol for the larger problem of oppression faced by the
black community in South Africa. The funeral is described as a hollow pageant, emphasizing the wasted potential
and sacrifice of Valencia's life and the lives of many others. The speaker uses the occasion to renew his
commitment to fighting against oppression and encourages others to resist. The speaker ultimately argues that
death is preferable to yielding to defeat and poverty caused by oppression.
 Timeline Photos Friends

DENNIS BRUTUS
Insert Picture Here

Famous quote...

INTERESTING FACTS TIMELINE

DATE:

DATE:

DATE:

DATE:
Summarise this theme in your own words...

What comment is the poet making about

life/society?

Key Quotes & Line References related

to this theme

How does this theme relate to your own

life?

Write a question which you still have about this theme, as it relates to the poem.
Summarise this theme in your own words...

What comment is the poet making about

life/society?

Key Quotes & Line References related

to this theme

How does this theme relate to your own

life?

Write a question which you still have about this theme, as it relates to the poem.
Summarise this theme in your own words...

What comment is the poet making about

life/society?

Key Quotes & Line References related

to this theme

How does this theme relate to your own

life?

Write a question which you still have about this theme, as it relates to the poem.
T itle
What doe the words of the title suggest?
Make a prediction about the topic.
P araphrasing
Paraphrase each stanza, describe
the literal translation of the poem.

C A
onotative Language uthor's Attitude
Look at: Diction, figurative language,
What is the tone of the poem?
symbolism, allusion, imagery, point of view,
sound devices.

S T
hift in Attitude
Where do the shifts occur? Look at: transition itle
words and conjunctions, punctuation, stanza Take another look at the title after all your
divisions, changes in length, rhythm, diction . analysis. What doe think the title means?

T heme
What statement about life is the poet making?
What idea does the poet want you to take away?
AT A FUNERAL

Dennis Brutus
T itle
What doe the words of the title suggest?
Make a prediction about the topic.
P araphrasing
Paraphrase each stanza, describe the
literal translation of the poem.
The speaker reflects on the funeral ceremony of a
young woman and sees it as a symbol of oppression in
South Africa. They are controlled by a pass book that
Student's own response. regulates their movement and even their burial. The
speaker sees the funeral as a hollow pageant and a
reminder of lost hopes and dreams. He calls for
resistance to the oppression that smothers the lives of
the oppressed and states that death is a better fate
than yielding to defeat and poverty.

C onotative Language
Look at: Diction, figurative language, symbolism,
allusion, imagery, point of view, sound devices.
Ln 2: Personification: The graves are anticipating. Suggests that the
graves are not only markers of the end of life, but also sites of hope A uthor's Attitude
What is the tone of the poem?

and promise. The tone of is a mix of sadness and contemplation, with

Ln 5: Metaphor: The superficial aspects of the funeral are compared to
empty armour/weaponry - suggests they are meaningless. a touch of defiance. The speaker reflects on the
Ln 6: Metaphor/personification: The mud in the graveyard is compared to contrast between the grandeur of the funeral ceremony
a mouth that eats the deceased and all the hopes and dreams and the inevitability of death, creating a sense of loss
associated with them greedily. and sorrow. The speaker also highlights the waste of
Ln 7: metaphor: their potential has been taken away by something other
than death. potential and the oppression of life, contributing to the
metaphor: Records (passbooks) have been discarded like the remains of melancholic tone. At the same time, the speaker
a dead animal + their potential with it. suggests that it is better to die fighting than to yield to
Ln 10: metaphor: Oppression is the real cause of death + destruction. It
destroys potential like a scythe cuts down crops. defeat.

S
hift in Attitude
Where do the shifts occur? Look at: transition
words and conjunctions, punctuation, stanza
divisions, changes in length, rhythm, diction .

The poem opens with a tone of melancholy as the

T itle
Take another look at the title after all your
analysis. What doe think the title means?
The title is significant in its paradox. It is very
impersonal by using the indefinite article 'a'. This can
indicate the essence of the problem that is being
speaker reflects on the funeral and wasted potential.
addressed. There is no sincerity in the display at the
There is a shift in tone to defiance in the 2nd stanza
funeral. It becomes contradictory however when the
when the speaker suggests it is better to die than lie
very personal background of the poem is taken into
down in defeat.
consideration. For the ruling government the deceased
Towards the end of the poem the tone becomes more
might have been insignificant, but to the oppressed
urgent and passionate as the speaker includes a call to
community she represented collective hopes and
action to rise up against the oppression.
dreams.

T heme
What statement about life is the poet making?
What idea does the poet want you to take away?

The brevity of life: The contrast between the pageantry of

the funeral and the finality of death highlights the fleeting
nature of life and the ultimate end that awaits us all.
AT A FUNERAL
Fighting oppression: The speaker suggests that it is better
to die than to simply lie down in defeat. This implies a
resistance to oppression and a call to stand up for one's
beliefs and rights.
Dennis Brutus
Wasted: The speaker suggests that the deceased's
potential has been buried and wasted, adding to the
melancholic tone of the poem.
 AT A FUNERAL
Post-reading Activities
Socratic Seminar: Hold a Socratic seminar where students
discuss the poem's central themes and questions in a structured
and moderated format. Students can ask each other questions
and engage in a dialogue to deepen their understanding of the
text.

Writing Assignment: Have students write a response to the

poem, reflecting on its themes and how they relate to their own
experiences. Encourage students to consider the speaker's
attitude towards death, the meaninglessness of ceremony, and
the importance of standing up against oppression.

Art Project: Have students create an art project inspired by the

poem, reflecting on its themes and tone. Encourage students to
use their creativity to express their thoughts and feelings about
the poem and its central ideas.

Creative Writing: Have students write a creative response to the

poem, taking on the perspective of the speaker or creating their
own story inspired by the themes of the poem. Encourage
students to use vivid imagery, figurative language, and emotional
appeal in their writing.

Playwriting: Have students write and perform a short play

inspired by the poem, exploring the themes of death, ceremony,
and oppression. Encourage students to collaborate and use their
creativity to bring the poem to life on stage.
 AT A FUNERAL
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egards
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Mrs B