Cockroaches Flashcards
(25 cards)
Poem Title & Author
“Cockroach” by Norman Clothier
Central Theme 1
Social inequality and poverty in a South African context. The cockroach symbolises the downtrodden.
Central Theme 2
The resilience and adaptability of those living in harsh conditions.
Central Theme 3
The contrast between human comfort/disgust and the insect’s struggle for survival.
Poetic Form & Structure
Free verse. No strict rhyme scheme or meter, allowing for a conversational and observational tone. The poem is typically one continuous stanza.
Speaker & Point of View
First-person speaker (“I”) observing a cockroach, reflecting on its existence and drawing parallels to human life.
Tone (Overall)
Initially one of disgust/aversion, but gradually shifting to contemplative, empathetic, and slightly ironic as the speaker observes the cockroach’s resilience.
Literary Device: Symbolism (The Cockroach)
Represents the poor, marginalized, and disenfranchised people forced to survive in difficult urban environments.
Literary Device: Imagery (Sensory)
Visual (“black, shiny,” “split shell”), tactile (“slippery,” “crushable”), auditory (“scuttling”), and even olfactory (implied squalor).
Literary Device: Personification
The cockroach is given human-like qualities: “its antennae twitching,” “its legs moving,” “its face upturned” (implied determination/vulnerability).
Contrast
Contrast between the comfortable “man in the house” and the cockroach’s struggle; also between disgust and reluctant admiration.
“black, shiny, scuttling, abhorrent thing” (line 1) – Analysis
Establishes the initial disgust and common perception of the cockroach, setting up the shift in perspective.
“creeping from the kitchens of the poor” (line 3) – Analysis
Immediately links the cockroach to poverty and the lower strata of society.
“its antennae twitching at the smells of food” (line 4) – Analysis
Shows its basic instinct for survival and the constant search for sustenance.
“a quick boot from the man in the house” (line 6) – Analysis
Represents the casual violence and indifference of the privileged towards the less fortunate.
“too quick to catch, too ugly to admire” (line 7) – Analysis
Reinforces the idea of its survival instincts and the speaker’s initial negative perception.
The “split shell” (line 11) – Analysis
Suggests past trauma or damage, yet it continues to survive, highlighting its resilience.
“a sort of triumph in its lack of shame” (line 12) – Analysis
The speaker begins to admire its raw, unpretentious determination to live, regardless of its “ugly” appearance or status.
“it asks no quarter, gives none” (line 13) – Analysis
Emphasizes its harsh, independent existence; it neither expects mercy nor offers it, solely focused on survival.
How does the speaker’s attitude towards the cockroach change?
Moves from initial revulsion and a desire to kill it, to a grudging respect and even admiration for its toughness and spirit.
The poem’s implied social commentary
It critiques the harsh realities of poverty and inequality in South Africa, where survival often means living on the fringes and being overlooked or despised.
How does the cockroach survive?
Through its speed (“too quick”), adaptability, and sheer persistence, often in the shadows.
Clothier’s context (briefly)
A South African poet (born 1928), his work often engages with the realities of life in the country, including social issues and the lives of ordinary people.
The poem’s message about human perception
Challenges readers to look beyond superficial disgust and consider the inherent dignity and resilience in all forms of life, especially those struggling at the bottom of society.
