Cycle test 2 Flashcards
(herb garden)who is the speaker?
Stephen Gray.
(herb garden)what is the theme of this poem?
The writer’s relationship with his mother and his feelings towards her.
(herb garden)Describe the diction.
The diction in this poem is deliberately and meticulously chosen and is steeped with emotion, meaning and connotation.
(herb garden)who is the audience?
South Africans.
(release)what does the imagery in lines 16-19 suggest about the poem?
The image of the Table Mountain, struck by lightning and on fire, in the days before
Mandela’s release suggests some prophetic significance.Although the heavens
didn’t fall, the speaker is looking for an omen, which indicates that the ‘we’ anticipate
the enormity of Mandela’s release with some anxiety.
(release)how does the structure of lines 25-33 enhance the meaning of these lines?
The repetition that is evident in lines 25 and 33 frames this stanza and works as a
way of conveying certainty, calm and reassurance. The line in the middle is indented,
depicting the only members of the crowd who would be considered ‘out of place’. It
also draws attention to the fact that even they are in harmony, and affirms the
importance of the event, despite standing out from the crowd by being armed.
(stealing)describe the structure of the poem.
There is a distinct lack of structure in the poem and this reflects the unstructured, chaotic mind of the poetic voice/protagonist. It is written in free verse and irregular rhyme. She wants her life to be structured and have order and meaning.
(stealing)mention the themes in the poem.
Themes of impotence of action, class resentment and the consequent juvenile delinquency are also present throughout the poem.
(stealing)describe the tone.
the tone of the poem can either be seen as aggressive and immature or profoundly unhappy, trying to reach out to tell a message.
(the discardment)Discuss the ways in which the poem ‘The Discardment’ can be seen as
Protest Poetry.
The Discardment can be regarded as Protest Poetry as it highlights the
degrading effect apartheid had on black South Africans. In the poem, a
discardment (a used item of no value) is given from a wealthy white person to
an obviously poor, black servant woman. Her exaggerated reaction of
jubilance to the reception of this “gift”, comments on the poverty and the loss
of dignity black South Africans experienced as a result of apartheid.
(the discardment)Write down two things we know from the poem about her appearance. Quote
to prove your answer.
Her eyes are sparkling or filled with tears of joy (“Her eyes shone”) and she is
overweight (“the great bulk of her pirouetted”).
(the discardment)Whose opinion do we get in lines 2 & 3?
The opinion of the person or people giving the discardment.
(the discardment)Summarise the last six lines in your own words.
The woman is enormously grateful to receive the worthless “gift” and feels
indebted to the giver. Consequently, the giver is made aware of the terrible
poverty in which the woman must live, as the item he gave her held almost no
value.
