english literature poems guide

7/23/2019 English Literature Poems Guide

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English B Poems

1. Dreaming Black Boy

Literal Meaning

The poem is about a black boy who wishes that he could have the regular things in life. Things

such as a congratulatory hug, to be educated to the highest level and to level without harassment.

The persona yearns to stop fighting for the basic right to be successful as well as to suffering.

Literary Devices

Repetition

The constant repetition of the phrase ‘ wish! points to a yearning, desperation even, for the basic

thing that life has to offer. The repetition gives credence to the idea that the persona might

believe that his wishes are actually dreams that might not come true.

Allusion

• "tan#a 1, lines $ and %, alludes to slavery, the state of lacking control over one!s own life

and destiny. The fact that reference is made to this hint to how the persona feels about his

life. &e does that feel as if he has control over it.

• "tan#a ', lines 1( to )*, alludes to +aul obeson, a black intellectual, who attained

success despite difficult circumstances. The persona yearns to be like this person. &e

wants room to stretch intellectually.

• "tan#a -, lines )) to ), alludes to the /lu /lu0 /lan. Burning light refers to the burning

crosses and the pyamas allude to their white outfits that look like pyamas. The persona

wants them to leave him alone, find something else to do other than make his life

difficult, as well as contributing to his remaining a dream.

Important Words and Phrases

• 2not sink to lick boots34 This refers to the concept of being subservient. To have no

choice but to kowtow to people in order to get ahead.

• 2nside eye a sun

This refers to the person!s mind. &e wants to show how intelligent he is without fear. &e wantshis mind to be the sun. "un represents light and brightness and this is how he wants his

intelligence to shine.

Tone



The tone of the poem is one of sadness. The persona is thinking about how he is treated and he

reacts to this in a sad way. &e keeps wishing that things were different.

Themes

acism, survival, oppression, desire5dreams

Once Upon A Time• 67nce 8pon a Time6, was written by 9abriel 7kara, who is a :igerian poet. &e often

e0plains what happens when a traditional ;frican culture meets the forces of the <estern

way of life. think the poem was written to outline the fake personalities of many people

and to try and get them to return to a natural and innocent state.

• The poem tells of the conversation between what seems to be a father and son, where the

father wants to learn from his son how to go back to normality and no longer be fake. The poem 67nce 8pon ; Time6 starts by the father telling his son how the people, or 6they6,

6used to laugh with their hearts6. think that the word 6they6 refers to western people who

are white. ;lso this description in the poem gives the impression of genuine emotion

given off by the people.

• &e then moves on to say that now they only, 6laugh with their teeth, while their ice4block

cold eyes search behind his shadow6. This gives off very negative, fake and false feelings

and it is a very cold description. This affects the tone of the poem that now becomes

sinister and bitter.

• The first three "tan#as of the poem 67nce 8pon ; Time6 have the same structure. They

start by telling the past and e0plaining how things used to be, but then they tell the

negative reality. think this is used to compare the times and introduce the reader to the

situation.

• "tan#a four presents the adaptations and solutions that the man has found to counter the

problems. t starts by saying that the man has, 6learned many things6, already suggesting

that he has changed to fit in.

Poem Stanza Five: Learned to Laugh With Only His Teeth.

"tan#a five of the poem tells of the fake attributes to go along with the fake looks. t also repeats

some of the acts that were mentioned earlier in the poem. epetition seems to be a key techni=ue

in this poem. &e says that he has also, 6learned to laugh with only his teeth6 and 6shakes hands



without his heart6. This suggests that he has copied the western ways as this is what they did

earlier in the poem. &e then goes even further by saying he has learned to say, 69oodbye6 when

he means, 69ood4riddance6 and 69lad to meet you, without being glad6. think that the man isashamed of himself and is confessing to his son how far the fake attitudes have developed, he

seems to hate what he has done. "tan#a si0 and seven then show the man showing his regret as

he says, > want to be what used to be when was like you>, showing that he wants to be honestand truthful again.

My Laugh in the Mirror Shos Only My Teeth! Li"e a Sna"e#s $are Fangs#.

&e then calls his new personality muting which suggests he thinks they are boring and have no

e0pression. t is as though he can no longer find his own voice to e0press what he really thinks

and feels. &e then says he wants to, 6relearn how to laugh, for my laugh in the mirror shows only

my teeth, like a snake6s bare fangs6. This gives off negative feelings as a snake is seen to be

poisonous and not to be trusted? a symbol of deceitfulness and treachery from the bible. think

this is a very good description as it really makes the reader realise that the man loathes himself.

The final "tan#a, number seven, shows the man asking his son, 6how to laugh. "how me how

used to laugh and smile, once upon a time, when was like you6. This shows the man6s true regret

and he realises his fakeness and problems. ;n ironic and hopeful ending as he wants to learn

from his son how to be what he used to be.

The Woman Speaks to the Man who has Employed her Son

Literal meaning

The persona in this poem is telling the story of a mother who loved her son. The mother became

aware of the child!s presence when she e0perienced morning sickness. "he placed all her hopesin this child and raised him as a single parent because his father was indifferent to the child!s

e0istence. The mother had set no barriers on what the child could become, but this is told that he

has an employer who value him so much that he is given his own submarine gun. The son tells

his mother that his employer is like a father to him, but the mother wonders at the father figure

who purposely endangers his child. "he prepares for her son!s death by going downtown to buy

funeral apparel. The mother feels powerless, so she prays for her child and says protective

psalms for him. 7n the other hand, she reads psalms of retribution for the employer and weeps

for her son. &er situation does not look good and is likened to a partner system in which she

draws both the first and last hand.

e!ices



I%O&' @situationalAThe son innocently tells his mother that his employer values him so much

that he gave him a whole submachine gun for himself. The irony in this situation is that if you

really care about someone, you do :7T give them a gun due to the negative results that are

bound to occur.

(LL)SIO& @biblicalA

Lines )4)(C This line alludes to a particular verse in the hristian Bible, Luke 11 vs 11. The

verse =uestions what the actions of a good father should be.

Line -(C ;bsalom is the son of David, in the hristian Bible. ;bsalom betrayed his father, which

implies that the mother feels betrayed by her son because she has placed all her hopes in him.

Lines '4'(C +salms is a particular chapter in the hristian Bible. n this chapter there are verses

for protection, the mother uses those for her son, as well as verses for retribution and rebuking. t

is implied that the mother chooses those for the employer.

IMPO%T(&T WO%*S+ PH%(S,S

. 6a need to cry for little reasons and a metallic tide rising in her mouth each morning.6

These two symptoms are early signs of pregnancy. The metallic tide refers to vomiting. These

signs usually occur in the first trimester of pregnancy.

$. 6full term6

This means that the mother carried her son for the full nine months that a pregnancy should last.

%. 6tight up under her heart6

This hints at the love that the mother harbours for her child. &e was not simply 6close to heart6,

but 6tight up6 under it. t implies that the son holds a special place in her heart.

. 6set no ceiling6

; ceiling is something that blocks you in, you cannot get past it. The mother set no limits on her

son, he could be anything he wanted to be.

(. 6his bloody salary6

This implies that the mother believes that the result of the son6s 6ob6 will be death.

6the level of earth6



The mother has no power to change her son6s situation. Earth is used to emphasi#e her

powerlessness on this level, the realm of 6reality6.

11. 6knee city6

This refers to the fact that the mother constantly prayed for her child.

1). 6eye water covers you6

This implies that the mother cried constantly for the plight of her son. The fact that it 6covers her6

speaks to the high =uantity of tears that were shed.

6her draw though is first and last for she still throwing two hands as mother and father6.

This statement implies that though the mother has the advantage of first draw as mother, she

loses that advantage because she also has the role of father. Fothers cannot father sons. The fact

that the son has found a father figure proves this to be true. Therefore, she has the last draw,

which carries with it the disadvantage of not receiving a full 6draw6. The longer one waits for a

draw is the most likely that dishonesty will come into play on the part of the participants

MOO*+ (TMOSPH,%,

The mood of the poem is reflective. The persona is thinking about a mother6s response to her

son6s life choices.

TO&,

The tone of the poem is pragmatic and pessimistic. The persona is telling the tale as it is, with no

positive energy.

Theme for English B 4

english literature poems guide

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