English FIRSt ADDITIONAL language

Grade 12

literatureStudy guide

INDEXDrama: My children, My Africa

Poetry:

1. Sonnet 18 William Shakespeare2. Everything has changed Mzi Mahola3. Spring Gerard M Hopkins4. Poem Barolong Seboni5. Mid-term break Seamus Heany6. To learn how to speak Jeremy Cronin7. Still I rise Maya Angelou8. Captive Francis Carey Slater9. Death Anonymous 10. Alexandra Mongane W Serote

DRAMA: My children! My Africa!QUESTION 3:

Question 3.1:

Read the following extract and answer the set questions on both:

EXTRACT 1 (Act 1 Scene 5)

THAMI: What happened to the statue? 1

ISABEL: You mean how it was toppled?….MR M: They are not our statues, Thami! Wouldn’t it be better for us to rather put our energies into erecting a few of our own? We’ve also got heroes, you know.

THAMI: Like who, Mr M? Nelson Mandela? [Shaking his head with disbelief] Hey! They 5 would pull that statue down so fast …

MR M: [Cutting him] In which case they would be just as guilty of gross vandalism … because that is what it will be, regardless of who does it to whom. Destroying somebody else’s property is inexcusable behaviour.

No, Thami. As one of the People you claim to be acting for, I raise my hand in protest. Pleas 10 don’t pull down any statues on my behalf. Don’t use me as an excuse for an act of lawlessness. If you want to do something ‘revolutionary’ for me let us sit down and discuss it, because have a few constructive alternatives I would like to suggest. Do I make myself clear?

THAMI: Yes, teacher.

MR M: Good. I’m glad we understand each other. 15 …ISABEL: Was he speaking for you as well?

THAMI: He speaks for me on nothing!…THAMI: Don’t tell me what I need, Isabel! And stop telling me what to do! You don’t know what my life is about, so keep your advice to yourself.

1. Refer to line 2. ‘Toppled’ have both a literal and a figurative meaning. Choose

the most suitable option that suggests the figurative meaning. Write only the number and letter of your choice.

A. Removed from powerB. Fallen overC. Risen to the top D. Collapsed in the sand (1)

2. Refer to line 7. Explain the function AND meaning of the words in brackets. (2)

3. Fully describe what Thami and Mr M are arguing about. (3)

4. Thami says he speaks for The People. According to Thami, is Mr M one of The People? Explain why, or why not? (3)

5. Refer to line 12. Choose the most suitable option. What tone of voice would Mr M use to say the word ‘revolutionary’? Write only the number and the letter of your choice.

A. SarcasticB. RespectfulC. Teasing D. Serious (1)

6. Refer to line 13. According to your knowledge of the play, suggest two of the ‘constructive alternatives’ that Mr M would offer to Thami AND explain why it would be acceptable to Mr M. (2)

7. Quote TWO words from the extract that describes Mr M’s view on acts of resistance such as toppling statues. (2)

8. Describe how the atmosphere or mood changes in this scene. (2)

9. Refer to line 15. Explain why this line of the extract is ironic. (2)

[18]EXTRACT 2 (Act 2 Scene 1)MR M: Do you know that without words a man can’t think? Yes, it’s true. Take that

1

thought back with you as a present from the despised Mr M and share among the Comrades.

Tell them the difference between a man and an animal is that Man thinks, and he thinks with

words. Consider the mighty ox. Four powerful legs, massive shoulders, and a beautiful

thick hide that gave our warriors shields to protect them when they went into battle. Think of

5

his beautiful head Thami, the long horns, the terrible bellow from his lungs when he charges a

rival! But it has got no words and therefore it is stupid! And long comes a that funny little,

hairless animal that has got only two thin legs, no horns and a skin worth nothing and he tell

that ox what to do. He is its master and he is that because he can speak! If the struggle needs

weapons give it words, Thami. Stones and petrol bombs can’t get inside those armoured

cars. 10

Words can.

10. Refer to line 2. In your opinion, why is Mr M ‘despised’ by the comrades?(2)

11. In this extract, Mr M makes a comparison between an ox and a man.

11.1 List three physical qualities of an ox. Use your OWN words. (3)11.2 In the comparison of an ox and a man, what is represented by the ox? (1)11.3 In the comparison of an ox and a man, what is represented by man? (1)11.4 Why, according to Mr M, is a man stronger and more powerful than an ox? (2)11.5 Explain why Thami and the Comrades do not support Mr M’s view. (2)12. Discuss critically (include reasons) the following statement: Neither Mr M nor

Thami is completely right. (3)

13. Identify the theme of this passage.

A. Violent opposition versus peaceful opposition B. Violence and conflict is acceptableC. Words are mightier than the sword D. Peace is always preferable above hatred and violence (1)

14. Refer to lines 10-11. Rewrite the following words in your OWN words. ‘(words) can get inside the heads of those inside the armoured cars.’ (2)

[17]

(35)

Question 3.2:

Read BOTH extracts then answer the questions that follow:

EXTRACT A

Isabel:… I realise why she was like that. Being with black people on anequal footing, you know… as equals, because that is how I ended upfeeling with Thami and his friends… that was something that had

never happened to her. She didn’t know what I was talking about.

And because she knows nothing about it, she’s frightened of it. 5Mr M: You are not.Isabel:No. Not anymore.Mr M: So you were.Isabel:Well, not so much frightened as sort of uncertain. You see, I thought

I knew what to expect, but after a few minutes in Number One 10Classroom I realised I was wrong by a mile.

Mr M: What had you expected, Isabel?Isabel:You know, that everybody would be nice and polite and very, very

grateful.Mr M: And we weren’t?

15Isabel:You were, but not them. Thami and his friends. [She laughs at the

memory] Ja, to be honest Mr M, that family of yours was a bit scaryat first. But not anymore! I feel I’ve made friends with Thami and

the others, so now it’s different.Mr M: Simple as that.

20Isabel:Simple as that.Mr M: Knowledge has banished fear! Bravo. Bravo. And yet again Bravo!

If you knew what it meant to me to hear you speak like that. I wasn’t wrong. From the moment I first shook hands with you I knew you were a kindred spirit.

25Isabel:Tell me more about the competition.

Act 1, Scene 3

1. Refer to line 1 (“Being with black people on an equal footing…”)What event specifically is she referring to? (2)

2. Refer to line 5 (“She didn’t know what I was talking about.”)Who is Isabel referring to? (2)

3. Refer to line 10 (“after a few minutes in Number One Classroom I realised I was wrong”)

3.1. Why did Isabel change her mind? (2)

3.2 What does this reveal about Isabel’s character? (2)

4. Refer to line 13 (“nice and polite and very, very grateful.”)

4.1 Why did the learners from Camdeboo Girls High expect gratitude? (2)

4.2 What does this reveal about the typical attitudes of people from

their background? (2)

5. Refer to line 24 (“I knew you were a kindred spirit”)Discuss what Mr M means by this. What do he and Isabel have in

common? (3)

6. Refer to line 26 (“Tell me more about the competition.”)

6.1 Explain what the competition she is referring to. (2)

6.2 Why does this competition not take place in the end? (2)

[19]

AND

EXTRACT B

Mr M: … Is that the only reason you’ve come? To tell me to stop ringing theschool bell?

Thami: No.Mr M: You haven’t come for a lesson, have you?Thami: No I haven’t.

5Mr M: Of course not. What’s the matter with me? Slogans don’t need much

in the way of grammar, do they? As for these… [The stone in hishand] No, you don’t need me for lessons in stone-throwing either.

You’ve already got teachers in those very revolutionary subjects,haven’t you? [Picks up his dictionary… the stone in one

hand, the 10 book in the other] You know something interesting, Thami… if you put these both on a scale I think you would find that they weighed just about the same. But in this hand I am holding the whole English language. This… [The stone]… is just one word in that language. It’s true! All that wonderful poetry that you and 15 Isabel tried to cram into your beautiful heads… in here! Twenty- six letters, sixty thousand words. The greatest souls the world has ever known were able to open the floodgates of their ecstasy, their despair, their joy! … with the words in this little book. Aren’t you tempted? I was. [Opens the book at the fly-leaf and reads] Anela Myalatya. Cookhouse 1947. One of the first books I ever bought.

[Impulsively] I want you to have it.Thami: [Ignoring the offered book] I’ve come here to warn you.

Act 2, Scene 3

7. When was it that Thami used to love the sound of the school bell? (2)

8. Now Thami wants to silence the bell. Why? Explain this change in attitude. (3)

9. What does Mr M’s insistence on ringing the bell reveal about his attitudes and motives?

10. Refer to line 1 (“Is that the only reason you’ve come?”)Quote the line that gives us the real reason for Thami coming to Mr M’sschool(2)

11. Refer to line 4 (“You haven’t come for a lesson, have you?”)If you were a director of a production choose from the options below how wouldyou want the actor to this line. Give a reason for your answer.A Sarcastically? E Teasingly?B Ironically? F Some other way?C Hopefully?D Pleadingly?(3)

12. Refer to line 10 [Picks up his dictionary…the stone in one hand, the book in the other.] The actor playing Mr M must stand with the dictionary in one hand and the stone in the other. Discuss the dramatic effectiveness of this action. (3)[35]

Question 3.3

Read BOTH extracts then answer the questions that follow:

EXTRACT A

Mr M: Order please!Isabel: I never said anything of the kind.Thami: Yes you did. You said that woman were more…Mr M: I call you both to order!Isabel:What I said was that woman… 5Thami: … were more emotional than men…Isabel:Correction! That woman were more intuitive than men…Mr M: Miss Dyson and Mr Mbikwane! Will you both please…Isabel:You are twisting my words and misquoting me.Thami: I am not. I am simply asking you… 10Mr M: Come to order! [Grabs the school bell and rings it violently. It works.

Silence]I think is necessary for me to remind all of you exactly what a debate is supposed to be. [Opens and reads a little black dictionary that is at hand on the table] My dictionary defines it 15as follows: ‘ The orderly and regulated discussion of an issue with opposing viewpoints receiving equal time and consideration.’

Shouting down the opposition so that they cannot be heard does not comply with that definition.

Enthusiasm for your cause is most commendable but without 20

Personal discipline it as useless as having a good donkey and a good cart but no harness.

Act 1, Scene 1

1. What is Mr M’s real name? (1)

2. Mr M repeats his call of order three times. Why do you think it is necessary for Mr M to call order so many times? (2)

3. The play begins with a debate. Briefly explain how this came about. (2)

4. It is revealing that the play should begin with a debate organised by Mr Mand that “Order please!” should be his first words

4.1 What does this reveal about Mr M’s attitudes and beliefs about negotiating the way into the future for South Africa? (3)

4.2 Are these attitudes and beliefs acceptable to you? Give a reasonfor your views. (2)

5. According to the stage direction, the bell is rung violently and then there is dead silence. Do you think this will be dramatically effective? Give a reason for your answer. (2)

6. Which two of the following are important props used in this scene? Then comment of the importance of each item in the play. (4)

A) Dictionary

B) Donkey

C) School Bell

D) Cart

7. Refer to line 20-22 ( The final paragraph of the extract)

7.1 Name the object that Mr M compares personal discipline to. (2)

7.2 Discuss the effectiveness of the metaphor he is using in this image. (2)

AND

EXTRACT B

Mr M: So how do I go about choosing?Thami: By identifying with the fight for our Freedom.Mr M: As simple as that? I want our Freedom as much as any of you. In

fact, I was fighting for it in my small way long before any of you

were born! But I’ve got a small problem. Does that noble fight ofours really have to stoop to pulling down a few silly statues? Wheredo you get the idea that we, The People, want to do that for us?

Thami: [Trying] They are not our heroes teacher.Mr M: They are not our statues, Thami! Wouldn’t it be better for us to

rather but our energies into erecting a few of our own? We’ve also got heroes you know.

Thami: Like who, Mr M? Nelson Mandela? [Shaking his head with disbelief]Hey! They would pull that statue down so fast…

Mr M: [Cutting him] In which case they would be just as guilty of grossvandalism… because that is what it will be, regardless of who does it to whom. Destroying somebody else’s property is inexcusablebehaviour.

No, Thami. As one of the People you claim to be acting for,I raise my hand in protest. Please don’t pull down any statues on mybehalf. Don’t use me as an excuse for any act of lawlessness. If you want to do something ‘revolutionary’ for me let us sit down and discuss it, because I have a few constructive alternatives I would like to suggest. Do I make clear?

Thami: Yes teacher.Mr M: Good. I’m glad we understand each other.

Act 1, Scene 5

8. Refer to line 1 (“So how do I go about choosing?”)What is Mr M referring to? Choosing to do what? (2)

9. Refer to line 4, “ I was fighting for it in my small way long before any of you were born!”

9.1 Do you think the exclamation mark indicates that the actor shouldsay this line (choose 3 of the following):

A) emphaticallyB) sorrowfullyC) indignantly D) apologetically E) forcefully? (3)

9.2 In what way was Mr M “fighting for it”? (2)

10. This extract is about the toppling of statues

10.1 Quote 3 words from the extract which sum up Mr M’s view of behaviour

involved in any toppling of statues. (3)

10.2 What constructive alternative does Mr M offer? (2)

11. Refer to lines 5-6 (“Does that noble fight of ours really have to stoop to pullingdown a few silly statues”) and refer to line 24 (“ Yes teacher” )Compare the speakers’ attitudes and tones in these two references. (3)

[35]Question 3.4

EXTRACT A

Mr M’s dream team of Thami and Isabel

Isabel Your Thami wants a return bout, does he? 1Mr M He will certainly welcome the opportunity to salvage his pride when it comes

along … his friends are teasing him mercilessly … but what I have come to talk about is a prospect even more exciting than that. I have just seen Miss Brockway and she has given it her official blessing. It was her suggestion that I approach you directly. So here I am. Can you spare a few minutes?

5

Isabel As many as you like.Mr M It came to me as I sat there in Number One trying to be an impartial referee

while you and Thami went for each other hammer and tongs, no holds barred and not quarter given or asked. I don’t blame our audience for being so unruly. Once or twice I felt like doing some shouting myself. What a contest! But at the same time, what a waste, I thought! Yes, you heard me correctly! A waste! They shouldn’t be fighting each other! If the sight of them as opponents is so exciting, imagine what it would be like if they were allies. If those two stood side by side, if they joined forces, they could take on anybody … and win!For the next few days that is all I could think of. It tormented me. When I wrote my report about the debate in the school diary, that was the last sentence. “But oh! What a waste!” (Act 1, Scene 3)

10

15

20

1. Choose a description in COLUMN B that matches the name in COLUMN A.

Write only the letter (A–E) next to the question number [3.1.1(a) – 3.1.1(d)].

COLUMN A COLUMN B

(a). Mr Pienaar

(b). Samuel

(c). Anela Myalatya

A. Teacher and humanitarian activist

B. The Mayor of Camdeboo

C. Brakwater’s leading political activist.

(d). Mr Dawid Grobbelaar D. The Inspector of Bantu Schools

E. A staunch supporter of the Zionist Church (4)

2. Write the name of the school where the bout referred to in line 1 took place. (1)

3. Based on your knowledge of the drama as a whole, suggest what Thami’s

friends would be teasing him about. (2)

4. Which one prospect is Mr M talking to Isabel about? (1)

5. Refer to lines 5–7 (“I have just seen Miss Brockway … spare a few minutes?”).

What clue do these lines give about the contrasting characters of Mr M and

Miss Brockway as teachers? (2)

6. Refer to line 13 (“What a contest?”)

Choose the correct answer to complete the following sentence. Write only the

letter (A – D) next to the question number (3.1.5).

Mr M’s tone can best be described as …

A. appreciation

B. shock

C. disgust

D. scornful (1)

7. Refer to lines 13-15 (“Once or twice I felt … be fighting each other!”).

How do you think Mr M would have said these words? Give a reason for your

answer. (2)

8. Explain the irony of the name “Number One” (line 9) (2)

9. Discuss your views on the significance of the use of the language of combat

(fighting) in the above extract. (3)

/18/

EXTRACT B

Thami tries to stop Mr M from ringing the school bell.

Thami [Quietly] stop ringing that bell Mr M! 1Mr M Why? It’s only the school bell, Thami. I thought you liked the sound of it. You

once told me that it was almost as good as music … don’t you remember? Thami You are provoking the Comrades with it. Mr M No Thami. I am summoning the Comrades with it. 5Thami They say you are ringing the bell to taunt them. You are openly defying the

boycott by being here in the school. Mr M I ring this bell because according to my watch it is school time and I am a

teacher and those desks are empty! I will go on ringing it as I have been doing these past two weeks, at the end of every lesson. And you can tell the Comrades that I will be back here ringing it tomorrow and the day after tomorrow and for as many days after that as it takes for this world to come to its senses. Is that the only reason you’ve come? To tell me to stop ringing the school bell?

10

Thami No. 15Mr M You haven’t come for a lesson, have you?Thami No I haven’t. Mr M Of course not. What’s the matter with me? Slogans don’t need much in the way

of grammar, do they? As for these … [The stone in his hand] No, you don’t need me for lessons in stone-throwing either. You’ve already got teachers in those revolutionary subjects, haven’t you? [Act 2, scene 3]

20

10. Give a brief picture of the situation that makes Thami ask Mr M to stop ringing

the school bell. (1)

11. Refer to line 2 (“It’s only the school bell, Thami.”).

Do you agree with the view that Mr M expressed about the school bell? Give a

reason for your answer. (2)

12. Refer to line 5 (“I am summoning the Comrades with it”.)

(a). Who are the Comrades referred to in the above quoted line?

(b). If Mr M is summoning the Comrades, which transgression (wrongdoing)

does he think they have committed?

(1)

(1)

13. Explain why the following statement is, in the context of the play, FALSE.

Thami has lost interest in education. (1)

14. Refer to lines 8-9 (“I ring this bell because … those desks are empty!”)

Explain why the desks are empty and why Mr M is worried about this. (2)

15. Lines 11-13 (“And you can tell … come to its senses.”) reveal Mr M’s

determination to bring about change.

(a). Suggest any TWO of the changes that Mr M works towards achieving.

(b). Explain how his ideas about change clash with those of the Comrades.

(2)

(1)

16. According to lines 13-15, stopping Mr M from ringing the bell is not the only

reason why Thami is at the school. Suggest the other reason. (1)

17. In the end Mr M is killed. Who of the following people, namely Thami, Isabel,

and Mr M himself, would you blame for Mr M’s death and why? (2)

18. Identify and discuss ONE theme of the play which is evident in this extract. (3)

/17/

Question 3.5

EXTRACT A

ISABEL: Yes, what about my team mate? What does he say? Have you asked him yet?

Mr M: No, I haven’t asked him Isabel, and I won’t. I will tell him, and when I do I trust he will express as much enthusiasm for the idea as you have. I am an old-fashioned traditionalist in most things, young lady, and my classroom is no exception. I teach, Thami learns. He understands and accepts that that is the way it should be. You don’t like the sound of that, do you?

ISABEL: Does sound a bit dictatorial, you know.

MR M: It might sound that way but I assure you it isn’t. We do not blur the difference between the generations in the way that you white people do. Respect for authority is deeply ingrained in the African soul. It’s is all I’ve got when I stand there in Number One. Respect for my authority is my only teaching aid. If I ever lost it those young people will abandon their desks and take to the streets. I expect Thami to trust my judgement of what is best for him, and he does. That trust is the most sacred responsibility in my life.

ISABEL: He is your favourite, isn’t he?

MR M: Good gracious! A good teacher doesn’t have favourites! Are you suggesting that I might be a bad one? Because if you are ... [Looking around] you would be right, young lady. Measured by that yardstick I am a very bad teacher indeed. He is my favourite. Thami Mbikwana! Yes I have waited for a long time for him. To tell you the truth I had given up all hope of him ever coming along.

Act 1, Scene 3

1.1 Isabel uses the nickname, Mr M and he uses her name. What does this suggest/imply about their relationship? (1)

1.2 What are his proper names? (2)

2. Name the team-mate referred to in line 1. (1)

3. Who suggested that Mr M approach Isabel directly with his exciting new

scheme? (1)

4. What has Mr M asked Isabel? What idea has he had and why is he so keen that it should realise? (3)

5. Explain why Isabel is keen to take part in Mr M’s plan/idea. (2)

6. Where does this scene take place? (1)

7. Refer to line 3. “I will tell him...”

7.1 Explain why Mr M plans to tell him and not ask him. (2)

7.2 What does this reveal about Mr M and his views about education and African culture? (2)

7.3 What is Isabel’s view of Mr M’s approach to education? (2)

8. Mr M shows some signs of stereotyping. Explain. (2)

9. What does Number One refer to? (2)

10. Here is an example of foreshadowing.

The young people do indeed “abandon their desks and take to the streets”. In which way has Mr M lost their respect? (2)

11. Give a reason why “Looking around” is written in italics. (1)

12. Refer to the line “Measured by that yardstick I am a very bad teacher indeed.” Do you consider Mr M a bad teacher? Explain your views. (2)

13. Refer to the line “Are you suggesting that I might be a bad one?”

Choose from the options below how you would want the actor to say this line if you were the director of the play.

A Sarcastically

B Teasingly

C Pleadingly (1)

14. Refer to the line “I have been waiting a long time for him.”

14.1 Who is this learner he has been waiting for? (1)

14.2 What is so special about him, according to Mr M? (2)

Question 3.6

EXTRACT A

Mr M: Order please!

Isabel: I never said anything of the kind.

Thami: Yes you did. You said that women were more…

Mr M: I call you both to order!

Isabel: What I said was that women…

Thami: …were more emotional than men…

Isabel: Correction! That women were more intuitive than men…

Mr M: Miss Dyson and Mr Mbikwana! Will you both please…

Isabel: You are twisting my words and misquoting me.

Thami: I am not, I am simply asking you…

Mr M: Come to order! [Grabs the school bell and rings it violently. It works. Silence]

I think it is necessary for me to remind all of you exactly what a debate

is supposed to be. [Opens and reads from a little black dictionary that s

at hand on the table.] My dictionary defines it as follows: “The orderly

and regulated discussion of an issue with opposing viewpoints

receiving equal time and consideration. “

Shouting down the opposition so that they cannot be heard does not

comply with that definition. Enthusiasm for your cause is most

commendable but without personal discipline it is as useless as having

a good donkey and a good cart but no harness.

Act 1, Scene 1.

1. What is Mr M’s real name? (1)

2. The play begins with a debate. Briefly discuss how this came about. (2)

3. Mr M repeats his call for order Three times. Why do you think it is necessary for

Mr M to call for order so many times? (2)

4.1 Which two of the following are important props used in this scene?

A. Dictionary

B Donkey

C School bell

D Cart

(2)

4.2 Comment critically on either one you have chosen because they both play an

important part in the whole play. (2)

5. Refer to the final paragraph of the extract.

5.1 Name the object that Mr M compared personal discipline to. (1)

5.2 Discuss the effectiveness of the metaphor he is using in this image. (2)

6. It is revealing that the play should begin with a debate organised by Mr M and

that “Order please!” should be his first words.

6.1 What does this reveal about Mr M’s attitudes and beliefs about negotiating the

way into the future for South Africa? (2)

6.2 Are these attitudes and beliefs acceptable to you? Give a reason for your

views. (2)

[16 marks]

EXTRACT B

Isabel: ….I realise why she was like that. Being with black people on an equal

footing, you know…as equals, because that is how I ended up feeling

with Thami and his friends…that was something that never happened

to her. She didn’t know what I was talking about. And because she

knows nothing about it, she is frightened of it.

Mr M: You are not?

Isabel: No. Not anymore.

Mr M: So you were?

Isabel: Well, not so much frightened as sort of uncertain. You see, I thought I knew what to

expect, but after a few minutes in Number On classroom I realised I was wrong

by a mile.

Mr M: What had you expected, Isabel?

Isabel: You know, that everybody would be nice and polite and very, very

grateful.

Mr M: And we weren’t?

Isabel: You were, but not them. Thami and his friends. (She laughs at the memory.) Ja, to be

honest Mr M, that family of yours was a bit scary at first. But not anymore! I

feel I’ve made friends with Thami and the others, so now it’s different.

Mr M: Simple as that.

Isabel: Simple as that.

Mr M: Knowledge has banished fear! Bravo, Bravo. And yet again, Bravo! If you knew what it

meant to me to hear you speak like that. I wasn’t wrong. From the moment I

first shook hands with you I knew you were a kindred spirit.

Isabel: Tell me more about the Competition.

7. Refer to line 1 (“Being with black people on an equal footing..”)

What event is she specifically referring to? (2)

8. Refer to line 5. (“She didn’t know what I was talking about”.)

Who is the she Isabel is referring to? (1)

9. Refer to line 10. (“After a few minutes in Number One classroom I realised was

wrong.”)

9.1 Why did Isabel change her mind? (2)

9.2 What does this reveal about her character? (2)

10. Refer to line 13. (“Nice and polite and very, very grateful.”)

10.1 Why did the learners from Camdeboo High expect gratitude? (2)

10.2 What does this reveal about the typical attitudes of people from their

background. (2)

11. Refer to line 22. (“I knew you were a kindred spirit.”) Discuss what Mr M means

by this. What do he and Isabel have in common? (3)

12. Refer to line 23. (“Tell me more about the competition.”)

12.1 Explain what competition she is referring to. (2)

12.2 Did the competition take place in the end? Give reasons for your answer. (3)

[19 marks]

POETRY Sonnet 18Shall I compare thee to a summer's day?

Thou art more lovely and more temperate:

Rough winds do shake the darling buds of May,

And summer's lease hath all too short a date:

Sometime too hot the eye of heaven shines,

And often is his gold complexion dimm'd;

And every fair from fair sometime declines,

By chance, or nature's changing course, untrimm'd;

But thy eternal summer shall not fade

Nor lose possession of that fair thou ow'st;

Nor shall Death brag thou wander'st in his shade,

When in eternal lines to time thou grow'st;

So long as men can breathe or eyes can see

Questions1. Refer to the structure of the poem.

(a) What type of sonnet is this?(b) Discuss the structure of this sonnet.

(1)(2)

2. Explain why the following statement TRUE.

The speaker describes summer as a season of extremes. Give TWO points of evidence from the poem. (2)

3. Refer to lines 7 – 9 (‘And every fair … shall not fade’)

(a) In these lines the speaker argues that, unlike the beauty of everything else, his beloved’s beauty will …

A be destroyed..B be temporary.C be everlasting.D be fading.

(b) Using your OWN words give TWO reasons from these lines why beauty usually fades.

(1)

(2)

4. (a) Identify the figure of speech in line 11 (‘Nor shall death brag’). (b) Explain this image in the context of the poem.

(1)(2)

5. Give ONE word for the speaker’s tone in this poem. (1)

6. Identify and discuss the theme evident in the rhyming couplet (lines 13 – 14). (3)

7. Refer to the poem as a whole.

In your opinion, how does the speaker convince the reader that his beloved’s beauty is eternal? (3)

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2 What does ‘patiently moulded’ tell us about the school’s educators.(3)

3 3.1 Which positive emotion did the poet experience as a learner?

3.2 Quote a line from the poem to support your answer. (1) (1)

4 Refer to line 15, ‘...to conceal my shame…’

Explain in your own words the shame the speaker refers to. (2)

5 Refer to line 20, ‘embraced by a mute little cemetery’.

5.1 Identify the figure of speech used.

5.2 Explain the speaker’s use of the word ‘mute’ in context to the poem.(1) (3)

6 Refer to line 24, ‘though growth strangles it to near extinction’.

6.1 Identify the contradiction.

6.2 Explain the contradiction in your own words. (1)(2)

7 7.1 Identify ONE theme of the poem.

7.2 Explain the identified theme. (1) (2) [18]

1 What is the setting of the poem? (2)

2 From which point of view is this poem written? (1)

3 3.1 Quote ONE word to describe the state of the school when the speaker arrives there.

3.2 State THREE things the speaker sees to confirm the above quote.(1) (3)

4 Refer to line 5, ‘...my soul was paralyzed’

Discuss the effect the sight of the school has on the speaker. (2)

5 5.1 Identify the figure of speech used in line 8.

5.2 Explain this figure of speech in context to the poem. (1)(2)

6 Why does the speaker refer to the ‘fence’ as ‘dividing’? (2)

7 Refer to lines 30 and 31. Discuss why these lines are written in italics. (2)

8 Discuss the effectiveness of the title. (2) [18]

Spring By Gerard Manley Hopkins Nothing is so beautiful as Spring –         

   When weeds, in wheels, shoot long and lovely and lush;         

   Thrush’s eggs look little low heavens, and thrush         

Through the echoing timber does so rinse and wring         

The ear, it strikes like lightnings to hear him sing;

   The glassy peartree leaves and blooms, they brush         

   The descending blue; that blue is all in a rush         

With richness; the racing lambs too have fair their fling.         

What is all this juice and all this joy?         

   A strain of the earth’s sweet being in the beginning

In Eden garden. – Have, get, before it cloy,         

   Before it cloud, Christ, lord, and sour with sinning,         

Innocent mind and Mayday in girl and boy,         

   Most, O maid’s child, thy choice and worthy the winning.   

1. Discuss the alliteration in line 2:

1.1Say which words are linked by alliteration. (2)

1.2Say if you think the alliteration is effective. Explain your answer .(2)

2. “Thrush’s eggs look little low heavens.” Discuss this simile:

2.1Say what the literal part of the comparison is. (1)

2.2Say what the figurative part of the comparison is. (1)2.3Is the comparison rich and suggestive? Explain. (2)

3. In the sestet, when the poet writes “Have, get”, who is he addressing?

Say why you think this. (3)

4. The verbs “cloy”, “cloud” and “sour” can mean similar things. Discuss what similarities they have. (5)

5. Choose the correct answer. Only write down the number of the question and the letter of your choice:

5.1 “Spring” is a / an ___________ Sonnet.

A) ItalianB) ElizabethanC) Shakespearian (1)

5.2 In the octave, the tone is _______________

A) questioningB) full of energyC) happy and full of celebrationD) urgent and anxious (1)

Question 5.4.2

1. Complete the following sentence. Write only the answer next to the question number in the ANSWER BOOK. Refer to the structure of the poem.

This poem is an example of a (a)… sonnet as it consists of an (b) … of eight lines and a (c) … of six lines. (3)

2. Refer to lines 3 – 5. (“thrush through the … hear him sing”(a) Identify the figure of speech in these lines. (1)(b) Explain this figure of speech. (2)

3. Is the underlined word in line 6 (“brush”) meant LITERALLY or FIGURATIVELY?Give a reason for your answer. (2)

4. Give ONE word for the speaker’s tone in lines 11 – 12. (“Have, get, before …sour with sinning”) (1)

5. Explain why the speaker refers to the Garden of Eden in line 11.(2)

6. Discuss the theme of religion that is evident in this poem. (3)

7. Has the speaker convinced you that “Nothing is as beautiful as Spring” (line 1)? Substantiate your answer. (3)

POEM

We do not need

these jaggered words

that dig a trench between us

each time they are uttered

those epithets 5

sharp like spokes

that pierce the heart when spoken

there is no room in my cup

for these acidic words of sarcasm

that corrode my sensitivity 10

these cold and icy words tossed

to deaden the heart

venomous words

from your serpentine tongue

that infect the feeling…. 15

Let us speak, love

in gentler tones

timid as the lamb

is soft

woolly words 20

worn to stand strong against the

cold-bitterness of the world.

Better still

let us search in our speech

for words deep as the soul is still 25

that will spell our thoughts

in the silence of our smiles.

Barolong Seboni

1. In stanza 1, the poet uses the word ‘jaggered’. What is he suggesting about the effect that the word can have on a listener? (2)

2. Refer to stanza 2. A spoke is a sharp object normally made of steel. What is theeffect of words that are like ‘spokes’? (2)

3. Stanza 3 refers to words which are ‘acidic’ and which ‘corrode’.

3.1 Are these words meant literally or figuratively? (1)

3.2 Explain what the poet means. (2)

4. In the first 2 lines of stanza 4, what does the word ‘tossed’ suggest about theperson speaking ‘cold’ words? (2)

5. Explain the image which the poet uses in the final three lines of stanza 4. (2)

6. ‘woolly words / worn to stand strong against …’

6.1 Identify the alliteration by rewriting the lines and underlining the letters. (1)

6.2 What effect does the alliteration create? (2)

6.3 Explain the metaphor in these lines. (2)

7. Refer to stanza 6. In your own words explain what alternative the poet suggests to the problems he is experiencing with his loved ones. (2)

1. The word “we” is sued in line 1. Who does it refer to? (1)

2. Refer to stanza 3. “there is no room in my cup … that corrode my

sensitivity “

(a)

Discuss the change of tone in this stanza. How different is it from stanza 1.

(2)

(b)

Which word does the word ‘corrode’ reinforce in the same passage?

(1)

3. Comment on the use of the words in line 11 “cold and icy terms …. (1)

4. Refer to line 14 “from your serpentine tongue”

(a). Identify the figure of speech used in the above line.

(b). What is its effect?

(1)

(2)

5. The poet’s love language appears to be different from that of his lover.

Substantiate that with reference to the passage. (1)

6. Refer to line 16 -18 “ Let us speak … timid as the lamb”

Comment on the comparison to the lamb in this sentence (2)

7. Refer to lines 20-21 (“woolly words worn”)

(a). Which sound device is used in this sentence line?

(b). How does it add to the validity of the Poet’s argument?

(1)

(2)

8. Refer to line 20. “The cold-bitterness of the world” and complete the

sentence below:

Figuratively these words might also be referring to ……… (1)

9. Mention one of the ways the poet thinks might bring a solution to their

problem. (1)

10. Complete the following sentence with an appropriate answer

The theme that is brought forth is problem of the use of ___________

words

(1)

/17/

Mid-Term Break

BY SEAMUS HEANEYI sat all morning in the college sick bay

Counting bells knelling classes to a close.

At two o'clock our neighbours drove me home.

In the porch I met my father crying—

He had always taken funerals in his stride—

And Big Jim Evans saying it was a hard blow.5

The baby cooed and laughed and rocked the pram

When I came in, and I was embarrassed

By old men standing up to shake my hand

And tell me they were 'sorry for my trouble'.

Whispers informed strangers I was the eldest,

Away at school, as my mother held my hand

In hers and coughed out angry tearless sighs.

At ten o'clock the ambulance arrived

With the corpse, stanched and bandaged by the nurses.

Next morning I went up into the room. Snowdrops

And candles soothed the bedside; I saw him

For the first time in six weeks. Paler now,

Wearing a poppy bruise on his left temple,

He lay in the four-foot box as in his cot.

No gaudy scars, the bumper knocked him clear.

A four-foot box, a foot for every year

10

15

20

1 Refer to stanza 1

1.1

1.2

What is the first impression the reader gets of the boy waiting in the ‘sick bay’?

Explain the denotation and connotation of ‘knelling’ of bells.

(1)

(2)

1.3

Quote FIVE consecutive words that indicated to the boy that something was wrong at home. (1)

2 Explain the meaning of line 5 in your OWN words. (2)

3 Discuss the literal and figurative meaning of, ‘And Big Jim Evans saying it was a hard blow.’ (2)

4 What is the baby’s reaction when its brother enters the house? (1)

5 Refer to line 10, “'sorry for my trouble'”.

This means that the old men were …

A sorry they have caused the speaker trouble.

B sorry they are at the speaker’s house.

C express condolences with the speaker’s loss.

D express sympathy because the speaker was not at school. (1)

6 What is the age of the person to be buried? (1)

7 Refer to line 19, ‘Wearing a poppy bruise on his left temple’

7.1 Identify the figure of speech used.

7.2 Explain this figure of speech.

(1)

(2)

8 Quote ONE word to show that the following statement is TRUE:

The child has already passed on when the ambulance brings him home. (1)

9 Do you think the title is suitable? (3)

[18]

TO LEARN HOW TO SPEAK – Jeremy Cronin

To learn how to speakWith the voices of the land.To parse the speech in its rivers.To catch in the inarticulate gruntStammer, call, cry, babble, tongue’s knotA sense of the stones of these stonesFrom which all words are cut.To trace with the tongue wagon-trailsSaying the suffix of their aches in –kuil, -pan, -fontein,In watery names that confirmThe dryness of their waysTo visit the places of occlusion, or the lickIn a vlei-bank dawn.To bury my mouth in the pit of your armIn the planetarium,Pectoral beginning to the nub of timeDown there close to the water-table, to feelThe full moon as it drumsAt the back of my throatIts cow-skinned vowel.To write a poem with word like:I’m telling you.Stompie, stickfast, golovanSongololo, just boombang, justTo understand the least inflections.To voice without swallowingSyllables born in tin shacks, or catchThe 5.15 ikwata bust fifeChwannisberg train, to reachThe low chant of the mine gang’sMineral glow of our people’s unbreakable resolve.

To learn how to speakWith the voices of this land.

1. Explain in your own words what the poet means when he says that the language is ‘cut’ from stone.

(3)

2. “To trace with the tongue wagon trails’(a) In your views is the poet’s view about their language valid?(b) Give a reason for your answer.(2)

3. What is ironic about the names they gave to places? (2)4. Explain the deeper meaning behind naming the places so.

(2)

5. Why is the image of the ‘planetarium’ significant to the poem?(4)

6. Rewrite in proper English: ‘ikwata bust fife’ and ‘chwannisburg’.(1)

7. Who do you think ‘our people’ (line 31) refer to? (2)8. How do you interpret the last 2 lines of the poem?

(2)[18]

STILL I RISE

You may write me down in historyWith your bitter, twisted lies,You may trod me in the very dirtBut still, like dust, I’ll rise.

Does my sassiness upset you?Why are you beset with gloom?‘Cause I walk like I’ve got oil wellsPumping in my living room.

Just like moons and like suns,With the certainty of tides,Just like hopes springing high,Still I’ll rise.

Did you want to see me broken?Bowed head and lowered eyes?Shoulders falling down like teardrops.Weakened by my soulful cries.

Does my haughtiness offend you?Don’t you take it awful hard‘Cause I laugh like I’ve got gold minesDiggin’ in my own back yard.

You may shoot me with your words,You may cut me with your eyes,You may kill me with your hatefulness,But still, like air, I’ll rise.

Does my sexiness upset you?Does it come as a surpriseThat I dance like I’ve got diamondsAt the meeting of my thighs?

Out of the huts of history’s shameI riseUp from a past that’s rooted in painI riseI’m a black ocean, leaping and wide,Welling and swelling I bear in the tide.

Leaving behind nights of terror and fearI riseInto a daybreak that’s wondrously clearI riseBringing the gifts that my ancestors gave,I am the dream and the hope of the slave.I riseI riseI rise.

QUESTIONSQ. What is the poem mainly about?Q. What is the Poet is implying when she says "You may shoot me with your words,You may cut me with your eyes,You may kill me with your hatefulness,But still, like air, I'll rise."Q. Why did she face discrimination?Q. "Does my haughtiness offend you? Don't you take it awful hard'Cause I laugh like I've got gold mines

Diggin' in my own back yard."What word has the same meaning as haughtiness is used in this stanza?Q. Why do you think the poet wrote this poem?Q. Read the stanza from the poem.'Bringing the gifts that my ancestors gave,I am the dream and the hope of the slave.I riseI riseI rise. "Why does she repeat "I rise?"Q. Who wrote this poem?Q. Who wouldn't feel exasperated about this poem?Q. What is a poem?Q. What kind of poem has no rules?

Captive by Francis Carey Slater Lament of a sick Xhosa mine-labourer in a compound hospital

1 As a wild bird caught in a slip-knot snare- 2 The plaited tail-hairs of a dun-coloured cow, 3 Almost invisible-4 So, tethered in the toils of fever, do I lie5 And burn and shiver while I listen to the buzzing 6 Of flies that flutter vainly7 Against cold, hard, deceiving window-panes: 8 Like them I would escape, and escaping hasten 9 To my home that shines in a valley afar,10 My home-brightest tooth in the jaws of distance.

11 There, now, the cows I love are feeding 12 In some quiet sun-washed vale;13 Their lazy shadows drink the sunlight 14 Rippling on the grasses;15 There, through the long day, girls and women 16 Among the mealies chant and hoe,17 Their swinging hoes are like the glitter 18 Of sunshine on water;19 There, now, shouting, happy herdboys, 20 While they watch the cattle browse, 21 Are busy moulding mimic cattle22 From clay moist and yellow.23 There, when the sun has folded his wings that dazzle24 And has sunken to his hidden nest beyond the hills,

25 All shall group together gaily, around the crackling fires, 26 And chew the juicy cud of gathered day;27 And greybeards shall tell stories of ancient battles, 28 And cattle-races of the days of old,29 Of hunters, bold and fearless, who faced the lion’s thunder 30 And stalked the lightning leopard to his lair.31 -But here I burn and shiver and listen to the buzzing 32 Of flies against deceiving window-panes.

1. Identify the figure of speech in lines 1- 4 (‘As a wild bird caught….do I lie’)

and explain this image in context of the poem. (3)

2. In line 8 ‘I would escape, and escaping hasten’, is this meant literally or

figuratively? Give a reason for your answer. (3)

3. Give one word which shows that the flies were unable to fly out of the room.

(line 6) (1)

4. Explain how the metaphor in line 10 depicts the speaker’s longing for home. (2)

5. Discuss three things that would be happening at the speaker’s home at that

moment. (6)

6. Explain the following images from stanza 2:

6.1 “ Their lazy shadows drink the sunlight Rippling on the grasses. “ (lines 13 & 14)

6.2 “ Are busy moulding mimic cattle From clay moist and yellow.” (4)

7. Write a short paragraph in which you discuss what would happen in his village when evening comes. (3)

8. Identify the figure of speech in lines 23 and 24. (1)

Death

Anonymous

One night as I lay on my bed,

And sleep on fleeting foot had fled,

Because, no doubt, my mind was heavy

With concern for my last journey;

I got me up and called for water,

That I might wash, and so feel better;

But before I wet my eyes so dim,

There was Death on the bowl’s rim.

I went to church that I might pray,

Thinking sure he’d keep away;

But before I got on to my feet,

There sat Death upon my seat.

To my chamber then I hied,

Thinking sure he’d keep outside;

But though i firmly locked the door,

Death came from underneath the floor.

Then to sea I rowed a boat,

Thinking surely Death can’t float;

But before I reached the deep,

Death was captain of the ship.

5

10

15

20

1 Quote THREE words from the first stanza which have the same meaning as ‘death’.

(1)

2 Why is the speaker’s mind heavy in line 3? (1)

3 Refer to line 8, ‘There was Death on the bowl’s rim.’

3.1 Identify the figure of speech used here.

3.2 Explain this figure of speech.

(1)

(2)

4 State FOUR places where Death can be found. (4)

5 Why is ‘Death’ capitalised throughout the poem? (2)

6 6.1 Identify the tone of the poem.

6.2 Explain why the speaker uses this tone in the poem.

(1)

(3)

7 Would you classify this poem as having a religious theme? Substantiate your answer.

(3)

[18]

Alexandra by Mongane Wally Serote

Were it possible to say,Mother, I have seen more beautiful mothers,A most loving mother,And tell her there I will go,Alexandra, I would have long gone from you.

But we have only one mother, none can replace,Just as we have no choice to be born,We can't choose mothers;We fall out of them like we fall out of life to death.

And, Alexandra,My beginning was knotted to you,Just like you knot my destiny.You throb in my inside silencesYou are silent in my heart-beat that's loud to me.Alexandra often I've cried.When I was thirsty my tongue tasted dust,Dust burdening your nipples.I cry Alexandra when I am thirsty.Your breasts ooze the dirty waters of your dongas,Waters diluted with the blood of my brothers, your children,Who once chose dongas for death-beds.Do you love me Alexandra, or what are you doing to me?

You frighten me, Mama,You wear expressions like you would be nasty to me,You frighten me, Mama,When I lie on your breast to rest, something tells meYou are bloody cruel.

Alexandra, hellWhat have you done to me?I have seen people but I feel like I'm not one,Alexandra what are you doing to me?

I feel I have sunk to such meekness!I lie flat while others walk on me to far places.I have gone from you, many times,I come back.Alexandra, I love you;I knowWhen all these worlds became funny to meI silently waded back to youAnd amid the rubble I lay,Simple and black.

1 What is Alexandra, the township, compared to? (1)

2 What is the speaker’s attitude towards Alexandra? (2)

3 Quote a phrase in stanza 1, suggesting that the poet is considering leaving Alexandra.

(1)

4 Refer to line 5, ‘Alexandra, I would have long gone from you.’

4.1 Identify the figure of speech used here.

4.2 Explain this figure of speech.

(1)

(2)

5 In stanza 3 the speaker says, ‘My beginning was knotted to you,’

The word knotted means …

A destiny.

B connected.

C diluted.

D burdening.

(1)

6 Explain what the speaker means when he says, ‘Just like you knot my destiny.’

(1)

7. Is the following statement TRUE or FALSE?

The speaker hates Alexandra.

Quote THREE words to substantiate your answer.

(1)

8 The speaker uses a sustained metaphor. Discuss the effectiveness of this poetic technique.

(4)

9 Identify the tone of this poem. (1)

10 Do you think that it is only mothers to whom children have a close bond? Discuss.

(3)

[18]