A Prayer for my Countrymen

By Guy Butler

A prayer for all my countrymen Guy Butler

1. Though now few eyes2. can see beyond3. this tragic time's4. complexities,5. dear God, ordain6. such deed be done,7. such words be said,8. that men will praise9. Your image yet10. when all these terrors11. and hates are dead:

12.Through rotting days,13.beaten, broken,14.some stayed pure;15.others learnt how16.to grin and endure;17.and here and there18.a heart stayed warm,19.a head grew clear.

Stanza 1

• Every line in the poem has four (4) syllables

Though now few eyes

• eyes: refer to people. Only a few people • Though: and yet, yet, nevertheless, still, all the

same , nonetheless

can see beyond

• can see into the future

this tragic time's

• this tragic time: Apartheid • tragic: Apartheid, the deaths, the persecution,

the unequal rights • Alliteration: t creates the feeling of anguish

and dismay.

complexities,

• complexities: the difficulty, complications of Apartheid.

• Only a few people can see beyond the complicated, tragic times of Apartheid.

dear God, ordain

• dear: a cry of desperation to God. • God: he calls on the Creator of heaven and

earth to ordain something. • Ordain: order, decree, proclaim, enact,

command, lay down, rule. • He wants God to establish something.

such deed be done,

• acts must be committed

such words be said,

• order that the right words be said

that men will praise

• so that men will still be able to praise

Your image yet

• God’s image now and after. • Image: the image of God which is love.

when all these terrors

• all these terrors (awful deeds of Apartheid)

and hates are dead

• and hatred of races are dead (over)

Through rotting days,

• Through some terrible days. • Rotting: metaphor. Some days were so

terrible, the things that were done can only be compared to something rotting.

beaten, broken

• Alliteration: beaten, broken. • Some people were literally beaten, some were

figuratively broken when arrested, or questioned.

some stayed pure;

• some stayed pure and never did anything wrong during Apartheid, they never hated and they never committed any violence.

to grin and endure;

• to keep on smiling and how to endure: bear, tolerate, put up with, go through Apartheid

and here and there

• and very rarely

a heart stayed warm,

• metaphor: a heart remained filled with love and remained unchanged, did not believe in Apartheid.

a head grew clear.

• Metaphor: a head grew clear: a person changed his mind from thinking Apartheid is right to realising it is actually wrong.