Read the poem below and then answer the questions that follow:(Solved)
Read the poem below and then answer the questions that follow
"Sympathy"
I know what the caged bird feels, alas!
When the sun is bright on the upland slopes;
When the wind stirs soft through the springing grass
And the river flows like a stream of glass;
When the first bird sings and the first bud opens,
And the faint perfume from its petals steals-
I know what the caged bird feels!
I know why the caged bird beats his wing
Till its blood is red on the cruel bars;
For he must fly back to his perch and cling
When he rather would be on the branch a swing;
And a pain still throbs in the old, old scars
And they pulse again with a keener sting-
I know why he beats his wing!
I know why the caged bird sings, ah me,
When his wing is bruised and his blossom sore;
When he beats his bars and would be free;
It is not a song of joy or glee,
But a prayer that he sends from his heart's deep core,
But a plea, that upward to heaven he flings –
I know why the caged bird sings!
(Adapted from the poem by Paul Laurence Dunbar in America Negro Poetry, edited by Arna Bontemps. New York: Hill and Waug 1974.)
(a). Explain briefly what the poem is about (3 mks)
(b). What does the poet focus on in each of the three stanzas? Give your
answer in note form. (6 mks)
(c). How would you describe the persona's feelings towards the caged bird?
(4 mks)
(d). What can we infer about the persona's own experiences? (3 mks)
(e). Identify a simile in the first stanza and explain why it is used. (2 mks)
(f). Explain the meaning of the following lines
(i). And the faint perfume from its petals steals. (1 mark)
(ii). And they pulse again with a keener sting. (1 mark)
Date posted: April 2, 2019. Answers (1)
Read the poem below and answer the questions that follow.(Solved)
The Brewing Night
It was that memorable night when I heard it.
Yes, I heard it all.
That night sleep deserted me,
Mocked at me and tantalized me;
So I lay awake, sharp in all my senses.
It was long past midnight:
Time dragged on, the clock wouldn't chime;
The dog wouldn't bark, nor the babies cry;
It was a moonless and windless night;
The whole universe seemed to stagnate
In dark, dreary, dead slumber
What was amiss? I knew not.
The dead quietness and solitude
Seemed to be eternal, - but
Waves of babbling and muttering
Began to trickle through the streets;
A distant roaring if heavy trucks filled the air,
Hurried footsteps echoed through the street.
What was a miss? I knew not.
I pulled my curtain
And there I saw it all
Heavy boots thick uniforms and solid helmets
Dimly discernible under the pale street lamp
The atmosphere stood stiff and solid with
Browny - faced and clenched-teeth determination.
The night had pused with passions high and wild;
The streets were stained with new portraits framed;
The wheel changed hands and new plans were filled.
The morning saw the country strangely dressed
And everyone attended the rally.
To hear the eloquence from a strange face,
And everyone quietly nodded and said, 'yes'
(By Yusuf O. Kassam, in poem from East Africa.)
(a) Explain what the poem is about
(b) ln what way was the night described in the poem peculiar?
(c) What was amiss? I knew not. (Rewrite as one sentence beginning: I did)
(d) Paraphrase in one sentence what the persona saw when he or she pulled curtain to see.
(e) What is the significance of stanza two?
(f) Explain the meaning of the title.
Date posted: April 2, 2019. Answers (1)
Read the following poem and answer the questions that follow.(Solved)
Read the following poem and answer the questions that follow.
Betrothed by Obyero Qdhiambo
The bride, they said
Had gone through school
Primary secondary university upwards
Three thousand shillings is not enough
For having fed her
schooled her
employed her
Three thousand shillings is not enough
For having borne her
Cared for her
doctored her
And "she is pure"
Three thousand shillings is not enough
Look at her silky black hair
Darker and finer than that
Flywhisk there
Look at her forehead, a
nice wide trace between
hair line and eyes:
"She is immensely intelligent".
Look at her eyes .Yes, look again
Two diviners' cowries spread out
Symbolically on the divination mat
Deep profound intelligent
Look at those lips "ndugu"- - - - -
Three thousand shillings is not enough
even to shake her by the hand.
"Fathers, this is what we walked with!
Three thousand shillings
As a token of our
Love
For your daughter and you
Our intended kin
It was just a token
the size of a token does not reflect
The size of the heart that bringeth it
My heart is full to the brim with
Love
For her and you my intended kin"
But young man, you say, you love
And you possible expect love
But, young man, don't you
Don't you really feel
Three thousand shillings is not enough
even to get love?
Three thousand is not enough!
(From an ‘Anthology of East Africa Poetry’ Editing by A.D Amateshe, Longman, UK 1988)
1. Briefly explain what the poem is about? (2 mks)
2. Which qualities make the bride such a special person according to her kin?
(4 mks)
3. Identify the adjectives in the comparative degree. 2 mks)
4. Identify the metaphor in the fifth stanza and explain it’s meaning
(4 mks)
5. Why do you think the line "Three thousand shillings is not enough" is repeated several times? (2 mks)
6. How would you describe the bride's kin? Illustrate your answer (4 mks)
7. What do we learn about the society from this poem? (2 mks)
Date posted: April 2, 2019. Answers (1)
Read the following poem and answer the questions that follow.(Solved)
Read the following poem and answer the questions that follow.
CITY LIFE
When I am in a great city, I know that I despair.
I know there is no hope for us, death waits, it is useless to care,
For oh the poor people, that are flesh of my flesh,
I, that am flesh of their flesh,
When I see the iron hooked into their faces
their poor, their fearful faces
I scream in my soul, for I know I cannot
Take the iron hooks out of their faces, that make them so drawn,
Nor cut the invisible wires of steel that pull them.
Back and forth, to work,
Back and forth to work,
Like fearful and corpse-like fishes hooked and being played.
By some malignant fisherman on an unseen shore where he does not choose to land them yet, hooked fishes of the factory world.
(D.H. Lawrence (1885 - 1930)
1. Identify and explain the mood in the poem (2 mks)
2. Identify and explain the appropriateness of 3 poetic features used in the poem (6 mks)
3. In one sentence summarize the persona perception of the city life? (1 mark)
4. If you were to recite this poem how would you make it emotional? (2 mks)
5. Explain the meaning of the word ‘malignant’ (1 mark)
Date posted: April 2, 2019. Answers (1)