POEM 5 Mr Nobodyby an o n ym o u s 1 5 10 15 20 I know a funny little man, As quiet as a mouse, Who does the mischief that is done In everybody s house! There s no one ever sees his face, And yet we all agree That every plate we break was cracked By Mr Nobody. Tis he who always tears out books, Who leaves the door ajar, He pulls the buttons from our shirts, And scatters pins afar; That squeaking door will always squeak, For prithee, don t you see, We leaving the oiling to be done By Mr Nobody. The finger marks upon the door By none of us are made; We never leave the blinds unclosed, to let the curtains fade. The ink we never spill; the boots That lying around you see Are not our boots, -they all belong To Mr Nobody. Analyse the poem 1. What does the adjective funny tell you about Mr Nobody? 2. As quiet as a mouse. a) Explain and name the figure of speech. b) Explain why Mr Nobody is so quiet 3. a) Who is Mr Nobody? b) Does every house have a Mr Nobody? Quote to substantiate your answer. 4. Make a list of all the thingsmr Nobody is accused of doing. 5. What does the writer mean in line 15, We leave the oiling to be done...
POEM 6 Inside my Zulu hut by Oswald Mtsh ali Before reading the poem, study the illustration on the page. Take note of the shape of the hut and all the other objects in the hut. Can you identify these objects in the poem? It is a hive without any bees to build the walls with golden bricks of honey. A cave cluttered 5 with a millstone, calabashes of sour milk claypots of foaming beer sleeping grass mats wooden head rests 10 tanned goat skins tied with riempies to wattle rafters blackened by the smoke of kneaded cow dung 15 burning under the three legged pot on the earthen floor to cook my porridge Analyse the poem 1. a) List the two things Oswald Mtshali compares his hut to in this poem. b) Explain why he has compared his hut to each of these two things. 2. List all the objects in his hut. (6) 3. What does he use to make his fire burn? (1) 4. Explain what a calabash is. (1) 5. What is the hidden message behind this poem? Total: 15
POEM 7 The Green Girl by an o n ym o us The most brilliant jewel I have ever seen 1 Was this girl I met who was perfectly green: She glittered like diamonds and glowed like jade With a greenness not sunlight nor shadow could fade. We became good friends, though at first I had qualms 5 About holding green hands and embracing green arms, Till she laughed, drew me close and wished away all my fears Saying, Green is for goodness and gladness, not tears! But some people resented our walks hand in hand: They feared a green girl strolling free in their land; 10 They didn t want a greenie to learn in their school. Eat and drink at their café, or swim in their pool. This problem was argued, but solved in due course When laws favouring greenness were put into force, Though it took many years before justice was done 15 In a land richly green from the warmth of the sun. All this time I still loved her and let it be said I pleaded sincerely that we might be wed, She laughed, Yes! For I wouldn t refuse a young fellow Whom I love and respect, just because he s bright yellow! 20 So we married and there came a child from us two Who can you believe it was perfectly blue! We then kissed, with the child in our arms tightly furled, As three parts of a rainbow illumined the world. 24
Analyse the poem 1. Why did the people not want to accept this couple? Quote a line from the poem which supports your answer. 2. Use the word wish in 2 different sentences, first as a verb, then as a noun. 3. Look carefully at the person sitting next to you. Identify 1 similarity and 1 difference between you. 4. Why is the word greenie written in inverted commas? 5. Identify the punctuation used in the Stanza 5, after the word laughed. Explain why it has been used. 6. Identify the similes used in the first verse. 7. Use a dictionary/thesaurus to explain the meaning of the words qualmsandfurled. 8. Provide a similar word (synonym) for strolled. (1) 9. In this poem, greenie is used to denote skin colour. Explain how the word greenie is also used in the context of nature. 10. People who have different skin colours or different religions often fight. Can you suggest a possible solution to this problem? (3) Total: 20 POEM 8: A stereotype of me This poem is in your language notes, Theme 17(page 50).