Poems for the IGCSE

‘Plenty’ by Isobel Dixon

Written by Thalia Triantafyllou

‘Plenty’ is a poem written by Isobel Dixon telling the story of her difficult childhood where her family couldn’t afford basic necessities such as water. Born and raised in South Africa, the author inspects the themes of restriction, deprivation, poverty and childhood by looking back on the deprivation she and her siblings lived whilst her single mother

struggled to provide for them all.

Set into seven quatrains, a certain regular structure is given to the poem. Thus, within that, the line length is irregular and there is no set rhyme scheme. This perhaps could represent the way memories are set in one’s mind. Memories come and go creating this fluidity that seems to be similar to the scheme of the poem. In addition, what really makes this poem so precious and unique is, despite how each word contrasts with another, altogether, as a whole, it creates this shivering powerful image.

The message of the poem is centred around “water” and it’s influence on the author and her family. Dixon writes about her memories as a child often referring to her mother’s anger. In the second stanza, the mother’s smile is “stretched back” l.7 and “anchored down” l.8 because of the children’s actions. Metaphors such as “a clasp to keep us all from chaos” l.9 and “her mouth a lid clamped hard on this” l.16 are used to create a more vivid image of the mother’s efforts to keep the family together since her mouth is compared to a lid and her smile to a clasp.

Moreover, the spilling” l.12 of the water sums “the worries” l.12 of the mother but as well of the children. Even if the children knew about the preciousness of the water, it is not always easy to understand the impact and consequences of one’s actions, especially if it is a child, that only thinks about having fun. Hence, Isobel Dixon doesn’t implement us to feel sorry nor pity for her. Instead, with this poem Dixon tells us how we can make the best out of difficult times and how we should let this shape us into becoming better as a person.

Water is known as a symbolic for life. But to some, it often could represent a basic necessity, leading us to compare our childhood to Dixon’s. Some of us might relate with her past and identify ourselves to her story, whereas others, through this story realised that they took for granted fundamental things such as water and didn’t appreciate their luxury. This perspective is enhanced even more through the final stanza, which demonstrate a shift from the poet’s memory to her current situation, where she is wealthy and enjoys a luxurious bath. With this volta, we learn that we should appreciate what we have and be thankful for every little moment, but to always remember where we came from.

The short sentence “I am a Sybarite” stands out from the poem since it represents her current situation and that shift of perspectives. The etymology of the word can be traced back to Ancient Greece, referring to the people of Sybarite a town in Southern Italy, where it’s people were devoted to pleasure and noted for their love of luxury. This implies that Dixon has mixed feelings about her current richness. She feels extreme pleasure but also guilt since she leaves “the heating on” and “the water’s plentiful, to excess, almost”. The usage of the commas creates a slight pause that could lead us to the conclusion of a switch and imbalance between these positive and negative feelings.

In summary, in ‘Plenty’, Isobel Dixon reflects on her past, more specifically on her childhood with a nostalgic feel. This poem has the same traits of a “memoire” making this something personal and important to her. Dixon perfectly demonstrates how though some children have less money than others, that strong family relationship is the most important factor to a happy childhood. She also goes into comparing her childhood with her present life in order to draw some interesting conclusions on the differences between poverty and wealth, inviting us to understand that being poor and experiencing hardship doesn’t necessary mean “suffering”.

Caged Bird” By Maya Angelou

Written by Eugenia Kati

“Caged Bird” is a famous poem written by Maya Angelou in 1983, in the United States of America.

Some words about the poet

Maya Angelou is an African-American poet and civil rights activist of the 20th and early 21st centuries. Throughout her life she appeared to be significantly evolved in the improvement of the social place of the African-American community. On more, she was the first black female streetcar conductor in San Francisco.

The Poem

The extended metaphor

Without any doubt, the poet makes use of an extended metaphor or conceit in order to depict the situation of the African-American community. Hence, the caged bird represents the slaves or the African-Americans in general, whereas the free bird is a symbol of the repressive white community.

In this way, while the caged bird sings and asks for freedom, the free bird seems to consider it as an essential right, as something that is normal. Thus, even if it doesn’t fully understand its value, it is the one to take advantage of it. On the other hand, the intuition of freedom of the caged bird emphasizes its suffering and this contrasts with the joy of the free bird.

Hence, it is crystal clear that the situation described above can be juxtaposed to our societies. Indeed, from my point of view, the poet tried to depict the fact that the need of freedom is intuitive since the caged bird seeks it even if he has never experienced it (“things unknown”). On more, one who is familiar with the poet’s life could suppose that the caged bird represents Angelou, since she was also constantly looking for freedom.

In addition, the poem compares the lack of freedom to death. Indeed, the lexical field of death is used throughout the poem (“grave” “shadow”) to highlight that the caged bird lives in a dead environment. Yet, it is still alive and continues to protest which suggests that the African-American community is bound to ask for justice regardless the situation it has to face.

The opposition and contrast of the birds

One can see that there is an opposition and contrast between the two birds and this is emphasized by the repetition of the word “but”. In fact, throughout the poem we can notice a juxtaposition of heaven and hell as well as one of joy and suffering. Thanks to this, the poet highlights the distinct situations of the two birds that evolve at the same time, but still contrast. In this way, Maya Angelou tried to denounce the injustice that exists in our societies and that cannot be justified by anything.

The musicality of the poem

“Caged bird” is a musical poem and its structure reminds the structure of a song. In fact, the stanzas 3 and 6 can be seen as the refrain since they are the same and comprise some musical figures of speech: alliteration in “L” (“trill” “still”) and assonance in “I” (“distant” “hill”). What is more, the poem appears to have internal rhymes (“dawn” “lawn”) while it reminds a beat since it has African-American undertones. Lastly, it expresses strong feelings such as dread or anger which allows the reader to say that it has lyrical tones.

Throughout all the above, Maya Angelou could be seeking to lighten and reduce the heaviness of the poem.

A situation that must come to an end

As the bird is an eternal creature, one can say that it symbolizes eternity and, thus, that this situation will never end. On more, the refrain (stanza 3 and 6) gains a liquid expression since it comprises alliteration in “L”. This gives the reader the impression that the situation in unlimited and that the torture of the caged bird is repeated over and over again.

Nevertheless, throughout the poem, there are several words (“shadow” “grave of dreams”) that refer to the lexical field of nightmare. Yet, the latter always come to an end. In this way, the poem may describe the hope of Angelou that this situation is only a passage, a hardship towards freedom, and that, like any nightmare, it will soon finish. In addition, the assonance in “I” of the refrain makes the poem sound like a ringing and suggests that Angelou is expecting a wake up call that will mark the end of injustice.

However, with the “wind” symbolizing the hopes flowing, the poet may attempt to depict her despair and her irritation but also the fact that she has started to accept her way of living.

To sum up: the themes and the structure

To sum up, the main themes of the poem are:

Freedom
Hope
Perseverance/strong will
Acceptance
Resilience
Unending situation.

The poem has a strong and clear structure with six stanzas (two for the free bird and four for the caged bird: she puts emphasize on the latter). It doesn’t have a rhyme scheme but it comprises some rhymes (“cage” “rage”).

Thank you for reading my analysis! I remind you that these are my personal ideas and, hence, that you are free to expand on your own if you can support them. Have a nice day!

Article on the poem Muliebrity written by Sujata Bhatt

Title: The life of women. By Celina Hage

Poem:

I have thought so much about the girl

who gathered cow-dung in a wide, round basket

along the main road passing by our house

and the Radhavallabh temple in Maninagar.

I have thought so much about the way she

moved her hands and her waist

and the smell of cow-dung and road-dust and wet canna lilies,

the smell of monkey breath and freshly washed clothes

and the dust from crows’ wings which smells different –

and again, the smell of cow-dung as the girl scoops

it up, all these smells surrounding me separately

and simultaneously – I have thought so much

but have been unwilling to use her for a metaphor,

for a nice image – but most of all unwilling

to forget her or to explain to anyone the greatness

and the power glistening through her cheekbones

each time she found a particularly promising

mound of dung –

The act of feminism! (Theme in the poem)

We have been fighting and demanding for our freedom, we have been harassed, assaulted and many more but what is the point, of manifesting? Is it to fight for our superiority or for the superiority of men who believe that they are better than us? Sitting on the couch, sleeping, demanding orders, doing ‘hard work’ (farm, office...) and women cleaning the house and preparing lunch all day, every day. We need to liberate our souls and our cultures, change our society and this is exactly the message conveyed in the poem Muliebrity written by Sujata Bhatt, an Indian poet in the early 1960’s

Feminism is mentioned in many ways in this poem:

Firstly, the title appears as feminine as its etymology derives from a Late Latin word “muliebritatem” which significates ‘womanhood’, therefore the poem mentions the beautiful process of transitioning from a girl to a woman. Secondly, the author of the poem is a woman, this indicates the power of women in the poem and in real life. Thirdly, In the poem ,the elegance of woman is mentioned, this presents feminism as Bhatt illustrates the way the girl moves, the way she acts and works in the farm, the rhythm of the girl's hard work and her ‘moves’ of her ‘hands’ and ‘waist’ are addressed in enjambments such as “she; moves her hands and her waist “.This quote underlines the fact that the girl is lively and attractive. Moreover, the girl has dignity as she wears her freshly washed clothes.

To conclude, feminism is represented in many ways with the help of the title, the poet, the elegance and power of the woman which are all illustrated in the message of the poem Muliebrity. The theme is the beauty of womanhood and the power of woman who can work in farms or other hard professions and are not only housewives. (working at home)

Obsession towards the girl! (Theme)

The reputation of ‘I have thought so much’, which is repeated three times, illustrates the fact that ‘I', the poet is obsessed with the girl. Furthermore, the anaphora of “‘I have thought so much about the” portrays a higher effect of compulsion for the readers as it is at the beginning of the poem and then in the commencement of the fifth verse, this emphasizes the importance of the anaphora.

The Indian Culture! (Imagery)

The Synesthesia of taste and smell in the poem focuses on powerful images as the readers can inhale and taste the different odors. On the seventh and eight verse, two smells and cultures are evoked, the cow-dung which is to remind the readers of their culture(s) and the monkey breath which is to enhance the Indian culture. Moreover, the cow is a sacred animal in the Hindi religion therefore it also represents the Indian society. Furthermore, the poem takes place in an India atmosphere/civilization as on the fourth verse, the Radhavallabh temple in Maninagar is mentioned, it is located in the suburbs of Ahmadabad, the capital of The Gujarat state. Another point worth to mention is the fact that the aroma has an oxymoronic theme between the undesirable smells which are the cow-dung and monkey breath and the satisfactory scent of the wet canna lilies and the freshly washed clothes. This demonstrates the puberty of the girl as she often changes moods

To sum up, the Indian culture is highlighted with the help of the sense of smell which transposes the readers to a different society and world

The Cycle of Life (Theme)

The main and last punctuation which is a “-” demonstrate the fact that the poem is unfinished. This reflects the fact that the girl will work and start again tomorrow morning. Therefore, the poem is a cycle of the girls life which is to scoop up “cow-dung”, this evolution of the poem represents the vivid images of the power of the girl as she can do farm work for the rest of her life, which also focuses on the message which is that women can choose their future profession.

Literary devices (which have connections with feminism, obsession, cultures and the cycle of life) -Language

On the thirteen and fourteen a metaphor of the girl is demonstrated throughout the poem. ” unwilling to use her for a metaphor[..] but most of all unwilling to forget her”. Bhatt didn’t want to use the girl as a metaphor but she exoticize her for the readers to believe and notice her. Another metaphor of the girl is “the greatness and the power glistening through her cheekbones; each time she found a particularly promising; mound of dung –” This quote represents the power of the girl as she scoops up the cow dung-”.

Two anaphora's are mentioned which are: “I have thought so much” which is repeated 3 times in the poem, it is highlighted by the poet as it is in the beginning of the first and fifth verse Furthermore the second anaphora is the repetition of “and” which is repeated 5 times, it is highlighted by the poet as it is in the beginning of the fourth, seventh, ninth, tenth and twelfth verse.

Another literary devise is a Polysyndeton which are words in a list that are linked with ‘and’. On the verse seven and eight : “andthe smell of cow-dung and the roast dust and wet lilies, the smell of monkey breath and freshly washed clothes "Furthermore, aSibilance, which is the repetition of the sound ‘s’, illustrates the sound of wind or breath. On the tenth verse: “smell surrounding me separately and simultaneously”. To finish, another addressed literary devise are Enjambments. They create the rhythm in the poem such as on verse eleven :“scoops; it up” or on verse five “the way she; moves her hands”.

To conclude, in the poem Muliebrity, Bhatt represents womanhood, feminism and the power of women which are the main themes. Without her and other inspirational women such as Olympe de Gouges who created the declaration of women’s right in France, We, as women, would not be independent on our own choices but on the choices of the opposite sexe.

Seamus Heaney ‘mid-term break’

Seamus Heaney is a famous Irish poet of the 20th century who, among all the success and glory he accumulated, received the Nobel prize of literature in 1995. He once said "My poems almost always start in some kind of memory..." and ‘Mid-term break’ is no exception; this poem, written in 1953 following the death of the younger brother of the author is a beautiful and emotional text which honours the memory of the deceased young boy. It is a poem that grows in stature, finally ending in an unforgettable single line image.

The poem approaches the funerals in a subtle and sensitive manner. The seriousness is gradually taken in consideration as the 1st person speaker takes us in his sad perspective of a world where he shall accept the death of his younger brother who was aged only four years old. The reader does not know what the poem is about and is surprised and taken in the emotional reality lived by Heaney.

The title suggests a positive aura with a joyous theme, as a mid-term break might certainly have as theme the holidays, which is usually thought about as an escape of all the stress and work, a moment to have some time to relax and free our minds of all forms of pression. The reader soon realizes that the theme is all but joyous and that a tragedy has occurred, as Seamus Heaney uses his special insights to reveal the emotional scene that he sees, with men crying “I met my father crying… He had always taken funerals in his stride.

Also, the use of dashes, enjambments and moreover the general punctuation helps giving a certain flow to the text, slowing down the rhythm to give a more austere and serious atmosphere to the poem, Heaney’s formal conversational fashion from his early poems also giving this sombre aspect to the text.

Farmhand

By Jad Jammal

Farmhand, by James K. Baxter, is a five stanza poem written in the 1940s. This poem is a description of a young farm worker who appears socially awkward when out of the farming environment.

This farm worker, whose name isn’t known, can often be found watching the dance floor of a music hall and observing “girls drifting like flowers”. He doesn’t do much except observing, and he does not see himself as deserving the life of a lover, probably because of an “old wound”, that opens each time he stares.

The farmhand, doesn’t have a girl to run her fingers through his sandy hair, and giggle at his side, but down on his own life and appearance, he is able to take some comfort in the fact that “He has his awkward hopes” and something good will happen to him.

The man is uncommonly strong and hardworking. He may neither be a dancer, neither a love-maker but he gets very pleasant listening to a new tractor engine. This is music to his ears and is something he can truly appreciate.

An important fact to mention is the similarity of James K. Baxter and the farm worker. After James K. Baxter left university, he spent many years working on farms, so it’s tempting to read the poem in Baxter’s own voice. We can feel that the writer is looking back on adolescence thinking about his regrets and nostalgia. He may have outgrown his way of life.

To conclude, although in his past, the farmhand may have been a different person, one made for love-making and being gracious, today he is not that same person. That poem shows us how a person can become the opposite of what he was because of an unclosed wound.