No Ordinary Sun
By Hone Tuwhare
Hone Tuwhare
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Born in Kaipara in 1922. Died in Otago 2008.
Tribal affiliations; Ngapuhi, Ngati Korokoro, Ngati Tautahi,
Te Popoto, Uri-O-Hau.
Apprenticed and worked as a boilermaker.
Played a very active role in the Trade Union Movement –
eventually kicked out for being a troublemaker.
Began writing poetry seriously at the age of 34.
Published many poems in magazines and a number of
poetry collections.
"No Ordinary Sun" was published in 1964 and is still
considered one of his most powerful poems.
No Ordinary Sun
Unfamiliar Words
Supplication
a humble and sincere appeal to somebody who has
the power to grant a request
Resilience
the ability to recover quickly from setbacks
No Ordinary Sun
Unfamiliar Words
Deferential
Showing or expressing polite respect or
courtesy
Ardour
Great passion, enthusiasm, or eagerness
No Ordinary Sun
Unfamiliar Words
Unheeding
Paying little attention
Vain entreaties
Hopeless appeal, ineffective request
No Ordinary Sun
Unfamiliar Words
Gallant monsoon
Grand and majestic ‘wave’/’wind’
Trade wind
A wind that blows towards the equator - a
major component of the global weather
system
No Ordinary Sun
Unfamiliar Words
enhaloed
A circle/ring of light (in this instance around
the cloud)
No Ordinary Sun
Personification
No Ordinary Sun
Personification
Let your arms lack toughness
Who is the poet addressing?
No Ordinary Sun
Personification
Let your arms lack toughness
Who is the poet addressing?
The tree
No Ordinary Sun
Let your arms lack toughness
What other instances of personification can
you find in the poem?
No Ordinary Sun
Personification
Let your arms lack toughness
What other instances of personification can
you find in the poem?
O tree/…a deferential head/…your naked
arms fall/…More?
No Ordinary Sun – In pairs
Highlight and count the number of times the
words no, not, nor are used in the first four
verses.
What does their use suggest?
No Ordinary Sun – In pairs
What kind of associations do the words
supplication and enhaloed have?
No Ordinary Sun – In pairs
What relationship does an axe and fire
usually have to a tree?
How is the use of this in line five, verse one
connected to the bright enhaloed cloud?
No Ordinary Sun – In pairs
What picture of the tree is suggested in verse
two with the words
rising sap, inclining head, stirring to the tickle
of the rain?
No Ordinary Sun – In pairs
What three activities does verse 3 suggest
that the tree used to be involved in before?
No Ordinary Sun – In pairs
What three activities does verse 3 suggest
that the tree used to be involved in before?
Wreathed with birds, shield and cool the
lovers
Before what?
No Ordinary Sun – In pairs
What is the connection between..
CLOUD
MONSTROUS SUN
RADIANT BALL
FLASH
BLAST
What image do you have in your mind when reading
these words?
No Ordinary Sun – In pairs
No Ordinary Sun – In pairs
Poetic Devices
Alliteration
Personification
Assonance
Rhyme
Rhythm
Find at least three examples for each in the poem.