Poems from different cultures and traditions
STIF Cramming sheet English Language
Pre release Mature 1997
Title
Two Scavengers in a
Truck
Two Beautiful People in
a Mercedes
Poet
Lawrence
Ferlinghetti
Biko the greatness
Benjamin
Zephaniah
Not My Business
Niyi
Osundare
Subject
(what is the poem about?)
Binary opposition
Wealth & poverty
Beauty & Beast
Snapshot
Steve Biko black activist
murdered in South Africa
1977 under apartied.
Recognition of racist
problems in London(Islington)
Poverty
Deliberate ignorance
Tone (feeling)
Angry protesting the failure
of democracy. Muted
expressing sadness that a
gap remains between rich
and poor.
Anger and remembrance.
Recognition
Negative
Uncaring
Aggressive
Violent
consuming
Forgiving and resolving
Image (Metaphor)
Scavengers- gargoyle
Beautiful – casually
coiffed
Lack of family support “no
brother”
Suppression leading to
inspiration
Religion
“Beat him soft like clay”
Military “Green Jeep”
“Stuffed him down the
belly”
Form (shape, rhyme
& poetic conventions)
Free form
Does not rhyme and
has jolting line stops
and restarts on the
next line.
Like a song
Repetition
Structured stanzas
and verses
“personal revenge […]
your children’s right to
schooling and flowers.”
“Bursting”
“my sista’ is own car
repairer”
Song based,
symmetry between
stanza 1 and 2
Panic
Child’s perspective
Admiration
First person narrative
Candles and lanterns
Mother blood
Lonely nightly vigil
Irregular length
Indirect speech
Hope
learning
Greet yourself
Own door, own mirror
Sit, feast on your life
redemption
Rough half burned spinal
discs
Left dust, debt and his
name
Being the burning type
Free form no rhythm
Single words e.g.
Eat.
Emphasis the impact
of the word.
8 stanzas
Symmetrical shape of
poem.
Lines not completed
replicates how death
cuts off
Revenge
Lois Enrique
Mejia Godoy
Revenge through kindness.
LISTEN BIG BRODDA
DREAD, NA
James Berry
Comparative, anger,
jealousy, fear in the female
Night of the Scorpion
Nissim
Ezekiel
Love After Love
Derek
Walcott
Family rivalry, deep
emotional rivalry because
subjugated communities will
fight in conflict, masculinity
has been diminished.
Survival
Poison
Reincarnation
Agony & death
love
Learning to love again
Learning to love yourself
Obituary
AK
Ramanujan
Death of a father and how the
writer feels about his loss.