Before the Sun
By Charles Mungoshi
By Z.Lim & G.Lin
Before the Sun, By Charles Mungoshi:
Intense blue morning
Promising early heat
And later in the afternoon,
Heavy rain.
The bright chips
Fly from the sharp axe
For some distance through the air,
Arc,
And eternities later,
Settle down in showers
On the dewy grass.
It is a big log:
But when you are fourteen
Big logs
Are what you want.
The wood gives off
A sweet nose-cleansing odour
Which (unlike sawdust)
Doesn’t make one sneeze.
It sends up a thin spiral
Of smoke which later straightens
And flutes out
To the distant sky: a signal
Of some sort,
Or a sacrificial prayer.
The wood hisses,
The sparks fly.
And when the sun
Finally shows up
In the East like some
Latecomer to a feast
I have got two cobs of maize
Ready for it.
I tell the sun to come share
With me the roasted maize
And the sun just winks
Like a grown-up
So I go ahead, taking big
Alternate bites:
One for the sun,
One for me.
This one for the sun,
This one for me:
Till the cobs
Are just two little skeletons
In the sun.
Introduction:
•‘Before the Sun,’ by Charles
Mungoshi outlines the
progressive maturity that the
boy gains throughout the
poem with the ambitious
prospect that he will achieve
a degree of responsibility to
assist him in his aspiration to
live by himself. The
whittling(Carving off, take
away )of the log denotes the
introduction to responsibility
and survival based on one’s
own ability which is essential
for the poet to sustain his
own living.
Charles Mungoshi
progressively shows the
boy’s different stages of
growing up, and how he
gains his independence.
•During his initial
dedication to surviving in a
sparsely inhabited area,
the poet witnesses the sun
rising up from the East and
assumes that the sun
arrives like a sluggish guest
who has arrived late at a
party. It is from this
concept that the debate
between whether he is
playing a game with the
sun or is comprehending
that the sun is an object of
religious significance to
which the maize must be
sacrificed, arises.
Is the boy playing a
game with the sun? Or is
he ‘sacrificing’ the maize
to it? - Survival in a rural
area.
•Through a tranquil array of
events which ensue, the poet
implicitly conveys his
enthusiasm from fabricating
a game with the sun which
he welcomes. Towards the
end, the concept that the
sun is of religious significance
is subsidiary but still attains a
degree of significance. This
justifies why some critics still
debate over a religious
innuendo in the poem. The
title itself is ambiguous
about this prospect as it
equivocates both sides of the
discursion. A debate over this
issue will arise in slide 9.
The poet has a
contradicting way than
‘critics’ and can be
interpreted differently.
The Title:
•The title retains an underlying
significance which remains
inconspicuous and latent till the
poet progresses on to the idea of
a religious doctrine. ‘Before the
sun,’ is noteworthy of implying
the fact that the poet may have
knelt before the sun as if in
worship or it depicts the lateness
of the sun, whereupon the latter
scenario would propose the
concept that the boy is simply
early out of bed before the sun
arose.
Two different
interpretations(Pun):
“Before” could be worshipping
the sun, or that the boy awakes
before the sun.
“Before the Sun”
OR
Point of View:
•The point of view in this
poem is first person. This
becomes quite apparent in the
poem and may seem as if it
bears no significance or
contribution to the poem. On
the contrary, the use of first
person perspective allows the
poet to be more deeply
associated with the sun by
personalising the poetry in a
way which will make the
reader feel inclined to regard
the poem as being a
reminisced (To recall past
experiences) event.
The use of first person
brings the poet closer to
the event and places him
as the ‘boy’. –Showing us
that he has first hand
experience in the theme
being portrayed.
•The poet is reticent (Reluctant
to speak about) about his
interactions with the aesthetic
(Beautiful, pleasing to the eye)
objects of nature, in particular,
the sun which acquires
paramount recognition of
utmost importance.
Substantial relevance drawn
between the sun and the
persona of the poem enforces
a kindred experience the poet
ascertains with the sun. This is
emphasized by the poet’s use
of first person to impart the
notion that a reference to
himself justifies his strong
relationship with the sun.
First person indicates his
close friendship with the
sun.
…And when the sun
Finally shows up
In the East like some
Latecomer to a feast
I have got two cobs of maize
Ready for it.
I tell the sun to come share
With me the roasted maize
And the sun just winks
Like a grown-up
So I go ahead, taking big
Alternate bites:
One for the sun,
One for me.
This one for the sun,
This one for me:
Till the cobs
Are just two little skeletons
In the sun.
•Welcoming the sun and expressing his willingness to
share demonstrate the substantial attentiveness paid to
the sun due to a feeling of isolation and personal longing
for company that incensed him to believe that his newly
forged liking of the sun is derived from his magnanimous
(Generous in forgiveness, nobility of character) character.
Therefore, the establishment of first person depicts the
poet’s close relations with the sun and that his adoration
of the sun as a companion is elaborated due to the
intimate use of first person.
…And when the sun
Finally shows up
In the East like some
Latecomer to a feast
I have got two cobs of maize
Ready for it.
First person allows the poet to express more clearly
his relationship with his friend, the sun, by showing
how he shares evenly with the sun. (A cob of maize for
both of them).
So I go ahead, taking big
Alternate bites:
One for the sun,
One for me.
This one for the sun,
This one for me:
Till the cobs
Are just two little skeletons
In the sun.
I tell the sun to come share
With me the roasted maize
And the sun just winks
Like a grown-up
Themes:
The fulcrum point of the poem
explores an in-depth perspective of
maturity and childish entertainment
with which the poet uses to embellish
his teenage exhilaration, comprising of
his relationship and interaction with
the sun. This fascination in the sun still
ensures that the child attains a few
childish qualities, which indicate that
the boy is still dedicating his time and
efforts strenuously to achieve
manhood. Maturity is a vital theme
since it illustrates the substantial
experience the child accumulates,
relating back to the ageing of the tree
before its death. The boy also learns to
appreciate and respect the aesthetic
principles of nature, an aspect
overlooked by young children,
intensifying the theme of growing up
and character change as the boy
progresses on to adulthood.
…And when the sun
Finally shows up
In the East like some
Latecomer to a feast
I have got two cobs of
maize
Ready for it.
I tell the sun to come share
With me the roasted maize
And the sun just winks
Like a grown-up…
A major theme in the poem
could be the requirement of
patience, and the small lessons
children must learn such as
sharing, or hard work before
they can truly grow up.
The notion of self survival has been
explored with deep insight to gain a vast
expertise with outdoor survival. This
requires the child to cooperate with nature
in harmony and not abase natural objects in
a way which most adults do. Despite his
adolescent stage, the poet avers back to his
appreciation of nature and his
acknowledgement to cherish it. He learns to
cope with the environment and is aware of
many of the events which are considered
trivial by the general consensus, illustrating
the poet’s observant gaze. He implies that
some events, for example, the trajectory of
the wood chips, is transient; we should
capture that moment and notice it instead
of hastening on with life and wasting our
time. Life is momentous and should not be
taken without cause unless for an
exceptional reason, for instance, offering
the lives of the cobs to the sun with a
religious intent. Therefore, the themes of
the poem are maturity, character
development and respect for life.
…And when the sun
Finally shows up
In the East like some
Latecomer to a feast
I have got two cobs of
maize
Ready for it.
I tell the sun to come share
With me the roasted maize
And the sun just winks
Like a grown-up…
The symbiotic
relationship
between the boy
and the sun(Or
even perhaps
nature in general) is
hinted at by the
poet. Not to
overuse the
precious resources
we have?
Debate: Religious Cult or Play
It is religious- Zi-Wei Lim
It is play- George Lin
•
•
•
It is still disputable whether the poet
was intrigued by religious norm or he
was simply enthusing himself with
the prospect of befriending the sun in
an isolated setting. From a religious
perspective, the poem infers to
religious rituals and preparations
achieved by the poet to fulfil his
duties to the sun. This is justified by
the notion of the wood emitting a
spiral of smoke as if it is denoting a
religious signal as mentioned in the
phrase, ‘a sacrificial prayer.’
Sparks jittering off the pieces of wood
correspond crudely with the candles
which provide radiance in a church.
•
In opposition to the notion of a
religious perspective, the poet
conveys a sense of ebullience (High
spirits, exhilaration) and an informal
way of greeting the sun as enforced
by the casual language utilised in the
poem. ‘…like some latecomer to a
feast,’ exhibits the innate idea that
the poet is criticising the sun for not
arriving on schedule.
The poet’s distaste for lateness is
emphasized by the simile utilised in
the line above to parallel the sun with
a slack guest. Therefore, it could be
true that all the poet is doing is play.
•
•
•
Establishment of a certain kind of
‘sacrifice,’ or an ‘offering,’ is eminent
in the line, ‘roasted maize,’ which
highlights the devotion of the poet in
appeasing the holy figure with the
concept of ‘sharing.’
The poet could be fulfilling his duties
to the sun religiously by the constant
references to religious prayer and
practices.
‘Little skeletons,’ emphasize the idea
that the cobs of maize have finally
been sacrificed for the ‘ritual’ and
may allude to the vague idea that the
souls of the maize have been offered
to the sun. Furthermore, the sun
provides warmth and radiance to
enable the tree to sustain a
prosperous existence.
•
•
•
In regards to his patronising views of
the sun the poet does not address it
with much sincere consideration as
he was petulant in his attitude
towards the sun. ‘I tell the sun to
come share…’ portrays the poet’s
casual action to provide a tranquil
and insouciant (Free from concern)
atmosphere.
The personification incorporated in
‘the sun just winks,’ is a casual way of
describing the sun’s response to the
poet’s ‘devotion.’ Not only is the
poet’s assumption of the sun’s sign of
appeal implausible, it also expresses
the poet’s lack of display of a formal
ritual.
The age of the poet bears enormous
significance as it enhances the idea
that the boy is still too young and
juvenile to fully understand the norm
of religion.
•
•
Therefore, in order to recompense,
the wood must be sacrificed in return
for the sun, implying the idea that a
service has been paid during the
sacrifice.
Implying that sacrifice of the wood
and maize is repayment of the sun’s
generosity, of giving both wood(The
tree) and maize(The plant) life.
The boy’s dismissal of the sun’s
lateness in a religious context show’s
the boy’s utmost devotion to the sun
(His ‘idol’) and also brings forward
the religious interpretation of the
poem further.
•
•
•
The notion of a religious object winking
is stupendous and utterly unacceptable
under religious situations as the divine
object being appraised will not reveal
signs of gratitude, especially the
conveyance of approval through facial
expressions.
Moreover, assisting the sun in
consuming the feast is inadmissible as
alleged by the general consensus
derived from religious groups or church
congregation due to the idol’s ability to
overcome complexities.
The boy does not necessarily dismiss
the sun’s late coming, but instead, he
inadvertently exhibit contempt in the
line, ‘like a latecomer to a feast,’ to
demonstrate his impulsive nature and
impetuosity as opposed to waiting
quietly and patiently without a single
remark.
And when the sun
Finally shows up
In the East like some
Latecomer to a feast
I have got two cobs of maize
Ready for it.
•
I tell the sun to come share
With me the roasted maize
And the sun just winks
Like a grown-up
So I go ahead, taking big
Alternate bites:
One for the sun,
One for me.
This one for the sun,
This one for me:
Till the cobs
Are just two little skeletons
In the sun.
•
An introspection of the last stanza
illustrates the lack of reverence being
acknowledged to the sun as the
poem concludes with a childish
manner of alternatively eating the
maize as if the poet was enjoying
company with a friend. This is
enhanced by the aspect that the poet
is not as fastidious (Excessively
particular, critical) as the reader
might like to consider, revealing the
poet’s infidelity, as adjudicated by the
inconsiderate littering under the
sun’s glare.
Thus, according to the concept that
the poet lacks the knowledge of
conducting a religious ritual properly
and that he anticipates the sun using
incongruous words to emphasize his
intolerance of late arrivals, the notion
of a religious zeal is inadmissible.
Contrast:
In the initial stanza of the poem,
the poet is inspired by the intense
light of the blue morning which
offered an anticipation for a
serene setting of the landscape,
which tends to be surreal
(Attributes of a dream, fantastic,
outer-worldly). This contrasts
because, with an already ‘intense
blue morning’ without the sun
having come up yet, how bright
will the day be with the sun too.
‘Sharp axe,’ infers to the
lethal capacity the sharp
implement attains, denoting
harshness and a malicious
connotation it bears in
contrast to the smell which is
associated with the pleasant
smells emitting from the
same wood that was being
chipped and etched out by
the axe the poet was
wielding.
Contradicting this assumption, an antithesis (Direct
opposite) is introduced to impose the perspective
that reality can be masqueraded (Disguised) by the
prospect of a promising event as referred to by the
line, ‘…promising early heat and later in the afternoon
heavy rain.’ This establishes an oxymoron which is
formed from the two directly opposing concepts that
are juxtaposed in the line.
Intense blue morning
Promising early heat
And later in the afternoon,
Heavy rain.
The bright chips
Fly from the sharp axe
For some distance through
the air,
Arc,
And eternities later,
Settle down in showers
On the dewy grass…
…The wood gives off
A sweet nose-cleansing
odour
Which (unlike sawdust)
Doesn’t make one sneeze…
‘The wood gives off a nose-cleansing odour which
(unlike sawdust) doesn’t make one sneeze,’ is a
sentence which depicts the sweet, pungent less smell
that pervades the atmosphere as a gratifying gift for
the poet who is implied to have become associated
with the strong, clogging smell of sawdust. Awareness
of sawdust is crucial in emphasizing the immense relief
of the poet that the wood he was whittling at did not
exude (To come out gradually in drops) the same
disconcerting (To throw disorder or confusion) odour,
which promotes the idea that the scent of the wood
he hacked away carries a positive connotation. This
emphasis is imminent due to the incorporation of a
contrast between the pleasant scent of the wood
preceding the discontenting smell of sawdust. Contrast
is critical in the poem and promotes emphasis being
established between contradicting facts such as
‘sawdust,’ and the appeasing scent of the wood he
was cutting to make the smell stand out.
Wood chips, usually associated with negative
connotations (Like sawdust) is described as having
nose-cleansing properties, and a ‘sweet’ smell.
Intense blue morning
Promising early heat
And later in the afternoon,
Heavy rain.
The bright chips
Fly from the sharp axe
For some distance through
the air,
Arc,
And eternities later,
Settle down in showers
On the dewy grass…
…The wood gives off
A sweet nose-cleansing
odour
Which (unlike sawdust)
Doesn’t make one sneeze…
Language Features:
•The poet utilises plenty of
language techniques to reinforce
his perceptions of the scenes which
unravel in the poem and
opinionates the actions taken to
enhance his relationships with the
sun.
•For example, enjambment is displayed throughout the
poem as an omnipresent device to create a flowing sense
or perception of the various activities melding together.
‘Intense blue morning promising early heat…’ is the first
line in which enjambment is demonstrated. Due to this
technique, contrast imposed between the anticipated
weather and the dreary weather that follows after is
enlightened through the flowing connection made
between the two events.
•‘The bright chips fly from the sharp axe…’ presents an
alliteration forged into an enjambment. These two devices
melded together provides a striking emphasis on the
trajectory of the chips. Demonstrating the incredible speed
at which the chips are hurtling, alliteration is effective in
elaborating transitory and sudden motion.
Intense blue morning
Promising early heat
And later in the afternoon,
Heavy rain.
The bright chips
Fly from the sharp axe
For some distance through the
air,
Arc,
And eternities later,
Settle down in showers
On the dewy grass.
Hyperboles are also incorporated in
‘eternities later,’ to exaggerate the
prolonged time required for the chip’s
journey to end. Lengthening of time is
justified by, ‘settle down in showers,’ which
not only deliberates vast numbers of debris
falling through the air but also refers back
to the showers foreshadowed by, ‘heavy
rain,’ in stanza one.
As established by the torrent in stanza
one, ‘showers,’ take an extensively long
time to end, embellishing the
significant aspect of time being
prolonged by the hyperbole or
overstatement.
Intense blue morning
Promising early heat
And later in the afternoon,
Heavy rain.
The bright chips
Fly from the sharp axe
For some distance through the
air,
Arc,
And eternities later,
Settle down in showers
On the dewy grass.
As if to contradict the poet’s approval of the
sun, an onomatopoeia is advocated in the
verse, ‘The wood hisses,’ to reprimand the
poet for vanquishing its life.
Anthropomorphism is also innovated in the
line to provide an enlightenment to the
inanimate, in-depth idea that the wood is a
dissident to the poet’s will.
Sluggishness of the sun’s slack arrival is inferred
to by the poet’s distaste in the line, ‘… finally
shows up in the East like some latecomer to a
feast,’ to draw a distinct relevance between the
sun and the feast which the poet was initiating
in contribution to the sun to sustain a
harmonious relationship. Moreover, ‘the sun
just winks like a grown up,’ is a simile which is a
symbol of experience, security and the
aspirations of the poet who has extorted a fair
amount of vigour to accomplish his ambition to
attain a degree of responsibility. It also
illustrates the child’s need of guidance and
stresses his requirement of assistance from an
adult to retain a consolidated progress to
become an adolescent.
The wood hisses,
The sparks fly.
And when the sun
Finally shows up
In the East like some
Latecomer to a feast
I have got two cobs of maize
Ready for it.
I tell the sun to come share
With me the roasted maize
And the sun just winks
Like a grown-up
So I go ahead, taking big
Alternate bites:
One for the sun,
One for me.
This one for the sun,
This one for me:
Till the cobs
Are just two little skeletons
In the sun.
Anaphora incorporated in ‘one,’
and repetition blended in with
this device demonstrates a listing
technique used to enumerate the
strenuous tasks done to
accomplish his desire to become
responsible for his own survival.
Finally, the metaphorical use of,
‘two little skeletons,’ emphasize
the idea that the prayer signifying
his hopes of growing up have now
ceased as implied by the cobs of
the maize left abandoned since
he is now grown up in terms of
his physique and maturity after
his experience concludes to a
dramatic end.
The wood hisses,
The sparks fly.
And when the sun
Finally shows up
In the East like some
Latecomer to a feast
I have got two cobs of maize
Ready for it.
I tell the sun to come share
With me the roasted maize
And the sun just winks
Like a grown-up
So I go ahead, taking big
Alternate bites:
One for the sun,
One for me.
This one for the sun,
This one for me:
Till the cobs
Are just two little skeletons
In the sun.
Use of Diction:
The poet effectively introduces the lurid image
of the sky as underscored by the impacting
diction, ‘Intense,’ which is portrayed as the first
word of the introductory verse. It renders the
scene more vigorous and lively as it enhances
radiance of the sun to portray a scorching
sensation in addition to a brisk atmosphere.
This is due to the fact that speed is associated
with intense heat which is also intensified by
the following verse, ‘promising early heat,’
relating back to the warmth and consolation
the sun provides.
‘Bright chips,’ refer back to the lurid
colour of the morning, drawing a
relevance to the notion that the
setting is abundant with vivid colours.
As opposed to most of the positive
sounding bearing words, a negative
connotation is implied by ‘sharp axe,’
imposing a contradiction established
between it and the aroma inferred to
afterwards.
Intense blue morning
Promising early heat
And later in the afternoon,
Heavy rain.
The bright chips
Fly from the sharp axe
For some distance through the
air,
Arc,
And eternities later,
Settle down in showers
On the dewy grass.
It is a big log:
But when you are fourteen
Big logs
Are what you want.
‘Flutes out,’ depicts the smoke as
billowing outwards, with an
implication that it fans expansively
but gracefully with an eloquence
that opposes the vehement weather
indicated in the primary stanza. The
diction, ‘finally,’ used in relevance to
the late arrival of the sun prolongs
the time elapsed between the poet’s
waiting and the first sign that the
sun is approaching. The word
,’ready,’ affirms the poet’s
anticipation of the sun’s incoming
and implies a certain kind of
arrogance that he has laboured
diligently for the sun, whereupon
It sends up a thin spiral
Of smoke which later straightens
And flutes out
To the distant sky: a signal
Of some sort,
Or a sacrificial prayer.
The wood hisses,
The sparks fly.
And when the sun
Finally shows up
In the East like some
Latecomer to a feast
I have got two cobs of maize
Ready for it.
this impression is outlined by the
poet’s intentional exaggeration of the
meagre supply of maize as a ‘feast.’
The vocabulary, ‘tell,’ is a casual
gesticulation for the sun to join in the
feast, implying that the sun is
considered to be a friend to
accompany the poet when he
confronts solitude. Informing the
reader of the sun’s alleged response
to his attribution, he solicits the use
of ‘winks,’ to demonstrate an
informal way of gesture the sun
elicits. Therefore, the significance of
diction in the poem is enhanced due
to its emphasis entailed on the points
established in the preceding stanzas.
And when the sun
Finally shows up
In the East like some
Latecomer to a feast
I have got two cobs of maize
Ready for it.
I tell the sun to come share
With me the roasted maize
And the sun just winks
Like a grown-up
So I go ahead, taking big
Alternate bites:
One for the sun,
One for me.
This one for the sun,
This one for me:
Till the cobs
Are just two little skeletons
In the sun.
Syntax:
The poet innovates a variety of syntaxes to embellish or
enhance some of the indispensable points established
to infer the poet’s regards of his experience. The
sentences are usually rather lengthy, extending across a
span of an entire stanza. This highlights the poet’s
inclination to integrate complex or compound
sentences into the poem to induce a perception that
the poet at that age is mature and attains the standard
of incorporating long sentence structures in his
acknowledgement of the setting.
For instance, ‘Intense blue morning… heavy rain,’
intensify the poet’s ability of foresight and can
forecast the changes that are liable to occur in the
atmosphere. ‘Arc,’ which has been isolated by the
assimilation of two commas implies the innuendo
that the chips fly gracefully during their prolonged
trajectories. The brevity of syntax imposed in the line
enhances the concept that the chips are frozen in
time.
Intense blue morning
Promising early heat
And later in the afternoon,
Heavy rain.
The bright chips
Fly from the sharp axe
For some distance through the
air,
Arc,
And eternities later,
Settle down in showers
On the dewy grass.
It is a big log:
But when you are fourteen
Big logs
Are what you want.
The discordant fracturing between the
words ‘sky,’ and ‘signal,’ ‘distant sky: a
signal…’ displays an ambience that the
smoke, although wavering, is a
significant sign that swirls high up into
the sky. The break also promotes the
idea that the smoke is emitted
intermittently as if in a staccato. ‘The
wood hisses, The sparks fly,’ comprise of
minor sentences to punctuate each
remark scripted in regards to his
appreciation of the radiance exerted by
the bonfire although it is daunted by the
fierce light emitted by the sun, drawing
further contrast.
It sends up a thin spiral
Of smoke which later straightens
And flutes out
To the distant sky: a signal
Of some sort,
Or a sacrificial prayer.
The wood hisses,
The sparks fly.
And when the sun
Finally shows up
In the East like some
Latecomer to a feast
I have got two cobs of maize
Ready for it.
Layout:
The poet assimilates varying layout to induce a
dynamic presentation of the poet’s views as well as to
intensify the concept of harmony, interactions with
the sun and the projectiles or motion of the objects
depicted. The position of the word, ‘arc,’ is captivating
in that it is isolated into a single word. Arrangement is
critical in that it stresses the word’s vividness to
entice the reader’s attention, elevating the
significance of the single word. The arrangement of
stanza six alludes to a breathtaking event when the
logs conform to igniting, stressing the significance of
an insentient (inanimate) object being enlightened as
life-like. Furthermore, the arrangement of the
repetitive lines of ‘one for the sun, one for me,’
emphasizes the notion of listing which defines the
vigorous tasks the poet has accomplished in the sun’s
favour. The position of the colon at the end of the
line, ‘This one for the sun, this one for me:’
accentuates the finality of the scene, demonstrating
that the ‘ritual’ has ended. Therefore, layout is
significant in its contribution to the theme and
rendering the objects present in the setting animate.
The bright chips
Fly from the sharp axe
For some distance through
the air,
Arc,
And eternities later,
Settle down in showers
On the dewy grass…
…I tell the sun to come share
With me the roasted maize
And the sun just winks
Like a grown-up
So I go ahead, taking big
Alternate bites:
One for the sun,
One for me.
This one for the sun,
This one for me:
Till the cobs
Are just two little skeletons
In the sun.
Relevance to other poems:
‘Before the Sun,’ parallels with several other poems introduced in this anthology,
for instance, ‘Rising Five,’ ‘Little Boy Crying,’ and ‘Muliebrity.’ These poems attain
an association established between them due to the theme of growing up and
becoming an adult either through discipline as in ‘Little Boy Crying,’ or detracting
away from childhood fascination as in ‘Rising Five.’ In consideration to , ‘Rising
Five,’ the child is eager to become an adult and tosses away the toffee wrappers
to signify his renouncement of toffees to ascend to maturity. In reference to this
poem, ‘Before the sun,’ illustrates the boy’s fascination in the sun as a companion
which outlines his childishness. However, on another perspective, the child may
be worshipping the sun, a concept which is too deep for the understanding of a
child, demonstrating that the child may have spurned away his interest from the
sun as a companion to consider the sun as a holy object as implied by the
‘skeletons,’ of the maize he sacrificed. This poem also refers back to the concepts
of ‘Little Boy Crying,’ in which case the boy must learn his lesson to protect
himself from his irresponsible acts before coping with the harsh environment. In
‘Before the Sun,’ the poet depicts himself as surviving in an isolated landscape
and coping with the environment without sustaining harm. Muliebrity,’ translates
directly into womanhood, which is associated with the manliness that the boy is
striving to attain in ‘Before the Sun,’ by demonstrating that he can undertake the
act of sacrifice to appease the sun.
About the Poet (Charles Mungoshi):
•Born into a farming family in 1947, Charles Mungoshi was raised in the Chivhu area
of Zimbabwe.
•After leaving school, he worked with the Forestry Commission before joining
Textbook Sales. From 1975 to 1981 he worked at the Literature Bureau as an editor,
and at Zimbabwe Publishing House for the next five years. In 1985-87 he was Writer
in Residence at the University of Zimbabwe, and since then he has worked as a freelance writer, script writer and editor.
•Charles Mungoshi has written novels and short stories in both Shona and English, as
well as two collections of children's stories, Stories from a Shona Childhood and One
Day Long Ago (Baobab Books, 1989 and 1991); the former won him the Noma Award.
He has also continued to write poetry and has one published collection: The Milkman
doesn't only deliver Milk (Baobab Books, 1998).
•He has won the Commonwealth Writers Prize (Africa region) twice, in 1988 and
1998, for two collections of short stories: The Setting Sun and the Rolling World
(Heinemann, 1987) and Walking Still (Baobab Books, 1997). Two of his novels:
Waiting for the Rain (Heinemann 1975) and Ndiko kupindana kwa mazuva (Mambo
Press, 1975) received International PEN awards.
The End