O’L HIGUE

You think I like this stupidness! -

gallivanting all night without skin,
burning myself out like cane-fire
to frighten the foolish?
And for what? A few drops of baby blood?
You think I wouldn't rather
take my blood seasoned in fat
black-pudding, like everyone else?
And don't even talk 'bout the pain of salt
and having to bend these old bones down
to count a thousand grains of rice!

If only babies didn't smell so nice!

And if I could only stop
hearing the soft, soft call
of that pure blood running in new veins,
singing the sweet song of life
tempting an old, dry-up woman who been
holding her final note for years and years,
afraid of the dying hum ...

Then again, if I didn't fly and come

to that fresh pulse in the middle of the night, how would you, mother,
name your ancient dread?
And who to blame
for the murder inside your head ...?
Believe me -
As long as it have women giving birth
a poor ol' higue like me can never dead.

McWatt, Mark. 'Ol' Higue' in A World of Poetry. Edited by Mark McWatt and Hazel
Simmons McDonald

LITERAL MEANING
In this poem, the Ol' Higue / soucouyant tells of her frustration with her lifestyle. She
does not like the fact that she sometimes has to parade around, in the form of a fireball,
without her skin at night. She explains that she has to do this in order to scare people, as
well as to acquire baby blood. She explains that she would rather acquire this blood via
cooked food, like every-one else. Her worst complaint is the pain of salt, as well as
having to count rice grains. She exhibits some regret for her lifestyle but implies that she
cannot resist a baby's smell, as well as it's pure blood. The 'newness' of the baby tempts
the Ol' Higue, and she cannot resist because she is an old woman who fears death, which
can only be avoided by consuming the baby's blood. She affirms her usefulness in the
scheme of things, however, by claiming that she provides with a name for their fears
(this being the death of a child), as well as some-one to blame when the evil that they
wish for their child, in moments of tired frustration, is realized. She implies that she will
never die, so long as women keep having babies.
LITERARY DEVICES
1. SIMILE
Cane-fire has a very distinct quality. It burns very quickly and its presence is felt
through its pungent smell. Therefore, when the Ol' Higue compares herself to cane fire
in her fireball state, it implies that she uses a lot of energy quickly, and is very visible.
2. RHETORICAL QUESTION
Stanza 1,line 4: This rhetorical question highlights the scant regard that the Higue has
for the average person. She is thoroughly annoyed that she has to literally waste her
energy on them.
3. REPETITION
The repetition of the word 'soft' emphasizes the fact that the call of the child's blood has
captured and beguiled the Ol' Higue'. She implies that she cannot resist that call.
4. ALLITERATION
This device emphasizes the Ol' Higue's dependence, even addiction, to the sweet blood
of the baby.
IMPORTANT WORDS/ PHRASES
 'stupidness!'
This is a distinctly Caribbean phrase that highlights frustration or scorn. Therefore, it
highlights the Ol' Higue's frustration with her lack of self-control.
 'gallivanting'
This term refers to someone 'playing ar6found', having fun. The Ol' Higue is being
sarcastic at this point. She is expressing displeasure at having to fly around to seek prey.
 'pure blood running in new veins'
Babies are often associated with purity, this is what is emphasized here. The Ol' Higue
simply cannot resist the lure of new and pure blood.
 'holding her final note for years and years, afraid of the dying hum ...'
This tells us that the Ol'Higue has been living this desperate existence for a long time. It
also implies that she will keep hanging on, despite her frustration. The final line
confirms this point: 'As long as it have women giving birth a poor Ol' Higue like me can
never dead'
MOOD/ ATMOSPHERE
The mood of the poem is reflective.
TONE
The tone of the poem is slightly bitter and resigned. She accepts that the cycle of her life
cannot change.
THEMATIC CATEGORIZATION
Supernatural

A STONE’S THROW

We shouted out
'We've got her! Here she is!
It's her all right '.
We caught her.
There she was -

A decent-looking woman, you'd have said,

(They often are)
Beautiful, but dead scared,
Tousled - we roughed her up
A little, nothing much

And not the first time

By any means
She'd felt men's hands
Greedy over her body -
But ours were virtuous,
Of course.

And if our fingers bruised

Her shuddering skin,
These were love-bites, compared
To the hail of kisses of stone,
The last assault
And battery, frigid rape,
To come
Of right.

For justice must be done

Specially when
It tastes so good.

And then - this guru,

Preacher, God-merchant, God-knows-what -
Spoilt the whole thing,
Speaking to her
(Should never speak to them)
Squatting on the ground - her level,
Writing in the dust
Something we couldn't read.
And saw in her
Something we couldn't see
At least until
He turned his eyes on us,
Her eyes on us,
Our eyes upon ourselves.

We walked away
Still holding stones
That we may throw
Another day
Given the urge.

Mitchel, E. 'A Stone's Throw' in A World of Poetry. Edited by Mark McWatt and Hazel
Simmons McDonald.

LITERAL MEANING

A crowd has caught a woman. The persona implies to the reader that the woman is not
decent. She was beautiful, but scared because she had gotten 'roughed up' a little by the
crowd. The persona states that the woman has experienced men's hands on her body
before, but this crowd's hands were virtuous. He also makes a proviso that if this crowd
bruises her, it cannot be compared to what she has experienced before. The persona also
speaks about a last assault and battery to come. He justifies this last assault by calling it
justice, and it is justice that feels not only right, but good. The crowd's 'justice' is placed
on hold by the interruption of a preacher, who stops to talk to the lady. He squats on the
ground and writes something that the crowd cannot see. Essentially, the preacher judges
them, thereby allowing the lady to also judge the crowd, leading to the crowd inevitably
judging itself. The crowd walks away from the lady, still holding stones [which can be
seen as a metaphor for judgments] that can be thrown another day.
LITERARY DEVICES
1. SARCASM
The persona is making the point that the lady was in fact NOT decent looking.

2. PERSONIFICATION
This device is particularly effective because the word 'kisses' is used. Kiss implies
something pleasant, but it is actually utilized to emphasize something painful that has
happened to the lady; she was stoned.

3. PUN
• Title: The title of the poem is itself a pun on two levels. A stone's throw is used by
many people in the Caribbean to describe a close distance. eg. "She lives a stone's throw
away". The other use of the title is to highlight the content of the poem. It is a figurative
stoning, or judging, of a woman.

• Line 23: There is a play on the word 'come'. The persona is telling the reader that
the crowd is planning to rape the lady. This act is to come, or occur, in the near future.
Come, in this context, also means to ejaculate, the culmination of the act of sex. The
rapists in the crowd also plan to 'come'.

4. ALLUSION (biblical)
The content of the poem alludes to the story of Mary Magdalene in the Christian Bible.

IMPORTANT WORDS/ PHRASES

• 'dead scared'
The use of the term 'dead' to describe the lady's emotional state of fearfulness implies
that she is extremely frightened, it is beyond regular fear.

• 'tousled'
This word means to be handled roughly and, as a result, to look disorderly and
dishevelled. It is the perfect word to use in this context because it adds to the sexual
innuendo that exist throughout the poem.
• 'nothing much
The persona disregards the damage that they have done to the lady. He admits to the
rough treatment, but tries to make himself, and the crowd, look favourable despite their
wrong doings.

• 'But ours were virtuous, Of course'

This is almost like a tongue in cheek admittance that their touch was actually the
opposite of virtuous. The use of the term 'of course' highlights this interpretation.

• 'tastes so good'
'Taste', to a lot of individuals, is one of the higher senses. Therefore, when the persona
uses this word, he is highlighting the intense pleasure that he anticipates from meting
out this 'justice'.

• 'this guru, Preacher, God-merchant, God-knows-what'

The persona's annoyance at this individual for disrupting his fun comes out in this
statement. The persona is deliberately being disrespectful.

• 'And saw in her something we couldn't see'

The intruder saw value in the lady, something that the crowd did not see.

• 'He turned his eyes on us, Her eyes on us, Our eyes upon ourselves.'
This speaks to the fact that the preacher and the lady judge the crowd, and, more
importantly, the crowd judges itself. The preacher's act of kindness sheds light on the
cruelty that is inflicted on the lady by the crowd.

• 'We walked away Still holding stones'

This implies that the crowd still plans to keep judging, and acting on their judgments, as
they see fit.

TONE
The tone of the poem is mixed. At times it is almost braggadocios, then it becomes
sarcastic, moving to scornful.

THEMATIC CATEGORY
Discrimination, religion, survival, hypocrisy, oppression, alienation.
DREAMING BLACK BOY

I wish my teacher's eyes wouldn't

go past me today. Wish he'd know
it's okay to hug me when I kick
a goal.Wish I myself wouldn't
hold back when an answer comes.
I'm no woodchopper now
like all ancestor's.

I wish I could be educated

to the best of tune up, and earn
good money and not sink to lick
boots. I wish I could go on every
crisscross way of the globe
and no persons or powers or
hotel keepers would make it a waste.

I wish life wouldn't spend me out

opposing. Wish same way creation
would have me stand it would have me stretch, and hold high, my voice
Paul Robeson's, my inside eye
a sun. Nobody wants to say
hello to nasty answers.

I wish torch throwers of night

would burn lights for decent times.
Wish plotters in pajamas would pray
for themselves. Wish people wouldn't
talk as if I dropped from Mars

I wish only boys were scared

behind bravados, for I could suffer.
I could suffer a big, big lot.
I wish nobody would want to earn
the terrible burden I can suffer.

King, H or James Berry. 'Dreaming Black Boy' in A World of Prose. Edited by Mark
McWatt and Hazel Simmond-McDonald.

LITERAL MEANING
The poem is about a black boy who wishes that he could have regular things in life.
Things such as a congratulatory hug, to be educated to the highest level and to travel
without harassment. The persona yearns to stop fighting for the basic right to be
successful and to rise above societal expectations.

LITERARY DEVICES
1. REPETITION
The constant repetition of the phrase 'I wish' points to a yearning, a desperation even,
for the basic things that life has to offer. The repetition gives credence to the idea that
the persona might believe that his wishes are actually dreams that might not come true.

2. ALLUSION
Stanza 1, lines 6 and 7, alludes to slavery, the state of lacking control over one's own life
and destiny. The fact that reference is made to this hints to how the persona feels about
his life. He does not feel as if he has control over it

IMPORTANT WORDS / PHRASE

• 'not sink to lick boots'
This refers to the concept of being subservient. To have no choice but to kowtow to
people in order to get ahead.

• 'Inside eye a sun'

This refers to the persona's mind. He wants to show how intelligent he is without fear.
He wants his mind to be a sun. Sun represents brightness and light, that is how he wants
his intelligence to shine.

TONE
The tone/mood of the poem is one of sadness. The persona is thinking about how he is
treated and he reacts to this in a sad way. He keeps wishing that things were different.

THEMATIC CATEGORY
Racism, survival, oppression, desire/dreams.

DULCE ET DECORUM EST

Bent double, like old beggars under sacks

Knock-kneed, coughing like hags, we cursed through sludge,
Till on the haunting flares we turned our backs
And towards our distant rest began to trudge.
Men marched asleep. Many had lost their boots
But limped on, blood-shod. All went lame; all
blind;
Drunk with fatigue; deaf even to the hoots
Of tired, outstripped Five-Nines that dropped behind.

Gas! Gas! Quick boys! - An ecstasy of fumbling,

Fitting the clumsy helmets just in time;
But someone still was yelling out and stumbling,
And flound'ring like a man in fire or lime...
Dim, through the misty panes and thick green light,
As under a green sea, I saw him drowning.
In all my dreams, before my helpless sight,
He plunges at me, guttering, choking, drowning.

If in some smothering dreams you too could pace

Behind the wagon that we flung him in,
And watch the white eyes writhing in his face,
His hanging face, like a devil's sick of sin;
If you could hear, at every jolt, the blood
Come gargling from the froth-corrupted lungs,
Obscene as cancer, bitter as the cud
Of vile, incurable sores on innocent tongues,-
My friend, you would not tell with such a high zest
To children ardent for some desperate glory,
The old Lie:
Dulce et decorum est
Pro patria mori.

Owen, Wilfred. 'Dulceet Decorum Est' in A World of Prose. Edited by Mark McWatt and
Hazel Simmonds McDonald.

LITERAL MEANING

Wilfred Owen, the poet, tells of his first-hand experience in war. He tells the tale of tired
and wounded soldiers walking through dirt and sludge. Suddenly, there is a warning
about gas, which the soldiers hurriedly and awkwardly heed by donning their helmets.
Unfortunately, one soldier is too late in donning the helmet and his companions watch
him 'drowning' in the gas. The unfortunate soldier was thrown in the back of a wagon,
where it is implied that he was left to die. The persona points out that if you (the reader/
listener) could have witnessed these events, then you would not tell children the old lie:
dulce et decorum est pro patria mori (It is sweet and honourable to die for one's
country).

LITERARY DEVICES

1. SIMILE

• Stanza 1, line 1: This simile introduces the exhaustion of the soldiers.

• Stanza 1, line 2: This emphasizes not only the tiredness of the soldiers, but the
fact that they might be sick as well.
• Stanza 2, line 19: This device gives a visual image of how the soldier physically
reacted to the gas. Floundering implies flopping about, therefore, the soldier was
flopping about violently. We know it was violent because fire and lime illicit excruciating
pain

2. ALLITERATION

• Stanza 1, line 7: This device points to the level of fatigue that the soldiers were
undergoing.
• Stanza 1, lines 7-9: This highlights not only the fatigue that the soldiers were
feeling, but the fact that they were injured as well.
• Stanza 4, lines 29-30: This device highlights a visually graphic death mask. The
soldier is in the throes of impending death

IMPORTANT WORDS/ PHRASES

• ‘Bent double'
The soldiers are bent over with fatigue. It is very significant that the poet/ persona
initiates the poem by highlighting the exhaustion of the soldiers. He is trying to
emphasize the harsh realities of war.

• 'haunting flares'
Flares are typically used to signal distress. The flare is fired from a flare gun, in the air,
where rescue crafts, at sea or in the air, can have a general idea of the location of the
soldiers who are in distress. Therefore, to describe the flares as haunting implies that
the soldiers are severely distressed by their situation.

• 'deaf even to the hoots of tired, outstripped Five-Nines that dropped behind. '
Five-nines are German 5.9 artillery shells. This means that bullets were firing around
them while they were walking. The extent of the soldiers' tiredness is also emphasized at
this point because the soldiers do not hear the shells going off around them.

• 'An ecstasy of fumbling'

The word ecstasy, that is used to describe the fumbling, implies the level of panic that
this one word (gas) elicits. The soldiers were so tired that they could not even hear the
five nines, but this one word immediately wakes them up.

• 'Dim, through the misty panes and thick green light, as under a green sea, I saw
him drowning.'
This describes exactly what the outside world looks like through the lens of a gas mask.
The effect of the gas is seen in the mention of the word 'drown'. It implies that the
unfortunate soldier could not breathe.

• 'He plunges at me, guttering, choking, drowning.

This is the very graphic result of breathing in the gas. It is a very violent reaction, as seen
in the word 'plunge'. The dying soldier did not simply reach for the persona/poet, but he
did so in a desperate manner, while all the time being unable to breathe.

• wagon that we flung him in '

The statement implies that the soldier was left for dead in a wagon. No regard was
shown to him, through the use of the word 'flung'. This implies that war is heartless and
tragic.

• 'Dulce et decorum est pro patria mori.'

This statement literally means it is sweet and honourable to die for one's country. The
persona/ poet clearly does NOT believe this to be the case.

MOOD/ ATMOSPHERE
The mood of the poem is reflective. The persona/ poet is thinking about his experiences
in WW1.

TONE
 The general tone of the poem is both sarcastic and ironic. The persona/ poet tries to
present a visual of the realities of war while using the haunting words that contradict
that reality. It is, in fact, NOT sweet and honourable to die for one's country.

THEMATIC CATEGORIZATION
War, death, survival, oppression, patriotism

GOD’S GRANDEUR

The world is charged with the grandeur of God,

It will flame out, like shining from shook foil;
It gathers to a greatness, like the ooze of oil
Crushed. Why do men then now not reck his rod?
Generations have trod, have trod, have trod;
And all is seared with trade; bleared, smeared with toil;
And wears man's smudge and shares man's smell: the soil
Is bare now, nor can foot feel, being shod.

And for all this, nature is never spent;

There lives the dearest freshness deep down things;
And though the last lights off the black West went
Oh, morning, at the brown brink eastward, springs —
Because the Holy Ghost over the bent
World broods with warm breast and with ah! bright wings.

Gerard Manley Hopkins.

LITERAL MEANING
The poet expresses that the world is full of God's glory and greatness. This greatness,
however, will burn out in a dramatic manner because of man who smears, smudges and
 pollutes everything without consciousness. Nature is resilient, however, and will
persevere from deep in the earth and burst forth, counteracting all of man's ill.

LITERARY DEVICES

1. SIMILE
• Line 3: This line indicates that the world will burn out in a brilliant way. Think of
how shiny and reflective foil can be, that is the brilliance with which the earth will
temporarily burnout.
• Line 4: Think of the manner in which oil slowly spreads across water, eventually taking
over as much of the surface as possible. That is the way in which the world gathers to a
greatness.

2. RHETORICAL QUESTION
The persona questions why men do not care about God's wrath. He implies that this
wrath is sure because the Earth is charged, or commanded with the grandeur of God.

3. ALLUSION (biblical)
This 'rod' refers to the rod of correction that is found in the Christian Bible. This line
implies that God will punish man for being reckless with the world.

4. REPETITION
This device highlights the damage that man has done to the world. Trodding implies that
one walks, or tramples, in order to crush or injure.

5. ALLITERATION
• Lines 10-11: This device emphasizes the impact that man has had on his environment.
He has impacted every crevice of the world in some negative way, as implied by words
such as 'smudge'.
• Lines 14-15: This device clarifies that the Earth is resilient, no matter what man does to
harm it, it will bounce back.
• Lines 18-19: This device simply re-iterates the resilience of the Earth, we can actually
visualize the sun rising.

6. PERSONIFICATION
When one broods, they are pondering on something. Therefore, the world ponders, but in
a positive way, with warm breasts. This implies that it feels good because it has
persevered despite of man's interference.

IMPORTANT WORDS/ PHRASES

• 'charged'
This word implies intensity, impassioned. Therefore, the world has been gifted with
intensity of the greatness of God.

• 'grandeur'
This implies that something is awesome, or awe inspiring. Therefore, the world is infused
with the 'greatness' of God.
• 'And all is seared with trade; bleared, smeared with toil;
Everything in the world is tainted and influenced by man's presence.

• 'nor can foot feel, being shod'

This means that man is blind to the damage that he has caused. If one is wearing shoes, it
protects them from stones etc, therefore, man's consciousness is deadened by his
inability to see the damage that he has caused.

• 'Holy Ghost over the bent'

This can be interpreted to mean that salvation is on its way, it also implies that salvation is
sure because when one is bent on something, it implies a strong determination

MOOD/ ATMOSPHERE
The mood of the poem is pensive because the persona is reflecting on man's influence on
the world.

TONE
The tone of the poem is one of confidence and formality.

THEMATIC CATEGORY
Nature, religion
IT IS THE CONSTANT IMAGE OF YOUR FACE

It is the constant image of your face

framed in my hands as you knelt before my chair
the grave attention of your eyes
surveying me amid my world of knives
that stays with me, perennially accuses
and convicts me of heart's-treachery:
and neither you nor I can plead excuses
for you, you know, can claim no loyalty -
my land takes precedence of all my loves.

Yet I beg mitigation, pleading guilty

for you, my dear, accomplice of my heart
made, without words, such blackmail with your beauty
and proffered me such dear protectiveness
that I confess without remorse or shame
my still-fresh treason to my country
and hope that she, my other, dearest love
will pardon freely, not attaching blame
being your mistress (or your match) in tenderness.

Brutus, Dennis. 'It is the Constant Image of your Face' in A World of Prose. Edited by
Mark McWatt and Hazel Simmonds.

LITERAL MEANING

The persona reflects on the image of some-one he cares for. This love interest accused him,
with their eyes, of breaking their heart. The persona admits that both of them (he and
the love interest) can make no excuses for his behaviour because the love interest does
not take precedence over his land, or country. Despite this fact, the persona begs for
mercy, pleading guilty for being seduced by his love interest's beauty. This person
protects him dearly and he admits that, as a result of this, he has committed treason
against his country. He hopes that his country, his other dearest love, will pardon him
because he loves both his country and his love interest.

LITERARY DEVICES

1. PERSONIFICATION
• Lines 4, 6-7: The love interest's eyes constantly accuses and convicts the persona. This
device highlights the extent to which the persona has hurt this person.
• Lines 18-20: The persona hopes that his country, his other dearest love, will forgive him
for the treasonous act of loving another. This highlights the patriotism that defines the
persona's relationship to his country.

2. OXYMORON
The term heart's-treachery implies that the heart, something so vital and indicative of love,
has committed a terrible crime. It highlights the heartbreak that the persona has caused
his love interest.

IMPORTANT WORD/ PHRASES

• 'constant image'
This implies that the persona constantly, or always, remembers his love interest's face. It
emphasizes the guilt he feels in relation to this person.

• 'grave attention'
The love interest's eyes display grave attention. The word grave implies intensely serious,
so this person is truly hurt.

• 'world of knives'
A knife inflicts pain and destroys. The persona, therefore, is identifying his world with
causing pain.

• 'such blackmail with your beauty ‘

To blackmail someone is to have something over them that puts their will in your control.
The love interest's beauty has captivated the persona in such a way that he betrays his
country with this person.

MOOD/ ATMOSPHERE
The mood of the poem is reflective. The persona is thinking about his two loves and how
he is torn between them.
TONE
The tone of the poem is sadness and guilt. The persona is guilt ridden over this love
triangle and sadness permeates the words that he uses to describe it.

THEMATIC CATEGORY
love, guilt, patriotism, places, desires/ dreams
ONCE UPON A TIME

Once upon a time, son,

they used to laugh with their hearts
and laugh with their eyes;
but now they only laugh with their teeth,
while their ice-block eyes
search behind my shadow.

There was a time indeed

they used to shake hands with their hearts;
but that's gone, son.
Now they shake hands without hearts
while their left hands search
my empty pockets.

'Feel at home'! 'Come again' ;

they say, and when I come
again and feel
at home, once, twice
there will be no thrice -
for then I find doors shut on me.

So I have learnt many things, son.

I have learnt to wear many faces
like dresses - homeface,
officeface, streetface, hostface
cocktail face, with all their conforming smiles like a fixed portrait smile.

And I have learned, too.

to laugh with only my teeth
and shake hands without my heart
I have also learnt to say, 'Goodbye',
when I mean 'Good-riddance' ;
to say 'Glad to meet you',
without being glad; and to say 'It's been
nice talking to you', after being bored.

But believe me, son.

I want to be what I used to be
when I was like you. I want
unlearn all these muting things.
Most of all, I want to relearn
how to laugh, for my laugh in the mirror
shows only my teeth like a snake's bare fangs!
So show me, son,
how to laugh; show me how
I used to laugh and smile
once upon a time when I was like you.

Okara, Gabriel. 'Once Upon A Time' in A World of Prose. Edited by Mark McWatt and
Hazel Simmonds McDonald.

LITERAL MEANING

A father is talking to his son and telling him how things used to be. The father tells his son
that people used to be sincere, but are now superficial and seek only to take from others.
The persona tells his son that he has learnt to be just like these people, but he does not
want to be. He wants to be as sincere as his son.

LITERARY DEVICES

1. METAPHOR
The people's eyes are as cold as ice. This means that there is no warmth or real feeling in
the words that they say, or how they behave. This metaphor literally allows you to
visualize a block of ice, cold and unwelcoming.

2. SIMILE
• Stanza 4, lines 20-21 emphasizes the constant changes in the persona's face. If you think
of how often a woman changes her dress, then that is how often the persona adjusts his
personality to suit the people around him. The list of faces that follow this line
emphasizes this point.
• Stanza 4, lines 23-24 compares people's faces to smiles in a portrait. If you think about a
portrait, it is usually very formal and stiff, even uncomfortable. Therefore, the
implication is that the smiles are actually fake and stiff. They are conforming, or trying
to fit, to a preconceived mould that is set up by societal expectations.
• Stanza 6, lines 38-40 compares the persona's laugh to a snakes. When you think of a
snake, words such as sneaky and deceitful come to mind. Therefore, the implication is
that the persona is fake, just like the people he despises.

3. REPETITION
This phrase is repeated at the beginning and the end of the poem. This usually signals the
beginning of a fairy tale. Therefore, it is implied that the persona is nostalgic about the
past.

IMPORTANT WORDS/ PHRASES

• 'they only laugh with their teeth'
This emphasizes the insincerity of the people around the persona. To laugh with your teeth
means that only the bottom half of your face is engaged, the laugh does not reach the
eyes.
• 'shake hands with their heart'
To shake hands with your heart implies a strong handshake that is sincere, this is the
opposite of what now occurs between people.
• 'search behind my shadow'
This implies that the person cannot look the persona in the eye, they are looking
everywhere but there. Looking someone in the eye during a conversation implies that
one is sincerely interested in what you have to say. Not being able to do so implies
shiftiness.
• 'hands search my empty pockets'
People are only 'seemingly' nice to get something from you. So, they smile with you, but it
is not sincere, they are seeking to get something from you.
• 'unlearn all these muting things'
The word mute means silence, think of what happens when you press the mute button on
the TV remote. Therefore, there is an implication that the insincere actions that the
persona describes are muting, they block, or silence, good intentions. Hence, the
persona wants to 'unlearn' these habits.

MOOD/ ATMOSPHERE
The mood of the poem is nostalgic. The persona is remembering how things used to be
when he was young and innocent, like his son.

TONE
The tone of the poem is sad. The poet's response to his nostalgia is sadness.

THEMATIC CATEGORIZATION
Death, childhood experiences, hypocrisy, loss of innocence, desire/dreams.
* It is IRONIC that the persona is behaving in the exact way that he despises. However,
and there is an implication that things cannot go back to what he remembers, due to the
influence of societal expectations.
ORCHIDS

I leave this house

box pieces of the five week life I've gathered.

I'll send them on

to fill spaces in my future life.

One thing is left

a spray of orchid someone gave
from bouquet one who
makes a ritual of flower-giving sent.

The orchids have no fragrance

but purple petals draw you
to look at the purple heart.

I watered them once

when the blossoms were full blown
like polished poems.
I was sure they'd wilt
and I would toss them out with the five week litter.

They were stubborn.

I starved them.
They would not die.

This morning the bud at the stalk's tip unfurled.

I think I'll pluck the full-blown blooms

press them between pages of memory.

Perhaps in their thin dried transparency

I'll discover their peculiar poetry.

Simmonds-McDonald, Hazel. 'Orchids' in A World of Prose. Edited by Mark McWatt and

Hazel Simmonds

LITERAL MEANING

The persona is moving from a house that she has occupied for five weeks. She has sent her
belongings to her future home, but one item remains in her old space, an orchid. The
persona clarifies that she was given the orchid as a gift, but implies that it holds no value
because the gifting of orchids is habitual for the person who gave her. She describes the
flower as odourless, but attractive. She watered the orchid once, expecting it to die, but
it survived. It not only survived, but bloomed. The persona contemplates plucking the
 bloom and pressing it between the pages of a book. The purpose of this is to allow her to
appreciate the flower.

LITERARY DEVICES

1. SIMILE
The orchid's full blown blossoms are being compared to a polished poem. The word
polished in this comparison implies perfection, shiny and pleasant to read.

2. PUN
The purple heart literally refers to the splash of colour in the centre of the orchid's bloom,
but it could also refer to the bravery of the flower. This is so because a purple heart, in
the army, is a medal that a soldier receives for bravery.

IMPORTANT WORDS/ PHRASES

• 'box pieces'
This phrase implies that the persona's life is literally in boxes, all her belongings are stored
and ready to be moved.

• 'from a bouquet one who makes a ritual of flower-giving sent.'

This phrase implies that the persona places no value in the orchid because its giver gifted it
without any sentiment attached.

• 'unfurled'
This word literally means to open. Therefore, despite the persona's attempts at killing the
orchid, through starvation, it not only survived but flourished.

• 'full-blown blooms'
These full-blown blooms represent the flower at its peak, where it is most full of life, as
well as where it is most usually appreciated.

• 'pages of memory'
This refers to the practice of placing a flower between the pages of a book, thereby drying,
or killing the flower. The purpose of this act is to keep the flower for nostalgic reasons.

• 'peculiar poetry'
This phrase highlights the persona's desire to discover the value in the flower. It is very
IRONIC, however, that she would choose to kill it in order to achieve this goal. Usually
people place value in a living flower that can give pleasure through its beauty.

MOOD/ ATMOSPHERE
The mood of the poem is pensive, or thoughtful. The persona is thinking about the lack of
value that she places in the orchid.

TONE
The tone of the poem is one of almost bored musing.
THEMATIC CATEGORY
Death, nature, survival, desire/ dreams.
SONNET COMPOSED UPON WESTMINISTER BRIGDE, SEPT. 3 1802

Earth has not anything to show more fair:

Dull would he be of soul who could pass by
A sight so touching in its majesty:
This City now doth, like a garment, wear
The beauty of the morning; silent, bare,
Ships, towers, domes, theatres and temples lie
Open upon the fields, and to the sky;
All bright and glittering in the smokeless air.
Never did sun more beautifully steep
In his first splendour, valley, rock, or hill;
Ne'er saw I, never felt, a calm so deep!
The river glideth at his own steep will:
Dear God! the very houses seem asleep;
And all that mighty heart is lying still!

Wordsworth, William. 'Sonnet Composed Upon A Westminster Bridge, September 3,

1802' in A World of Prose. Edited by Mark McWatt and Hazel Simmonds McDonald

LITERAL MEANING

The persona in this poem is reflecting on the perfection of the city. He believes that there
is nothing on Earth so beautiful as the city in the morning. Only a dull person would not
appreciate such a majestic sight. He is awed by the calm of the city.

LITERARY DEVICES

1. SIMILE
The persona compares the manner in which the beauty of the morning settles over the city,
to that of a garment on a body. This emphasizes the perfection of the beauty of the
morning, just as a garment flows smoothly over a body.

2. PERSONIFICATION
• Lines 9-10: The sun is referred to as a male who rises sharply and beautifully. This
emphasizes the beauty of the city in the morning. The use of this personification also
helps the reader to personalize this beauty.
• Line 12: Like the sun, the river is personalized as well. This allows the reader to see the
river as real, instead of a thing. It comes alive and we can visualize it's movement,
gliding, as beautiful.
• Line 13: When some-one is asleep, they are usually peaceful. Therefore, when the
persona describes the houses as sleeping, he is emphasizing the peace that exists in the
city in the morning. The inhabitants of the houses are asleep, therefore the houses are
quiet and peaceful.
IMPORTANT WORDS/ PHRASES
• 'fair'
The word fair, in this context, literally means beautiful. The persona is setting the stage for
the reader, introducing the fact that the city is beautiful.
• 'majesty'
This word implies that the city is regal in it's splendour. Therefore, it is beyond beautiful
and has become stately.
• 'steep'
This word describes the way in which the sun ascends into the sky. It is stressed that it
does so in a beautiful manner.

MOOD/ ATMOSPHERE
The mood of the poem is pensive, or thoughtful. The persona is expressing his thoughts,
and reaction to, the city in the morning.

TONE
The tone of the poem is one of awe.

THEMATIC CATEGORIZATION
Nature, places.
SOUTH

But today I recapture the islands

bright beaches: blue mist from the ocean
rolling into the fishermen's houses.
By these shores I was born: sound of the sea
came in at my window, life heaved and breathed in me then
with the strength of that turbulent soil.

Since then I have travelled: moved far from

the beaches:
sojourned in stoniest cities, walking the lands of the north
In sharp, slanting sleet and the hail,
crossed countless saltless savannas and come
to this house in the forest where the shadows oppress me
and the only water is rain and the tepid taste
of the river.

We who are born of the ocean can never seek solace

in rivers: their flowing runs on like our longing,
reproves us our lack of endeavour and purpose,
proves that our striving will founder on that.
We resent them this wisdom, this freedom: passing us
toiling, waiting and watching their cunning declensions down to the sea.

Bright waves splash up from the rocks to refresh us,

blue sea-shells shift in their wake
and there is the thatch of the fishermen's houses, the path
made of pebbles, and look!
Small urchins combing the beaches
look up from their traps to salute us:
they remember us just as we left them.

The fisherman, hawking the surf on this side

of the reef, stands up in his boat
and halloos us: a starfish lies in its pool.
And gulls, white sails slanted seaward,
fly into limitless morning before us.

Brathwaite, Kamau. 'South' in A World of Prose. Edited by Mark McWatt and Hazel
Simmonds McDonald.

LITERAL MEANING

The persona speaks about the fact that today he is recapturing the beauty of the island of
his birth. He reflects on the fact that he has travelled to the lands of the north, which
appeared to be the very opposite of his island. The persona appeared, at that point, to be
 homesick for his island and resented the ease and comfort that the Northerners' felt
towards their land. He then shifts back to the present where he appreciates certain
features of the island, particularly those that remind him of his past on the island.

LITERARY DEVICES

1. ALLITERATION
• Stanza 1, lines 1-2: The sound that the alliteration elicits, when spoken, is a positive one.
This is the case because the alliteration forces the reader to sound cheerful, thereby
facilitating the interpretation that the persona is happy to be home.
• Stanza 1, lines 4-5: This alliteration, again, draws the reader through the sound that it
elicits. One can almost hear the sound that the sea makes through the repetition of the
's' sound. It emphasizes the joy that the persona feels to be home.
• Stanza 2, lines 13-14: This alliteration, when spoken, is staccato. It literally emphasizes
the persona's discomfort, and dislike, of the new context that he is faced with. It is alien
to him, as seen when contrasted with the scene that he describes in the first stanza.
• Stanza 4, line 33: This device gives the reader a visual image of the scene. It is simple
image that highlights the persona's excitement at being home and seeing scenes, even
seemingly inconsequential ones, that he knows and loves.
• Stanza 5, line 43: This alliteration gives the reader a visual of what the persona sees as
pleasant and calming, as opposed to the alliteration in stanza 2. The sound that the
alliteration elicits is a calm one, implying that the persona is at peace

2. PERSONIFICATION
• Stanza 1, lines 6-7: This device gives a beautiful impression of the effect that the island
had on the persona. He felt whole when he was there, at peace.
• Stanza 2, lines 16-17: The shadows, in this context, represents his past life and
experiences on the island. The memories of his island elicits feelings of sadness, even
homesickness. These memories cast an oppressive shadow over his life in the north.

3. SIMILE
The persona compares the flowing of the rivers, which represents the north, to his longing
for his island home. This comparison indicates that his longing is an intense one, he is
homesick.

IMPORTANT WORDS/ PHRASES

• 'recapture'
The word capture means to take possession of something or someone. Therefore, when the
persona says that he is recapturing his island, it implies that he is taking back possession
of what he once owned.

• 'Since then I have travelled'

This line indicates that the persona did not remain on the island of his birth.

• 'sojourned in stoniest cities'

This highlights a contrast between the persona's island and the cities that he visited. His
island has beaches and oceans, while the cities that he visited were concrete jungles
made of stone.

• 'We who are born of the ocean can never seek solace in rivers'
The persona refers to the north, and its populace, as rivers, while the south, and his island,
is the ocean. This line highlights the persona's discontent in the north.

• 'reproves us our lack of endeavour and purpose'

Reprove is to reprimand. Therefore, the line is saying that the flowing river, the north,
reprimands the ocean, the south, for its lack of effort and resolve. This implies that the
persona might be homesick and, therefore, not functioning at full capacity in the new
northern environment.

• 'proves that our striving will founder on that.'

The term founder literally means the owner or operator of a foundry. This has little to do
with the context of the poem, therefore, it can be assumed that poetic license was
utilized at this point. Contextually, the line can be interpreted as meaning that the
persona's subsequent striving, or efforts, will be founded on the reprimand made by the
river, or the north.

• 'there'
The emphasis placed on this word, through the use of italics, highlights the fact that the
persona is both happy and excited to be home.

• 'and look!'
The exclamation mark emphasizes the persona's enthusiasm, and excitement, when he
identifies a scene that is reminiscent of his past.

MOOD/ ATMOSPHERE
The mood of the poem is reflective. The persona is thinking about his island home, as well
as places that he has visited in the north.

TONE
The tone of the poem goes from being reflective, to being elated.

THEMATIC CATEGORIZATION
Patriotism, places, desires and dreams.
TEST MATCH SABINA PARK

Proudly wearing the rosette of my skin

I strut into Sabina
England boycotting excitement bravely,
something badly amiss.

Cricket. Not the game they play at Lords,

the crowd - whoever saw a crowd
at a cricket match? - are caged
vociferous partisans, quick to take offence.

England sixty eight for none at lunch.

'What sort o battin dat man?
dem kaaan play cricket again,
praps dem should-a-borrow Lawrence Rowe!'

And on it goes, the wicket slow

as the batting and the crowd restless.
'Eh white bwoy, how you brudders dem
does sen we sleep so? Me a pay monies
fe watch dis foolishness? Cho!

So I try to explain in my Hampshire drawl

about conditions in Kent,
about sticky wickets and muggy days
and the monsoon season in Manchester
but fail to convince even myself.

The crowd's loud 'busin drives me out

skulking behind a tarnished rosette
somewhat frayed now but unable, quite,
to conceal a blushing nationality.

Brown, Stewart. 'Test Match Sabina Park' in A World of Prose. Edited by Mark McWatt
and Hazel Simmonds McDonald.

LITERAL MEANING

The persona, a white male, proudly enters Sabina Park to watch a cricket match between
England and the West Indies. The persona notices that the game is slow and that the
crowd is not reacting well. He is, in fact, initially shocked that there is a crowd at all
because this is usually not the case at Lords. By lunch, England is sixty-eight for none,
and the crowd gets abusive. They even state that maybe they should borrow Lawrence
Rowe. The persona tries to explain the reason behind the slow pace of the British side,
but fails to convince even himself. His embarrassment at England's performance has
him eventually skulking out of the venue.
LITERARY DEVICES

1. RHETORICAL QUESTION
• Stanza 2, lines 6-7: This question reveals that, despite the fact that cricket is a
popular sport in England, the venues for the matches are not crowded. This question
could also point to the fact that Sabina Park was very crowded.
• Stanza 3, line 10: This question represents the general frustration of the West
Indians in the crowd. They are annoyed that the cricket match is progressing so slowly.
• Stanza 4, lines 16-18: These questions imply that the West Indian crowd's level of
frustration has escalated.

2. ALLUSION
The allusion to Lawrence Rowe, a very colourful and successful West Indian cricketer,
emphasizes the fact that the match is slow and boring.

3. SARCASM
To 'boycott' is to abstain from, or to stop, doing something. Therefore, the persona is
being sarcastic because excitement is a good thing. People usually boycott for something
negative, therefore the persona is, again, highlighting the slow and boring pace of the
cricket match.

IMPORTANT WORDS/ PHRASES

• 'rosette of my skin'
Rosette implies a reddish colour, or tint, to the skin, that sometimes resembles a rose.
This description immediately identifies the race of the persona as Caucasian. The
persona is proud of his race, as he enters Sabina Park.

• 'strut'
This word means to walk proudly. It emphasizes the fact that the persona is proudly
walking into Sabina Park.

• 'something badly amiss'

The persona is jolted by the fact that the match is going slowly. The word 'amiss' implies
wrong, the game should not be going so slowly.

• 'vociferous partisans'
Vociferous means to be very noisy and clamorous, while partisan is a person who shows
biased, emotional allegiance. Therefore, the West Indian crowd was extremely noisy in
their support of their team. They were also very unappreciative of the slow pace of the
match.

• 'England sixty-eight for none at lunch'

While this is a good score, it never-the-less highlights the slowness of the match, hence
the fact that the experience, for the crowd, was far from exciting.
• 'the wicket slow'
The purpose of the wicket is to 'out' the opposing side. Therefore, no 'outing' is
occurring, the wickets are standing. Everything about the match is going slowly.

• 'sticky wickets'
This implies a sticky, or awkward situation. It highlights England's situation.

• 'loud 'busin'
The English team was being loudly abused.

• 'skulking behind a tarnished rosette'

Skulking implies hiding in shame, and tarnished means tainted. Therefore, the proud
English man is now embarrassed, and the rosette of his skin is making him stand out.
Initially this was a very good thing, but now it is a disadvantage.

• 'blushing nationality'.
At this point, the Englishman admits to being embarrassed for his team, as well as
himself.
*There is a distinct CONTRAST between the beginning of the poem when the persona is
proud, and 'struts'. However, by the end of the poem, he is embarrassed and 'skulking'

VOICES
There are two distinct voices in this poem. The English man's and the West Indian's.

MOOD/ ATMOSPHERE
The mood of the poem is tense.

TONE
The tone of the poem is one of frustration (West Indian) and embarrassment (English
man).

THEMATIC CATEGORIZATION
Discrimination, places, culture and sports
THE WOMAN SPEAKS TO THE MAN WHO HAS EMPLOYED HER SON

Her son was first known to her

as a sense of unease, a need to cry
for little reasons and a metallic tide
rising in her mouth each morning.
Such signs made her know
that she was not alone in her body.
She carried him full term
tight up under her heart.

She carried him like the poor

carry hope, hope you get a break
or a visa, hope one child go through
and remember you. He had no father.
The man she made him with had more
like him, he was fair-minded
he treated all his children
with equal and unbiased indifference.

She raised him twice, once as mother

then as father, set no ceiling
on what he could be doctor
earth healer, pilot take wings.
But now he tells her is working
for you, that you value him so much
you give him one whole submachine gun
for him alone.

He says you are like a father to him

she is wondering what kind of father
would give a son hot and exploding
death, when he asks him for bread.
She went downtown and bought three
and one-third yard of black cloth
and a deep crowned and veiled hat
for the day he draw his bloody salary.

She has no power over you and this

at the level of earth, what she has
are prayers and a mother's tears
and at knee city she uses them.
She says psalms for him
she reads psalms for you
she weeps for his soul
her eyewater covers you.
She is throwing a partner
with Judas Iscariot's mother
the thief on the left hand side
of the cross, his mother is the banker, her draw though
is first and last for she still throwing two hands as mother and father.
She is prepared, she is done. Absalom.

Goodison, Lorna. 'The Woman Speaks to the Man Who Has Employed Her Son' in A
World of Prose. Edited by Mark McWatt and Hazel Simmonds McDonald.

LITERAL MEANING

The persona in this poem is telling the story of a mother who loved her son. The mother
became aware of the child's presence when she experienced morning sickness. She
placed all her hopes in the child and raised him as a single parent because his father was
indifferent to the child's existence. The mother had set no barriers on what the child
could become, but is told that he has an employer who values him so much that he is
given his own submarine gun. The son tells his mother that his employer is like a father
to him, but the mother wonders at the father figure who purposefully endangers his
child. She prepares for her son's death by going downtown to buy funeral apparel. The
mother feels powerless, so she prays for her child and says protective psalms for him.
On the other hand, she reads psalms of retribution for the employer and weeps for her
son. Her situation does not look good and is likened to a partner system in which she
draws both the first and the last hand.

LITERARY DEVICES

1. SIMILE
• Lines 1-2: The persona emphasizes that the mother placed all her hopes in her
son. When you are poor, generally, you have no prospects, you only dream and hope.
Therefore, the persona uses this metaphor to emphasize the mother's dependence on
her son’s success.
• Line 17: The employer is being compared to a father figure. This implies that this
person fills a gap in the son's life.

2. SARCASM
The persona appears to praise the child's father by referring to him as 'fair-minded'. She
is, however, chastising him for not only ignoring his son, but all of his other children.

3. IRONY (situational)
The son innocently tells his mother that his employer values him so much that he gave
him a whole submachine gun for himself. The irony in this situation is that if you really
care about someone, you do NOT give them a gun due to the negative results that are
bound to occur.

4. ALLUSION (biblical)
• Lines 28-29: This line alludes to a particular verse in the Christian Bible, Luke 11
vs 11. The verse questions what the actions of a good father should be.
• Lines 38-39: Psalms is a particular chapter in the Christian Bible. In this chapter
there are verses for protection, the mother uses those for her son, as well as verses for
retribution and rebuking. It is implied that the mother chooses those for the employer.
• Lines 43-45: In the Christian Bible, Judas Iscariot betrayed Jesus. Therefore, it
does not bode well for the mother if she is in a 'partnership' with this person's mother
because she might also be betrayed. The banker in the 'partnership' also happens to be
the thief on the left hand side of the cross' mother. This also does not bode well for the
mother if the apple does not fall far from the tree.
• Line 49: Absalom is the son of David, in the Christian Bible. Absalom betrayed
his father, which implies that the mother feels betrayed by her son because she has
placed all her hopes in him.

IMPORTANT WORDS/ PHRASES

• 'a need to cry for little reasons and a metallic tide rising in her mouth each
morning.'
These two symptoms are early signs of pregnancy. The metallic tide refers to vomiting.
These signs usually occur in the first trimester of pregnancy.

• 'full term'
This means that the mother carried her son for the full nine months that a pregnancy
should last.

• 'tight up under her heart'

This hints at the love that the mother harbours for her child. He was not simply 'close to
her heart', but 'tight up' under it. It implies that the son holds a special place in her
heart.

• 'set no ceiling'
A ceiling is something that blocks you in, you cannot get past it. The mother set no limits
on her son, he could be anything he wanted to be.

• 'his bloody salary'

This implies that the mother believes that the result of the son's 'job' will be death.

• 'the level of earth'

The mother has no power to change her son's situation. Earth is used to emphasize her
powerlessness on this level, the realm of 'reality'.

• 'knee city'
This refers to the fact that the mother constantly prayed for her child.

• 'eye water covers you'

This implies that the mother cried constantly for the plight of her son. The fact that it
'covers him' speaks to the high quantity of tears that were shed.
• 'banker'
The banker, or financial controller, of this partnership is the mother of a thief. This does
not bode well for the mother if the thief on the cross learnt it from his mother.

• 'her draw though is first and last for she still throwing two hands as mother and
father'.
This statement implies that though the mother has the advantage of first draw as
mother, she loses that advantage because she also has the role of father. Mothers cannot
father sons. The fact that the son has found a father figure proves this to be true.
Therefore, she has the last draw, which carries with it the disadvantage of not receiving
a full 'draw'. The longer one waits for a draw is the more likely that dishonesty will come
into play on the part of the participants.

MOOD/ ATMOSPHERE

The mood of the poem is reflective. The persona is thinking about a mother's response
to her son's life choices.

TONE
The tone of the poem is pragmatic and pessimistic. The persona is telling the tale as it is,
with no positive energy.

THEMATIC CATEGORY
Death, love, survival, desires/ dreams, childhood experiences.
THEME FOR ENGLISH B

The instructor said,

Go home and write

a page tonight.
And let that page come out of you -
Then it will be true.

I wonder if it's that simple?

I am twenty-two, colored, born in Winston-Salem.
I went to school there, then Durham, then here to this college on the hill above Harlem.
I am the only colored student in the class.
The steps from the hill lead down into Harlem, through a park, then I cross St. Nicholas,
Eighth Avenue, Seventh, and I come to the Y, the Harlem Branch Y, where I take the
elevator up to my room, sit down, and write this page:

It's not easy to know what is true for you or me

at twenty-two, my age. But I guess I'm what
I feel and see and hear, Harlem, I hear you: hear you, hear me - we too - you, me, talk on
this page.
(I hear New York, too.) Me - who?

Well, I like to eat, sleep, drink, and be in love.

I like to work, read, learn, and understand life.
I like a pipe for a Christmas present,
or records - Bessie, bop, or Bach.
I guess being colored doesn't make me not
like the same things other folks like who are
other races.
So will my page be colored that I write?
Being me, it will not be white.
But it will be
a part of you, instructor.
You are white -
yet a part of me, as I am a part of you.
That's American.
Sometimes perhaps you don't want to be a part of me.
Nor do I often want to be a part of you.
But we are, that's true!
As I learn from you,
I guess you learn from me -
although you're older - and white -
and somewhat more free.

This is my page for English B.

Hughs, L. 'Theme For English B' in A World of Prose. Edited by Mark McWatt and Hazel
Simmonds McDonald.

LITERAL MEANING

The persona's lecturer gave him an assignment to write a page that reflects 'him', or his
character. The persona wonders if this is a simple task, and begins to think about his
life. Things like his age, place of birth, race and place of residence. Based on these
musings, he surmises that he is confused due to his youth. He guesses that he is what he
feels, sees and hears, which is Harlem, New York. He continues his musing about what
he likes, and concludes that he likes the same things that people of other races like. On
this basis, he questions whether or not his page will be influenced by race. He concludes
that it will not be white. He admits that his instructor, as well as the fact that this
instructor is white, will have some influence on his page. He states that they both
influence each other, that is what being American is about. He believes that both of
them might not want to influence each other, but it cannot be helped. He concludes that
both of them will learn from each other, despite the fact that the instructor has the
advantage of being older, white and 'more free'. All of these musings and conclusions
become his page for English B.

LITERARY DEVICES

1. RHETORICAL QUESTION
• Stanza 2, line 6: The persona ponders the ease of what he is asked to do. This
question, in turn, actually highlights the difficult nature of the task.
• Stanza 3, line24: This question highlights the persona's confusion as to who he is,
or his character. He is unsure.
• Stanza 4, line 32: The persona is wondering whether his race will affect what he
writes on the page. This is despite the fact that he concludes that race does not hinder
people, in general, liking the same things

2. REPETITION
This repetition emphasizes the profound impact that Harlem, New York, has had on the
personality of the persona.

IMPORTANT WORDS/ PHRASES

• 'But it will be a part of you, instructor. You are white - yet a part of me, as I am a
part of you. That's American.'

This statement reveals the fact that America is viewed as a melting pot by the persona.
He believes that different races and cultures influence each other, thereby forming the
term 'American'

• As I learn from you, I guess you learn from me - although you're older - and white
– and somewhat more free.
This statement, by the persona, repeats his belief that the American society is a melting
pot. It also, however, states that not every-one is equal within this society.
* It is interesting to note that the persona's 'page for English B' becomes a journey of
self-discovery that actually does not end. He forms no conclusion as to who he is
because his personality is still 'in process'

MOOD/ ATMOSPHERE
The mood of the poem is reflective.

TONE
The tone of the poem is also reflective
THEMATIC CATEGORIZATION
Racism, places
WEST INDIES, USA

Cruising at thirty thousand feet above the endless green

the island seems like dice tossed on a casino's baize,
some come up lucky, others not. Puerto Rico takes the pot,
the Dallas of the West Indies, silver linings on the clouds
as we descend are hall-marked, San Juan glitters
like a maverick's gold ring.

All across the Caribbean

we'd collected terminals - airports are like calling cards,
cultural fingerprints; the hand written signs at Port-
au-Prince, Piarco's sleazy tourist art, the lethargic
contempt of the baggage boys at 'Vere Bird' in St. Johns ....
And now for plush San Juan.

But the pilot's bland,

you're safe in my hands drawl crackles as we land,
'US regulations demand all passengers not disembarking
at San Juan stay on the plane, I repeat, stay on the plane.'
Subtle Uncle Sam, afraid too many desperate blacks might re-enslave this Island of the
free,
might jump the barbed

electric fence around America's

back yard' and claim that vaunted sanctuary ..... 'give me your poor .....'
Through toughened, tinted glass the contrasts tantalise;
US patrol cars glide across the shimmering tarmac,
containered baggage trucks unload with fierce efficiency.
So soon we're climbing,

low above the pulsing city streets;

galvanized shanties overseen by condominiums
polished Cadillacs shimmying past Rastas with pushcarts
and as we climb, San-Juan's fools-glitter calls to mind
the shattered innards of a TV set that's fallen
off the back of a lorry, all painted valves and circuits
the road like twisted wires,

the bright cars, micro-chips.

It's sharp and jagged and dangerous, and belonged to some-one else.

Brown, Stewart. 'West Indies, U.S.A' in A World of Prose. Edited by Mark McWatt and
Hazel Simmonds McDonald.

LITERAL MEANING
The persona is travelling in a plane, looking down at San Juan, Puerto Rico, as the plane
descends. He is saying that this island is the wealthiest in the Caribbean because it has
won the jackpot, it has come up lucky. He then points out that he, and others, had
travelled to many Caribbean islands and received a hint of the flavour of each island
through it's calling card, - its airport - all of which fail when compared to plush San
Juan. As they land, they are instructed to stay on the plane if their destination is not San
Juan. The persona takes offence and states that America does not want blacks in San
Juan, implying that they might be a disruptive force. He notes the efficiency with which
things flow, enabling them to take to the skies once more. During the ascent, the
persona notes the contrast between the influences of the Caribbean and America. He
likens San-Juan to a broken TV, it Iooks good on the outside, but broken on the inside.

LITERARY DEVICES

1. SIMILE
• Line 2: Puerto Rico is compared to dice that is tossed on a casino's baize, it can
either come up with winning numbers, or losing numbers. Puerto Rico comes up with
winning numbers in the game of chance, as reflected in its wealthy exterior, which is
supported by America.
• Lines 7-8: San Juan's glitter is compared to a maverick's gold ring. The word
maverick implies non-conformist, an individualist. This implies that San Juan, Puerto
Rico is in the Caribbean, but not a part of the Caribbean. It belongs to America.
• Lines 10-11: Airports are compared to calling cards. This means that, like a calling
card, the quality of the airport gives you an idea of the island's economic status. The
airport is also compared to a cultural fingerprint. A fingerprint is an individual thing,
therefore the airport gives the traveller an idea of the island's cultural landscape.
• Line 39: The road is compared to twisted wires. This means that the roads, from
above, look both plentiful and curvy. This does not carry a positive connotation, but
implies confusion.

2. ALLUSION
• Line 5: Dallas is an oil rich state in America. Therefore, many of its inhabitants
are wealthy, and the state itself, is wealthy. By stating that San Juan is the Dallas of the
West Indies, it implies that it is a wealthy island in the West Indies.
• Lines 5-7: An allusion is being made to the well known cliche; 'every cloud has a
silver lining'. It means that behind everything that is seemingly bad, there is good. In the
context of this poem, it means that the good, the silver lining, has a mark, or stamp, that
authenticates its good quality; it is hallmarked. This implies that it will always have its
silver lining showing.

3. SARCASM
• Line 20: This statement means the exact opposite of what is stated. The persona
is disgusted that Uncle Sam (America) would have such a regulation. This regulation
bars anyone from stepping a toe on Puerto Rican soil, if it is not your intended
destination. You just have to remain in the air craft, no matter the waiting period, until
it is time for take off. The persona believes that the Americans are being blatantly
discriminatory, and are attempting to camouflage it through the use of regulations. He
does not believe that they have achieved their goal of subtlety.
• Line 26: The persona implies that America is all talk and no action. They really do
not want the poor because they bar them from entering and expediently sends them on
their way when they enter their airport. The statement is sarcastic because it is loaded
with an alternate meaning, due to the contrast in statement and action.
IMPORTANT WORDS/ PHRASES

• 'plush'
This word implies soft, like a teddy bear. It also implies luxury. So San Juan is all of
these things.

• 'desperate blacks might re-enslave this Island of the free'

These 'desperate blacks' to whom the persona is referring are the poor people of the
Caribbean. If they converge on the glistening San Juan, sucking up its resources, then it
might become re-enslaved by poverty.

• 'America's back yard'

A backyard means one of two things for people. It is a haven where you relax, therefore
you decorate it and invest time and money in it. Or, you ignore it and spend all your
time indoors, not investing any time, energy or money in it. America viewed Puerto Rico
as the latter, a prize in which it saw value. Therefore, when the persona uses this phrase,
he is implying that while it is valued, it is still at the back. Slight sarcasm is being used
here.

• 'the contrasts tantalise'

When something, or someone, is tantalising, it implies that it is intriguing. The persona,
by using this phrase, is trying to draw the reader’s attention to the jarring contrasts by
stating that he finds them intriguing.

• 'fierce efficiency'
The word fierce, used to describe the level of efficiency with which the people worked to
get the plane off the ground, shows the extent to which they were not wanted on the
island.

• 'fools-glitter'
This implies that the flashiness of San Juan was not authentic.

• 'It's sharp and jagged and dangerous, and belonged to some-one else.'
This implies that San Juan is not safe. The cultures are not melding, but jarring against
each other. The reason for this is because it belongs to someone else.

CONTRAST
The contrast in this poem is found in stanza 5. The American cars etc, against the
pushcarts. The American culture versus the Puerto Rican culture.

MOOD/ ATMOSPHERE
The mood of the poem is sarcastic.

TONE
The tone of the poem is slightly bitter, which is fueled by the sarcastic atmosphere.

THEMATIC CATEGORIZATION
Discrimination, oppression, places, culture.