ENGLISH STUDY NOTES FORM 6-AN AFRICAN THUNDERSTORM
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AN AFRICAN THUNDERSTORM
By David Rubadiri
POETIC APPRECIATION
Poetic appreciation is a step by step analysis of the features or the elements within a poem
The word appreciating a poem attempts to understand it in detail and therefore enjoy the sounds and purpose, the elements of the poems also differ.
There are many ways of appreciating a poem just as they are very many different elements to be found in different poems.
Since the person appreciating the poem attempts to look in the poems and the success we do not talk about what is not found in the poem rather we are satisfied by the elements within a particular poem
S – Subject matter
P – Purpose
E – Emotions/mood
C – Crafts man ship/technique / style
Can assist as the identify poetic elements in a poem the craftsmanship consist of
S – Structure
L – Language
I – imagery
M – Movement/Rhythm
S – Sound
AN AFRICAN THUNDERSTORM
– What is the subject matter?
The poem is about the incoming of a certain situation in a village, suddenly and out of nowhere living the people shocked as they wonder about.
– Identify the instances of Alliteration
In the second stanza, the 5th line “wind whistles” in the third stanza the 4th line “whirling wind” in the third stanza the 4th line “whirling wind” in the 2nd line of the 4th stanza “wind whistles” 2nd line of the 1st stanza clouds come.
– Explain the effect of onomatopoeia
Being words which imitate sounds produced by an action, onomatopoeia in this poem occurs “whirling wind” (3rd stanza 4th line) the effect of it is that is emphasized on that is been told and it enhances imagination at large tremble, Rumple….
– Identify and explain the use of imagery
Imagery in the poem is greatly used to explain the incoming of the storm which is said to be hurrying with the wind, here and there like a plague of locusts showing its speed like a mad man chasing nothing its direction.
“Pregnant clouds” showing the shape of the clouds which are likely to be heavy and ready to release its weight anytime. “Clothes wave like tattered flags expressing” expressing the situation of the women’s clothes due to the wind direction.
– Show and explain the significance of personification in the poem
Personification refers to the process of giving non- human beings human traits. In the poem “pregnant clouds” (2nd stanza,1st line) clouds are said to be pregnant representing their current state of expansion.
The significance of personification in the poem is that it brings a dramatic expression and makes the poem interesting to convey the mood of any kind meant by the poet. Also personification makes it easy to relate (the poet idea and the object personified).
Comment on the structure of poem
The structure of the poem involves four stanzas each with a different number of lines, 1st stanza has nine lines, six lines for the second, eleven for the third and seven for the fourth.
The lines are of different sizes arranged in any irregular manner. Without a rhyme scheme. The poem is likely to follow modern way for writing poems.
Explain the use the similes
Similes refer to a figure of speech that involves comparing of two dissimilar things using the words like or as. In the poem similes are found
Here and there “like a plague of locusts this is meant to express the movements direction of the wind as it approaches the village.
clothes wave like tattered flags this represents the situation of the women’s clothes due to the winds showing how they were humiliated.
Why do mothers hurry in and out?
Due to the fear they have because of the approaching storm, the wind and noise of thunder. What could possibly happen to them and their children?
Why do the children cry with delight?
Children are naturally always pleased to experience something interesting, the wind, and thunder was thought to be of great pleasure to them so they cry with delight, there not aware of the danger.
Explain the deeper meaning of the poem
The poem is about the incoming of colonialism in Africa from the west “clouds come hurrying with the wind”, this represent the colonialists rushing to Africa for their needs such as raw materials market and land. Turning sharply her and there like a plague of locusts. His involves the great number or influx of the colonialists in Africa, like a madman chasing nothing, knowing the potentials of the territory.
“Pregnant clouds”, the colonialists are seen to be excited and and ready to exploit any chance they get in Africa. The whole second stanza show how determined they were and also proved to the evil “like dark sinister wings” wind whistles by using force and measures such as congest land alienation forced labour and others for the aim of getting what they want.
The third stanza explains the reaction of the nature of native of Africa to the incoming situation, that is colonialism filed with fear, women dart about in and their children screaming with delight, the fact that they are more or less pleased to see and experience new people and probably new rules in their villages. There said to move madly posing confusion among them toward the situation
In the whole situation, the last stanza shows how colonialism exploited and humiliated African clothes wave like tattered flags due to the wind which in this case is colonialism. They were put under poor working conditions as slaves paid low wages and more.
Paraphrase the poem
The poem an African thunderstorm entails of the coming of a storm in a village, originating from the west coming in a hurry up and down, here and there, the wind whirls and is said to move like a madman chasing nothing because its fast and moves randomly.
Clouds during the storm filled up and ready to rain gather around, the wind blows making trees bend, In the village, children scream with pleasure as their mothers are filled with fear they move in and out. Their clothes are blown by the wind exposing their bodies’ flashes of thunder strike.
Assonance, identify and comment on the use repetition of value sounds without regard to the preceded consonant sounds. Eg. Here and There
Consonance, show and comment on its use final consonant sounds are agreed but the vowels that precede them differ.
E.g. ……..about,……….out