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This poem looks at the inner spirit of mankind, but especially the poet's own society which could remain
bitter and angry forever at its treatment at the hands of the former colonial power.
This anger, he says, is quite unnecessary. Indeed, if one surveys the world from the vantage of a positive
mind, one might see all sorts of advantages and things to be joyful about. It is purely a matter of the mind
and of perspective.
A NOTE ON THE POET
Charles Mungoshi was born of farming parents in Rhodesia -- now Zimbabwe -- in 1947. He is
regarded as one of his country's most prominent writers.
He has written novels, short stories and poetry, using both the Shona and English languages.
It has been said that his work deals subtly with the cultural complexities of Zimbabwe, and especially of
the conflict between the younger and older generations as well as the different rural and urban loyalties.
From 1975 to 1981, Mungoshi worked for the Literature Bureau of Zimbabwe as an editor, and then joined
the Zimbabwe Publishing House.
Later he become the "Writer in Residence" at the University of Zimbabwe. After that, however, he
tended to work freelance.
It has been said that Mungoshi's poetry paints a "multi-layered world of meaning" in which he uses
a short and condensed style of writing.
It has also been said that his poetry rarely makes socio-political statements but this is questionable.
Indeed, his socio-political comments are sometimes hidden in what appears to be a rather simple
comment on reality.
His writings have won him several awards, including an Honorary Doctorate from the University of
Zimbabwe.
Have you looked at the questions in the right column?
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TEST YOURSELF!
Read the left column and then answer the following questions:
GENERAL QUESTIONS:
- What is the TONE of this poem? (4)
[Need help?]
The poet is being very positive and hopeful, in which he sees the usefulness of the past and not just
bitterness and anger. The poem is about values which exist even in the hated colonial past, values which
come to the surface just as soon as one allows one's conscience to become free from the yoke of the
apparent prejudices and values of society.
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- Comment on the poet's style of writing. (10)
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The poet uses little punctuation apart from a few commas and the full-stop at the end. There is also no
use of the upper case.
This something relatively new in poetry, something which ee cummings made much use of. It does, of
course, lead to ambiguities which forces the reader to concentrate so as to pick up different nuances of
meaning.
The poet also uses a very simple, chatty tone. Because there is no rhyme scheme, it is almost as if the
poem is in prose format, with run-on lines.
Nevertheless, the poet makes use of interesting metaphors and figures of speech: the metaphor of the
plough, the reference to the lazy autumn smoke, etc.
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- What message is the poet proposing? (2)
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The message is a positive one: to forget the bitterness amd anger of the past and concentrate on the
positive aspects of life, seeing what good can be salvaged from the past while the rest is simply discarded.
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- Comment on the poet's use of the personal pronoun "you" throughout this
poem. (4)
[Need help?]
Using the personal pronoun "you" involves the reader in the poem. It is no longer simply an
interesting bit of philosophy in which the reader is a bystander but rather something in which the reader
becomes personally involved.
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- Is there any point to the use of the lower case throughout the poem? (4)
[Need help?]
In some ways, it is simply a quaint thing which many modern poets do, e.g. Shabbir Banoobhai's
"you cannot know the fears i have".
It does serve a purpose, however, because it forces the reader to think. Punctuation and use of the upper
case usually guides the reader into an exact science of reading. Take both away, on the other hand, and
alternative meanings arise. This is useful because it forces people to re-evaluate the content of the poem.
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"Mungoshi's poetry has generally been perceived as rarely making socio-political statements."
- What is meant by a "socio-political statement". (2)
[Need help?]
Socio-political statements make comments about society or politics, or the influence of politics on
society.
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- Is the above statement true in the context of this poem? In other words, is the poet making any
socio-political statements here? (4)
[Need help?]
Well, yes he is, isn't he? The poet is reflecting on the anger and bitterness which exist within his society
as a result of the fight against colonialism whereas, he argues, one should be looking on the positive side
of the past, reflecting on what good things one can salvage from the past.
The poem is therefore about society and about a political way of thinking. It is therefore truly a
socio-political comment.
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