Tuesday 4 December 2012

6. c) Unseen Poetry - Explaining Poetic Devices

In the Friendly Dark by Dennis Brutus*

In the friendly dark, I wheel                  
as a bird checks in flight
to glide down streams
and planes of slanting air

so I turn, worn by work                                                       5
and the dull teeth of care
to find your face, your throat
and the soft dark of your hair;
 
flesh lies snuggled in sheets
the brain, wrapped close in folds                                    10
of the still-blanketing night,
awaits the easy balm of dreams,

but my heart soars and wheels
hurtling through the friendly dark
to find your mouth and your heart                                  15
and nest quietly there.

*Dennis Brutus served 18 months of hard labour on Robben Island due to his political activities during the Apartheid era, after which he was permitted to leave South Africa with his wife and family.

 
When writing about any poem it is essential to discuss the imagery using the correct terminology. You also need to do more than name the figure of speech [e.g. simile], you need to discuss how it contributes to what the poem is trying to show or emphasise. Read this poem and highlight all the imagery; underline other words that contribute, for example using the words associated with one idea to write about another.
 
Task:
  1. Select quotes and explain each one for different figures of speech you've found. e.g. (metaphor, oxymoron, personification etc)
  2. Write about the central image in the poem.

23 comments:

  1. "Friendly Dark" is not a proper oxymoron however the words are juxaposed. "Friendly" is a positive word whereas "Dark" is negative.

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    1. Nina and Charlotte4 December 2012 at 14:08

      we think it is a propeor oxymoron actually...

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  2. my heart soars and wheels is a metaphor as it describes the feelings of the character through parts of his body. Soars and wheels could symbolise what his dreams are like, and gives them a almost birdlike quality.

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  3. 1. "my heart soars and wheels" is a metaphor to describe the feelings of the writer. His heart is not physically soaring but it symbolises his longing for his family.

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    1. thats really great analysis sophi-phi, this is how i shall feel on friday xoxoxox

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  4. "flesh lies snuggled in sheets" is an interesting metaphor because it could symbolize that the person in the bed is a liar but is comfortable with the situation because they are described as being "snuggled" in the sheets which shows content.

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  5. I think the central image is the writers feelings of loneliness because he misses his wife and he talks about how he dreams about her.

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  6. The central image of the poem is the writers feelings during his time in prison. I think he is lonely and the poem is about him thinking of his wife and family.

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  7. The central image of the poem is that the guy misses his family and longs to be in his bed with his wife and he is heartbroken at his current situation, he also doesnt like his job.

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  8. "My heart soars and wheels" is a metaphor, which represents that the persons love is often changing. It tells us that the way that it is, is in a downward spiral, as if he/she cannot coap with the trials that their love is facing.

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    1. " the friendly dark ". we stereotypically associate the dark with scary stuff so saying its friendly is sort of opposing it .

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  9. The poet uses the metaphor 'still-blanketing night' to describe the night. I think it is meaning to suggest that it's still early on in the night, and theres still darkness to come. This comes from the fact that if you put a blanket over something, it becomes dark underneath it. It could also be suggesting that just like how the night isn't over, the longing he has for this person is still there and growing.

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  10. To "glide down streams" is a metaphor that really captures the movement of the subject

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    1. that is such a good point Asha, it does really capture it doesnt it..

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    2. I agree with Nina. It really captures what the poet is trying to say. Good job!

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  11. 1. In the first sentence the poet uses personification, as the crowns are trees. In the second sentence, commas have been used to list. In both the third and forth sentence, rhetorical questions are used and a question mark can be see to be prove this.
    2. As the understory is a layer of trees and bushes, it blocks the river and relates to the last question as it has blocked the journey back.
    3.The brief, bad river highlights alliteration and was used to give a better effect.

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  12. personification used with the trees nice punctuation i dont know.

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  13. the metephor with streams shows the movement of the poem

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  14. friendly dark is juxtaposition as friendly suggests happiness and dark isn't it represents saddness

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  15. 1. The title - friendly dark is an oxymoron. My heart soars and wheels is also a metaphot used in this poem.

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  16. He misses his family

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  17. "Friendly Dark"-the title of the poem and the first few words have been juxtaposed to portray the intimate andsecret tone of the poem.It also acts as an oxymoron to connote a negative mentality.Thev personification of "fresh lies" and "snuggled in sheets" contrast sharply to convey the decietful tone that would accompany a prisoner.

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  18. Michael, its not "fresh lies" but "flesh lies". He's a political prisoner not a criminal!
    Regards

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