Summary Fully Annotated "I Have my Father's Voice" Notes
64 views 1 purchase
Course
English Home Language
Institution
12
A detailed line by line analysis of the poem "I Have my Father's Voice" created by a 90% IEB matric 2020 English HL student (top 1% in the subject).
Explains the meanings of lines, figures of speech used, structure and more.
‘I Have my Father’s Voice’-Chris van Wyk (1957-2015)
When I walk into a room
Maturity
where my father has just been
I fill the same spaces he did
Physical similarities
from the elbows on the table
to the head thrown back
Voice of instruction
and when we laugh we aim the guffaw
at the same space in the air.
Reflection
Before anybody has told me this I know
because I see myself through
Life frustrations
my father’s eyes.
When I was a pigeon-toed boy
my father used his voice
to send me to bed
to run and buy the newspaper
to scribble my way through matric.
He also used his voice for harsher things:
to bluster when we made a noise
when the kitchen wasn’t cleaned after supper
when I was out too late.
Late for work, on many mornings,
one sock in hand, its twin
an angry glint in his eye he flings
dirty clothes out of the washing box:
vests, jeans, pants and shirts shouting
anagrams of fee fo fi fum until he is up
to his knees in a stinking heap of laundry.
I have my father’s voice too
And his fuming temper
And I shout as he does.
But I spew the words out
in pairs of alliteration
and an air of assonance.
Everything a poet needs
my father has bequeathed me
except the words.
Title
Title is personal as the speaker expresses his thoughts, feelings and experiences about
his father. Voice = sound/tone (can send different messages)/diction (words of voice)
When I walk into a room sets up connection, relationship, expectation
where my father has just been that he follows in his father’s footsteps (shared
I fill the same spaces he did similarities).
The benefits of buying summaries with Stuvia:
Guaranteed quality through customer reviews
Stuvia customers have reviewed more than 700,000 summaries. This how you know that you are buying the best documents.
Quick and easy check-out
You can quickly pay through credit card or Stuvia-credit for the summaries. There is no membership needed.
Focus on what matters
Your fellow students write the study notes themselves, which is why the documents are always reliable and up-to-date. This ensures you quickly get to the core!
Frequently asked questions
What do I get when I buy this document?
You get a PDF, available immediately after your purchase. The purchased document is accessible anytime, anywhere and indefinitely through your profile.
Satisfaction guarantee: how does it work?
Our satisfaction guarantee ensures that you always find a study document that suits you well. You fill out a form, and our customer service team takes care of the rest.
Who am I buying these notes from?
Stuvia is a marketplace, so you are not buying this document from us, but from seller TKahn. Stuvia facilitates payment to the seller.
Will I be stuck with a subscription?
No, you only buy these notes for $5.52. You're not tied to anything after your purchase.