A detailed line by line analysis of the poem "Lost or Found World" 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.
‘Lost or Found World’ -Mongane Wally Serote (1944-) Imagery:
Skies of truth are now scenes Theatre
At the mercy of my curtain eyes,
I wink often more often, Tears
To draw the curtains
To cut and forget the skies. Blood
The sea of identity is tears, Flowers
A too salty expression
Bleeding my blue veins that’s my pen, Bees and honey
On the loose sands that shall sip,
And the wind shall help cover it, Old
From the needy arteries.
New
Mountains of hope are flowers,
Passes attracting cars like bees, Foundation of life
For the precious modern honey,
That is money.
This modern madness
Snaps flowers from their stems
Leaves dry dead bodies, walking up the street.
Old wishes is present deeds,
Bright with blinding for old
Dark with wonder for the new,
That’s where we are
Lost or found world!
Title
Gives black people a choice to accept the status quo and remain passive or to do
something about it. Majority remained passive during AH due to fear. Juxtaposition of
realities in SA. Lost = painful reality of AH. Found = possibility of hope for homeland.
Skies of truth are now scenes
Truth about AH system is obvious and in your face: not subtle. Skies = vast. Scenes =
fake. Therefore: endless amount of lies to cover the obvious truth.
At the mercy of my curtain eyes,
Choice: he can see the reality or block it out/ignore. Personal pronoun: it is up to him to
see or deny the truth. The people have power to take control.
I wink often more often,
Starts with personal pronoun. He can momentarily close his eyes to block out reality.
To draw the curtains
To hide the reality of AH by totally blocking out everything. Curtains can be opened and
closed: choice to see the reality or not.
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 $5.70. You're not tied to anything after your purchase.
