Line by Line in-depth analysis of the IEB prescribed poem 'The Tenant' by Na Ngulube. Colour-coded and extremely easy to follow to make your studying easier.
The summary also includes an overview of the poem's biographical information, main message, tone, structure, and figurative language.
There is no room for you
Speaker’s feelings
in my heart. The only tenant
Metaphor: heart = house
who ever lived there left Metaphor: ex-lover = baggage
some luggage behind. Punctuation
Alliteration
I didn't even evict her. She
simply left without a word.
I keep hoping she will come
back and collect the luggage
or at least arrange for disposal
clean out the place, throw out
old memories.
I could possibly live with
the marks on the walls. Some
are completely indelible
some I even like.
But you see I am afraid that
if it all goes, what will I do
with all that empty space.
, Biographical information
• Post-Apartheid poet: There is now a space to move away from political protest to
personal stories.
Meaning/ message
• The difficult of letting love go.
• How all past relationships and connections can affect future ones.
Imagery/figures of speech/diction
• Extended metaphor: A heart is compared to a home and previous relationship is
compared to as baggage left behind.
Structure
• Irregular – disrupted life (caesura).
• Free verse – stop-start rhythm/disjointed.
• Enjambment – flow of impact of past relationship into present (can’t separate the
two).
• Contrast to full stop where there is a sense of finality.
Tone/mood
• Melancholy, scared, yearning.
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