These notes were made using videos from youtube (Mrs M teaches English) as well as notes taken down in class. It is a line by line analysis of the poem with extra information at the end about the poet as well as overall structure.
Time of day: evening. Gives specific setting in terms of time and
Nightsong City place. Evokes image of a pleasant evening with music. Reader is
Dennis Brutus (1924-2009) deluded into thinking poem will convey a message of warm
nostalgia/peace. Assumption undermined as you read poem.
Begins with the wish for speaker’s “love” to “sleep well”. Sincere,
romantic tone. Identity of “love” is implied in the descriptions of
the places.
Colon: introduces the list of circumstances under which his love
Sleep well, my love, sleep well: must sleep.
Repetition: creates a peaceful image. (Short lived)
*Apostrophe – adds to mournful tone (sense of longing). Affection
and concern, but next lines contrast. Assume it’s a conventional
address from one person to another.
But then realize from the descriptions of the setting that this love is
in a sinister place with police lurking in the darkness.
Sooths restlessness of the day. Staring without emotion. When a
person’s eyes glaze over, they have stopped
listening/concentrating. Speaker personifies the harbour lights as
the harbour lights glaze looking with no emotion.
Personification -> busy, not peaceful place. Things aren’t as they
over restless docks, should be – discontent/restlessness of country (constant political
unease). Contrasts the peaceful image of 1st line – first of various
sinister images of violence in poem. Tense atmosphere
Restless = *epithet. People who work there at night are actually
restless, not the docks. Tells us the city is uncaring and indifferent
towards its people.
Sinister reference to the threat of the police. Immediate sense of
danger and fear.
Finds repugnant (Irony: meant to protect people)
Metaphor: insect imagery - crawl and creep, look for food/prey,
carry disease, not something you want in your home. Connotation
of how speaker sees the police – police are unwelcome in the
police cars cockroach through
shanty towns. Noun used as verb, suggests police move in
the tunnel streets; menacing way as they patrol streets -> hints at police
brutality/violence. Ironic: connotations of police meant to keep
people safe, vs image of something people avoid/fear.
Darkness/cloaked. Feel oppressed/enclosed -> apartheid society.
Tunnel = contained/boxed in. Narrow dark streets patrolled by
police cars -> narrow chance of escape.
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