Summary
Penguin on the Beach Poem Analysis and Summary (IEB Poem)
- Course
- Institution
A detailed line by line summary and analysis of the poem Penguin on the Beach. This poem is assessed as part of the grade 12 IEB syllabus.
[Show more]
Seller
Follow
lollisaint
Reviews received
Content preview
Penguin on the Beach – Ruth Miller·Ruth Miller – South African poet known for:
Beautiful, moving descriptions
Containing theme of beauty + pain of life
Addressing the weakness/vulnerability of physical creatures
Including religious imagery + motifs
Referring to a God that is indifferent to suffering
· The sea/ocean should be a place of safety for the
penguin
1 Stranger in his own element,
· Contradiction – penguin is “in his element” yet
he remains a stranger
· Casualty – victim to crime
2 Sea-casualty, the castaway manikin
· Castaway – stranded
· His – the penguin is personified through the
pronoun and through the description of the
3 Waddles in his tailored coattails. Oil penguin being a little man wearing a suit
· Coat-tails – formal suit
· Enjambement - emphasis
· Tells the nature of the disaster
· Commercial stain – oil spill
Greed/money-making of industry
· Reader now understands why penguin feels like
4 Has spread a deep commercial stain a stranger in his own environment – has been
displaced from his natural environment by the oil
slick, which has left his feathers clogged +
discoloured
· Stain – dirty, difficult to get rid off
· Diction – negative words describe oil spill,
5 Over his downy shirt front. Sleazy, grey,
positive words describe penguin
6 It clogs the sleekness. Far too well · Clogs – blocked with unwanted matter
·
· Remembering the oil slick makes the penguin
hesitant to re-enter the water
· The penguin is hesitant to re-enter the water as
7 He must recall the past, to be so cautious: he can recall the impact of the oil slick – as he
enters he seems unnatural/clumsy as he
slips/slides in what should be his natural
environment
· Watch him – refers directly to the audience, plays
on their emotions
· Shudders – tremble brought on by fear
8 Watch him step into the waves. He shudders Should be a place of comfort for the penguin,
now he fears water
He has been out of water for a long time – not
used to water environment
· Alliteration – emphasis on penguin’s motion in
9 Under the froth; slides, slips, on the wet sand,
the ocean
·
· Dearth – something that is in short supply, which
makes it valuable
Sea is valuable to the penguin but it is in short
10 Escaping to dryness, dearth, in a white cascade,
supply (climate change)
· White cascade – represents the white was of
waves
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 lollisaint. Stuvia facilitates payment to the seller.
Will I be stuck with a subscription?
No, you only buy these notes for $2.99. You're not tied to anything after your purchase.
Can Stuvia be trusted?
4.6 stars on Google & Trustpilot (+1000 reviews)
77254 documents were sold in the last 30 days
Founded in 2010, the go-to place to buy study notes for 14 years now