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The discardment Poem Analysis
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The poet reflects on the giving of an insignificant item of clothing, unwanted by the owner, to the family's Blackdomestic worker. He is humbled by her excitement and appreciation for something that seemed to him so trivial.
Definite Article: Highlights the Throw away. → Something that is no longer needed (connotations)
importance of the relationship between
the 2 people.
The Discardment Words that clearly convey the woman’s
excitement → Creates a tone of
Her employer or Indicates that it was a choice to give it away. EXCITEMENT/GRATEFULNESS
the oppressor. We gave her a discardment
Not even named. Repetition emphasises how trivial, unwanted, and insignificant the
A trifle, a thing no longer to be worn, item was. Creates a TERSE (sharp) tone.
Its purpose served, its life done.
Long sentence =
She put it on with exclamations,
outpouring of
Alliteration → harsh ‘c’ sound highlights the urgency.
emotions
Her eyes shone, she called and cried,
Twirled
The great bulk of her pirouetted Metaphor → She’s a large woman
She danced and mimed, sang snatches of a song. Sibilance → mimics sound of music. Brings mood of
She called out blessings on her native tongue excitement.
Refrain
She called out to her fellow-servants
emotions/unstoppable
Enjambment creates a
The strangers and passers-by
Hyperbole → magnitude of gratitude creates a humbling feeling.
push of
To all the continent of Africa
joy.
To see this wonder, to participate
Oxymoron → The woman’s joy is so overwhelming that she can no longer handle it.
In this intolerable joy.
And so for nothing
Antithesis = contrast of ideas are expressed.
Is purchased loyalty and trust What the writer receives
Very little equality between servant and employer.
And the unquestioning obedience “simplicity” implies nothing out of the ordinary about the item. There’s
Oxymoron →
Of the earth’s most rare simplicity. nothing about the item to make it stand out &distinguish it as “Rare”.
Realization
So for nothing Last 2 lines slow everything down. The speaker gained this
The destruction of a world. loyalty and trust from nothing. The item was so valueless,
but the servant gave the speaker so much trust. Speaker
Specifically the servant’s
Loss of pride and destruction can’t understand how something so little created so much
world – they are now
of social classes as they learn happiness.
trapped in their
to accept and expect less. employers obedience/
trust/loyalty.
STRUCTURE: A social commentary on the different classes
of South Africa (protest poetry)
• 1 Stanza → Even though everyone is from different
social classes, we are all one (united)
• Free verse rhyme = her response + joy can’t be
contained.
SYMBOLISM:
The thing being thrown away stands for power/being in a
position of control/superiority.
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