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Lament for a dead cow poem
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`Lament for a dead cow
by Francis Carey Slater
Title –A sad song about the death of a loved one. Pay tribute/praise/honour.
Using lament – shows how the cow was very important to the family.
African culture wealth = livestock one
Line Analysis.
1 Siyalila, siyalila, inkomo yetu We weep, we weep, our cow is dead!
ifile! Using Xhosa = places poem in SA and cows are
important in Africa.
SIMILE.
2 Beautiful was Wetu as a blue Wetu's colour is compared to the blue colour of a
shadow shadow on the rocks
3 That nests on the grey rocks
METAPHOR.
A shadow compared to bird that nests. Effective –
evokes feelings of closeness and protective.
4 About a sun-baked hilltop: Emphasises the heat & drought conditions.
5 Her coat was black and shiny SIMILE.
6 Like an isipingo-berry; Her coat is compared to an isipingo berry.
Effective - black, healthy and shiny.
7 Her horns were as sharp as SIMILE.
the horns of the new moon The shape of her horns is compared to the shape
of the new moon.
8 That tosses aloft the The moon is being 'tossed' into the evening star into
evening star; the sky.
Evening star = Venus, first star that we see in the
evening sky.
9 Her round eyes were as SIMILE.
clear and soft Compare the eyes of the cow to that of a pool of
10 As a mountain pool, water on the mountain. It refers to the clearness,
and dark colour of the water.
11 Where shadows dive from PERSONIFICATION
the high rocks. The reflection of the shadows and the movement
of the water looks like a person diving.
12 No more will Wetu banish Teasing = flies are extremely annoying.
teasing flies Allows poem to flow and she attitude of speaker.
, `
13 With her whistling tail;
14 No more will she face Curs = a mongrel dog (pavement special).
yapping curs
15 The dogs barking at her and how she confronted
With lowered horns and them with lowered horns, as if to defend herself, but
bewildered eyes; with fear (bewildered).
16 No more will her slow PERSONIFICATION
17 shadow Her shadow brought some coolness to the patch
Comfort the sunburnt veld, of land she was grazing. This reflects the heat
and her sweet lowing and how dry the land was.
The sound of her lowing delighted the hills. Like
good music.
18 Delight the hills in the
evening.
19 The fountain that filled our METAPHOR
calabashes The cow compared to a fountain. Fountains
supply water which is vital for survival. It
emphasises the importance of Wetu to her
owners.
She supplied them with milk (“white rain”) which
was important.
20 Has been drained by a thirsty PERSONIFICATION.
sun; The sun is personified = it is 'thirsty' & drank the
water supplies. The sun “drained” and Wetu 'filled'
everyone. She became sick due to a lack of water
and food. Because of the drought there was no
more water or grass.
21 The black cloud that brought METAPHOR
us white rain Compares Wetu to a cloud: like black clouds
22 Has vanished – the sky is usually brought rain, Wetu usually brought
empty; milk.
Double meaning:
Lit = there are no clouds in sky and they are faced
with a drought.
Fig = clouds = cows, this means there is no milk.
Sky is empty = clouds vanished and Wetu has died
because of the drought.
23 Our kraal is desolate;
24 Our calabashes are dry:
25 And we weep. ALLITERATION
Shows the despair and sorrow of the family.
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