Grade 12 (matric) 2020 english literature poetry notes. Questions and answers for the poem The Zulu Girl by Roy Campbell. Full poem and question and answers provided.
When in the sun the hot red acres smoulder,
Down where the sweating gang its labours plies,
A girl flings down her how, and from her shoulder
Unslings her child tormented by the flies.
She takes him to a ring of shadow pooled
By thorn-trees: purples with the blood of ticks,
While her sharp nails, in slow caress ruled,
Prowl through his hair with sharp electric clicks.
His sleep mouth plugged by the heavy nipple,
Tugs like a puppy, grunting as he feeds:
Through his frail nerves her won deep languors ripple
Like a broad river sighing through its reeds.
Yet in that drowsy stream his flesh imbibes
An old unquenched unsmotherable heat –
The curbed ferocity of beaten tribes,
The sullen dignity of their defeat.
Her body looms above him like a hill
Within whose shade a village lies at rest.
Or the first cloud so terrible and still
That bears the coming harvest in its breast.
, THE ZULU GIRL
Questions and answers
Stanza 1:
1. Describe the conditions in which the ‘gang’ is working,
quoting from the poem.
The group is working hard in very hot conditions. The ‘acres’ of
land ‘smoulder’ as if they are burning, the people are ‘sweating’
as they ‘ply their labour’; the baby is ‘tormented by the flies’.
2. What impression of the Zulu girl is created by the word ‘flings’
in line 3?
The word ‘flings’ creates the impression that the Zulu girl is
feeling exhausted. She ‘throws’ down her hoe in an irritated
manner that expresses exactly how she is feeling.
3. What is the girl doing in the first stanza?
she, along with a group of labourers, is working in a field,
hoeing the soil. Her baby is slung over her back while she
works.
4. Which words in stanza 1 tell you of the extreme heat of the
day?
‘the hot red acres smoulder’ and ‘the sweating gang’. The fact
that the child is ‘tormented by the flies’ is also partly indicative
of the heat.
Stanza 2:
5. What evidence is there in stanza 2 that this is not a healthy
situation for the child?
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 talia_liebovitz. Stuvia facilitates payment to the seller.
Will I be stuck with a subscription?
No, you only buy these notes for $3.13. You're not tied to anything after your purchase.