In-depth analysis of the poem The night-jar and Inkosazana Yasezulwini. This document consists of 4 resources compiled into one. All the important notes are labeled to make the summary as short as possible for easy learning.
Title: The night-jar and Inkosazana Yasezulwini
The princess of the Heavens
Summary:
The poem is about how a nightjar, a bird which is active at night and makes jarring a noise, becomes a messenger
and a guide. The nightjar points humans to a place where they can receive relief from their troubles
Analysis:
Stanza 1:
The speaker introduces the nightjar (nocturnal bird – rests in day/active at night). The bird visits the speaker’s
window and pecks on the window pane. The reflection of the stars is seen on its beak.
P-alliteration: pecking sound
1 The speckled bird as brown as dust Meaning: Description of the nightjar (bird with a speckled brown
plumage)
Simile: The colour of the bird is compared to the colour of dust.
2 which roosts inside a bush by day, Meaning: The nightjar hides/rests in a bush during the day.
The roots are brown, camouflaging the bird.
3 hiding its head against the glare, Meaning: The bird hides its head during the day for protection
from the bright sunlight
Personification: The bird is hiding
H-alliteration ‘hiding its head’: Emphasizes that the bird is
hidden and silent.
4 at midnight pecked against the pane Meaning: The bird wakes and pecks against a windowpane to
gain attention or communicate.
Midnight: Time when magic happens.
P-alliteration: Intensifies the pecking sound
5 and gently pecked, until I saw Meaning: Repetitive pecking of the nightjar wakes the speaker
6 the starlight glitter through its beak. Meaning: The speaker sees a bright, glitter of starlight in the
bird’s beak (instead of insect)
Stanza 2:
Speaker gives a clear description of a calm summer night and what the nightjar and moths do during the night.
7 On calm and tender summer nights, Personification: The summer night is like a gentle lover.
Meaning: Describing calm/pleasant summer nights.
*The bird migrates to Africa in the summer.
8 when fishes bite the wobbling moon, Personification: The moon is moving.
Meaning: The movement of the reflection of the moon in the
water is caused by the movement of the fishes in the pond.
O-assonance: emphasizes uncertain movement/shape of moon.
9 and moths rise to silvery fruit, Meaning: The moths are attracted to light and fly upward, the
moonlight on their wings making them look like silvery fruits
hanging in the night (stars).
Link to line1: Moths flying in the moonlight resembles speckles.
10 sprinkling the space among the boughs, Meaning: The moths resemble stars that are sprinkled amongst
the trees.
11 it wakes and glides from sill to sill Glides: Flows
Meaning: The nightjar awakens and flies from one windowsill to
another, looking for one who is pure of heart so the Princess of
Heavens (Inkosazana Yasezulwini) can appear to them.
S-alliteration: The sound of the birds gliding wings.
12 across the worn-out, curtained town. Warn-out: Refers to crumbling town or exhausted inhabitants.
Curtained: The curtains are shut – they shut out the heavens.
Meaning: The bird flies across a town with crumbling
buildings/closed curtains, emphasizing its journey through a quiet
and inactive urban setting.
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 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 chanellesteyn. Stuvia facilitates payment to the seller.
Will I be stuck with a subscription?
No, you only buy these notes for £4.45. You're not tied to anything after your purchase.
