The IEB poem The cry of SA, is analysed in-depth and in great detail in this document. The figures of speech, structures, line by line analysis, stanzas and rhyme schemes are provided and elaborated, offering a greater understanding of the poem. The document is in English.
The Cry of South Africa By Olive Schreiner
The poem is an extended metaphor:
-South Africa is being compared to a mother
figure.
-Our country shows care and outcry a mother Signal for help South Africa is the speaker/persona of the The tone of voice:
has after losing her child. poem. -Sad -
The poem can also be seen as personification Hostile
because South Africa is being personified and -Anger -Pain
is seen as a person. -Anguished -Hurt
Line 1: expresses bitterness and outrage.
Give back my dead! The tone of this line is anger, authoritative and
pleading. The word ‘my’ shows personal belonging.
Kop: word taken from the Afrikaans word koppie.
This word means head. This supports the fact that Then who kop and fountain
the persona is indeed South Africa.
‘first saw the light’ means those that are born to First saw the light upon my rocky breast!
South Africa (citizens)
Give back my dead, The tone of this line is a defeated, direct, and urgent
tone.
‘The sons’ refers to the boys who went to war.
The sons who played upon me ‘me’ refers to South Africa
‘Childhood’s dews still rested’ is a metaphor.
The children are still young and fresh like morning
dew. When childhood’s dews still rested on their
Stanza
heads.
‘riven’ means taken. The tone of this line is a desperate and pleading tone.
‘arms of men’ means guns and ammunition. This Give back my dead
also provides an effective image of men literally
{
pulling children away from their mother’s arms.
‘loud’ suggests strong and insistent. It also Whom thou hast riven from me
suggests the propaganda the English officials
used in South Africa that led to war.
‘bound’ is ambiguous: By arms of men loud called from earth’s farthest
1. Short for boundary
2. 2. Also means leaping movements that ‘Bosom’ means breasts, which are close to the
limits you. bound heart. She consouls herself with her children’s
blood.
To wet my bosom with my children’s blood!
Give back my dead, The repetition of the line “Give back my
dead” emphasizes the persona’s anger. And
The dead who grew up on me! reinforces the sense of urgency and plea.
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