Interview
Nightsong city poetry notes
- Course
- English Home Language
- Institution
- 12
Comprehensive class notes on the poem Nightsong city by Dennis Brutus. the notes cover each line of the poem and include some additional notes.
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Nightsong citySleep well, my love, sleep well:
My love = south Africa
the harbour lights glaze over restless docks,
glaze- cover up. Not a hopeful light. Its overlooking the restlessness and lack of peace in the docks.
People are not content. Tension introduced
police cars cockroach through the tunnel streets;
police – threat. Cockroaches are seen as pests. Don’t do any good for anyone. Cockroaches’ don’t
die, the police are ever-present. Cockroach being used as a verb. Tunnel usually a sense of hope
(light @end of tunnel) - sinister image.
from the shanties creaking iron-sheets
shanty = shacks, informal settlement. Poverty stricken. Poverty introduced.
violence like a bug-infested rag is tossed
bug invested – cockroach. Hinting that police are perpetuating the violence. Infested – hard to get
rid of. Rag – dirty, squalor (dirty, poverty stricken). Tossed- careless motion.
and fear is immanent as sound in the wind-swung bell;
immanent – pervasive or inherent not the definition: “about to happen”. Fear has been made real/
tangible
the long day’s anger pants from sand and rocks;
anger – reference that it is a discontent society. Peoples anger, day personified. Animalistic – pants-
exhaustion and thirst. Could be more anger. Sand and rocks – uncomfortable. Like robin island.
but for this breathing night at least;
breathing vs. pants. Sense of relief at night. Could be at “last” not “least” – last more permanent.
my land, my love, sleep well.
Lyrical, lullaby sound.
Notes:
- Poetry and politics are intwined
- Violence and poverty
- Criticizes of the country
- Mood: unsettled, contemplative
- Tone:
- Extended metaphor – the love is the land
- Underlying danger
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