A detailed line by line analysis of the poem "Nightsong: City" created by a 90% matric 2020 English HL student (top 1% in the subject).
Explains the meanings of lines, figures of speech used, structure and more.
Sleep well, my love, sleep well: Tender adress to lover/land
the harbour lights glaze over restless docks,
police cars cockroach through the tunnel streets; Violence
from the shanties creaking iron-sheets Anger
violence like a bug-infested rag is tossed
and fear is immanent as sound in the wind-swung bell; Sounds
the long day’s anger pants from sand and rocks; Alliteration
but for this breathing night at least,
my land, my love, sleep well. Punctuation
Title
Lullaby: soothing, gentle, allays fears from outside world (AH). Colon introduces who the
lullaby is for: the city that is personified as a lover.
Sleep well, my love, sleep well:
To lover: a respite from reality of AH by using a tender tone. Possessive adjective creates
a personal sense of intimacy. Colon introduces an ironic explanation of horror and
brutality after a soothing line.
the harbour lights glaze over restless docks,
Lights are bright, intense and may prevent sleep. Glaze = shiny/glossy (city is too bright
and therefore doesn’t sleep) or blank (people who remain oblivious by ignoring the reality
of AH). Docks are personified as unsettled and jittery.
police cars cockroach through the tunnel streets;
Alliteration: hard ‘c’ sound represents the cruelty the police will bring. Police cars are
compared to cockroaches (creeping, scavenging pests). Streets are compared to tunnel
(narrow, difficult to escape, trapped). Semi-colon functions as a co-ordinating conjunction
to connect images between the stanzas.
from the shanties creaking iron-sheets
Township shack made from tin/iron. Poverty: unstable, temporary house (insecurity &
fear), no sense of protection. Onomatopoeia: old, uncomfortable sound.
violence like a bug-infested rag is tossed
Simile: violence is swarming, invading, full of disease, unsafe, dirty. Violence is carelessly
tossed around (links back to cockroaches)
and fear is immanent as sound in the wind-swung bell;
Fear is constant. Bell usually offers a signal (church, death, omen). No one is ringing this
bell: fear is always around, waiting. Violence exists in the city and fills the atmosphere.
Semi-colon gives a cause & effect/explanation & consequence.
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