Class notes
The discardment Poem Analysis
- Course
- English Home Language
All documents provide a detailed analysis on each poem
[Show more]
Seller
Follow
Content preview
The poet reflects on the giving of an insignificant item of clothing, unwanted by the owner, to the family's Blackdomestic worker. He is humbled by her excitement and appreciation for something that seemed to him so trivial.
Definite Article: Highlights the Throw away. → Something that is no longer needed (connotations)
importance of the relationship between
the 2 people.
The Discardment Words that clearly convey the woman’s
excitement → Creates a tone of
Her employer or Indicates that it was a choice to give it away. EXCITEMENT/GRATEFULNESS
the oppressor. We gave her a discardment
Not even named. Repetition emphasises how trivial, unwanted, and insignificant the
A trifle, a thing no longer to be worn, item was. Creates a TERSE (sharp) tone.
Its purpose served, its life done.
Long sentence =
She put it on with exclamations,
outpouring of
Alliteration → harsh ‘c’ sound highlights the urgency.
emotions
Her eyes shone, she called and cried,
Twirled
The great bulk of her pirouetted Metaphor → She’s a large woman
She danced and mimed, sang snatches of a song. Sibilance → mimics sound of music. Brings mood of
She called out blessings on her native tongue excitement.
Refrain
She called out to her fellow-servants
emotions/unstoppable
Enjambment creates a
The strangers and passers-by
Hyperbole → magnitude of gratitude creates a humbling feeling.
push of
To all the continent of Africa
joy.
To see this wonder, to participate
Oxymoron → The woman’s joy is so overwhelming that she can no longer handle it.
In this intolerable joy.
And so for nothing
Antithesis = contrast of ideas are expressed.
Is purchased loyalty and trust What the writer receives
Very little equality between servant and employer.
And the unquestioning obedience “simplicity” implies nothing out of the ordinary about the item. There’s
Oxymoron →
Of the earth’s most rare simplicity. nothing about the item to make it stand out &distinguish it as “Rare”.
Realization
So for nothing Last 2 lines slow everything down. The speaker gained this
The destruction of a world. loyalty and trust from nothing. The item was so valueless,
but the servant gave the speaker so much trust. Speaker
Specifically the servant’s
Loss of pride and destruction can’t understand how something so little created so much
world – they are now
of social classes as they learn happiness.
trapped in their
to accept and expect less. employers obedience/
trust/loyalty.
STRUCTURE: A social commentary on the different classes
of South Africa (protest poetry)
• 1 Stanza → Even though everyone is from different
social classes, we are all one (united)
• Free verse rhyme = her response + joy can’t be
contained.
SYMBOLISM:
The thing being thrown away stands for power/being in a
position of control/superiority.
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 EFT, 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 this summary from?
Stuvia is a marketplace, so you are not buying this document from us, but from seller bubbl3st. Stuvia facilitates payment to the seller.
Will I be stuck with a subscription?
No, you only buy this summary for R85,33. You're not tied to anything after your purchase.
Can Stuvia be trusted?
4.6 stars on Google & Trustpilot (+1000 reviews)
55939 documents were sold in the last 30 days
Founded in 2010, the go-to place to buy summaries for 14 years now