Why is the country nameless in the poem?
- Allows the readers to relate to the poem/remember where they were bought up: feel more connected to the poem.
What is the speaker’s overall message in this poem?
- The place they are originally from/ were raised will always be close to them regardless of the conflict that errupted after they left.
Give examples of light imagery used to describe the narrator’s country throughout the poem.
- “sunlight clear”
- “glow”
- “shining”
Why does the poet use light imagery to describe the place she was born?
- Presents the place as heavenly.
- Could be symbolic: the light could represent “hope” for the narrator through the difficult time of the conflict in this place after she left.
Structurally, why does each stanza end with the word: “sunlight?”
- Shows that, despite everything this person hears about her country, it will always be a heavenly place for her - filled with memories.
- She is never able to forget the beauty of the place.
There is an element of control from the narrator’s country. Where is this seen in the poem? Give an example?
“branded by an impression of sunlight.”
1.) “branded” - she has been forced to this place - negative connotations.
BUT also… may have willingly allowed herseld to never forget the place –> she wants the positive view to remain indented in her.
Give an example of pastoral imagery used to describe the narrator’s country.
- “close like waves”
- She views the country as “free- flowing”/ naturally beautiful in contrast to the control exerted on the place by the tyrant.
How is power and conflict shown in this poem?
1.) POWER: the power this place has on her; it has made her view the place as heavenly.
2.) CONFLICT: the conflict in the country itself - but also the conflict between the way she views the country/ the people in the country (who have negative connoations.)
Give examples of negative vocabulary used to describe the narrator’s country.
-“sick with tyrants”- the country has been diseased by awful people.
- “banned by the state” - everything she knew (ie. her dialect) in the country has been completely destroyed.
- “tanks”, “frontiers” –> war imagery….
What is the significance of the phrase: “it tastes like sunlight?”
- Simile
- Sensory imagery
- Her senses are completely immersed into her country.
- “can’t get it off my tongue” - referring to dialet/ accent perhaps….
How does the narrator descibe the people of her city in the last stanza?
- Intimidating/ menacing
- “they circle me”
- accuse her of being “dark” in the free- city - she isn’t there! Just like darkness makes it appear like nothing is there!!
What examples of dark imagery are used in the poem/ why?
- “dark”
- “shadow”: what’s remaining of the person in her country (like a ghost.)
- Shows the juxtaposition between the heavenly way she views her country/ the hellish behaviour of the people actually there.
What does the narrator mean by “my city hides behind me?”
- Metaphor
- She defends her city.
How does the narrator personify their city? Why do they do this?
- Personifies the country as her lover.
- Romanticizing the country.
- “Dancing through the streets”/ “comb it’s hair”
- “Takes me dancing” –> the country is doing a lot for her/ even though she is not there.
- She takes care of her country as if her country is like “the other half” of her - like a partner.
- Keeping the memory of her country ALWAYS alive!
Why do all of the stanzas have around the same number of lines?
- Shows that the way the narrator views her country is constant - will never change: just how stanza lengths don’t change.
- Last one is 9 because perhaps she may have slightly changed her view from how the tyrants treat her but then she reminds herself of the beauty of the country.
