READ THIS
It's July -- and therefore mid-winter in South Africa.
A small boy is getting very bored because he is cooped up in the tiny township house, not being
allowed outside because of the cold.
He watches his mother as she boils water on the stove to make coffee. He day-dreams of
being a soldier, then his attention is brought back to reality by his father dropping the
newspaper.
Finally he drinks his coffee while wishing it was summer and he could go outside to play.
SOME NOTES ON THE POEM
This is a very simple but graphic poem -- yet it shouldn't tax one in any way. There are no
hidden meanings, and certainly no great nuances.
STANZA 1:
Mother is busily occupied at the coal stove in a very small kitchen. Indeed, it is so small that
she has room only to slide around. Conditions are most cramped for the boy, causing him to
jab his elbow accidentally into his younger brother's leg. The kitchen is also not big enough to
allow them to sit far from the stove so that the heat pierces his body right through -- "into
the marrow".
STANZA 2:
The kettle boils. It's a singing kettle and its noise reminds the boy of a song -- or perhaps the
kettle is shaped not unlike a bomb? As a result, the boy's imagination is set in motion. He
remembers a picture he has seen of war and he thinks of being a soldier.
His father then joins them in the kitchen, dropping the newspaper on the table. The noise
draws the boy's attention back to reality.
His father looks stern -- "staring coldly round". Although he seems to be grinding his
teeth, the boy decides that it's because his father has backed the wrong horse in the July
Handicap and has therefore possibly lost money.
STANZA 3:
The steam from the boiling kettle rises to the ceiling, touching it softly -- "kisses the
ceiling" -- before disappearing. The mother pours the water while it is still boiling rapidly
-- "the violent waters".
Notice how the mother is said to be very tender in her actions -- and there are indications that
she is very concerned for the boys' welfare. How does one know this?
The boy expresses his sense of boredom, wishing that he could go outside to play, wishing that
winter would end. He also wishes he could have fun in the house but he fears that even just
a little thing as laughter would disturb his father in such a small house. He decides, however,
that even biting the walls would be better than doing nothing.
IMAGERY
The poet never says that the house is tiny but there are many indications of this. Can you point
them out?
He also makes much use of ONOMATOPAIEA: the kettle "hisses", "sings" and
"purrs". Are there other examples?
TONE
The poet is expressing TOTAL BOREDOM and FRUSTRATION. The domestic scene he
describes is completely trivial -- boiling water to make coffee -- but it's the sum total of the
boy's world in winter.
Have you looked at the questions in the right column?
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TEST YOURSELF!
Read the left column and then answer the following questions:
Why should the mother, in picking up the kettle, set the boy to thinking about being a
soldier? (4)
[Need help?]
Is it something to do with the noise that the kettle makes? Or does the boy just have a very
vivid imagination? Perhaps the kettle looks like a bomb?
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What image is created of the mother in this poem? Explain your answer by referring to content
and poetic techniques. (4)
[Need help?]
The mother is busy or active, isn't she? She is said to be "sliding from corner to corner".
She is also concerned with the welfare of the boys and "warns of the steam". She
certainly handles the kettle tenderly -- "picks it up with almost tender care". There is
an apparent gentleness about her.
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"Mother picks it up
with an almost tender care.
Sets me thinking of a war-picture
The actor carefully setting the charge
and smiling all the time."
- What do these lines tell you about the atmosphere that existed in the kitchen? Explain your
answer carefully. (4)
[Need help?]
The mother is very gentle. She is in control of the situation and works tenderly. It is this
tenderness that appears to remind the boy of a soldier picking up a landmine, working carefully
so as not to detonate the device.
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How attentive is the boy to what is going on around him? Explain your answer by referring to
content and / or poetic techniques. (4)
[Need help?]
The boy is so busy watching his mother that he does not notice he is jabbing his brother with
his elbow. On the other hand, the sound of the kettle distracts him, sending him into
daydreaming about being a soldier.
Then look at the short, stabbing words: "Apology. I wasn't aware." And what about his
question: "Some distant far-away song?" Does this not hint at his ability to daydream?
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Consider the title -- "One Small Boy Longs for Summer" -- in the light of the poem as
a whole.
- What does this title communicate about the speaker's feelings? (4)
[Need help?]
Consider that the boy is couped up inside. His only distractions are mental ones. He longs to
go outside to play. Memories of past good times of summer flood through his mind.
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It has been said that the poet -- Mafika Gwala -- was a revolutionary.
- Is this attitude reflected in any way in this poem? (4)
[Need help?]
This is purely a matter of interpretation. Some will interpret it one way, others another.
It is certainly true that the boy's frustration is caused by the tiny house which, of course, was
the result of the apartheid government's social engineering -- in which Black people had no
choice but to live in areas assigned to them. Such townships as Soweto, Alexandria, Orlando,
etc, were well known for their tiny box-houses.
Can one also argue that the words "Steam is escaping; it kisses the ceiling / and vanishes.
Mother is pouring the violent waters" is a reference to the troubled times?
This interpretation would presume that there is so much anger amongst the Black people that
"steam is escaping" from them but that, up till now, the struggle has been
inconsequential -- "[the steam] kisses the ceiling and vanishes". Is the reference to
"the violent waters" a hint at the violent, revolutionary waters of the society the boy was
living in?
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This poem may be described as simple but meaningful.
- Do you agree? Explain. (10)
[Need help?]
The poem is indeed both simple but meaningful. In explaining this, bear in mind the very simple
vocabulary and style, as well as the rather mundane setting to the poem. At the same time, the
emotions of the boy are quite clearly depicted and the poem has several very beautiful
language devices to clarify its meaning. You might also speak about the possible references
to the liberation struggle as is depicted here -- if you think that this is so. (Refer to the
previous question.)
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What word BEST describes the tone of this poem? Give reasons for your answer. (4)
A. sadness
B. euphoria
C. boredom
D. frustration.
[Need help?]
The boy is really frustrated, isn't he? He desperately wants to go outside to play but has to
remain couped up inside. You might decide that "boredom" is the answer but isn't the
boy frustrated to a far greater degree than he is bored?
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