the beggar - tatamkhulu afrika

18
THE BEGGAR • TATAMKHULU AFRIKA “All we see of someone at any moment is a snapshot of their life, there in riches or poverty, in joy or despair. Snapshots don't show the million decisions that led to that moment.” Richard Bach “Did universal charity prevail, earth would be a heaven, and hell a fable.” Charles Caleb Colton

Upload: shreshr

Post on 12-Feb-2017

1.039 views

Category:

Education


17 download

TRANSCRIPT

Page 1: The Beggar   - Tatamkhulu Afrika

THE BEGGAR

• TATAMKHULU AFRIKA

“All we see of someone at any moment is a snapshot of their life, there in riches or poverty, in joy or despair. Snapshots don't show the million decisions that led to that moment.” Richard Bach

“Did universal charity prevail, earth would be a heaven, and hell a fable.” Charles Caleb Colton

Page 2: The Beggar   - Tatamkhulu Afrika

Figure of speech activity

• Find examples of :– Simile (3)– Alliteration (3)– Personification (1)– Metaphor (1)

• Choose any 2 figures of speech and explain what you think they mean

Page 3: The Beggar   - Tatamkhulu Afrika

BACKGROUND OF THE POET:

• Novelist and prize-winning poet, Tatamkhulu Afrika was born in Egypt in 1920.

• He came to South Africa as a young child.

• He was a veteran of World War 2 and an Umkhonto we Sizwe activist in the South African struggle.

• Tatamkhulu Afrika means “grandfather” or “old man” of Africa

Page 4: The Beggar   - Tatamkhulu Afrika

LINES 1 – 3

1. When I passed 2. the bus-stop, his black3. as biltong hand

1. I = A personal experience

3.1. ‘black/as biltong’ = figure of speech. SIMILE.

His hand is being compared to biltong… common

characteristic is the colour black.

2. His = clue to the beggar’s gender

3.2. Black = a reference to race? OR

Is it describing the beggars cleanliness?

Page 5: The Beggar   - Tatamkhulu Afrika

Lines 3 – 4

4. thrust out,

5. demanding alms.

4. Thrust = A sharp forward motion.

Begging is usually seen as a submissive, pleading activity –

however this beggar THRUSTS his hand forward. A very forceful

action.

5.1. Demanding: Requesting urgently and forcefully.

5.2. Alms: Voluntary contributions to aid the poor

The speaker thinks the beggar should be more humble and passive as he is not in any position of power

– to make demands.

Page 6: The Beggar   - Tatamkhulu Afrika

Lines 5 – 8

5. Beneath the grime,6. he was a yellow man,

7. and small,8. and crumpled as a towel,

5. Grime = dirt

6. 1. The beggar is NOT a black man – he is simply covered in

grime which hides his real race. Yellow = coloured

7/8.These lines are giving further details into the beggars appearance –

from the speakers perspective.

7/8. Simile: Comparing the man’s appearance to a small, crumpled towel.

What does this tell us about the beggar?

Page 7: The Beggar   - Tatamkhulu Afrika

Lines 9 – 10

9. eyes receding into bone,

10. shivering, too thin frame

11. denying the truculence of the hand.

9. Receding – Pull/move backward. Further continues the image of the beggar being ill/weak.

10.1. Why would the beggar be shivering?

10.2. Too thin frame: The beggar has a very emaciated body – due to a lack of food possibly… OR?

Denying: Contradicting the truculence: defiant aggressiveness of the hand

The beggars physical characteristics (weak, ill, small) oppose the strength he shows by his thrusting hand (line 4).

Page 8: The Beggar   - Tatamkhulu Afrika

12. “No,” I said,13. and walked on,14. annoyed that I was annoyed,

Lines 12 – 16

The speaker is so irritated that he is abrupt.

Do you think the speaker made eye contact as he walked away?

The speaker is irritated by the beggar BUT he is upset that he feels this way. Is the speaker justified in feeling annoyed?

Why is he feeling guilty?

15.swatting off shame16.all the way into town.

Swatting = image of getting rid of an irritation.

The speaker ‘scolded’ himself all the way into town.

Page 9: The Beggar   - Tatamkhulu Afrika

17. Coming back, 18. the day-long drizzle stopped19. and a suddenly clear20. sky sang**

Lines 17 – 20On the speaker’s return, we are given an indication of

the environment: day-long drizzle

Unpleasant external environment linking to

his inner turmoil.

The day has been miserable and wet and suddenly the clouds clear up – a possible link to a sudden moment of

inner clarity?Indicates a shift of mood – the poem was rather serious until this moment.

Singing is usually a way to express feelings of joy and happiness. This is in direct contrast to the desperate poverty of the beggar and the

anger the speaker feels.

**Sky sang = Personification

Explain…

Page 10: The Beggar   - Tatamkhulu Afrika

22. of summer round the bend,

23. white sails in the Bay,

24. birds grown garrulous again.

Lines 22 – 24

These lines discuss what it is that the sky ‘sings’ about:

The season is about to change from a rain-filled spring to summer.

Bay = capitalized: indicating the importance of the bay to the community. The sails could be pleasure boats, but also indicate a fishing culture.

Birds returning to their former garrulous (chatty) selves. Summer is a much “lighter” season – the world seems to find renewed energy and joy.

Page 11: The Beggar   - Tatamkhulu Afrika

25. I looked for him.

26. He was lying on his back in the sun,27. eyes closed,

Lines 25 – 27

The speaker, having mentioned external (environmental) changes, now indicates a possibly changed attitude toward the beggar. In line 14 – the

speaker walked away from this man, yet he is now seeking him out.

Why do you think he seeks the beggar out? (For what purpose?)

Lying in the sun = creates the image of relaxation and contentment.

Eyes closed = either unconscious or peacefully resting.

IRONIC: The speaker has been criticising himself since he left the

beggar, while the man himself appears to be totally carefree and unconcerned

with the speaker’s pervious actions.

Page 12: The Beggar   - Tatamkhulu Afrika

28. stretched out long as a spill, 29. hardly* distinguishable**30. from any of the other31. drifts of debris in the lane.

Lines 28 – 31Simile – the position in which the beggar lies

seems to be as careless as something spilled.

**Capable of being differentiated from your

surroundings.

* The beggar can barely be seen as separate from…

Debris: The remains of something that has been destroyed or broken up.

The beggar has lived for so long under these conditions, that he has become

like the broken-down objects/junk that surround him.

Page 13: The Beggar   - Tatamkhulu Afrika

32. “Drunk again,” I thought,33. and paused, then pressed

34. my penance into his palm.

Lines 32 – 34Stereotype alert!

All beggars are alcoholics/addicts of some kind.

This links to line 25 – a change of the speaker’s attitude. He does not just

walk past as he has done before.

Pressed: links to the idea of exerting force. N.B. NOT

aggression.

Penance: Voluntary self-punishment in order to make

right some act of wrongdoing. This idea links largely to the Catholic Church but many

other religions demand their own forms of penance.

POINTS TO PONDER:1. What is the penance that the speaker

refers to?2. Why would he need to forcefully give his

penance to the beggar?

Page 14: The Beggar   - Tatamkhulu Afrika

35. Quick as a trap,36. his fingers lashed 37. over it: surprised

Lines 35 – 37

Trap: A device in which something (usually an animal) can be caught.

The beggar reacts immediately to the pressure of the speaker’s hand

& money on his own. Lashed: To bind together using a

rope etc.

Although the speaker believed that the beggar was asleep (line 27) and

therefore drunk (line 32) – his speedy reaction to the money lets

us all know he was neither.

Was the beggar surprised because he recognised the

speaker? OR

Is it because very few people actually stop to give him

anything?

Page 15: The Beggar   - Tatamkhulu Afrika

38. sober eyes blessed

39. me for being kind.

Lines 38 – 39

Confirmation that the beggar is the exception to the stereotype (L32). He is

sober.

Reinforced link to religion = confess, do penance and receive

a blessing.

IRONY: The beggar has so little material wealth,

yet he is able to offer the speaker the blessing (and absolution*) that he

seems to so desperately need.

*The condition of being formally

forgiven by a priest

It appears so easy to be kind, but, as the speaker shows us, it often requires a lot

of the person involved. The beggar believes the speaker is being

kind, but is that really his main motivation? Explain.

Page 16: The Beggar   - Tatamkhulu Afrika

40. Then he slept again,

41. fist wrapped tight,42. about the bribe my guilt refused,

The decision to give the beggar some money was a difficult one for the

speaker. The beggar does not have to deal with any such worries and

returns to a peaceful sleep quite easily.

The beggar appears to be worry-free, but the fact that he holds the money so tightly, lets us know that he really does have to struggle and

fight to survive.

Bribe: Payment made to a person in a position of trust to corrupt his judgment. The speaker says he gave the beggar the “bribe my guilt refused” – creating the idea

that, although the money is HIS, keeping it will be like accepting a bribe to refuse assistance to the beggar. His feelings of guilt override the “bribe.”

Lines 40 – 42

Guilt: Regret caused by feeling responsible for an

offence.Why does he feel guilty?

Page 17: The Beggar   - Tatamkhulu Afrika

43. limbs thrown wide

44. as though a car had flung him there

45. and left him to a healing of the sun.

Lines 43 – 45

Again the image of carelessness – not trapped by society’s rules.

Could this represent freedom? ORA crucifixion?

Image of an accident scene – a pedestrian knocked down and flung: Thrown with force or recklessness - showing very little value of his life because the image

continues…

The ‘car’ has left the injured beggar at the scene – to be healed by the sun – a most impractical and ineffective idea.

Symbolism: What does the car represent in relation to the speaker?

Page 18: The Beggar   - Tatamkhulu Afrika

LAST WORD:• The poem is literally dealing with the speaker’s

experience with a beggar and the process he goes through while giving away the money.

• Figuratively, the poet is making a statement about Apartheid South Africa. The beggar symbolises the masses – who were either ignored or forgotten by those in power. These people had real problems, but there were no

feasible solutions from the government. In essence, they were suffering due to Apartheid policy, but, in return, were simply dismissed and left to“a healing of the sun.”