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LITERATURECLASS:ItistheConstantImageofYourFace
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LITERATURECLASS
Themajorityofthesepostingsarefromtheinternet.Someofthemareuneditedwhilesomeofthem
are.IjustscouredtheinternetformaterialthatIthoughtwouldbeofbenefittomystudentswhoare
sittingtheEnglishBCSECexam.Iapologisefornotcitingthesitesasreferences.Someofthe
materialcomesfromCliffordNarinesinghcoauthorofAComprehensiveEnglishCourse,Books13
andCXCEnglishA.

Friday,6January2012

ItistheConstantImageofYourFace
ItistheConstantImageofYourFace
AbouttheAuthor

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Brutus
DennisBrutuscampaignedforfreedominapartheidSouthAfricaandaswas
normal,hewaspersecutedbytheapartheidgovernment.Hetriedtoeefrom
detentionafterbeinghandedtotheSouthAfricanauthoritiesbythe
Mozambiquanauthoritiesandwasshotinthebackatcloserange.Onpartial
healing,hewassenttothenotoriousRobbenIslandwherehewaskeptinthe
cellnexttoNelsonMandelas.Accordingtotheapartheidcode,hewas
consideredacolouredperson.
DennisVincentBrutuswasaSouthAfricanactivist,educator,journalistand
poetbestknownforhiscampaigntohaveapartheidSouthAfricabannedfrom
theOlympicGames.Helivedbetween28thNovember1924and26thDecember
2009.HewasborninRhodesia(nowZimbabwe)andhadancestryofmixed
French,ItalianandSouthAfrican.

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2012(19)
May(1)
February(2)
January(16)

Hisactivistlifelikenshimtoacrusaderforhiscountry.Aknightondutyfora
mistress;andthishassooftenappearedinhispoetry.HelovedSouthAfrica
deeplyanddideverythingtowinitsfreedom.Inthispoem,ItIstheConstant
ImageofYourFace,heclosestherststanzabysayingmylandtakes
precedenceofallmyloves.Thiswashispassion.Whilehewasinprison,news
brokethatSouthAfricahadbeenbannedfromthe1964TokyoOlympicsashe
hadcampaignedfor.

SonnetComposedUpon
WestminsterBridge

FirstThoughtsonthePoem

OnceuponaTime

Inthispoem,thepoetexperiencesadeepfeelingofguiltandremorse.

TestMatchSabinaPark

Thepoethasframedanimageofhisbelovedwhosefaceisconstantlybefore
him,whileheisengrossedinaworldofhisown;aworldinwhichthoughtsare
likeknives,hurlingaccusationsathim.Theseaccusationscutdeeplyintothe
http://ourliteratureclass.blogspot.com/2012/01/itisconstantimageofyourfacein.html

WestIndies,U.S.A.
ToanAthleteDyingYoung
ItistheConstantImageofYour
Face
ForgivemyGuilt

OlHigueandLeLoupgarou

EPITAPH,DREAMINGBLACK
BOY,THEMEforENGLISHB
SOUTH
ORCHIDS

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LITERATURECLASS:ItistheConstantImageofYourFace

poetsconsciousnessandremindhimofhistreacherytohisnativecountry.
Apparently,thepoethaslefthisnativehome,havingbeencaptivatedbythe
beautyandassurancesofhisbeloved.However,deepinhisheartheknows
thatnootherlovecanlayclaimtohisloyaltybuthishomelandwhichis
aboveallotherloves.

GODSGRANDEUR
TheWomanSpeakstotheMan
whohasemployedHerS...
THISISTHEDARKTIME,MY
LOVE
DULCEetDECORUMEST

Feelingsofremorseandguiltplaguethethoughtsofthepoet.Tohim,leaving
hiscountryislikeanactoftreasonandtreachery.Althoughheprizeshis
beloved,hepleadsforforgivenessfromhiscountrywhosetendernessmatches
orsurpassesthatofthebeloved.

CONTEMPLATIONUPON
FLOWERS

AboutMe

Mrs.Dunkley

SecondThoughtsonthePoem

Viewmycomplete
profile

ThispoemisatypicalDennisBrutuspoem.Asischaracteristic,hecompareshis
loveforSouthAfrica,tothelovehehasforsomeotherperson.Maybe,a
woman!
Heopensthepoembysayingtheconstantimage(line1)ofhiswomansface
andthegraveaention(line3)ofhereyeswhichsurveyhimamidhisworld
ofknives(line4),accusehimperennially.Thisisallcomingtohimasamemory
becauseinline2,hemakestheallusiontoaperiodgonewhenhislovewas
kneltbeforehimwiththeframeofherfaceinhishands.Hisworldofknives
canmeansomanythingsatonce.ItcouldmeanthatBrutuswassurroundedby
apartheidSouthAfricawithitsnumerousbrutalities.Itcouldalsomeanthathe
wasconictedinsidehim,inawaythatstruckhimlikemanyknivespiercingat
once.Again,hecouldbetalkingabouttheconictbetweenhistwolovesasthe
poemtellsusaswereadon.Andweareyettoknowwhatsheaccuseshimfor,
butBrutusdoesntmakeuswonderlong.Sheaccuseshimofheartstreachery
(line6).No,notevenaccusesbutconvicts!Hehasacceptedthathehasbeen
treacheroustohiswoman,goingontoprobablysharehislovewithanother.But
hedoesnotapologiseforit.Hetellsherthatnoneofthetwoofthemcanplead
excuses(line7)forhisseemingindelitybecauseapparently,hecannotstophis
loveforhislandandshecanalsoclaimnoloyalty(line8).Iwanttorisksaying
thatheissayingthathesnotboundtobeloyaltoherbecausemylandtakes
precedenceofallmyloves(line9).Heloveshislandmorethanallhisother
loves.Hislandishiswomansrival.
Thesecondstanzaisanaempttopacifytheheartofhiswomanwhohasbeen
broughttothesaddeningrealisationthatshecannothaveherloveralltoherself.
Hebegsmitigation(line10),meaningthatheadmitsthathehasdonewrongbut
isreadytogivereasonsforit.Hecallsherloveranaccompliceofmyheart(line
11).Thatislikesayingthatsheisequallyguiltyofhisbetrayalofhisgreater
love.Thewomanissobeautifulthatshehasblackmailedhimwithherbeauty
(line12)andmadehimabacksliddenloverwhenitcomestohisland.Hehas
givenhishearttoanotheroneoutsidehisprecedentlove.Infact,herlovefor
himhasbeensosweetandprotectivethathendsnoshameinconfessinghis
denialofhiscountry.Hecallsitastillfreshtreason(line15).Butinthis
confusedplace,aworldofknives,hepleads,hopes(line16)thathisdearestlove
(line16),SouthAfrica,willpardonhimfreely(line17)andnotblamehis
woman.Heendsbyrevealingmoreofhisconfusion,sayingthatSouthAfrica,
hisrstlove,ishiswomansmistress(oryourmatch)(line18),notknowing
whichtosayismoretender.Helovesone,helovestheother.Onewasableto
conspirewithhisheartandstealhisaectionfromtheother,andnowhedoes
notevenknowwhetherthetwoarematchedoroneisdearertohisheart.
ThegreateremotionhereisBrutusguiltofdilutingtheapartheidstrugglewith
othercares.Hisloveofhislandisshownhereoverwhelmingly.Thispoemis
anotherbeautythathasaddedalilemoretonnagetomyloveforthismost
romanticofpoetscomingfromAfrica.
http://ourliteratureclass.blogspot.com/2012/01/itisconstantimageofyourfacein.html

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LITERATURECLASS:ItistheConstantImageofYourFace

AnswertheseQuestions
1.Whatdoyouthinkisthethemeofthepoem?
(a)Theguiltandremorseofapoet
(b)Alienationfromonesowncountry
(c)Thepoetsloveandloyaltyforhisnativecountry
2.Describethemoodwhichthepoetexperiencesthroughoutthepoem.
Givesuitablequotationsinsupportofyouranswer.
3.(a)Selectoneimageinthepoem.
(b)Towhichsensedoesitappeal?
(c)Explainitsimportanceinthepoem.
4.(a)Whatisthemeaningofmyworldofknives?
(b)Whateectdoesthisworldhaveonthepoet?
5.Quotetwoexpressionswhichshowthatthepoetsloveforhiscountry
surpassesallotherloves.
6.Whatqualitiesofthepoetscharacterarerevealedinthepoem?
PostedbyMrs.Dunkleyat14:45
+1 Recommend this on Google

5comments:
laurina101 29April2012at11:22
Thisisatremendousamountofhelptome.Thankyou.
Reply

Spencer 2May2012at14:44
nicenotesinowseewheremyteachercopyhernotesfrom.............
Reply
Replies
Anonymous 17February2013at05:29
iagree....lolzz
Reply

Anonymous 17February2013at05:27
excellentexplanationofthispoem:)itnowseemsvividtomyinterpretationsofthe
poembeforeandithelpedmetoclarifymymisinterpretationsofit.....thankouvery
much
Reply

Anonymous 21September2016at17:47
istilldontunderstandfully
Reply

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LITERATURECLASS:ItistheConstantImageofYourFace

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