Fill in each column and tick each theme present in the poem.

Poems and First line of Last line Poem’s Most Prominent THEMES
Poets the Poem of the Structure Image and
poem Effectiveness
Racism Discrimination Nature Love/ Patriotism Hypocrisy Dreams Authority Appearance Colonization/ Discovery Identity Deception Women War/Death Violence
Relationships Desires Power vs Reality Oppression Betrayal
Aspirations
A Stone’s “We shouted “Given the 7 stanzas. 2 The battered and Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Throw out” urge.” quintets, 1 bruised woman.
Elma Mitchell sestet, Effectiveness:
octave, Described as
tercet, tousled, beautiful
sonnet and 1 but dead-scared.
quintet at Her vulnerability
the end. and helplessness in
the hands of the so-
called righteous
men is a horrifying
image with deadly
connotations, only
alleviated by the
appearance of the
“Preacher”
An African “From the “And the 2 stanzas: The Yes (somewhat
Thunderstor west” pelting 15 line thunderstorm. although
m march of (rondeau) Effectiveness: not often
David Rubadiri the storm” 18 line The menacing explored)
(mononet) force of nature poem has
described as “a sometimes
madman chasing been
nothing.” “a plague interpreted
of locusts.” Use of as an
onomatopoeia allusion to
“rumble, tremble, the
crack” also beginning
contributes to the of slavery
fear induced by the
thunderstorm
Birdshooting “Birdshooting “Fly Birds 4 stanzas: The birdshooters Yes Yes
Season season the Fly” Quatrain, vs. the women.
Olive Senior men” sestet, The men who will
couplet, go into the bush are
qintet described as
macho, and the
 boys present are
“longing to grow
up birdhunters
too.” However the
women only “stir
their brews,”
signifying
preparation and
perhaps worry and
the little girls utter
the last line of the
poem, highlighting
female sympathy.
Dreaming “I wish my “the 5 stanzas: The boy vs. the Yes Yes Yes Yes
Black Boy teacher’s eyes terrible 3 septets world.
James Berry wouldn’t” burden I 2 quintets The poem is a case
can suffer.” study in the
struggles of black
people everywhere
in a prejudiced
world. He repeats
“I wish” constantly
to signify his
yearning for equal
opportunity. His
goals seem fairly
attainable. But
when viewed
through the lens of
the complex race
relations at the
time, his wishes
become much more
complicated,
Dulce Et “Bent double, “Pro patria 4 stanzas: Unlucky soldier. Yes Yes Yes
Decorum Est like old beggars mori” 1 octave The unprepared
Wilfred Owen under sacks,” 1 sestet soldier and his
1 couplet slow, agonizing
1 “rondeau death serve as the
prime” primary image. He
chokes, yelling and
stumbling,
“flound’ring like a
man in fire or
 lime.” His suffering
traumatizes the
speaker who sees
his death in his
dreams. His dead
body is disfigured,
with “white eyes
writhing.” The vile
image of this
unlucky man
haunts listeners and
serves as a vivid
exploration of the
horrors of
something too
often glorified—
war.
God’s “The world is “World 2 stanzas: Nature as God’s Yes
Grandeur charged with broods 1 octave creation.
Gerard Manley the grandeur of with warm 1 sestet The titular
Hopkins God” breast and grandeur refers to
with ah! the main image of
bright the poem, nature
wings.” and its beauty. The
persona uses strong
emotive language
to describe his
environment,
lamenting mans
treatment of it
“Generations have
trod, have trod,
have trod;” but
praising its
resilience “And for
all this nature is
never spent.” These
images evoke a
sense of wonder
and reverence in
listeners.
It Is The “It is the “Being 2 The woman’s face. Yes Yes Yes Yes
Constant constant image your Spenserian The titular face
Image of Your of your face” mistress (or stanzas (9 belongs to the love
Face your lines) interest of the
Dennis Brutus match) in persona. He refers
tenderness” to her face
throughout the
poem, and the
poem uses the 2nd
person to directly
address the
listeners, making it
seem as if the poem
is a plea to
someone in
particular. The use
of this image
grounds the poem
and makes the
persona’s pleading
seem more sincere
and realistic.
Little Boy “Your mouth “you must 4 stanzas: Crying boy.
Crying contorting in not make a 1 septet The primary image
Mervyn Morris brief spite and plaything 2 sestets is this crying youth.
hurt,” of the rain” 1 line The first stanza
(monostitch describes in detail
) the fleeting anger
the toddler feels.
We then see his
perspective in
stanza 2 as he sees
his father as a ogre
for slapping him.
The image of the
crying boy is
effective as it
evokes sympathy
from listeners. It
also helps form the
contrast between
his reaction and his
fathers lesson.
Mirror “I am silver and “Rises 2 Mirror Yes Yes Yes
Sylvia Plath exact. I have no toward her Spenserian The mirror serves
preconceptions day after stanzas as the speaker of
” day, like a the poem.
 terrible Offering an
fish” unbiased and
brutally honest
critique of
humanity’s
obsession with
physical
appearance, an
obsession that has
given purpose to
its existence. As
the poem
progresses, the
mirrors POV
focuses on the
woman looking
into her, and her
ageing as her
obsession with
her imperfections
grow (“In me she
has drowned a
young girl, and in
me an old
woman/rises
towards her...”).
The self
awareness of the
mirror that it is
primarily an
instrument that
brings
unhappiness,
regardless of
accuracy,
highlights the
theme of
appearance vs.
reality.
My Parents “My parents “I longed 3 quatrains Rough children Yes Yes
Stephen kept me from to forgive The children
Spender children who them, but serve has the
were rough” they never antagonists of the
smiled” poem. They are
aptly described as
“lithe, ”like
dogs,” and
“throwing words
like stones.”
Listeners see their
taunting of him,
perhaps due to
their poor social
status, as seen in
their freedom
described in lines
3 and 4. Their
physical prowess
compared to that
of the persona
explores the
theme of strength
vs. weakness.
Through the
presentation of
these children, we
are able to
understand why
the titular parents
keep the persona
from them.
Ol’Higue “You think I “a poor ol’ 3 stanzas The Yes Yes Yes
Mark McWatt like this higue like 11 lines, higue/vampire
stupidness” me can octave and a This poem offers a
never Spenserian different
dead” stanza interpretation of
what it’s like to be
a monster. Instead
of finding joy in
her evil deeds, she
instead hates
herself and her
 actions. This
contributes to the
irony in the poem.
Through the first
person perspective
of the speaker ,we
have access to vivd
descriptions that
show a being in
pain and resentful
of their condition,
and evoke empathy
from the reader.
Having the Higue
as the central image
also grounds the
story in Caribbean
roots.
Once Upon A “Once upon a “Once 7 stanzas, The many faces of Yes Yes Yes Yes
Time time, son” upon a 4 sestets, 1 humans
Gabriel Okara time when octave, 1 The many varying
I was like septet, 1 faces highlight the
you” quatrain central theme of
hypocrisy. The fact
that the speaker
sees his various
expressions as
different faces
entirely shows how
he has to adjust to
each environment.
This is effective as
it brings forth the
theme of hypocrisy
as well as identity.
Orchids “I leave this “I’ll 10 stanzas The orchid Nature Yes Yes
Hazel house” discover 3 couplets, 1 The eponymous
McDonald their quatrain, 2 orchid acts a
peculiar trestets, 1 symbol of
poetry quintet, 3 resilience. Initially,
mononets the persona
expects it to die
from lack of
nourishment, and
 her intial
fascination with it
fades quickly.
However, to her
surprise, the orchid
refused to die, and
when it blooms,
the persona
becomes intrigued
and wants to learn
more about them.
Initially they were
not valued, as the
giver of the flowers
made that type of
gift a habit, but the
persona is won
over by the
strength of the
plant.
Sonnet “Earth has not “And all 1 stanza, a The majestic Yes Yes
Composed anything to that mighty sonnet landscape
Upon show more heart is The view before
Westminister fair:” lying still!” the persona is
Bridge
clearly the focus of
William
Wordsworth
the poem. The
persona uses vivid
descriptions to
capture the beauty
of the sight before
him. The landscape
is often fused with
human traits
through
personification,
showing the value
placed on its beauty
by the speaker.
This image is
effective in
conveying the
message of the
poem; the heavenly
 beauty of the
environment. The
descriptions of the
landscape use
imagery effectively
to better connect
readers to the
poem.
South “But today I “fly into 6 stanzas The island’s Yes Yes Yes Yes
Edward recapture the the 4 sestets, 1 bright beaches
Brathwaite islands’” limitless septet and a The beaches on
morning quintet which the persona
before us.” was born remain
everpresent in his
mind, no matter
how far he
migrates from
them. Returning to
them proves an
effective motive
behind the
melancholic mood
of stanzas two and
3. The beach
represents a goal
that the persona is
working towards,
and when he finally
returns, there is
cause for
celebration.
Test Match “Proudly “to conceal 6 stanzas The persona’s Yes
Sabina Park wearing the a blushing 3 quatrains, whiteness.
Stewart Brown rosette of my nationality 2 quintets The race of the
skin” ” and a persona in contrast
quatrain to the races of the
other spectators
fuel the primary
conflict of the
poem. He supports
his team, as an
outsider, and is
 ridiculed by the
opposing set of
fans for his team’s
woeful
performance. He
goes from feeling
pride in his racial
identity to leaving
the stadium
embarrassed, as
seen in the first
and last line of the
poem. His skin
colour is effective
because it:
● Causes
conflict
● Allows for
emotion to
be
conveyed
● Is ironic (in
that the
white man
feels
intimidated
by blacks)
The Woman “Her son was “She is 6 octaves The betrayed Yes Yes Yes
Speaks To first made prepared, mother
The Man Who known to her “ she is done. We see her struggle
Has Employed Absalom” in having the child,
Her Son
from pregnancy
Lorna
Goodison
illnesses to an
absentee father and
of course, poverty.
We see how she
encouraged him to
be a good influence
in the world, and
how much hope she
had for him.
Therefore it makes
 the tone of betrayal
all the more
poignant when he
becomes a gang
member. The third-
person omniscient
speaker discusses
the feelings of the
mother, especially
those of
defeatedness and
exasperation.
Seeing her
acceptance of her
fate is
heartbreaking, and
using her struggles
as the primary
image helps
punctuate the
sympathetic mood
and disappointed
tone of the poem,
as we see it unfold
in real-time.
Theme for “The instructor “This is my 6 stanzas The page Yes Yes Yes Yes
English B said,” page for 2 mononets, The page on which
Langston English B.” a quatrain, the persona
Hughes Spenserian undergoes a
stanza,1 19 journey of self-
line stanza discovery is the
primary image of
the poem. Through
the inner
monologue of the
persona, readers
can imagine the
page slowly
becoming more and
more full. The
persona then refers
directly to it,
saying “knowing
me [the page] will
 not be white.” The
page can also be a
symbol of him
gradually
discovering more
and more of
himself as he
writes. The page
moving from white
to coloured could
also symbolize the
hope of the persona
to see the world
become less
divided and for
more racial
harmony.
This Is The “This is the “Watching 3 quatrains The bleak, war- Yes Yes Yes Yes
Dark Time, dark time my you sleep torn land
My Love love,” and aiming The bleakness of
Martin Carter at your the general
dream.” environment in the
poem is the central
image, as it is
constantly referred
to through lines
like “all around the
land brown beetles
crawl about. The
shining sun is
hidden in the sky.”
The description of
the setting is an
example of pathetic
fallacy, in that the
terrible condition
of the land
represents the
damaged morale
and fear that the
citizens of the
country experience.
Numerous lines can
be seen as double-
 entendres to
represent both the
land and people
such as;
“Red flowers bend
their heads in awful
sorrow”
“Whose boot of
steel tramples
down the slender
grass.”
The red flowers
and slender grass
can be both literal
and figurative,
where they
represent the
people of the land.
West Indies “Cruising at “It’s sharp 6 stanzas Puerto Rico Yes Yes
USA thirty thousand and jagged 3 sestets, 2 Puerto Rico is
Stewart Brown feet above the and septets, 1 lovingly described
endless green” dangerous, couplet in the first few
and stanzas as the
belonged to “Dallas of the West
someone Indies” and “Puerto
else.” Rico takes the pot.”
However, upon
entry, Puerto Rico
becomes a place
where “galvanized
shanties [are]
overseen by
condominiums”
and where the
persona sees
“Cadillacs
shimmying past
Rastas with
pushcarts.” The use
of the island itself
is effective as it
highlights the
theme of
 appearance vs
reality in the poem.
The impressions
from above are
almost nothing like
what he sees on
the ground,
describing San Juan
as having a “fools
glitter.”

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