CSEC English B: Poem Theme Index

Themes for each poem

An African Thunderstorm- David Rubadiri

Nature, Doom, Experiences, Africa, Destruction, Fear, People, Children, Man vs Nature

Once Upon a Time- Gabriel Okara

Hypocrisy, Dreams, Wishes, People, Changes (people and the world), Maturity, Adaptation,
Childishness, Innocence, Appearance vs Reality, Childhood, Western Values, Regret, Purity,
Deceit, Wishing for Life to be Different (14 may 2008), Duplicity of Modern Man, Life and
Its Experiences, Interpersonal Relationships

Birdshooting Season- Olive Senior

Experiences, Manliness, Gender Roles, Aspirations, Identity, Childhood,

West Indies, U.S.A.- Stewart Brown

Appearance vs Reality, Places, Experiences, Discrimination, Prejudice, Culture, Oppression,

Economic Dualism, Expectations, Poverty, Affluence, Imperialism, Contrast (Culture)

Sonnet Composed Upon Westminster Bridge- William Wordsworth

Nature, Appreciation/Admiration (of Nature), Peacefulness, Places, Experiences, Wonder

The Woman Speaks to the Man who has Employed Her Son- Lorna Goodison

Motherhood, Hope, Dreams, Death, Sadness, Poverty, Crime, Gun Culture, Paternal Truism,
Expectations, Mother’s Love, Experience, Treatment of Women, Violence

It is the Constant Image of your Face- Dennis Brutus

Love, Patriotism, Internal Conflict, Hopes, Desires, Divided Loyalties, Romantic vs Patriotic
Love, Relationships

A Stone’s Throw- Elma Mitchell

Hypocrisy, Treatment of Women, Women, Extrajudicial Punishment, Religion and Gender,
Feigned Morality, Violence, Abuse of Power

Test Match Sabina Park- Stewart Brown

Race, Ethnocentrism, Racial Pride, White Privilege, Sports, Contrast (Language and Culture)

Theme for English B- Langston Hughes

Race, Alienation, American Values, Culture, Truth, Identity (and Race), Introspection, Life

Dreaming Black Boy- James Berry

Race, Wishes/Hopes/Desires/Dreams/Aspiration, Unfulfilled Dreams, Wishing for Life to be

Different (14 may 2008), Oppression, Discrimination, Suffering, Life, Fear

My Parents- Stephen Spender

Parent-Child Relationships, Class Disparity, Bullying/Oppression, Love of Parents, Fear,

Freedom, Wishes, Forgiveness, Childhood Experience

Dulce et Decorum Est- Wilfred Owen

War, Suffering, Expectation vs Reality, Criticism, Lies, Propaganda, Patriotism/Nationalism,

Trauma, Death

This is the Dark Time, My Love- Martin Carter

Oppression, War, Suffering, Fear, Pessimism, Injustice, Military Oppression, Colonialism,

Death, Cruelty, Pain, People, Conflict,

Ol Higue- Mark McWatt

Myths, Supernatural Phenomena (they allow explanations for inexplicable events and allow
humans to blame mythological creatures for the world’s faults)

Mirror- Sylvia Plath

Senescence/Aging, Youth, Womanhood, Transient Nature of Youth, Life, Truth, Time,

Appearance vs Reality, Self-Perception
South- Kamau Brathwaite

Social Unrest, Migration, Longing for Home/Homesickness, Idealization of Childhood,

Nature, Life, Experiences, Patriotism, Dreams, Nostalgia

Little Boy Crying- Mervyn Morris

Parent-Child Relationships, Discipline, Childhood Experiences, Sadness, Anger, Appearance

vs Reality, Sadness/Remorse, Love, Youth and Innocence, Vulnerability, Parenting

Resources tht has useful information and good poem analysis

https://www.quelpr.com/post/csec-english-b-a-guide-to-writing-poetry-essays

https://www.quelpr.com/resource-hub/categories/english-b
https://www.quelpr.com/post/nature-in-poetry-csec-english-b
Common Themes Poems in which Common Themes are Present

Nature “An African Thunderstorm” by David Rubadiri

“Sonnet Composed Upon Westminister Bridge” by William

Wordsworth

“Ol’ Higue

“This is the Dark Time, My Love” by Martin Carter

“South” by Kamau Brathwaite

“A Lesson for This Sunday” by Derek Walcott

“South” by Kamau Brathwaite

“Landscape Painter, Jamaica” Vivian Virtue

“Mirror” by Sylvia Plath

“Death, be not proud” by John Donne

Racism/Discrimination “Dreaming Black Boy” by James Berry

“Test Match Sabina Park” by Stewart Brown

“West Indies, USA” by Stewart Brown

“My Parents” by Stephen Spender

“Dreaming Black Boy” by James Berry
Oppression
“This is the Dark Time, My Love” by Martin Carter

“A Stone’s Throw” by Elma Mitchell

“Dulce Et Decorum Est” by Wilfred Owen

“Ol’ Higue” by Mark McWatt

“South” by Kamau Brathwaite

“Dulce Et Decorum Est” by Wilfred Owen

War
“This is the Dark Time, My Love” by Martin Carter
Nature versus Man “Sonnet Composed Upon Westminister Bridge” by William
Wordsworth

“Birdshooting Season” by Olive Senior

“An African Thunderstorm” by David Rubadiri

“Mirror” by Sylvia Plath

“Death, be not proud”

Love and Family “The Woman Speaks to the Man who has Employed her
Relationship Son” by Lorna Goodison

“Little Boy Crying” Mervyn Morris

“Birdshooting Season” by Olive Senior

“Once upon a Time” by Gabriel Okara

“My Parents” by Stephen Spender

“It is the Constant Image of your Face” by Dennis Brutus

Poverty “My Parents” by Stephen Spencer

“West Indies, USA” by Stewart Brown

Appearance vs Reality “Once Upon a Time” by Gabriel Okara

“West Indies, USA” by Stewart Brown

“Dulce Et Decorum Est” by Wilfred Owen

“Death, be not Proud” by John Donne

“Dulce Et Decorum Est” by Wilfred Owen

Deception
“Once Upon a Time” by Gabriel Okara

“West Indies, USA” by Stewart Brown

 “Dreaming Black Boy” by James Berry
Religion
“The Woman Speaks to the Man who has Employed her
Son” by Lorna Goodison

“A lesson for this Sunday” by Derek Walcott

“A Stone’s Throw” by Elma Mitchell

“Death, be not proud” by John Donne

“Little Boy Crying” by Mervyn Morris

Childhood Experiences/
The Innocence of “Once Upon a Time” by Gabriel Okara
Childhood
“Birdshooting Season” by Olive Senior

“My Parents” by Stephen Spender

“The Woman Speaks to the Man who has Employed her

Son” by Lorna Goodison

“Dreaming Black Boy” by James Berry

“African Thunderstorm” by Davide Rubadiri

“A Lesson for this Sunday” by Derek Walcott

“The Woman Speaks to the Man who has Employed her

Dreams and Desires Son” by Lorna Goodison

“Dreaming Black Boy” by James Berry

“It is the Constant Image of you Face” by Dennis Brutus

“Once Upon a Time” by Gabriel Okara

“Ol’ Higue” by Mark McWatt

“Mirror” by Sylvia Plath

“Dreaming Black Boy” by James Berry

Ambition in Adversity
“Birdshooting Season” by Olive Senior
Gender Roles in Society
“The Woman Speaks to the Man who has Employed her
Son” by Lorna Goodison
 “Dreaming Black Boy” by James Berry
Social Class/Classism
“My Parents” by Stephen Spender

“My Parents” by Stephen Spender

Parent-Child Relationship
“The Woman Speaks to the Man who has Employed her
Son” by Lorna Goodison

“Little Boy Crying” by Mervyn Morris

“Once Upon a Time” by Gabriel Okara

“Death, be not proud” by John Donne

Death/The Possibility of
Death “Dulce et Decorum Est” by Wilfred Owen

“This is the Dark Time, My Love” by Martin Carter

“The Woman Speaks to the Man who has Employed her

Son” by Lorna Goodison