Answer to Question #196131 in English for Sphephile Ntuli

Question

Select a poem and copy poem into your assignment. Identify examples of assonance, alliteration, metaphor, simile and personification in the poem. Then describe how would you explain the effect these examples of figurative speech have to a learner. How would you adapt your approach if your learners have different cultural backgrounds?

(25 marks)

Answer 1

If We Must Die.

 

If we must die- let it not be like hogs

Haunted and panned in an inglorious spot

While round us bark the mad and hungry dogs,

Making their mocks at our accursed lot,

 If we must die-oh let us nobly die

Death is talking to people in a loud voice.

So that our precious blood may not be shed

In vain, then even the monster we defy

Shall be constrained to honor us through dead! 

 we feel like we've lost a part of ourselves

Oh kinsmen! We must meet our common foe, 

Though far outnumbered, let us show us brave

And for their thousand blows deal one deathblow

What though before us lies the open grave?

Like men we’ll face the murderous, cowardly pack

Pressed to the wall, dying, but fighting back! 

 

 

 

 

 

 use of assonance.

  For example; dying fighting back.

 Used by the author to enhance and ensure musicality in the poem.

 

 use of alliteration.

For example; making mock/must meet/death deathblow.

Used by the author to enhance musicality in the poem. 

 

use of metaphor.

For example; we feel like we've “lost” a part of ourselves.

This has been used to show exactly the situation that has been faced without hiding any content in the information.

 

use of simile.

For example; let it not be like hogs.

This has been used to pass some information but the situation that has been faced has some hidden content in the information. Thus requires some reasoning.

 

 use personification.

For example; Death is talking to people in a loud voice.

This has been used to show that death has been given human character of talking. Not only talking, but talking in a loud voice.

 

The following figurative speech will be easily understood when one clearly comprehends and understand what the given poem talks about.

The learners with different cultures will adapt with;

       i.           Poetry.

     ii.           Short Stories.

   iii.           Novels.

   iv.           creative Writing.

     v.           Analyze figurative language in movies.

   vi.           Discuss figurative language in songs.