Answer to Question #285614 in English for Sabelo Xulu

Question

Read the poem ‘Johannesburg’ by Lesego Rampolokeng (p. 111) before answering the questions that follow.

You must answer in full sentences, and you should support your answers by quoting from the 

poem.

Note: You will notice that each question includes a mark allocation. This is to indicate how much 

you should write to support your answer. One mark represents one main point or reason. If a 

question counts four marks, that means that you will need to supply four points or reasons.

1.Refer to stanza 1.

1.1 Johannesburg’s nickname is ‘the city of gold’. What does the speaker mean when he refers to the gold as ‘judas’ (line 2)?

1.2 How do lines 3-4 support your answer in 1.1?

2.Refer to stanzas 2 and 3.

2.1 Discuss the imagery in stanza 2 by identifying at least one metaphor and explaining what it means.

•One mark for correctly identifying one metaphor (explaining what is being compared to what)

•One mark for correctly explaining how the metaphor contributes to the meaning of the stanza

Answer 1

1.1 when the author refers to Johannesburg as the city of gold as Judas it shows betrayal that the city has despite it having wealth of gold. Biblically Judas was a betrayer for he was behind the death of Jesus and anything referred to as Judas automatically means betrayal.

1.2. according to line 3 and 4 it supports the city as Judas for it is where dreams comes and die. this one shows betrayal in Johannesburg city.

2.1 -traffic flows in the sick vein of life as we tick. The metaphor

-when the author says that traffic flows in the sick vein of life as we tick shows how pathetic roads are in the city. the sick vein refers to the poor roads of Johannesburg which do not favor good transport.