Answer to Question #299548 in English for PHUMZILE ZONDI

Question

'"The Black Land" Poem By Joseph Warren Beach

Refer to the Poem an answer the following questions

1.1 What is the subject of this poem? What is taking place?                               

1.2. Identify one example of simile in the text. Explain which two things are being compared.                    

1.3. Identify two examples of personification: explain what is being personified.           

1.4. Identify one example of hyperbole: explain what is being exaggerated.       

1.5. Identify one example of a metaphor. Explain which two things are being compared.         

1.6. In a short paragraph, explain how the different examples of figurative language you have identified in the answers above add to the impact of the poem. How does the poem benefit from them?

Answer 1

1.1 What is the subject of this poem? What is taking place?     

The subject of the poem is farming. Particularly, the persona is describing how they till land and sow seeds on the land they are farming.   

                       

1.2. Identify one example of simile in the text. Explain which two things are being compared.  

'I will ride upon this heaving surface as a boat rides upon the water'   The persona is comparing their act of digging and planting across the land to be as natural and quick or effective as how a boat moves on the water. 

              

1.3. Identify two examples of personification: explain what is being personified.           

a) 'Even as a boat cleaving the water with an eager keel' The boat is personified to provide a picture of how it moves in water i.e by cleaving. Cleaving denotes intentionally moving in or creating a clear straight path.

b)'The black earth embraces my ankles' The loamy soil is personified to depict how sticky it is and how a person sinks in such soil or earth.

1.4. Identify one example of hyperbole: explain what is being exaggerated.  

'...bottomless pouch' The bag holding the seeds being planted is described as such. This denotes that the bag can hold a lot of seeds which may be more than sufficient for the planting session.      

1.5. Identify one example of a metaphor. Explain which two things are being compared.   

'Pearls stream off my neck and forehead' Sweat drops is being likened to pearls.  This is because aesthetically, seat drops and pearls are both spheres in shape. In addition to this, the persona made reference to gems and emeralds when describing the seeds that they plant. Consequently, the reference to their sweat drops as pearls carries on the theme of what they are planting being valuable.

1.6. In a short paragraph, explain how the different examples of figurative language you have identified in the answers above add to the impact of the poem. How does the poem benefit from them?

The application of different figurative style makes the poem memorable. The use of metaphor and hyperbole helps to create visual representations in the mind of the reader concerning the scene presented by the persona. When such pictures are formed, the reader enjoys the poem more and can easily recall what the poem talks about.