SCHOOL : DILKUSHA METHODIST HIGH SCHOOL YEAR/LEVEL : YEAR 12

SUBJECT : ENGLISH DATE : 19TH JULY – 30TH JULY, 2021

ANSWERS FOR WHSP 3&4
LITERATURE ESSAY WRITING
“Emotions expressed in poems can be similar to or different from the way we feel about an issue.”
With reference to two poems from the theme Social Issues;
(a) Discuss the emotions expressed on an issue. (6mks)
(b) Comment on whether you agree or disagree with the
poet’s views. (4mks)
Model Plan
Paragraph 1 : Introduction
 Poems often convey emotions about issues that at times bring about conflicting reactions in readers.
 The two selected poems are “The Old” by May Ligo and “Meditatio” by Ezra Pound. Both poems
portray issues of concern to society.
 This essay will discuss the emotion expressed in each poem and whether I agree or disagree with the
poet’s views.
[1st point is DEFINE; 2nd point is BACKGROUND; 3rd point is HIGHLIGHT - DBH]
Paragraph 2 : The Old [Answer to Q, (a)]
 The emotion of sadness is expressed on the issue of rural to urban drift because the old are neglected
and left alone in the villages to fend for themselves.
 The poem talks of the old man cooking over a fire and working in his garden, left alone with no one to
care for him.
 Quote : “His friend the unseen spirits, His supporter his walking-stick, But where is everyone else?”
These words create a feeling of sadness at the plight of old people abandoned by the young in
villages.
Paragraph 3 : The Old [Answer to Q, (b)]
 I agree with the poet’s view
 The abandonment of the old in villages due to rural to urban drift is indeed a sad issue. At a time
when children are supposed to look after their elders and repay them for all they had sacrificed to
ensure a better life for their children, the children opt to leave without a care for the welfare of the
old.
Paragraph 4 : Meditatio [Answer to Q, (a)]
 An emotion of puzzlement is expressed on the issue of man’s superiority when compared to dogs
 The poem talks about how the persona cannot see how man is superior to all other living things
considering the things he has done
 Quote : “I confess, my friend, I am puzzled’
Paragraph 5 : Meditatio [Answer to Q, (b)]
 I agree with the poet’s view
 It is puzzling when one thinks that men are superior to dogs
 Men’s past behaviour has and continuous to bring environmental destruction, trauma whether it be
mental or physical; this does not reflect the behaviour of a superior being thus the puzzlement.
Paragraph 6 : Conclusion
 Good poems make an emotional impact on readers.
 As is the case for “The Old” and “Meditation”, each of the poems talk about matters that evoke
feelings of agreement with the poet’s views.

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Essay

Poems often convey emotions that at times bring about conflicting reactions in readers. The two selected
poems are “The Old” by May Ligo and “Meditatio” by Ezra Pound. Both poems portray issues of concern
to society. This essay will discuss the emotion expressed in each poem and whether I agree with the
poet’s views.

In the poem “The Old”, the emotion of sadness is expressed on the issue of rural to urban drift because
the old are neglected and left alone in the villages to fend for themselves. The poem talks of the of the old
man cooking over a fire and working his garden, left alone with no one to care for him. The words in the
poem, “His friend the unseen spirits, His supporter his walking-stick, But where is everyone else?” create
a feeling of sadness at the plight of old people abandoned by the young in villages.

I agree with the poet’s view in “The Old”. The abandonment of the old in villages due to rural to urban
drift is indeed a sad issue. At a time when children are supposed to look after their elders and repay
them for all they had sacrificed to ensure a better life for their children, the children opt to leave without
a care for the welfare of the old.

In the poem “Meditatio”, an emotion of puzzlement is expressed on the issue of man’s superiority when
compared to dogs. The poem talks about how the persona cannot see how man is superior to all other
living things, saying, “I confess, my friend, I am puzzled”, considering the things that man had done.

I agree with the poet’s view in “Meditatio”. It is puzzling when one thinks that men are superior to dogs
because men’s past behavior has and continues to ring environmental destruction and trauma whether it
be mental or physical. This does not reflect the behavior of a superior being thus the puzzlement.

Good poems make an emotional impact on readers. As in the case for “The Old” and “Meditatio”, each of
the poem talks about matters that evoke feelings of agreement with the poet’s views.

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PROSE QUESTIONS
(A) Culture loss is a recurring theme in the novel studied this year.
With reference to the above,
(i) describe two examples of culture loss in the novel, (4mks)
(ii) examine what the indigenous people were doing (one per example) to minimise the impact of
the above. (6mks)

Plan
Paragraph 1 : Introduction
 The loss of culture is a lesson that is predominant throughout the novel.
 The selected text is “I Heard The Owl Call My Name” by Margret Craven; a story that is set in a small
village called Kingcome on the coast of British Columbia, Canada
 This essay will describe two examples of culture loss in the novel and examine what the people did to
minimise the impact of culture loss

Paragraph 2 : 1st eg. of culture loss & 1 eg to minimize impact

 Mark Brian conducts his first burial; at the end he sensed there was something that the tribe had to
do which did not include him
 As he walks away to the village with Jim, he hears an elder of the tribe speaking
 Quote: It is the eldest. “He is speaking the ancient Elizabethan Kwakwala which the young no longer
know.”
 The young people have lost their knowledge of their mother tongue and ask what the elder is saying
because he speaks a language they no longer understand.
 Keetah, with the help of the elders, is compiling a book recording the ancient stories, cultural
practices, and language of the Kwakiutl. Mark Brian suggests the idea and they agree that it should
be done. The old still do their best to continue with the practice of their ancient rituals and customs
but the young do not seem interested in carrying on with the practice – however there are a few such
as Keetah who wish to keep their culture alive.

Paragraph 3 : 2nd eg of culture loss & 1 eg to minimize impact

 Traditional practices are no longer carried out like the potlatch ceremonies of old. In the old days,
the potlatch ceremonies used to be so big and were celebrated by each village in a grand way –
families got together to outdo each other in terms of looking after their relatives from other villages
 Quote: Marks asks Jim, “Was it true that in the old days the gifts had been so lavish they had beggared
whole families and tribes and made others rich?”
 Jim confirmed that it was true but this practice was stopped by the whites because they saw it as bad
as some families became bankrupt trying to outdo each other.
 They have continued to encourage the potlatch ceremony but it is now toned down. Jim wants to
have a potlatch ceremony and it is likeminded young people like him who will try to keep this part of
their culture alive. The elders want to continue with the tradition

Paragraph 4 : Conclusion
 The loss of culture is inevitable and is a problem that is universal due to the influence of
westernisation
 As portrayed in the novel, the elders in the Kingcome tribe sought ways to minimise the impact of
culture loss
 This is course of action that all cultural groups must take to avoid the total loss of culture

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(B) With reference to the two short stories studied this year under the theme Relationships,
(i) describe the relationship between two characters in each short story, (4mks)
(ii) evaluate one lesson learnt from each relationship described in (i) above. (6mks)
Plan
Paragraph 1 : Introduction
 In life, there are many relationships that individuals form with others and the nature of which portray
life lessons
 The selected texts are “The Cabuliwallah” by Rabindranath Tagore and “Preliminary Inspection” by
Raymond Pillai; both short stories revolve around the theme of ‘relationships’
 This essay will describe a relationship between two characters in each short story and will evaluate a
lesson learnt from each relationship
Paragraph 2 : The Cabuliwallah – answer to (i)
Relationship: Cabuliwallah and Mini
 The pair made an unlikely friendship due to their age difference and would sit and talk and laugh and
enjoy each other’s company.
 Quote: “They had many quaint jokes which afforded them a great deal of amusement.”
 Mini reminded the Cabuliwallah of his own daughter whom he left behind in order to earn a living
peddling on the streets of India.
 There is mutual respect and trust between the two.
Paragraph 3 : The Cabuliwallah – answer to (ii)
Lesson :
 Trust is important in relationships
 Mini trusted the Cabuliwallah and he also trusted her – he also never betrays her trust – this is an
important aspect of trust – to never betray it.
 Nowadays it is difficult to find friendships of this nature where there is trust between the older and
the younger generation – even within families this is hard to find.
Paragraph 4 : Preliminary Inspection – answer to (i)
Relationship : Savitri and her father (parents)
 Savitri’s relationship with her father/parents is one built on mutual trust.
 She tells her father (parents) everything about her life and he therefore trusts her to make the right
decisions for herself.
 In the story, she tells Gopal that she has already informed her parents about his intentions toward her.
 Quote: “I tell them everything. That’s why they trust me.”
Paragraph 5 : Preliminary Inspection – answer to (ii)
Lesson :
 Honesty – Savitri was honest with her parents – she never hides anything from them and that is why
they trust her.
 We should also be honest in our dealings with our parents – only then will our relationship with them
be the kind that Savitri had
Paragraph 6 : Conclusion
 There are numerous types of relationships that each individual experiences throughout the course of
life whether it be a relationship with parents, siblings, friends or one of a romantic nature
 One is able to learn valuable lessons from the relationships that we are in or from observing other
people’s relationships as we have from the relationships portrayed in the two short stories discussed
in this essay.

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(C) With reference to the two short stories studied this year under the theme Values,
(i) outline the central message in each short story, (4mks)
(ii) examine how each of the messages discussed above have changed your life for the better. (6mks)
Plan
Paragraph 1 : Introduction
 Works of literature often portray crucial messages that impact the life of readers and in most cases, these
impacts enrich one’s life
 The selected texts are “The Gift of the Magi” by O.Henry and “A Day in the Country” by Dan Jacobson; these
short stories convey themes relating to values
 This essay will outline the central message in each short story and will examine how each of the messages
have changes your life for the better
Paragraph 2 : The Gift of the Magi – answer to (i)
Central message
 The greatest gift you can give is love
 the two loved each other and were willing to sacrifice their most prized possession in order to prove their
love for each other and in doing so negated their gift to each other - Della had no hair for her new combs to
hold and Jim had no watch for his new fob chain
 Quote: “But in a last word to the wise of these days let it be said that of all who give gifts these two are the
wisest.”
Paragraph 3 : The Gift of the Magi – answer to (ii)
 Helps one to understand that it is not about material possessions but rather to appreciate the good that
people do for each other – actions speak louder than words
 Della was a good and loving wife; she always makes sure she saves money and she does this to spend on
her husband not on herself. Jim is also the same.
 One’s life can be changed for the better in the sense that we will not keep making demands of loved ones
for material goods as we do not fully appreciate the struggles and sacrifices that people make in order to
prove that they love us.
 Stop looking at material possessions as proof of love; appreciate the actions of what our loved ones do for
us.
Paragraph 4 : A Day in the Country– answer to (i)
 Racial prejudice can lead to hatred and should not be condoned
 the Afrikaans hated the Africans due to the colour of their skin. In this story the narrator and his family
come across a family of Afrikaans who are torturing an African child
 Quote: the narrator’s father said, “You people make me sick. You’ve got no idea how to behave. But if you
think you can go around bullying everybody like you bully that Kaffir child you’re mistaken.”
 The white Jewish family is prejudiced against the Afrikaans and the Afrikaans are prejudiced against the
black child.
Paragraph 5 : A Day in the Country – answer to (ii)
 Life is difficult enough as it is and if we do not show compassion and love for others then the world will not
be a good place to live in.
 It has made one understand that if we do good to others, good will come to us. It has made me realise that
negative actions towards others is not a good thing
 It is inhumane to treat others badly based on our prejudices. All life is important and should be respected
as such. Who are we to destroy what we have not created? God created man in his image and to say that
someone is not worthy is saying that God is not worthy.
 Therefore the lesson in this story has changed me in the sense that I now appreciate the gift that is life and
it has also given me empathy for others.
Paragraph 6 : Conclusion
 Stories that portray messages are worthwhile to read
 This is indeed true for the two short stories “The Gift of the Magi” and “A day in the Country”
 Both of which share valuable lessons that improve one’s life
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POETRY QUESTIONS
(A) With reference to the two poems on the theme Progress,
(i) outline the main concern raised in each poem, (4mks)
(ii) examine how each concern raised above relates to you as a student. (6mks)

Plan
Paragraph 1 : Introduction
 Works of literature often portray crucial issues that are applicable to society enabling one to relate to these
issues
 The selected texts are “Kidnapped” by Ruperake Petaia and “Reality” by Konai Helu Thaman; these poems
focus on education and the impact that western education has on the persona
 This essay will outline the main concern in each poem and will examine how each of the main concern is
applicable to a student

Paragraph 2 : Kidnapped – answer to (i)

Main concern :
 Western Education can result in the loss of cultural identity.
 In the poem the persona says that he has become “whiter and whiter”.
 This means that he has become more modernised in his thoughts and has lost his cultural identity – he
isn’t even marginalised, rather he has become ‘white’.

Paragraph 3 : Kidnapped – answer to (ii)

How the concern relates to me as a student :
 The concern of loss culture is an issue that I am able to relate to as a student - loss of language
 mother tongue is no longer or hardly being spoken due to the insistence on the importance of English
 Modernisation has also meant that young people no longer want to know anything about their culture
and traditions as they see it as being too old-fashioned.

Paragraph 4 : Reality – answer to (i)

Main concern :
 Western type education does not necessarily prepare you for the real world.
 In the poem the persona says that he has certificates and that he as “learnt them all” yet he is still
without a job even though he has “passed with honours”.

Paragraph 5 : Reality – answer to (ii)

How the concern relates to me as a student :
 In my society, there are numerous graduates who are unemployed simply because there are no job
opportunities available
 This concern prepares me for the reality that even though I may complete my high school education
and later graduate from a tertiary institution, this will not guarantee employment
 It has made me realise that traditional skills and knowledge learnt through informal education is
important because in the real word there is tough competition for the few jobs available.
 Perhaps we need more than just a good education in order to survive the real world. Just like in the
poem when the old man whispers, “Come fishing with me today For you have a lot to learn yet.” We
may need to have other useful skills that we can fall back on.

Paragraph 6 : Conclusion
 Poems raise issues of concern that makes them worthwhile to read
 This is indeed true for the two poems “Kidnapped” and “Reality”
 Both of which share controversial matters that is of concern to societies

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(B) With reference to the two poems from the theme Social Issues,
(i) outline the issue in each poem (one per poem), (4mks)
(ii) analyse how the imagery brings out each issue discussed above. (6mks)
Plan
Paragraph 1 : Introduction
 Works of literature often portray crucial matters that are controversial to society and poets
successfully relay these matters through the use of imagery
 The selected texts are “Meditatio” by Ezra Pound and “The Old” by May Ligo; both these poems focus
on social issues that
 This essay will outline the issue in each poem and will analyse how the imagery brings out each issue
Paragraph 2 : Meditatio – answer to (i)
Issue :
 man’s superiority when compared to dogs
 The poem talks about how the persona cannot see how man is superior to all other living things
considering the things he has done
 Men’s past behaviour has and continuous to bring environmental destruction, trauma whether it be
mental or physical; this does not reflect the behaviour of a superior being thus the confusion.
 Quote : “When I consider the curious habits of man I confess, my friend, I am puzzled”
 Man likes to think they are the better species but the fact is that animals behave much better than
humans.
Paragraph 3 : Meditatio – answer to (ii)
How does imagery bring out the issue:
 Irony
 The irony that is expressed here shows that although man is supposed to be the superior animal since
man possesses ideas and thoughts and is able to know the difference between right and wrong,
seldom does man do what is right. Dogs tend to show more affection than do humans for each other.
Paragraph 4 : The Old – answer to (i)
Issue :
 The abandonment of the old in villages due to rural to urban drift
 Young people are abandoning their villages and the elders to be in the towns where they think they
will find a better life but the fact is that life in the village is just as good if not better.
 The poem talks of the old man cooking over a fire and working in his garden, left alone with no one to
care for him.
 Quote : “His friend the unseen spirits, His supporter his walking-stick, But where is everyone else?”
 At a time when children are supposed to look after their elders and repay them for all they had sacrificed
to ensure a better life for their children, the children opt to leave without a care for the welfare of the old.
Paragraph 5 : The Old – answer to (ii)
How does imagery bring out the issue:
 Personification eg : ‘The old thatched roof stood”/ “Thrice a day smoke rises Vertically but worriedly”
 The image brought forth through the use of personification is the concern of the old at being
abandoned in villages by the young
 There is no one left in the village to look after them, they are fending for themselves as can be seen in
the poem where the old man cooks his meals. This is an issue that will worsen as the years go by as
more and more young people abandon their elders for greener pastures.
Paragraph 6 : Conclusion
 Good poems that are worthwhile to read bring important issues to the readers’ attention in a clever
and creative way
 As is the case for “The Old” and “Meditatio”, each of the poems talk about issues that matter
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(C) Refer to the two poems from either one of the two themes Progress or Social Issues to answer
the following:
(i) describe two poetic devices (one per poem) used by each poet, (4mks)
(ii) explain how the above brings out the central idea in each poem. (6mks)
Plan [Two poems on the theme ‘Progress’]
Paragraph 1 : Introduction
 In poetry, poets use poetic devices to add colour to their writing and help vividly relay major issues
 The selected texts are “Kidnapped” by Ruperake Petaia and “Reality” by Konai Helu Thaman; both
these poems focus on the impact that education has on the persona
 This essay will describe a poetic device used in each poem and how this poetic device brings out the
central idea each poem
Paragraph 2 : Kidnapped – answer to (i)
Poetic device :
 Repetition – e.g. “Mama and Papa grew poorer and poorer/ and my kidnappers grew richer and richer
I grew whiter and whiter”
 This brings to the fore the changes that the persona is experiencing
Paragraph 3 : Kidnapped – answer to (ii)
Central idea :
 The central idea in this poem is that due to Westernisation through education, young people in the
Pacific are becoming more western in their ideas and ideals and thus have lost their identity
How repetition brings out this central idea :
 This is clearly brought out in the use of repetition where the persona claims that he has become
‘whiter and whiter’. The kidnappers have become ‘richer and richer’ not only in the sense that they
are getting paid to ‘kidnap’ but in the sense that they have won over the young boy to their ideals and
ideas. The ‘Mama and Papa’ have lost their son to the white world and thus have become ‘Poorer and
poorer’ as they have no one to take over after they are gone. They have become poorer in terms of
traditional knowledge lost forever as they have no one to pass this knowledge on to.
Paragraph 4 : Reality – answer to (i)
Poetic device :
 Rhetorical question - eg “What are you going to do now With your education and all?”
 This points out that despite having a good education, the persona is still without a job.
Paragraph 5 : Reality – answer to (ii)
Central idea :
 The central idea is that Western type education does not necessarily prepare us for the real world. In
the poem the persona says that he has certificates and that he as “learnt them all” yet he is still without
a job even though he has “passed with honours”.
How the use of rhetorical question brings out this central idea :
 The use of the rhetorical question, ‘What are you going to do now With your education and all?’ The
narrator laments the fact that he cannot find a job even though he has graduated with honours. He
even asks himself the same question later on in the poem when he says ‘What do I do now?’
 He does not want to do the menial work others are doing – the women’s pie making skills have
enabled them to sell their wares – yet what he has learnt in the classroom cannot get him a job. This
makes young people realise that perhaps they need more than just a classroom education as the world
is becoming very competitive
Paragraph 6 : Conclusion
 Poets use poetic devices as a tool to enhance messages that they try to convey
 In the poems “Kidnapped” and “Reality”, the poets successfully used poetic devices to relay their ideas

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(D) Refer to the two poems from either one of the two themes Progress or Social Issues to answer
the following:
(i) outline the content of each poem, (4mks)
(ii) examine how each of the above has changed your view of life. (6mks)
Plan [Two poems on the theme ‘Social Issues’]
Paragraph 1 : Introduction
 Poetry is a form of expression and writing a poem allows the poet to get out their feelings and thoughts on
a subject
 The selected texts are “Meditatio” by Ezra Pound and “The Old” by May Ligo; both these poems focus on
social issues that
 This essay will outline the content of each poem and examine how the content of each poem has changed
my view of life
Paragraph 2 : Meditatio – answer to (i)
 The poem is about how man appears to be the superior being on earth due to their intelligence, abilities
and skills.
 However when compared to dogs and by carefully observing them, the persona finds that perhaps it is
dogs after all who are far more superior.
 Man has done things that defy intelligent behaviour – at least with dogs, they are true to their nature – they
kill when necessary – to eat and survive and they are loyal and in a pack they assist each other to survive –
man on the other hand does its level best to kill each other sometimes for no valid reason at all.
Paragraph 3 : Meditatio – answer to (ii)
 This poem has changed my view of life in that I realise that people are not as smart as they like to think
they are.
 I think that we have more to learn from the animals than from each other. Human beings are supposed to
be the smartest beings on earth, however their actions prove otherwise.
 There is no respect for each other, there is unnecessary violence, greed and environmental destruction.
 Animals such as dogs are loyal and human beings can learn a lot from them
 Quote: “When I consider the curious habits of man I confess, my friend, I am puzzled.” This line has
changed my view of human beings and animals to the extent that I am beginning to have more respect for
dogs.
Paragraph 4 : The Old – answer to (i)
 The poem is about how old people no longer have the care and love they once had as the young people
have left the villages and have moved to the city to live and have left their old behind to take care of
themselves.
 The old are fending for themselves and live lonely lives as there is no one to talk to. The old are lamenting
that their young do not seem to care – they are far more interested in the towns and perhaps the lifestyle
that towns offer.
 Quote: “The young ones, where are they?”
Paragraph 5 : The Old – answer to (ii)
 This poem has made me change my view of life in the sense that I now realise that I must spend more time
with my grandparents.
 I have realised that they have a lot to offer me in terms of my cultural values as they have years of
experience to share.
 I have also come to realise that I too will most probably grow old and would want my grandchildren to
spend more time with me.
 If that is to happen, then I must encourage this culture of spending time with the elders in my own family.
Paragraph 6 : Conclusion
 It is important that the content of any poem that is written, has substance.
 This makes reading it worthwhile as it will surely have profound thoughts that would have the power
to evoke change in the lives of its readers.
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