Perfect.
Here's a concise analysis for each of the 15 poems in Songs of Ourselves
Volume 2, Part 3. Each includes themes, tone, structure, and key literary devices to
help you prepare for deeper understanding or exams.
1. Nancy Fotheringham Cato – ‘The Road’
Themes: Journey of life, nature, transience, self-discovery.
Tone: Reflective, nostalgic, quietly philosophical.
Structure: Free verse with flowing lines, mimicking a road’s meandering path.
Techniques:
o Metaphor: The road symbolizes life’s journey.
o Imagery: Nature is vividly evoked ("dusty track", "birdsong").
o Personification: Nature as a silent witness to life’s progress.
2. Sarah Jackson – ‘The Instant of My Death’
Themes: Trauma, war, memory, fleeting moments.
Tone: Haunting, fragmented, ambiguous.
Structure: Broken, disjointed lines reflecting disorientation.
Techniques:
o Enjambment and caesura create a sense of instability.
o Allusion to Holocaust or war contexts.
o Ambiguity: Narrator’s state (dead or alive?) is unclear.
3. Arun Kolatkar – ‘The Bus’
Themes: Pilgrimage, spiritual journey, surrealism.
Tone: Mysterious, dreamlike, spiritual.
Structure: Free verse; fragmented lines reflect the uneven bus ride.
Techniques:
o Symbolism: The bus ride stands for spiritual awakening.
o Surreal imagery: The journey blurs reality and illusion.
o Contrast: Rural vs urban, real vs mythical.
4. Julius Chingono – ‘At the Bus Station’
Themes: Poverty, urban struggle, human dignity.
Tone: Honest, observational, empathetic.
Structure: Narrative style, linear.
Techniques:
o Irony: Tries to help someone, ends up losing.
o Imagery: Stark realism (“flies”, “dust”).
o Symbolism: The bus station as a microcosm of society.
5. Imtiaz Dharker – ‘These are the Times We Live in’
Themes: Modernity, surveillance, fear, control.
Tone: Ironic, critical, urgent.
Structure: Short lines, enjambment builds pace and pressure.
Techniques:
o Juxtaposition: Innocence vs control (e.g., “children” vs “barriers”).
o Repetition: Builds a sense of restriction.
o Irony: Title vs content shows contradiction in modern life.
6. Elizabeth Jennings – ‘The Enemies’
Themes: War, enmity, inner conflict.
Tone: Anxious, uncertain, introspective.
Structure: Regular rhyme and meter hint at order among chaos.
Techniques:
o Personification: Enemies become internalized fears.
o Ambiguity: Are the enemies literal or metaphorical?
o Imagery: "Dark shapes" symbolize fear or death.
7. Sampurna Chattarji – ‘Boxes’
Themes: Memory, family, identity, displacement.
Tone: Nostalgic, reflective, fragmented.
Structure: Free verse, disjointed to reflect memory.
Techniques:
o Extended metaphor: Boxes as containers of emotion and memory.
o Juxtaposition: Past vs present, stillness vs movement.
o Symbolism: Boxes = family, trauma, stories untold.
8. W. H. Auden – ‘The Capital’
Themes: Urban life, superficiality, class, capitalism.
Tone: Ironic, critical, observational.
Structure: Regular stanzas; controlled rhythm reflects ordered society.
Techniques:
o Satire: Urban life is portrayed as shallow.
o Alliteration and sibilance: Reinforce monotony and artificiality.
o Symbolism: "The Capital" represents societal systems.
9. Arthur Yap – ‘an afternoon nap’
Themes: Domesticity, time, simplicity, observation.
Tone: Light, tranquil, subtly humorous.
Structure: Stream of consciousness.
Techniques:
o Lowercase & lack of punctuation: Conversational, unstructured.
o Enjambment: Mimics casual thought.
o Imagery: Mundane objects become poetic ("caterpillar", "dust").
10. Elizabeth Smither – ‘Plaits’
Themes: Childhood, identity, beauty, ritual.
Tone: Tender, gentle, observant.
Structure: Three-line stanzas (tercets); neat like plaits.
Techniques:
o Symbolism: Plaits = control, tradition, femininity.
o Metaphor: Hair as memory and identity.
o Allusion: Classical beauty vs modern freedom.
11. Elizabeth Daryush – ‘Children of Wealth’
Themes: Privilege, inequality, detachment.
Tone: Critical, moralistic, observational.
Structure: Iambic pentameter, regular rhyme = restraint and order.
Techniques:
o Contrast: Wealth vs poverty, comfort vs struggle.
o Irony: “Children of wealth” unaware of injustice.
o Imagery: Vivid class divide.
12. Thomas Love Peacock – ‘Rich and Poor or, Saint and Sinner’
Themes: Class, hypocrisy, religion, morality.
Tone: Satirical, witty, biting.
Structure: Rhyming couplets; rhythmic like a moral fable.
Techniques:
o Juxtaposition: Saint vs sinner, rich vs poor.
o Irony: Social roles and moral judgments reversed.
o Satire: Critique of societal and religious hypocrisy.
13. Musaemura Zimunya – ‘A Long Journey’
Themes: Migration, hardship, perseverance, African identity.
Tone: Resigned, enduring, steady.
Structure: Narrative arc; reflects passage of time.
Techniques:
o Metaphor: Journey as life or exile.
o Imagery: Harsh landscape (“dust”, “heat”).
o Repetition: Emphasizes weariness and distance.
14. Stevie Smith – ‘Touch and Go’
Themes: Death, fragility of life, fear.
Tone: Playful yet dark (classic Stevie Smith).
Structure: Short stanzas, singsong rhythm.
Techniques:
o Juxtaposition: Childlike tone vs morbid content.
o Irony: Casual treatment of serious themes.
o Repetition: Emphasizes life’s unpredictability.
15. George Szirtes – ‘Song’
Themes: Love, memory, music, transience.
Tone: Melancholic, lyrical, gentle.
Structure: Short stanzas; musical and repetitive.
Techniques:
o Allusion: Traditional songs and ballads.
o Symbolism: Song = love, memory, time.
o Rhyme & repetition: Enhance rhythm and emotion.
SUMMARIES
Here are the expanded summaries for all 15 poems in Songs of Ourselves Volume 2,
Part 3. You can copy and paste each one underneath the corresponding poem title in
your document:
1. Nancy Fotheringham Cato – ‘The Road’
This poem presents a thoughtful reflection on life’s journey, using the road as a
metaphor for personal growth and discovery. It blends natural imagery with
philosophical ideas to suggest that life is unpredictable but beautiful.
2. Sarah Jackson – ‘The Instant of My Death’
The poem explores a moment suspended between life and death, blending surreal
imagery and fragmented narration to evoke the confusion and fleeting awareness in a
near-death experience. It raises questions about the boundary between reality and the
self.
3. Arun Kolatkar – ‘The Bus’
A symbolic poem that recounts a bus journey through the Indian countryside, filled with
mystical and dream-like imagery. It reflects on spiritual awakening and the deeper
meanings of routine experiences.
4. Julius Chingono – ‘At the Bus Station’
Set in a public bus station, the poem uses gritty realism to depict themes of poverty,
vulnerability, and betrayal. The speaker experiences a small but significant moment of
emotional and financial loss that speaks to larger societal issues.
5. Imtiaz Dharker – ‘These are the Times We Live in’
This poem critiques the surveillance and restrictions in contemporary life. Through ironic
observations and controlled language, it captures a sense of entrapment and the surreal
contradictions of modern society.
6. Elizabeth Jennings – ‘The Enemies’
Through the metaphor of imagined enemies, Jennings explores internal psychological
battles and emotional isolation. The poem’s ambiguous figures represent repressed
fears and inner struggles, creating a tense and introspective atmosphere.
7. Sampurna Chattarji – ‘Boxes’
A deeply personal piece about childhood memories, the poem uses ‘boxes’ as a
metaphor for how emotions and experiences are stored, hidden, or forgotten. It
highlights the passage of time and the fragility of memory.
8. W. H. Auden – ‘The Capital’
Auden offers a biting satire on capitalist urban society, presenting the city as a place of
appearances and superficial order. The poem critiques the way status and routine
dominate life in the capital.
9. Arthur Yap – ‘an afternoon nap’
This poem gently captures the stillness of a domestic scene, where family members
sleep in the afternoon. It reflects on time, tradition, and peace in everyday life, conveyed
through soft, flowing language.
10. Elizabeth Smither – ‘Plaits’
Smither uses the act of plaiting hair as a metaphor for constructing memory and identity.
The poem reflects on childhood, feminine rituals, and the emotional bonds woven into
small, repeated actions.
11. Elizabeth Daryush – ‘Children of Wealth’
The poet criticizes the moral decay among privileged youth, portraying them as
emotionally detached and morally vacant. Through sharp contrast and controlled verse,
the poem condemns inherited wealth without responsibility.
12. Thomas Love Peacock – ‘Rich and Poor or, Saint and Sinner’
A ballad that humorously contrasts the lives of the rich and poor, suggesting that
morality does not align with social status. Peacock uses irony and rhythm to highlight
hypocrisy in Victorian society.
13. Musaemura Zimunya – ‘A Long Journey’
A narrative of perseverance, the poem details a literal and emotional journey filled with
hardship. It symbolizes migration and endurance, showing the quiet strength required to
keep moving forward.
14. Stevie Smith – ‘Touch and Go’
Stevie Smith combines dark humor with a light, almost whimsical tone to reflect on
death. The phrase ‘touch and go’ captures the precariousness of life and the
unpredictable nature of mortality.
15. George Szirtes – ‘Song’
This lyrical poem deals with love, loss, and memory. The imagery of birds and skies
conveys longing and emotional distance, while the songlike rhythm emphasizes the
lingering presence of a departed loved one.
