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Read the article below and answer the questions that follow. The Guilty of Giving You've seen that heap of rags That pollutes the air-conditioned City Centre That louse that creeps...

Read the article below and answer the questions that follow.

The Guilty of Giving

You've seen that heap of rags
That pollutes the air-conditioned
City Centre
That louse that creeps about
In the clean core of sophistication;
Youve seen him waylay his betters
And make them start
Especially when they have no change

You recall the day you came upon him
And were startled by his silent presence
Intruding into you preoccupation:
You hurled a coin
Which missed the mark
And rolled into the gutter
Where he groped for it
With a chilling grotesque gratitude
That followed you down the street
You dived into the nearest shop
To escape the stare
Of the scandalized crowd
That found you guilty
Of recalling attention
To the impenetrable patience
They had learnt not to see.
Laban Erapu


(a) Who is the Persona in this poem

(b) Paraphrase the subject matter of this poem



(c) Explain the title of the poem by discussing three different ' guilts'



(d) Identify three poetic devices used by the poet.




(e) What is the tone of this poem?



(f) Explain the meaning of the following lines:
And make them start




Which missed the mark


To escape the stare

Answers

johnson
a)An observer/Onlooker/By stander in a city street~ The persona gives an eye-witness account of the action of You(1

b) The poem is about a beggar in a city street whose dirty/untidy presence in the modernity of the city is out of place/misplaced. The people of town have learnt to ignore the beggar.'You'- probably a stranger in the town-arrives and throws a coin to the beggar and in process reminds
the others of a presence they had learnt to ignore.
* The candidate must avoid using the words of the actual words of the poem in paraphrasing.

c)i) The guilt of failing to give because of lack of change (loose coins) to give to the beggar.
ii)The guilt of embarrassment caused by hurling the coin to the beggar and failing to land in/missing the beggars bowl.
iii) There is the guilt of stirring the memory of the beggars presence- something
the town's people had learnt to ignore (1

d) Poetic devices
Metaphor -..heap of rags/louse that creeps this refers to the beggar
Personification-gratitude that followed you down the street
Alliteration -.. grotesque gratitude
Paradox- startled by his silent presence (silence does not startle)
Onomatopoeia - that creeps/hurled a coin/groped for it


e) i) Ironic- the persona condemns the You for an act of charity, i.e. for giving alms to the beggar
ii) Satirical-the You's concern for the beggar is not genuine /It is borne of guilt rather than genuine concern/desire to help.


f)
And make the start - causes the beggar to become scared/to be afraid.

Which missed the mark - failed to land in the beggars bowl
To escape the stare - to evade/avoid the gaze
johnson mwenjera answered the question on February 16, 2018 at 17:20

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