The Old Woman, S Message

I, the undersigned, hereby declare that this is my own and personal work, except where the work(s) or publications of others have been acknowledged by means of reference techniques.I have read and understood Tutorial Letter CMNALLE/301/2016 regarding technical and presentation requirements, referencing techniques and plagiarism.Name: D.M. MatsetseStudent number: 31373771Date: 10 April 2016A witness’s Name: B.R.M. Mohlala |

STUDENT NO: 31373771

D.M. MATSETSE

ENG1501

ASSIGNMENT 02

ASSIGNMENT UNIQUE NO: 825758

TABLE OF CONTENTS

1. INTRODUCTION TO ENGLISH LITERARY STUDIES

THE OLD WOMAN’S MESSAGE

SOURCES CONSULTED

THE OLD WOMAN’S MESSAGE

1. In the first 5 lines of the poem the speaker order the addressed to deliver the

messageto her sons Polin and Manuai that they must know that children leave

their mothers but return to them.

The speaker used a figure of speech “the ripe fruit falls and return to the trunk –

its mother’’.

The speaker is pleading to the addressed to ensure that the message is delivered

and reaches the two sons of the old woman - Polin and Manuai.

The speaker uses the figure of speech to emphasise the importance of her sons to

receivethe message and that the addressed does not forget to deliver the message

“stick these words in your hair’’.

Stick these words in your hair

And take them to Polin and Manuai

my sons:

the ripe fruit falls and returns

to the trunk – its mother.

2. Sons and fruit.

“But my sons, forgetful of me, are like fruit borne by birds”

The speaker is the mother just like the birds transmitting or transporting fruit, she

gavebirth to the sons. The speaker gave birth to the sons but the sons are forgetful

of their mother. The speaker is comparing her sons to the fruit borne by birds.

Fruit eating birdsare the primary seed dispensers for many plant species in various habitants (Ridley 1930).

The speaker does not enjoy anything from her sons...