GCSE Anthology Poems from Different Cultures Cluster 1

GCSE Anthology
Poems from Different Cultures
Cluster 1

Limbo
Tells of a journey on a slave ship – from Africa to
America.
Written like a song, with a ‘chorus’ in italics. This
gives it a distinct rhythm.
The mood changes through the poem – from
confusion and fear to hope.
It reminds us of the limbo dance, which is very
difficult as the dancer tries to bend under the limbo
stick, but easier on the way back up. How is this
linked to the ship’s s journey?

Limbo – Themes and links
Main theme seems to be the injustice of
slavery.
Also, the idea of losing your sense of
identity.
Links to ‘Island Man’ – lost identity.
‘Blessing’, ‘Night of Scorpion’ –
retelling an event.
‘What were they like?’ – unusual
layout.

Limbo – Important quotes
“limbo stick is the silence in front of me” (l.1)
This metaphor shows how the narrator is uncertain
of his future.
“long dark deck…”
(l.16)
The alliteration is a harsh ‘d’ sound which could
relate to the harsh conditions on the ship.
“hot slow step…”
(l.48)
These words sound quite painful. This may remind
the reader that the future is bleak for the slaves.

Nothing’s s Changed
Someone walking through ‘District Six’ (an
area of Cape Town, S.Africa), years after
growing up there.
Narrator recalls a time of Apartheid and the
segregation of black and white people.
He is angry that there is a ‘whites only’
restaurant and feels that, after all these
years, nothing has changed - that racism
still exists.

Nothing’s s Changed – Themes and links
Injustice of racism.
Differences between rich and poor.
A political/social divide.
Links to ‘Two Scavengers’ – political
comment, rich and poor.
‘Island Man’, ‘Night of the Scorpion’,
‘What Were They Like?’ – a sense of
place.
‘Vultures’, ‘What Were They Like?’ –
political comment.

Nothing’s s Changed – Important quotes
“but my feet know” (l.11)
This reveals how well narrator knows this area. He
has a really strong bond with District Six.
“whites only inn.” (l.24)
The double meaning refers to the posh restaurant,
but also to the theme of segregation (only white
people allowed in).
“small mean mouth.” (l.44)
This shows the narrator thinking back to when he
was a boy, and shows his feelings of anger.

Island Man
Tells of a man who has moved to London
from the Caribbean, but misses home.
First half of poem are his memories/dreams
of home. Then we have the much louder
sounds of London.
The colours mentioned are brighter in the
first half.
In the end, he seems to accept that this is
just the way it is.

Island Man – Themes and links
Losing your identity, moving from one
culture to another.
Differences between people and places.
Links to ‘Limbo’ – losing identity, moving to
another place.
‘Nothing’s s Changed’, ‘What Were
They Like?’ – describing a place.
‘Limbo’ – unusual layout.

Island Man – Important quotes
“his small emerald island” (l.10)
This shows how he feels the island is ‘his’,, a
part of him, and emphasises how much he
is missing home. The colour also reminds us
of the contrast with the “grey” of London.
“island man heaves himself” (l.18)
The choice of words here tells us that city life
is a struggle for him, especially when
compared to the Caribbean way of life.

Blessing
Tells of an incident (maybe real) in Bombay, India
– a pipe bursting, which suddenly provides free
water to the people living in poverty around it.
Water, because it means so much (especially if
you consider the heat), is compared to a God and
a precious metal.
The mood is temporarily very happy – everyone
tries to get some of the water.
The ending is more uncertain, or a little bleak, as
we know things will return to ‘normal’ for them.

Blessing – Themes and links
Struggle against poverty.
Idea of religion being important to a culture.
Links to ‘Nothing’s s Changed’, ‘Island Man’ –
describing certain people in a
certain place.
‘Two Scavengers’, ‘Nothing’s
Changed’ – rich and poor.
‘Night of Scorpion’, ‘Two
Scavengers’ – describing an event.

Blessing – Important quotes
“The skin cracks like a pod.” (l.1)
This simple opening, a simile, helps to sum up the living
conditions, emphasising the extreme heat of the sun.
“silver crashes to the ground” (l.9)
This metaphor, comparing the water to silver, tells us the
villagers value water as much as a precious metal.
“frantic hands” (l.17)
The harsh reality of the situation is that people are
desperate to get some water, as they realise that the
pipe will soon be fixed.

Two Scavengers in a Truck…
This describes a specific moment in time, at a red traffic
light at 9am in San Francisco.
The 2 scavengers (bin men) are compared with a rich man
and woman.
The poet uses the idea of the ‘American Dream’ – Is it
real? Is it fair? Are the rich couple any happier than the bin
men?
No punctuation is used, reminding us that all this happens
very quickly.
The poem gets us thinking about social class – Is it right to
class people in this way?

Two Scavengers – Themes and links
The difference between rich and poor.
A political/social divide.
The ‘fairness’ of American society.
Links to ‘Blessing’, ‘Night of Scorpion’ –
describing an event.
‘Nothing’s s Changed’ – political
comment, rich and poor.
‘Vultures’, ‘What were they like?’ –
political comment.

Two Scavengers – Important quotes
“looking down into…”
(l.7)
As they are in their truck, they are higher up than the rich
couple. But they could also look down on them by
thinking they are happier or better than the rich
couple.
“in which everything is always possible” (l.30)
This suggests that TV ads tell us one thing, but we know
that everything isn’t t always possible in real life.
“the high seas of this democracy” (l.36)
This could mean that although part of the ‘American
Dream’, , real democracy is never easy to achieve.

Night of the Scorpion
Told from the point of view of a child, describing the night
their mother was stung by a scorpion.
Set in a close-knit village community in poor, rural India.
The scorpion is given a personality – it comes in to
shelter from the rain.
The villagers react in very different ways – most of them
panic or say prayers, the father tries various medicines,
and a holy man tries a spell.
In the end, the sting was harmless. The mother is
grateful her children weren’t t stung.
The poem tells us a lot about the culture of these people.

Night of the Scorpion – Themes and links
Idea of religion being important to a culture.
People within same culture having different
beliefs/ideas.
Links to ‘Blessing’ – describing an event,
religious images.
‘Nothing’s s Changed’, ‘Island Man’,
‘Two Scavengers’, ‘What Were They
Like?’ – different cultures/ideas.
‘Island Man’, ‘Nothing’s s Changed’ – a
sense of place.

Night of the Scorpion – Important quotes
“The peasants came like swarms of flies” (l.8)
This simile gives us the impression the villagers
aren’t t really needed or wanted in the hut.
“May the sins of your previous birth…”
(l.19)
This refers to the strong beliefs held in the village,
such as the idea of reincarnation.
“Thank God the scorpion picked on me” (l.47)
The mother is selfless – she is more concerned for
her children, as for them, the sting could have
been deadly.

Vultures
The poet describes two vultures – how they eat
the corpses of other animals, yet also seem to live
together as an affectionate couple.
This situation is compared to that of a Nazi
commander – murdering people in a concentration
camp during the day, yet becoming a loving father
in the evening.
The poem asks us to consider whether evil exists
in all of us, or if even the most evil beings are
capable of love.

Vultures – Themes and links
Human attitudes – how we treat each other.
The fairness of society.
How the nature reflects the human race.
Links to ‘What were they like?’, ‘Nothing’s
Changed’, ‘Two Scavengers’ –
political/social comment, how
humans treat each other.
‘Night of the Scorpion’, ‘What were
they like?’ – human attitudes.

Vultures – Important quotes
“In the greyness and drizzle” (l.1)
This sets the mood of the poem, creating a very
bleak atmosphere.
“with fumes of human roast…”
(l.32)
The disgusting image of burning human bodies
really emphasises the idea of the commander
being evil. But it also makes the image of him as a
loving father even more unbelievable.
“grants even an ogre…”
(l.43)
The poet seems relieved that even an evil man is
capable of showing some tenderness.

What Were They Like?
Written in the style of an interview, with six
questions being asked about the people of
Vietnam and how they used to live.
All of the questions are asked before the answers
are given, perhaps by a member of the army (use
of the word ‘Sir’).
The answers contain more detail and seem to
focus on human suffering.
The poem aims to teach us how the culture of
Vietnam was severely affected by the war.

What were they like? – Themes and links
Human attitudes.
The injustice of war.
The idea of people losing their culture.
Links to ‘Vultures’, ‘Nothing’s s Changed’,
‘Two Scavengers’ – political
comment.
‘Island Man’, ‘Nothing’s s Changed’,
‘Night of the Scorpion’ – a sense of
place.

What were they like? – Important quotes
“Sir, their light hearts turned to stone.”
The contrast of light and heavy helps us to understand
how much the people of Vietnam have changed.
“laughter is bitter to the burned mouth.”
The ‘b’ sounds are quite harsh here. This alliteration
emphasises the hurt and pain the people must have
been through.
“All the bones were charred.”
This refers back to the question about ornaments, but it
also gives us a terrible image of a village being
bombed and bodies on fire.