Poem Analysis

Lament for the dead mother written by Ewe

Lament for the dead mother

Mother dear, Mother you freely give of what you have fresh food and cooked meals alike. Mother, listen to me! The crying child will call after its mother. Why dont you answer, mother, when I call? Are we quarrelling?

What is the poem talking about?

Mother dear, Mother you freely give of what you have fresh food and cooked meals alike. Mother, listen to me! The crying child will call after its mother. Why dont you answer, mother, when I call? Are we quarrelling?
The poem is about a child who is lamenting about his or her dead mother.

What is the type of poem?

Mother dear, Mother you freely give of what you have fresh food and cooked meals alike. Mother, listen to me! The crying child will call after its mother. Why dont you answer, mother, when I call? Are we quarrelling?
The type of this poem is ballad, because it is a short narrative song, it has a dialogue between child and a dead mother

it has (incremental and burden) refrain, it has direct and simple language

What is the central message of a poem? What is the main theme of a poem?

or

Mother dear, Mother you freely give of what you have fresh food and cooked meals alike. Mother, listen to me! The crying child will call after its mother. Why dont you answer, mother, when I call? Are we quarrelling?
The central message of this poem is death

Who is speaking in a poem?

Mother dear, Mother you freely give of what you have fresh food and cooked meals alike. Mother, listen to me! The crying child will call after its mother. Why dont you answer, mother, when I call? Are we quarrelling?
The one who is speaking in this poem is a crying child

How a poet feels in this poem?

or

What is the tone of a poet?

Mother dear, Mother you freely give of what you have fresh food and cooked meals alike. Mother, listen to me! The crying child will call after its mother. Why dont you answer, mother, when I call? Are we quarrelling?
A poet feels sad towards his or her dead mother
Hence, the tone is sadness or sorrow

How do you feel about this poem? What is the mood of a poem?

or

Mother dear, Mother you freely give of what you have fresh food and cooked meals alike. Mother, listen to me! The crying child will call after its mother. Why dont you answer, mother, when I call? Are we quarrelling?
I feel sad or sorrow about this poem, especially for the crying child

Comment on the use language of a poem

Mother dear, Mother you freely give of what you have fresh food and cooked meals alike. Mother, listen to me! The crying child will call after its mother. Why dont you answer, mother, when I call? Are we quarrelling?
A poet uses simple and direct language which has no figures of speech

Comment on sound devices in a poem

Mother dear, Mother you freely give of what you have fresh food and cooked meals alike. Mother, listen to me! The crying child will call after its mother. Why dont you answer, mother, when I call? Are we quarrelling?
A poet uses sound devices such as; alliteration (fresh and food), assonance (food and cooked), rhyme (alike and me) so as to make musical effect in a poem.

Is the persona in a poem happy/unhappy? Why?

Mother dear, Mother you freely give of what you have fresh food and cooked meals alike. Mother, listen to me! The crying child will call after its mother. Why dont you answer, mother, when I call? Are we quarrelling?
A persona is unhappy, because her or his mother doesnt reply or say, actually, she is dead

Comment on the form of a poem

Mother dear, Mother you freely give of what you have fresh food and cooked meals alike. Mother, listen to me! The crying child will call after its mother. Why dont you answer, mother, when I call? Are we quarrelling?
The form in this poem is open form or free verse form because it doesnt follow traditional specific pattern of meter and regular rhyme scheme

How many characters does a poem have?

Mother dear, Mother you freely give of what you have fresh food and cooked meals alike. Mother, listen to me! The crying child will call after its mother. Why dont you answer, mother, when I call? Are we quarrelling?
There two characters in a poem; the crying child and the dead mother

The End
By Alex Wapalila