Study Hub for CXC English A & B

Photo by  Jerry Zhang  on  Unsplash OVERVIEW 'West Indies, U.S.A.' covers the speaker's experiences and impressions as he journeys by airplane from one Caribbean island to another.  In comparison to the affluent Puerto Rico, the other islands are either poor or not as prosperous. However, a closer look reveals that poverty exists in a place that is popularly known for its wealth. Stanza One The speaker is in an airplane and it is 30,000 feet above the island of Puerto Rico. As the plane descends, the speaker highlights that of all the islands he has passed through, Puerto Rico 'takes the pot', meaning Puerto Rico has won the jackpot for being the most prosperous of the islands. It is clear from this stanza that Puerto Rico is like no other island as it is referred to as the 'Dallas of the West Indies'. Stanza Two He reflects on the different airports he has just passed through that functioned as 'cultural fingermarks' or 'calling cards'. His ...

  Photo by  Kaitlin Muro  on  Unsplash God's Grandeur The world is charged with the grandeur of God.    It will flame out, like shining from shook foil;    It gathers to a greatness, like the ooze of oil Crushed. Why do men then now not reck his rod? Generations have trod, have trod, have trod;    And all is seared with trade; bleared, smeared with toil;    And wears man's smudge and shares man's smell: the soil Is bare now, nor can foot feel, being shod. And for all this, nature is never spent;    There lives the dearest freshness deep down things; And though the last lights off the black West went    Oh, morning, at the brown brink eastward, springs-- Because the Holy Ghost over the bent    World broods with warm breast and with ah! bright wings.                                      ...

Photo by  Giorgio Trovato  on  Unsplash OVERVIEW  Written in 1961, the poem focuses on conveying the mirror's importance in a woman's life. Mirrors are used to check our appearances so we can determine if they are in acceptable condition. Mirrors are of particular importance to women who are often pressured by society to meet demanding beauty standards. Usually, whatever mirrors reveal determines if we approve what we see or are left petrified. In this poem, the woman is left petrified. In the first stanza, through personification, the mirror makes it clear that it has no preconceptions, meaning it does not form any opinions about the people it reflects. Instead, whatever it sees it reflects faithfully without any bias or prejudice. The reflection it offers is merely the truth and not a deliberate attempt to be cruel. It offers itself as an objective object. The mirror presents itself as the 'eye of a little god'. Most times it faces a pink wall that has speckles (sp...

Photo by  natsuki  on  Unsplash SUMMARY A white woman is standing at the bus stop when she is approached by a black man. At  first she is not fearful of him because she has been cultured not to be easily frightened, and she is self-assured enough to believe that she can cry for help and be rescued by the suburban dwellers should she be attacked. However, her curiosity is sparked by the fact that he approaches her as if he has every right to do so, an action she finds surprising because in America, where she is from, black men do not usually approach white women.  The man asks her for  a light for his cigarette, but she informs him she has no matches. He indicates that she can give him a light from her cigarette. She is uncomfortable allowing him to light his cigarette using hers but he maintains a steady and challenging gaze that makes her uncomfortable enough to relent. She reluctantly offers her cigarette so he can take a light from it.  Instead of c...

Picture source: Google  About Dennis Brutus - Key Historical Facts 1. Born 1924, Dennis Brutus was a prolific South African writer and activist. 2. He opposed the apartheid regime and was known for his campaign to have South Africa banned from the 1964 Olympics. 3. Apartheid (a system of racial segregation) lasted from 1948 to 1994.  4. According to the apartheid code, Brutus was classified as coloured. 5. Dennis Brutus was arrested several times for his anti-apartheid stance and later exiled to Britain. 6.  Later, he sought asylum in the United States. 7. During one of his times in prison, Nelson Mandela was in the cell beside him. 8.  His first collection of poems 'Sirens, Knuckles and Boots' was written while he was in prison. 9. Dennis Brutus, after years in exile, was able to return to South Africa in 2009. 10. He died in 2009. Analysis In the poem, 'It is the Constant Image of Your Face' the persona grapples with conflicting interests - his love for his co...

Summary  In this poem, the speaker's parents keep him away from children who are rough. They do this in order to protect him from their aggression and unpredictable behaviour. These children are  verbally and physically abusive towards the speaker and this drives fear in him. However, it is seen that he longs to forgive them, but they do not change their attitude and actions towards him. Stanza 1 The speaker declares that his parents keep him from children who are aggressive. These children say hurtful words and wear torn clothing. They also run in the streets, climb cliffs and strip by country streams. The speaker and the other children are from different backgrounds - his parents are protective of him while the other children do not seem to be under much parental control. Stanza 2 The speaker is afraid of these children and voices this fear. He is terrified of their iron-like muscles, even more than he fears tigers. He is afraid of the way their hands jerk him and the pain h...