Cluster 1 Themes ( poem from different cultures)

The poems that fit into this: 

• Nothing's Changed 
  • Through the mention of the South Afircan Aparthteid 
  • How the poet still finds there are inequalities because of race and also because of money 
  •  Its set in Nelson Mandelas new Democracy 
• Two Scavengers in a Truck and Two Beautiful People in a Mercedes
  • The gap between rich and poor 
  • the poem condemns the failure of the political system 
• Vultures 
  • The commandent represent Nazi's Germany abuse of power
  • The destruction of another culture and race was a governemnt policy
• What Were They Like? 
  • Poem of Protest 
  • Theme of the unfairness of the Vietnam war throughout as many were against it in the 1960s and 70s

The Poems that fit this are

• What were the like? 
  • Describing a negative change as the Vietimese culture is being destroyed because of the war. 
• Nothings Changed 
  • There has been a major recent political changed as the Apartheid has been abolished 
  • Therefore in theory there has been a positive change as all races are equal 
  • How ever people still feel and have the attitude that black people are inferior

The poems that fit this are 

• Two Scavengers in a Truck and Two Beautiful People in a Mercedes
  • the clear devision of the two sets of people in the poem 
  • the poet criticises the american soceity for not doing anything about this social divide 
• Island Man
  • This poem centers around an individual who home sick 
  • He has a clear sense of where he belongs 

The poems that fit this are: 

• Nothing's Changed
  • The poet allows us to see the inequalities through hi eyes 
  • Shows us how he feel unwelcome in the whites only inn
  • It is used because he wants us to know how unfair it still is 
  • Making his message more effective  
• Night of the Scorpion 
  • The powerful and yet confusing presentation of what the event is like through the eyes of a child 
  • He is scared and confused by the religious respsonse 

The poems that fit this are: 

• Two Scavengers in a Truck and Two Beautiful People in a Mercedes
  • The american culture language of 'Gabbage' and 'Downtown' 
  • How the culture of USA is all about equal oppuntiy for everyone and democracy 
  • but its it seems the binmen will never be able to live like the rich people at all 
  • this shows how the image of american culture is false
• Nothing's Changed 
  • Culture is divided through the racial segregation 
  • the use of south african slang 
• Limbo
  • Slave Culture is a constant theme throughout 
  • the limbo dance is a strong link to west indian slave culture
• Night of the Scorpion
  • It is set in a Hindu Community

The poems that fit this are : 

• Two Scavengers in a Truck and Two Beautiful People in a Mercedes
  • There is a sharp decriptive contrast between the rich and the poor sets of people 
  • There of Contradictory descriptions of the rich couple that suggest falseness and dishonesty 
• Blessing 
  • There is a detail description of the rush of water 
  • And how dry the place was before the wate hit 
  • A description of how desperate the people are 
  • The water is descrbed as 'fortune' and 'silver highlighting how valuable it actually is to the people in the slum 
• Nothing's Changed 
  • there is a given impression of how neglected and run down district 6 is
  • the difference of the lives of the black people and the white people 
• Island Man 
  • The description of the carribean island sounds like an unspoilt paradise only good things are heard
  • however contrasting london is described as dull and grey only bad things are heard

The peoms that fit this are 

• Vultures 
  • The vultures are ugly and digusting however they are still capable of gentleness 
  • leading to the description of the commandant and his love for his child 
  • Making the vultures a metaphor for the commant
• Blessing
  • The water is descrbed as 'fortune' and 'silver highlighting how valuable it actually is to the people in the slum 
  • the people become a congregation creating a religous feel they are worshipping this act of god giving them the water
  • the metaphor of "the blessing sings/ over their small bones" is used to decribe the burst of the water bit reinforcing the mirscule that the pipe has burst

the poems that fit this are: 

• What were they like 
  • Question and answers are numbered but this can be read in two different ways 
  • each question cover a particular aspect of the culture
  • the failure to come up with the right answers adds the condemnation fo the war
• Limbo 
  • Various line length 
  • The longer lines create an impression of ongoing cruelness 
  • Shorter lines describe movements 
  • the repeated rythmn of the 'limbo like me' in italiacs suggest the onoging beat and dance in the background

Poems that fit this are 

•  Two Scavengers in a Truck and Two Beautiful People in a Mercedes
  • San Fracisco representing america in general
• Nothing's Changed 
  • District 6
• Vultures 
  • The Vultures habitat 

The poems that fit this are: 

• Two Scavengers in a Truck and Two Beautiful People in a Mercedes
  • The difference between Rich and Poor 
• Vultures 
  • The fight between good and evil