Assignment 01-03
Notes on poetry
, 1. ”The Slave dealer”
The title of the poem “The Slave dealer” introduces the subject matter, which is slavery, put the
poem into context and suggest a possible theme of the trading of slaves, forced labour and slavery, a
cruel act that was preformed to the natives of the country (the Africans), where they were sold to
the people of western nature to do forced labour and hard work. The title tells the reader what the
poem is about and what to expect from the poem. The “slave dealer” is thought as a person who is
the lead of the system of slavery.
From reading the poem the speaker in the poem may be a sailor whom travels across the ocean as
the first line states “From ocean’s wave a wanderer came.” Wanderer means that he is
meaninglessly traveling across the sea. The speaker goes back home to his mother after he
murdered an innocent poor native African woman. His changed so much that his own mother could
not even recognise him because his miserable emotions and guilty feelings of his bad deed ate him
up. “There was hot fever in his blood, And dark thoughts in his brain;” Line 7-8, Stanza 2. Shows that
the speaker may have been short of temper, hot-headed and that the cruel, unforgiving things he
did was repeatedly on his evil mind, but this could also mean he was literally sick from the guilt of
the murder that he could have developed a fever that makes him think bad thoughts.
His mother tried to persuade him to regret the horrible deed and she tried to let him see the good in
himself. “And oh! to turn his heart to good That Mother strove in vain,” Line9-10, Stanza 2. His
thoughts ate him up and he was always fierce and fearful. “For fierce and fearful was his mood,” Line
11. Is also an alliteration to emphasise how fierce his mood was. He was filled with remorse and pain
in his heart by being held hostage to the consequences of his deeds. “Racked by remorse and pain.”
Line 12. His mother prayed for him to help him find peace within himself but the memories of what
he did kept replaying and haunt him every time he knelt to pray. “And he tried with her to pray, It
lasted not for visions wild Still scared good thoughts away” Line 16-18. This stopped him from
praying for forgiveness as all his hope went away to forget this evil deed.
He at last told his mother why is so tormented and what he has done. He explains that it is not from
killing someone during the war but brutally beating and end up murdering an innocent person.
"There's blood upon my hands!" he said, "Which water cannot wash; It was not shed where warriors
bled It dropped from the gory lash, As I whirled it o'er and o'er my head, And with each stroke left a
gash.” Lines 19-24. It was a vicious beating which left deep wounds on the victims body as he said
“And with each stroke left a gash.” Line 24.
"With every stroke I left a gash, While Negro blood sprang high;” Line 25-26. This explains how he
tells his mother how deep the cuts of his beating were, that it looked like the blood of the innocent
person spewed out everywhere. The word “Negro” shows it was an African he murdered. He
explains how this evil sin can never be forgotten or forgiven. He says that even all the water of the
oceans he has travelled will not was away the blood he has on his hands. “And now all ocean cannot
wash My soul from murder's dye;” Lines 27-28 “murder’s dye” means the blood on he shed from his
innocent victim.
“Nor e'en thy prayer, dear Mother, quash That Woman's wild death-cry! "Her cry is ever in my ear,”
Lines 29-30. Here it becomes obvious that his innocent victim was a woman as he says, “that
woman’s” and “her”. He also explains here that his mother’s prayers cannot supress the woman’s
screams of terror and pain in his head.
Notes on poetry
, 1. ”The Slave dealer”
The title of the poem “The Slave dealer” introduces the subject matter, which is slavery, put the
poem into context and suggest a possible theme of the trading of slaves, forced labour and slavery, a
cruel act that was preformed to the natives of the country (the Africans), where they were sold to
the people of western nature to do forced labour and hard work. The title tells the reader what the
poem is about and what to expect from the poem. The “slave dealer” is thought as a person who is
the lead of the system of slavery.
From reading the poem the speaker in the poem may be a sailor whom travels across the ocean as
the first line states “From ocean’s wave a wanderer came.” Wanderer means that he is
meaninglessly traveling across the sea. The speaker goes back home to his mother after he
murdered an innocent poor native African woman. His changed so much that his own mother could
not even recognise him because his miserable emotions and guilty feelings of his bad deed ate him
up. “There was hot fever in his blood, And dark thoughts in his brain;” Line 7-8, Stanza 2. Shows that
the speaker may have been short of temper, hot-headed and that the cruel, unforgiving things he
did was repeatedly on his evil mind, but this could also mean he was literally sick from the guilt of
the murder that he could have developed a fever that makes him think bad thoughts.
His mother tried to persuade him to regret the horrible deed and she tried to let him see the good in
himself. “And oh! to turn his heart to good That Mother strove in vain,” Line9-10, Stanza 2. His
thoughts ate him up and he was always fierce and fearful. “For fierce and fearful was his mood,” Line
11. Is also an alliteration to emphasise how fierce his mood was. He was filled with remorse and pain
in his heart by being held hostage to the consequences of his deeds. “Racked by remorse and pain.”
Line 12. His mother prayed for him to help him find peace within himself but the memories of what
he did kept replaying and haunt him every time he knelt to pray. “And he tried with her to pray, It
lasted not for visions wild Still scared good thoughts away” Line 16-18. This stopped him from
praying for forgiveness as all his hope went away to forget this evil deed.
He at last told his mother why is so tormented and what he has done. He explains that it is not from
killing someone during the war but brutally beating and end up murdering an innocent person.
"There's blood upon my hands!" he said, "Which water cannot wash; It was not shed where warriors
bled It dropped from the gory lash, As I whirled it o'er and o'er my head, And with each stroke left a
gash.” Lines 19-24. It was a vicious beating which left deep wounds on the victims body as he said
“And with each stroke left a gash.” Line 24.
"With every stroke I left a gash, While Negro blood sprang high;” Line 25-26. This explains how he
tells his mother how deep the cuts of his beating were, that it looked like the blood of the innocent
person spewed out everywhere. The word “Negro” shows it was an African he murdered. He
explains how this evil sin can never be forgotten or forgiven. He says that even all the water of the
oceans he has travelled will not was away the blood he has on his hands. “And now all ocean cannot
wash My soul from murder's dye;” Lines 27-28 “murder’s dye” means the blood on he shed from his
innocent victim.
“Nor e'en thy prayer, dear Mother, quash That Woman's wild death-cry! "Her cry is ever in my ear,”
Lines 29-30. Here it becomes obvious that his innocent victim was a woman as he says, “that
woman’s” and “her”. He also explains here that his mother’s prayers cannot supress the woman’s
screams of terror and pain in his head.
