FULL NAMES:
STUDENT NUMBER:
UNIQUE NUMBER:
MODULE CODE: ENG2603
MODULE NAME: COLONIAL AND POSTCOLONIAL
AFRICAN LITERATURES
ASSIGNMENT: 01 (QUESTION 2)
YEAR MODULE 2025
DUE DATE: 10 MAY 2025
, Question 2
Alan Paton’s “Could You Not Write Otherwise?” is a poem layered with subtle
tension between appearance and reality. It begins with an almost dismissive query
from an unnamed woman, who questions the poet’s refusal to focus on more
traditionally “beautiful” subjects. Birds, flowers, mine machinery framed against the
skyline—these are what she deems poetic. On the surface, her critique seems
innocent, even aesthetic. However, Paton’s response exposes a deep-rooted
discomfort with such superficiality. Rather than yielding to her request for romantic
escapism, the poet insists on writing about marginalised groups—black men,
Indians, half-castes, Jews, Englishmen, Afrikaners—and the social anguish that
threads their lives. What at first seems like an invitation to write ‘prettier’ things
becomes a veiled call for silence around South Africa’s historical injustices. The
poem suggests that beneath the gloss of day-to-day life—reading newspapers,
posting letters, shopping—lies a more painful truth that the privileged would rather
forget. Through this, Paton uses the poem’s surface elegance to house a core that is
emotionally and politically unsettling, effectively marrying an attractive poetic form
with the heavy weight of social commentary (Chapman, 2002: 142). This tension
between outward beauty and internal turmoil becomes central to understanding the
poem’s purpose and message.
The woman’s voice in the poem represents a segment of society that prefers poetic
detachment over uncomfortable truths. She asks the poet why he insists on writing
about groups that are typically excluded from polite conversation, black men,
Indians, half-castes, and Jews—raising the question: what makes a topic worthy of
poetry? Her view implies that art should avoid what is socially or politically
contentious. Yet, Paton uses her query not just to defend his subject matter, but to
highlight how systemic denial has become normalised among the privileged. Her
assumption that he lives a “normal” life like anyone else, reading papers, shopping,
posting letters—is used to discredit his focus on injustice, as if one cannot be both
part of everyday routines and deeply disturbed by societal issues. This contradiction
reflects a broader discomfort with writers who use their platforms to speak truth to
power. Paton confronts this head-on, asserting that poetry cannot turn a blind eye
when so many are suffering in silence. His calm, measured response only
strengthens the emotional gravity of his position. Rather than attack the woman, he
STUDENT NUMBER:
UNIQUE NUMBER:
MODULE CODE: ENG2603
MODULE NAME: COLONIAL AND POSTCOLONIAL
AFRICAN LITERATURES
ASSIGNMENT: 01 (QUESTION 2)
YEAR MODULE 2025
DUE DATE: 10 MAY 2025
, Question 2
Alan Paton’s “Could You Not Write Otherwise?” is a poem layered with subtle
tension between appearance and reality. It begins with an almost dismissive query
from an unnamed woman, who questions the poet’s refusal to focus on more
traditionally “beautiful” subjects. Birds, flowers, mine machinery framed against the
skyline—these are what she deems poetic. On the surface, her critique seems
innocent, even aesthetic. However, Paton’s response exposes a deep-rooted
discomfort with such superficiality. Rather than yielding to her request for romantic
escapism, the poet insists on writing about marginalised groups—black men,
Indians, half-castes, Jews, Englishmen, Afrikaners—and the social anguish that
threads their lives. What at first seems like an invitation to write ‘prettier’ things
becomes a veiled call for silence around South Africa’s historical injustices. The
poem suggests that beneath the gloss of day-to-day life—reading newspapers,
posting letters, shopping—lies a more painful truth that the privileged would rather
forget. Through this, Paton uses the poem’s surface elegance to house a core that is
emotionally and politically unsettling, effectively marrying an attractive poetic form
with the heavy weight of social commentary (Chapman, 2002: 142). This tension
between outward beauty and internal turmoil becomes central to understanding the
poem’s purpose and message.
The woman’s voice in the poem represents a segment of society that prefers poetic
detachment over uncomfortable truths. She asks the poet why he insists on writing
about groups that are typically excluded from polite conversation, black men,
Indians, half-castes, and Jews—raising the question: what makes a topic worthy of
poetry? Her view implies that art should avoid what is socially or politically
contentious. Yet, Paton uses her query not just to defend his subject matter, but to
highlight how systemic denial has become normalised among the privileged. Her
assumption that he lives a “normal” life like anyone else, reading papers, shopping,
posting letters—is used to discredit his focus on injustice, as if one cannot be both
part of everyday routines and deeply disturbed by societal issues. This contradiction
reflects a broader discomfort with writers who use their platforms to speak truth to
power. Paton confronts this head-on, asserting that poetry cannot turn a blind eye
when so many are suffering in silence. His calm, measured response only
strengthens the emotional gravity of his position. Rather than attack the woman, he
