Summary First day after the war by Mazisi Kunene

- First Day after the war -

S: The jubilation of the people once the “war” has ended and
freedom has been achieved.
I: Unity is possible if people remain optimistic and are committed
to change.
F: It is written in free verse, no regular rhyme scheme. The
choice of diction is simple which suits the rural setting (rural =
waterfalls)

Line 1:
“songs” – jovial mood.
“wedding party” – New beginning of two people; unity.
 A jubilant feeling is created which is suitable for festivity.

Line 2:
“soft” – calm or gentle
“light” – symbolizes hope
 The light twist around the ”blade” to reveal a fresh start to the
day, and the new found freedom

Line 4:
“At first we hesitated” – uncertain or doubtful
“saw her footprint” – freedom is personified by footprints

Line 5:
“her face” – This most likely refers to the face of freedom. “Her” is
ambiguous. The new dawn represents the reality of freedom.

Line 6:
“she woke us up” – The dawn symbolizes end of war, by waking
them up she is reassuring

Line 7:
“suddenly” – taken by surprise/unexpectedly

Line 8:
Line 8 shows renewed confidence which contrasts hesitation in line
4.

Line 9:
“ran” – ran shows their excitement, they their joy cannot be
contained.
“open space” – suggest a sense of belonging.