IEB 2023-
2026 English
poetry(16
select Poems)
,IEB Poetry 2023
Contents
Poetry ................................................................................................................................................. 3
Important Terminology .................................................................................................................. 3
Nobody loses all the time be E E Cummings ............................................................................. 4
Further Analysis ............................................................................................................................ 7
Touch by Hugh Lewin .................................................................................................................. 8
Further Analysis .......................................................................................................................... 11
The tenant by Na Ncube ............................................................................................................ 12
Further Analysis .......................................................................................................................... 14
Moving through the silent crowd by Stephen Spender .......................................................... 15
Further Analysis .......................................................................................................................... 17
For Oom Piet by Finuala Dowling ............................................................................................ 18
Further Analysis .......................................................................................................................... 20
Ozymandias by Percy Bysshe Shelley ....................................................................................... 22
Further Analysis .......................................................................................................................... 24
To me, fair friend, You can never be old by Shakespeare ...................................................... 25
Further Analysis .......................................................................................................................... 26
The rising sun by John Donne ................................................................................................... 27
Further Analysis .......................................................................................................................... 29
Cockroaches by Mauri Yambo ................................................................................................... 30
Further Analysis .......................................................................................................................... 32
Will it be so again? By Cecil Day-Lewis................................................................................... 33
1|Page RJones
,IEB Poetry 2023
Further Analysis .......................................................................................................................... 35
The Discardment by Alan Paton ............................................................................................... 36
Further Analysis .......................................................................................................................... 38
Remember by Christina Rosetti ................................................................................................ 39
Further Analysis .......................................................................................................................... 40
Go, lovely Rose by Edmund Waller .......................................................................................... 41
Further Analysis .......................................................................................................................... 43
Mirror by Silvia Plath ................................................................................................................. 44
Further Analysis .......................................................................................................................... 46
Namaqualand After Rain by William Plomer........................................................................... 47
Further Analysis .......................................................................................................................... 50
Strangers Forever by Amin Kassam .......................................................................................... 51
Further Analysis .......................................................................................................................... 53
2|Page RJones
,IEB Poetry 2023
Poetry
Important Terminology
When the poem is addressed to an
Apostrophe
intimate object.
Each line has ten syllables that have been
organised into stresses. The first stress is
weak and the second is strong, the first is
Iambic pentameter
called iambs and the opposite stress is
called trochaic. It is used to emphasise
words or vary the rhythm.
When there is a pause in the poem,
Caesura created by punctuation to mimic speech,
show hesitation or for emphasis.
A poem written to express the feelings of
Lyric
the poet.
Poems written in iambic pentameter with
Blank verse
no rhythm.
Free verse Poems with no rhythm.
Enjambment Run on lines.
• 3 Quatrains (4 lines).
• 1 rhyming couplet, this couplet
Elizabethan/Shakespearian sonnet shows the reason for the poem or
includes a lesson.
• Meter: iambic pentameter.
Two contrasting ideas placed close to
Juxtaposition
each other.
A figure of speech in which a part is made
Synecdoche
to represent a whole.
When the word order of the sentence is
messed up for a particular reason, such as
Inversion
to make the last word rhyme or for
emphasis.
A poem that mimics a song to give praise
Ode
to a person or situation.
Tone The writer’s feeling.
Mood The reader’s feeling.
3|Page RJones
, IEB Poetry 2023
Nobody loses all the time be E E Cummings
An optimistic tone is used A lower case is used, this
in the heading of the shows a kind of humility.
poem. It is an Aphorism Uncle Sol is bad at
i had an uncle named
A capital letter is everything.
used to show Sol who was a born failure and
respect.
Musical
nearly everybody said he should have gone
entertainment that
contains comedy,
song and dance. into vaudeville perhaps because my Uncle Sol could
Contrasting ideas.
sing McCann He Was A Diver on Xmas Eve like Hell Itself which
Shows that he was
Name of a song.
bad at singing and
may or may not account for the fact that my Uncle
musical
Enjambment – Lack of certainty. entertainment
shows the “vaudeville”, maybe
illogical flow people just cheered
of Sol’s life. Sol indulged in that possibly most inexcusable him on because it
was Christmas.
of all to use a highfalootin phrase
Slang word for vain
luxuries that is or to Everyone told uncle Sol to do
Vaudeville, yet instead he goes
wit farming and be to do farming. It adds to the
All these extra words
humor of the poem, he never
indicate that there is a
did something that everyone
conversion flowing, just like it needlessly
told him that he was good at.
a person may stumble over
their words in added
conversation.
Repetition- emphasizes that he
knows uncle sol personally.
my Uncle Sol’s farm
“my” indicates possession and
personal relationship.
Of course, it failed, he was failed because the chickens
never good at farming
ate the vegetables so
my Uncle Sol had a
4|Page RJones
2026 English
poetry(16
select Poems)
,IEB Poetry 2023
Contents
Poetry ................................................................................................................................................. 3
Important Terminology .................................................................................................................. 3
Nobody loses all the time be E E Cummings ............................................................................. 4
Further Analysis ............................................................................................................................ 7
Touch by Hugh Lewin .................................................................................................................. 8
Further Analysis .......................................................................................................................... 11
The tenant by Na Ncube ............................................................................................................ 12
Further Analysis .......................................................................................................................... 14
Moving through the silent crowd by Stephen Spender .......................................................... 15
Further Analysis .......................................................................................................................... 17
For Oom Piet by Finuala Dowling ............................................................................................ 18
Further Analysis .......................................................................................................................... 20
Ozymandias by Percy Bysshe Shelley ....................................................................................... 22
Further Analysis .......................................................................................................................... 24
To me, fair friend, You can never be old by Shakespeare ...................................................... 25
Further Analysis .......................................................................................................................... 26
The rising sun by John Donne ................................................................................................... 27
Further Analysis .......................................................................................................................... 29
Cockroaches by Mauri Yambo ................................................................................................... 30
Further Analysis .......................................................................................................................... 32
Will it be so again? By Cecil Day-Lewis................................................................................... 33
1|Page RJones
,IEB Poetry 2023
Further Analysis .......................................................................................................................... 35
The Discardment by Alan Paton ............................................................................................... 36
Further Analysis .......................................................................................................................... 38
Remember by Christina Rosetti ................................................................................................ 39
Further Analysis .......................................................................................................................... 40
Go, lovely Rose by Edmund Waller .......................................................................................... 41
Further Analysis .......................................................................................................................... 43
Mirror by Silvia Plath ................................................................................................................. 44
Further Analysis .......................................................................................................................... 46
Namaqualand After Rain by William Plomer........................................................................... 47
Further Analysis .......................................................................................................................... 50
Strangers Forever by Amin Kassam .......................................................................................... 51
Further Analysis .......................................................................................................................... 53
2|Page RJones
,IEB Poetry 2023
Poetry
Important Terminology
When the poem is addressed to an
Apostrophe
intimate object.
Each line has ten syllables that have been
organised into stresses. The first stress is
weak and the second is strong, the first is
Iambic pentameter
called iambs and the opposite stress is
called trochaic. It is used to emphasise
words or vary the rhythm.
When there is a pause in the poem,
Caesura created by punctuation to mimic speech,
show hesitation or for emphasis.
A poem written to express the feelings of
Lyric
the poet.
Poems written in iambic pentameter with
Blank verse
no rhythm.
Free verse Poems with no rhythm.
Enjambment Run on lines.
• 3 Quatrains (4 lines).
• 1 rhyming couplet, this couplet
Elizabethan/Shakespearian sonnet shows the reason for the poem or
includes a lesson.
• Meter: iambic pentameter.
Two contrasting ideas placed close to
Juxtaposition
each other.
A figure of speech in which a part is made
Synecdoche
to represent a whole.
When the word order of the sentence is
messed up for a particular reason, such as
Inversion
to make the last word rhyme or for
emphasis.
A poem that mimics a song to give praise
Ode
to a person or situation.
Tone The writer’s feeling.
Mood The reader’s feeling.
3|Page RJones
, IEB Poetry 2023
Nobody loses all the time be E E Cummings
An optimistic tone is used A lower case is used, this
in the heading of the shows a kind of humility.
poem. It is an Aphorism Uncle Sol is bad at
i had an uncle named
A capital letter is everything.
used to show Sol who was a born failure and
respect.
Musical
nearly everybody said he should have gone
entertainment that
contains comedy,
song and dance. into vaudeville perhaps because my Uncle Sol could
Contrasting ideas.
sing McCann He Was A Diver on Xmas Eve like Hell Itself which
Shows that he was
Name of a song.
bad at singing and
may or may not account for the fact that my Uncle
musical
Enjambment – Lack of certainty. entertainment
shows the “vaudeville”, maybe
illogical flow people just cheered
of Sol’s life. Sol indulged in that possibly most inexcusable him on because it
was Christmas.
of all to use a highfalootin phrase
Slang word for vain
luxuries that is or to Everyone told uncle Sol to do
Vaudeville, yet instead he goes
wit farming and be to do farming. It adds to the
All these extra words
humor of the poem, he never
indicate that there is a
did something that everyone
conversion flowing, just like it needlessly
told him that he was good at.
a person may stumble over
their words in added
conversation.
Repetition- emphasizes that he
knows uncle sol personally.
my Uncle Sol’s farm
“my” indicates possession and
personal relationship.
Of course, it failed, he was failed because the chickens
never good at farming
ate the vegetables so
my Uncle Sol had a
4|Page RJones
