Grade 11 and Grade 12 IEB Poems 2025
Answers
1. To me, fair friend, you never can be old Shakespeare
2. The Sun Rising Donne
3. The Discardment Paton
4. Namaqualand after Rain Plomer
5. Touch Lewin
6. For Oom Piet Dowling
7. The Tenant Ngulube
8. Cockroaches Yambo
9. Strangers forever Kassam
10. Ozymandias of Egypt Shelley
11. Moving through the silent crowd Spender
12. Mirror Plath
13. Go, lovely Rose Waller
14. Will it be so again? Lewis
15. Remember Rossetti
16. nobody loses all the time Cummings
, Sonnet 104
To me, fair friend, you can never be old – Shakespeare
1. The central theme of the poem "To me, fair friend, you never can be old" revolves
around the timeless nature of beauty and the speaker's perception of the fair
friend's eternal youthfulness.
2. The speaker perceives the aging process as an illusion when it comes to the fair
friend, insisting that, in their eyes, the friend remains perpetually young and
beautiful, unaffected by the passage of time.
3. The changing seasons serve as a metaphor for the passage of time, with the
speaker describing how three cold winters, three springs, and three summers
turning to autumn have transpired since the initial encounter with the fair
friend.
4. The imagery of "Three April perfumes in three hot Junes burned" suggests the
fleeting nature of time and the intense, ephemeral beauty associated with the
fair friend, emphasizing the temporality of life and love.
5. The concept of beauty is portrayed as timeless in the speaker's perception, as the
fair friend's attractiveness remains constant despite the natural progression of
time.
6. The comparison of beauty to a "dial-hand" implies a subtle, gradual loss of
beauty over time, where the change is imperceptible, contributing to the
speaker's contemplation of the fair friend's agelessness.
7. The line "Ere you were born was beauty’s summer dead" emphasizes the
exceptional nature of the fair friend's beauty, suggesting that even before their
birth, the world had already experienced the pinnacle of beauty.
8. The speaker addresses the fear of deception in the perception of beauty by
acknowledging the potential for the eye to be deceived by the motion and
changes that might occur over time.
9. The poem explores the timeless nature of the fair friend's beauty by
emphasizing its consistency despite the passing of seasons and years.
10. Sensory imagery, such as sight with "Three winters cold" and smell with "April
perfumes," is used to vividly convey the temporal progression, engaging the
reader's senses in the experience of time.
11. The changing seasons serve as a symbolic representation of the passage of time,
illustrating the speaker's journey alongside the fair friend through various
stages of life.
12. The speaker expresses the idea that beauty may deceive the observer by
acknowledging the potential for the eye to be misled and the perception of
beauty to be subjective.
13. The tone of the poem is contemplative, with a sense of awe and admiration for
the fair friend's enduring beauty, coupled with a subtle undercurrent of anxiety
about the potential for deception.
14. The poem addresses the concept of mortality by acknowledging the inevitable
aging process but counters it with the idea that the fair friend's beauty defies
the conventional course of time.
15. The metaphor "Ah, yet doth beauty, like a dial-hand" suggests the subtle and
gradual erosion of beauty, drawing parallels between the delicate movements of
a clock's hand and the imperceptible changes in the fair friend's appearance.
, 16. The speaker conveys a mix of admiration, awe, and a hint of anxiety about the
passage of time, creating an emotionally rich narrative that reflects on the
nature of beauty and aging.
17. The speaker addresses the fair friend directly through intimate language,
emphasizing the personal connection and the depth of the speaker's emotions.
18. The line "For fear of which, hear this, thou age unbred" addresses the fear of
deception, urging the fair friend to listen to the speaker's thoughts on the
timeless nature of their beauty.
19. Repetition, such as the recurrence of the number three and the seasons, creates a
rhythmic structure, reinforcing the themes of time and eternity.
20. The structured form of the poem, likely a Shakespearean sonnet, contributes
to the exploration of the theme of eternal beauty by providing a formal
framework for the speaker's contemplation and reflection on the fair friend's
agelessness.
The sun rising - John Donne
1. In the opening lines of the poem, the speaker addresses the sun as a "busy old
fool" and an "unruly Sun," questioning its intrusive presence in their lives.
2. The speaker complains about the sun's behavior of calling on them through
windows and curtains, suggesting that the sun disrupts the lovers' privacy and
moments of intimacy.
3. Throughout the poem, the speaker personifies the sun by attributing human
qualities to it, such as being saucy, pedantic, and capable of being chided. This
personification serves to emphasize the speaker's frustration with the sun's
interference.
4. The speaker suggests that the sun's motions dictate the seasons for lovers,
indicating a frustration with the external forces that seem to govern the timing
of romantic moments.
5. The term "Saucy pedantic wretch" is used by the speaker to mock and criticize
the sun for its impudent and intrusive behavior. It adds a humorous and
disdainful tone to the speaker's address to the sun.
6. The speaker dismisses the traditional concept of time and seasons in relation to
love, asserting that love knows no boundaries set by hours, days, months, or any
temporal divisions.
7. The speaker challenges the sun's authority by describing it as a "wretch" and
instructing it to go and reprimand schoolboys and apprentices, emphasizing that
it has no control over matters of love.
8. Humor and sarcasm are evident in the speaker's characterization of the sun as a
"saucy pedantic wretch" and in their mockery of the sun's duties, such as telling
court-huntsmen about the king's ride.
9. The speaker undermines the importance of worldly duties and obligations,
suggesting that the sun's duty to warm the world pales in comparison to the
warmth and joy brought by love.
10. The line "Love, all alike, no season knows, nor clime" expresses the idea that love is
universal and transcends the limitations imposed by seasons, geography, and
time.
Answers
1. To me, fair friend, you never can be old Shakespeare
2. The Sun Rising Donne
3. The Discardment Paton
4. Namaqualand after Rain Plomer
5. Touch Lewin
6. For Oom Piet Dowling
7. The Tenant Ngulube
8. Cockroaches Yambo
9. Strangers forever Kassam
10. Ozymandias of Egypt Shelley
11. Moving through the silent crowd Spender
12. Mirror Plath
13. Go, lovely Rose Waller
14. Will it be so again? Lewis
15. Remember Rossetti
16. nobody loses all the time Cummings
, Sonnet 104
To me, fair friend, you can never be old – Shakespeare
1. The central theme of the poem "To me, fair friend, you never can be old" revolves
around the timeless nature of beauty and the speaker's perception of the fair
friend's eternal youthfulness.
2. The speaker perceives the aging process as an illusion when it comes to the fair
friend, insisting that, in their eyes, the friend remains perpetually young and
beautiful, unaffected by the passage of time.
3. The changing seasons serve as a metaphor for the passage of time, with the
speaker describing how three cold winters, three springs, and three summers
turning to autumn have transpired since the initial encounter with the fair
friend.
4. The imagery of "Three April perfumes in three hot Junes burned" suggests the
fleeting nature of time and the intense, ephemeral beauty associated with the
fair friend, emphasizing the temporality of life and love.
5. The concept of beauty is portrayed as timeless in the speaker's perception, as the
fair friend's attractiveness remains constant despite the natural progression of
time.
6. The comparison of beauty to a "dial-hand" implies a subtle, gradual loss of
beauty over time, where the change is imperceptible, contributing to the
speaker's contemplation of the fair friend's agelessness.
7. The line "Ere you were born was beauty’s summer dead" emphasizes the
exceptional nature of the fair friend's beauty, suggesting that even before their
birth, the world had already experienced the pinnacle of beauty.
8. The speaker addresses the fear of deception in the perception of beauty by
acknowledging the potential for the eye to be deceived by the motion and
changes that might occur over time.
9. The poem explores the timeless nature of the fair friend's beauty by
emphasizing its consistency despite the passing of seasons and years.
10. Sensory imagery, such as sight with "Three winters cold" and smell with "April
perfumes," is used to vividly convey the temporal progression, engaging the
reader's senses in the experience of time.
11. The changing seasons serve as a symbolic representation of the passage of time,
illustrating the speaker's journey alongside the fair friend through various
stages of life.
12. The speaker expresses the idea that beauty may deceive the observer by
acknowledging the potential for the eye to be misled and the perception of
beauty to be subjective.
13. The tone of the poem is contemplative, with a sense of awe and admiration for
the fair friend's enduring beauty, coupled with a subtle undercurrent of anxiety
about the potential for deception.
14. The poem addresses the concept of mortality by acknowledging the inevitable
aging process but counters it with the idea that the fair friend's beauty defies
the conventional course of time.
15. The metaphor "Ah, yet doth beauty, like a dial-hand" suggests the subtle and
gradual erosion of beauty, drawing parallels between the delicate movements of
a clock's hand and the imperceptible changes in the fair friend's appearance.
, 16. The speaker conveys a mix of admiration, awe, and a hint of anxiety about the
passage of time, creating an emotionally rich narrative that reflects on the
nature of beauty and aging.
17. The speaker addresses the fair friend directly through intimate language,
emphasizing the personal connection and the depth of the speaker's emotions.
18. The line "For fear of which, hear this, thou age unbred" addresses the fear of
deception, urging the fair friend to listen to the speaker's thoughts on the
timeless nature of their beauty.
19. Repetition, such as the recurrence of the number three and the seasons, creates a
rhythmic structure, reinforcing the themes of time and eternity.
20. The structured form of the poem, likely a Shakespearean sonnet, contributes
to the exploration of the theme of eternal beauty by providing a formal
framework for the speaker's contemplation and reflection on the fair friend's
agelessness.
The sun rising - John Donne
1. In the opening lines of the poem, the speaker addresses the sun as a "busy old
fool" and an "unruly Sun," questioning its intrusive presence in their lives.
2. The speaker complains about the sun's behavior of calling on them through
windows and curtains, suggesting that the sun disrupts the lovers' privacy and
moments of intimacy.
3. Throughout the poem, the speaker personifies the sun by attributing human
qualities to it, such as being saucy, pedantic, and capable of being chided. This
personification serves to emphasize the speaker's frustration with the sun's
interference.
4. The speaker suggests that the sun's motions dictate the seasons for lovers,
indicating a frustration with the external forces that seem to govern the timing
of romantic moments.
5. The term "Saucy pedantic wretch" is used by the speaker to mock and criticize
the sun for its impudent and intrusive behavior. It adds a humorous and
disdainful tone to the speaker's address to the sun.
6. The speaker dismisses the traditional concept of time and seasons in relation to
love, asserting that love knows no boundaries set by hours, days, months, or any
temporal divisions.
7. The speaker challenges the sun's authority by describing it as a "wretch" and
instructing it to go and reprimand schoolboys and apprentices, emphasizing that
it has no control over matters of love.
8. Humor and sarcasm are evident in the speaker's characterization of the sun as a
"saucy pedantic wretch" and in their mockery of the sun's duties, such as telling
court-huntsmen about the king's ride.
9. The speaker undermines the importance of worldly duties and obligations,
suggesting that the sun's duty to warm the world pales in comparison to the
warmth and joy brought by love.
10. The line "Love, all alike, no season knows, nor clime" expresses the idea that love is
universal and transcends the limitations imposed by seasons, geography, and
time.
