Ti me i s the 1960' s , dur i ng
Aparthei d. The ti tl e accuratel y C o ndi ti o n o f s eper ati o n fro m o ne' s l and, ho me o r peo pl e.
refl ects that the po em i s abo ut
bei ng “i n ex i l e”. The s peaker
In Exile
has fl ed hi s bi rth l and (o n hi s
o wn acco r d o n an O x fo rd
Uni ver s i ty Scho l ar s hi p i n the Arthur Nortje (1942-1970)
UK) & no w l i ves abr o ad, i n a
fo rei gn l and. He feel s as i f he
i s i n ex i l e. He i s al s o i n tw o
Burn with a sudden intensity
mi nds .
Open skies flare wide enough Image
Enjambment Stanz as 1-4: Many i mages that
to make me vaguely anxious. po i nt to the s peaker ' s year ni ng
to r eturn to hi s ho mel and.
Small storm-clouds “i” assonance
Thes e i mages al l s ugges t the
Nimbus* wisps
Enjambment po s i ti ve & upl i fti ng ro l e o f
“p” alliteration “a” assonance
Image
memo ry i n br i ngi ng abo ut
trace patterns of the past. co mfo r t.
C o ntr as t: The s peaker ' s dream o f
“e” assonance “t” alliteration
“paradi s e” (l i ne 14) evo ked by hi s
Wind sweeps between the towers Image 5 effo r ts to fi nd co mfo rt i n memo r y
To ne s hi fts : As the s peaker
Enjambment i s co ntr as ted w i th the awarenes s
mo ves betw een the pres ent (i n through tunnels, old and new. that “My heart i s /ho l l o wed w i th
ex i l e) and the pas t (memo ri es
“h” alliteration the bo o ts o f pas s i ng ti me” (l i nes
o f hi s ho me co untr y), the
My heart is 7-8).
s ens e o f es trangement fr o m Enjambment
bo th ex i l e and ho me i s Image o f the s peaker ' s heart
deepened. hollowed with the boots passing through. bei ng “ho l l o w ed” evo kes the
Memo ry can be damagi ng. no ti o n o f the hear t (memo r y)
Stanz as 1-4: The s peaker ' s bei ng “ho l l o w ed” o ut. The i dea
memo r i es o f hi s ti me i n SA “g” alliteration “a” assonance o f “the bo o ts pas s i ng thro ugh”
keep fl o o di ng back. Thes e Garments gather and play about the s peaker' s hear t i mpl y that
memo r i es are tri ggered by “t” alliteration Enjambment memo r y can no l o nger be a
what he o bs er ves i n a mo ment s o ur ce o f co mfo r t.
my limbs: they tremble to a return Image 10
o f i ntens e refl ecti o n whi l e Brief, strong rush of wind Passing
l i vi ng i n ex hi l e. Gust. Leaves and transient*
Enjambment
The po et us es many verbs “s” alliteration Call an image to mind
thr o ugho ut thi s po em to streetscape conjure up that southern
emphas i s e the i ntens i ty o f the Visual elements of
a street
acti o n whi ch he s ees aro und Enjambment Image
hi m, w hi ch acts as a pro mpt to
hi s memo ri es o f ho me that
blue sky and wind-beautiful
keep w el l i ng up.
Enjambment
Image: Impl i es that i deas abo ut the
day, creating paradise.
fi nal retur n can be entertai ned.
Otherwise: 15
the soul decays in exile.
C o nj uncti o n: The s peaker Li ne 17: As the po et tr i es to
“co mes do w n to ear th” wi th co nvey hi s feel i ngs o f po s s i bl e
the kno wl edge that he Conjunction “o” assonance ho meco mi ng thr o ugh memo ry, he
canno t ful fi l hi s deep, But wrong pigment has no scope, i s al s o i ntens el y aware o f the
no s tal gi c des i re to retur n hars h real i ty as s o ci ated w i th
ho me, becaus e o f l i ne 17. go i ng back to a pl ace (SA) wher e
so clot the blue channel of memory. Image
“wr o ng pi gment has no s co pe”.
“s” alliteration
On a sand slope Image: The s peaker mi ght as w el l
Stanz as 5-6: The s peaker ' s Enjambment er as e any memo r i es o f r eturn.
ho pe o f a ho meco mi ng i s
ki l l ed o ff al to gether by the I build a picture of the sea. 20
facts o f ho w co mpl ex the
Li nes 19-20: The s ame as “ bui l d
s i tuati o n i s i n hi s ho me
cas tl es i n the s ea” - a day-
co untry. Thes e two s tanz as
dr eamer.
pr es ents a real i ty check.
Aparthei d. The ti tl e accuratel y C o ndi ti o n o f s eper ati o n fro m o ne' s l and, ho me o r peo pl e.
refl ects that the po em i s abo ut
bei ng “i n ex i l e”. The s peaker
In Exile
has fl ed hi s bi rth l and (o n hi s
o wn acco r d o n an O x fo rd
Uni ver s i ty Scho l ar s hi p i n the Arthur Nortje (1942-1970)
UK) & no w l i ves abr o ad, i n a
fo rei gn l and. He feel s as i f he
i s i n ex i l e. He i s al s o i n tw o
Burn with a sudden intensity
mi nds .
Open skies flare wide enough Image
Enjambment Stanz as 1-4: Many i mages that
to make me vaguely anxious. po i nt to the s peaker ' s year ni ng
to r eturn to hi s ho mel and.
Small storm-clouds “i” assonance
Thes e i mages al l s ugges t the
Nimbus* wisps
Enjambment po s i ti ve & upl i fti ng ro l e o f
“p” alliteration “a” assonance
Image
memo ry i n br i ngi ng abo ut
trace patterns of the past. co mfo r t.
C o ntr as t: The s peaker ' s dream o f
“e” assonance “t” alliteration
“paradi s e” (l i ne 14) evo ked by hi s
Wind sweeps between the towers Image 5 effo r ts to fi nd co mfo rt i n memo r y
To ne s hi fts : As the s peaker
Enjambment i s co ntr as ted w i th the awarenes s
mo ves betw een the pres ent (i n through tunnels, old and new. that “My heart i s /ho l l o wed w i th
ex i l e) and the pas t (memo ri es
“h” alliteration the bo o ts o f pas s i ng ti me” (l i nes
o f hi s ho me co untr y), the
My heart is 7-8).
s ens e o f es trangement fr o m Enjambment
bo th ex i l e and ho me i s Image o f the s peaker ' s heart
deepened. hollowed with the boots passing through. bei ng “ho l l o w ed” evo kes the
Memo ry can be damagi ng. no ti o n o f the hear t (memo r y)
Stanz as 1-4: The s peaker ' s bei ng “ho l l o w ed” o ut. The i dea
memo r i es o f hi s ti me i n SA “g” alliteration “a” assonance o f “the bo o ts pas s i ng thro ugh”
keep fl o o di ng back. Thes e Garments gather and play about the s peaker' s hear t i mpl y that
memo r i es are tri ggered by “t” alliteration Enjambment memo r y can no l o nger be a
what he o bs er ves i n a mo ment s o ur ce o f co mfo r t.
my limbs: they tremble to a return Image 10
o f i ntens e refl ecti o n whi l e Brief, strong rush of wind Passing
l i vi ng i n ex hi l e. Gust. Leaves and transient*
Enjambment
The po et us es many verbs “s” alliteration Call an image to mind
thr o ugho ut thi s po em to streetscape conjure up that southern
emphas i s e the i ntens i ty o f the Visual elements of
a street
acti o n whi ch he s ees aro und Enjambment Image
hi m, w hi ch acts as a pro mpt to
hi s memo ri es o f ho me that
blue sky and wind-beautiful
keep w el l i ng up.
Enjambment
Image: Impl i es that i deas abo ut the
day, creating paradise.
fi nal retur n can be entertai ned.
Otherwise: 15
the soul decays in exile.
C o nj uncti o n: The s peaker Li ne 17: As the po et tr i es to
“co mes do w n to ear th” wi th co nvey hi s feel i ngs o f po s s i bl e
the kno wl edge that he Conjunction “o” assonance ho meco mi ng thr o ugh memo ry, he
canno t ful fi l hi s deep, But wrong pigment has no scope, i s al s o i ntens el y aware o f the
no s tal gi c des i re to retur n hars h real i ty as s o ci ated w i th
ho me, becaus e o f l i ne 17. go i ng back to a pl ace (SA) wher e
so clot the blue channel of memory. Image
“wr o ng pi gment has no s co pe”.
“s” alliteration
On a sand slope Image: The s peaker mi ght as w el l
Stanz as 5-6: The s peaker ' s Enjambment er as e any memo r i es o f r eturn.
ho pe o f a ho meco mi ng i s
ki l l ed o ff al to gether by the I build a picture of the sea. 20
facts o f ho w co mpl ex the
Li nes 19-20: The s ame as “ bui l d
s i tuati o n i s i n hi s ho me
cas tl es i n the s ea” - a day-
co untry. Thes e two s tanz as
dr eamer.
pr es ents a real i ty check.
