FULL NAMES:
STUDENT NUMBER:
MODULE CODE: AFL2603
MODULE NAME: LITERATURE AND SOCIETY A
PERSPECTIVE ON AFRICAN LITERATURE
ASSIGNMENT: 10 (ENGLISH)
SEMESTER 1_2025
, QUESTION 1: POETRY (CONTEXTUAL QUESTIONS)
1.1 Give one figure of speech and explain it in detail (2)
One prominent figure of speech in the poem Death Be Not Proud is personification.
The poet gives death human-like qualities by addressing it directly as though it were a
person. This technique makes death seem like a being that can feel pride or shame.
Using personification, the poet weakens death’s power, showing that it is not as
terrifying as people believe. The speaker challenges death’s authority and questions its
supposed strength, arguing that it is not as mighty as it is often perceived. This figure of
speech serves to diminish death’s hold over humanity, making it seem powerless.
1.2 ‘Death be not proud’. Identify the figure of speech used here. Give a reason
for your answer (3)
The phrase “Death be not proud” is an example of apostrophe. Apostrophe is a literary
device where a speaker directly addresses an absent person, an abstract concept, or
an inanimate object as if it were capable of responding. In this case, death is being
spoken to as though it were a conscious being. The reason this qualifies as apostrophe
is that death is not a living entity and cannot actually hear or respond. This technique
makes the poem more engaging and allows the speaker to challenge death’s power in
a direct and personal manner.
1.3 Identify the poetic device used in verses 4, 5, and 6. Give also its use (4)
The poetic device used in these lines is metaphor. The speaker compares death to
rest and sleep, suggesting that death is nothing more than a temporary state. Doing
this, the poet removes the fear associated with dying and presents it as something
peaceful and natural. The comparison to sleep reassures the reader that death is not a
final end but rather a passage to something beyond life. This approach aligns with the
poem’s overall argument that death does not hold the power it is believed to have.
1.4 Is the following statement TRUE or FALSE? Quote ONE word from the poem
to support your answer. Everyone fears Death. (2)
The statement is FALSE. The word that supports this answer is "poor" (line 4). The
speaker refers to death as "poor death," which implies that death is not something to be
feared but rather pitied. The use of this word suggests that death is weak and
STUDENT NUMBER:
MODULE CODE: AFL2603
MODULE NAME: LITERATURE AND SOCIETY A
PERSPECTIVE ON AFRICAN LITERATURE
ASSIGNMENT: 10 (ENGLISH)
SEMESTER 1_2025
, QUESTION 1: POETRY (CONTEXTUAL QUESTIONS)
1.1 Give one figure of speech and explain it in detail (2)
One prominent figure of speech in the poem Death Be Not Proud is personification.
The poet gives death human-like qualities by addressing it directly as though it were a
person. This technique makes death seem like a being that can feel pride or shame.
Using personification, the poet weakens death’s power, showing that it is not as
terrifying as people believe. The speaker challenges death’s authority and questions its
supposed strength, arguing that it is not as mighty as it is often perceived. This figure of
speech serves to diminish death’s hold over humanity, making it seem powerless.
1.2 ‘Death be not proud’. Identify the figure of speech used here. Give a reason
for your answer (3)
The phrase “Death be not proud” is an example of apostrophe. Apostrophe is a literary
device where a speaker directly addresses an absent person, an abstract concept, or
an inanimate object as if it were capable of responding. In this case, death is being
spoken to as though it were a conscious being. The reason this qualifies as apostrophe
is that death is not a living entity and cannot actually hear or respond. This technique
makes the poem more engaging and allows the speaker to challenge death’s power in
a direct and personal manner.
1.3 Identify the poetic device used in verses 4, 5, and 6. Give also its use (4)
The poetic device used in these lines is metaphor. The speaker compares death to
rest and sleep, suggesting that death is nothing more than a temporary state. Doing
this, the poet removes the fear associated with dying and presents it as something
peaceful and natural. The comparison to sleep reassures the reader that death is not a
final end but rather a passage to something beyond life. This approach aligns with the
poem’s overall argument that death does not hold the power it is believed to have.
1.4 Is the following statement TRUE or FALSE? Quote ONE word from the poem
to support your answer. Everyone fears Death. (2)
The statement is FALSE. The word that supports this answer is "poor" (line 4). The
speaker refers to death as "poor death," which implies that death is not something to be
feared but rather pitied. The use of this word suggests that death is weak and
