The Zulu Girl
Stanza 1
“red hot acres” “smoulder” “gang”
The poem begins with a fairly The word “gang”, as used in this
simple observed situation. The first connection, suggests that its
strong impression, is of the heat members have no individuality and
which scorches the landscape identity, and are treated like
where the Zulu girl is working. prisoners, and are being made to
With this, the speaker provides us undertake forced labour.
detail of her plight.
The acres are red – the Certainly, they have no personal
predominant colour of the African pride or pleasure in the work they
earth - but ‘hot red’. Take note that are doing, and are actually under
this is suggestive of the epithet some kind of the compulsion.
‘red hot’ - usually applied to
heated iron.
This, together with the metaphor of
‘smoulder,’ gives the impression
that the land is almost too hot to
bear. It is so parching that the hot
red acres – African landscape –
seem to be ready to burst into
flames.
These lines suggest that there is
an undercurrent of anger that is
building up amongst the oppressed
people in the country
“flings” “girl”
The word ‘flings’ suggests While the child feeds, the girl
impatience and exasperation, and passes her hand caressingly
can even be seen as an act of through his hair. It is significant
defiance of authority, which exacts perhaps that the mother is referred
her subjection, as she turns from to as a ‘girl’. This may suggest that
mass production to the she is not a wife and belongs to
responsibilities of reproduction. the vast number of black South
She unslings her child from her Africans who have lost their
shoulder. The child, besides being traditional ways of life and have
“tormented by flies” is also in need been caught up in the chaos of the
of nourishment, so the girl takes modern world.
him to a patch of thin shade
nearby to feed him at her breast.
“prowled” “ticks” and “purpled with the
blood”
Our attention is also held by the A detail which suggest the poverty
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, metaphor ‘prowled’, which and unhygienic conditions under
suggests that her fingers are like a which these labourers live.
fierce animal searching through We notice that her sharp nails are
the forest for its prey. ‘purpled with the blood” of the
parasites (ticks).
“sharp electric ticks” “plugged” and “like a puppy”
The sharp electric clicks are In stanza three, our attention is
produced when she finds a tick and turned towards different matters,
cracks it between her fingernails. but the choice of words is apt
This produces a sound like that again.
given off by an electric spark. Not We see, and hear that the baby’s
only does the metaphor give this mouth is ‘plugged’. He tugs at the
impression, but the sounds of the nipple: grunting as he feeds. The
word sequence ‘ticks’, electric, sequence of these vowel sounds
clicks also intensifies it. suggest the greediness (and
hunger) of the baby as he feeds,
and this is intensified in the animal
simile - ‘like a puppy’ - in which the
same vowel sound appears. The
baby is feeding greedily and
expressing his simple but deep
satisfaction.
This comparison is almost
derogatory in meaning as the child
is compared to a lowly dog – a
reference to the value attached to
the value of life of the African
population.
“ripple” “Like a broad river sighing through
its reeds.”
2|Page
Stanza 1
“red hot acres” “smoulder” “gang”
The poem begins with a fairly The word “gang”, as used in this
simple observed situation. The first connection, suggests that its
strong impression, is of the heat members have no individuality and
which scorches the landscape identity, and are treated like
where the Zulu girl is working. prisoners, and are being made to
With this, the speaker provides us undertake forced labour.
detail of her plight.
The acres are red – the Certainly, they have no personal
predominant colour of the African pride or pleasure in the work they
earth - but ‘hot red’. Take note that are doing, and are actually under
this is suggestive of the epithet some kind of the compulsion.
‘red hot’ - usually applied to
heated iron.
This, together with the metaphor of
‘smoulder,’ gives the impression
that the land is almost too hot to
bear. It is so parching that the hot
red acres – African landscape –
seem to be ready to burst into
flames.
These lines suggest that there is
an undercurrent of anger that is
building up amongst the oppressed
people in the country
“flings” “girl”
The word ‘flings’ suggests While the child feeds, the girl
impatience and exasperation, and passes her hand caressingly
can even be seen as an act of through his hair. It is significant
defiance of authority, which exacts perhaps that the mother is referred
her subjection, as she turns from to as a ‘girl’. This may suggest that
mass production to the she is not a wife and belongs to
responsibilities of reproduction. the vast number of black South
She unslings her child from her Africans who have lost their
shoulder. The child, besides being traditional ways of life and have
“tormented by flies” is also in need been caught up in the chaos of the
of nourishment, so the girl takes modern world.
him to a patch of thin shade
nearby to feed him at her breast.
“prowled” “ticks” and “purpled with the
blood”
Our attention is also held by the A detail which suggest the poverty
1|Page
, metaphor ‘prowled’, which and unhygienic conditions under
suggests that her fingers are like a which these labourers live.
fierce animal searching through We notice that her sharp nails are
the forest for its prey. ‘purpled with the blood” of the
parasites (ticks).
“sharp electric ticks” “plugged” and “like a puppy”
The sharp electric clicks are In stanza three, our attention is
produced when she finds a tick and turned towards different matters,
cracks it between her fingernails. but the choice of words is apt
This produces a sound like that again.
given off by an electric spark. Not We see, and hear that the baby’s
only does the metaphor give this mouth is ‘plugged’. He tugs at the
impression, but the sounds of the nipple: grunting as he feeds. The
word sequence ‘ticks’, electric, sequence of these vowel sounds
clicks also intensifies it. suggest the greediness (and
hunger) of the baby as he feeds,
and this is intensified in the animal
simile - ‘like a puppy’ - in which the
same vowel sound appears. The
baby is feeding greedily and
expressing his simple but deep
satisfaction.
This comparison is almost
derogatory in meaning as the child
is compared to a lowly dog – a
reference to the value attached to
the value of life of the African
population.
“ripple” “Like a broad river sighing through
its reeds.”
2|Page
