ENG2602
ASSIGNMENT 3
ANSWERS 2025
ENG2602 ASSIGNMENT 3 ANSWERS
2025
, ENG2602 ASSIGNMENT: 03
QUESTION 1
Nightsong: City - An Analysis of Rest and Anxiety**
Dennis Brutus's "Nightsong: City" is a lullaby sung to a troubled land, a plea for
peace amidst the harsh realities of urban life. The poem encapsulates a desire for
tranquility while acknowledging the omnipresent threats of violence and fear.
Through carefully crafted imagery, metaphor, personification, and sound devices,
Brutus creates a powerful juxtaposition of rest and anxiety, revealing a complex and
poignant relationship with the city he addresses.
The poem opens with a seemingly gentle invitation: "sleep well, my love, sleep well."
This immediate repetition establishes a lullaby-like tone, a soothing call for rest and
peace. The endearment "my love" initially creates a sense of intimacy and
tenderness, suggesting a deep affection for the subject of the poem. However, this
initial serenity is immediately undercut by the imagery that follows. The "harbour
lights glaze at restless docks" presents a scene that is superficially calm, but the
word "restless" hints at underlying turmoil. Even the physical environment is imbued
with a sense of unease, foreshadowing the disruption of the desired peace. The
harbours lights glazing over the restless docks offer a paradox of tranquility and
agitation, foreshadowing the central theme of juxtaposed rest and anxiety.
The use of metaphor is crucial in establishing the pervasive anxiety within the city.
The image of "police cars cockroach through the tunnel streets" is particularly
striking. The comparison of police cars to cockroaches is a powerful and unflattering
ASSIGNMENT 3
ANSWERS 2025
ENG2602 ASSIGNMENT 3 ANSWERS
2025
, ENG2602 ASSIGNMENT: 03
QUESTION 1
Nightsong: City - An Analysis of Rest and Anxiety**
Dennis Brutus's "Nightsong: City" is a lullaby sung to a troubled land, a plea for
peace amidst the harsh realities of urban life. The poem encapsulates a desire for
tranquility while acknowledging the omnipresent threats of violence and fear.
Through carefully crafted imagery, metaphor, personification, and sound devices,
Brutus creates a powerful juxtaposition of rest and anxiety, revealing a complex and
poignant relationship with the city he addresses.
The poem opens with a seemingly gentle invitation: "sleep well, my love, sleep well."
This immediate repetition establishes a lullaby-like tone, a soothing call for rest and
peace. The endearment "my love" initially creates a sense of intimacy and
tenderness, suggesting a deep affection for the subject of the poem. However, this
initial serenity is immediately undercut by the imagery that follows. The "harbour
lights glaze at restless docks" presents a scene that is superficially calm, but the
word "restless" hints at underlying turmoil. Even the physical environment is imbued
with a sense of unease, foreshadowing the disruption of the desired peace. The
harbours lights glazing over the restless docks offer a paradox of tranquility and
agitation, foreshadowing the central theme of juxtaposed rest and anxiety.
The use of metaphor is crucial in establishing the pervasive anxiety within the city.
The image of "police cars cockroach through the tunnel streets" is particularly
striking. The comparison of police cars to cockroaches is a powerful and unflattering
