Thi s s ho rt, yet po w er ful po em, i mpl i es a pl ea fo r
vi o l ent r evo l uti o n/turn agai ns t apar thei d l aws .
The capi tal ' s ' i mpl i es that the wo r d Str i ki ngl y s haped hi l l o r s mal l
i s mo re than a deno tati o n ' to
In the Shadow of Signal Hill peak o verl o o ki ng the har bo ur o f
po vi de s hade' . It co nno tes a dark C ape To w n. Has been us ed as a
pl ace, co ul d be Ro bben Is l and, Essop Patel l o o ko ut po s t s i nce the earl y days
whi ch can be s een fro m Si gnal Hi l l . o f the C ape co l o ny. Fr o m i t, the
(1930-2007) vi ew er can s ee Ro bben Is l and.
The No o n Day Gun (a canno n) i s
s i tuated o n Si gnal Hi l l and
The i mages i n s tanz a 1 s ugges t
s ymbo l i z es the pas s i ng o f ti me.
darknes s , becaus e o f the wo r ds
“ho w l i ng wi nds ”, “murky Onomatopoeia
water s ” & dungeo n o f death”. in the howling wind Li nes 1-3 & 9-11: Anapho r i c: The
The atmo s pher e i s ho rr i bl e, Dark and dirty; unclear del i ber ate repeti ti o n o f a wo r d o r
dark & l o nel y i n pri s o n. by the murky waters phr as e at the begi nni ng o f s everal
co ns equi ti ve ver s es , cl aus es , o r
par agraphs .
of the sea
Children of different race
Li nes 6-8: Image o f chi l dr en To ne i n s tanz a 1: pl eadi ng,
fro m di ffer ent raci al
children of colour
mel o ncho l i c & s ympatheti c.
backgr o unds pl ayi ng o n the
beach o f C ape To w n, pi cki ng gather shells 5
up s hel l s & l i s teni ng to the
s o und co mi ng fr o m the s hel l s – and hold them to their ears
us ual l y s o unds l i ke w aves . “l” alliteration Songs expressing mourning, grief
Li nes 7-8: Image o f “s l aves ” and listen to the lamentations of slaves Al l us i o n: B o o k o f Lamentati o ns i s a
s ufferi ng, w eepi ng & mo ur ni ng Prison cells “d” alliteration po eti c bo o k o f the Hebr ew B i bl e. It
i n the “dungeo n o f death”, in the dungeon of death Metaphor mo urns the des tructi o n o f Jer us al em
whi ch i s a metapho r fo r the and the Ho l y Templ e i n the 6 t h
pr i s o n cel l s . century B C .
Onomatopoeia Tw o -fo l d meani ng: ex ampl e o f
in the howling wind l ex i cal po l ys emy: 1) B l ack to w ns hi p
To ne i n s tanz a 2: Dark and dirty; unclear o n the o uts ki r ts o f s ubur ban C ape
determi ned & s tr o ng- by the murky waters 10 To w n es tabl i s hed i n 1927. 2) A
w i l l ed/mi nded. tr i bute to a man cal l ed
of the sea Langal i bal el e - a chi ef and
Li nes 12-13: Image o f yo ung r eno wned rai nmaker - w ho i n 1873
peo pl e fr o m Langa gatheri ng w as i mpri s o ned o n Ro bben Is l and.
sons of langa
at what i s l eft o f di s tr i ct s i x
Two -fo l d meani ng: ex ampl e o f
after i ts o cci pants w er e evi cted
and bui l di ngs demo l i s hed gather at the ruins of district six l ex i cal po l ys emy: 1) The
i mpl ements /to o l s that wo ul d have
under the Gr o up Areas Act.
and sharpen the spears of the night been us ed by the Xho s a w ar ri ers . 2)
Li nes 15-16: Impl i es that the Prisoners
The bo di es o f the fi ghter s agai ns t
“hero es ” (pr i s o ners ) fr o m the apar thei d r egi me. It i s a battl e
and the heroes from the island urge 15
agai nts darknes s i n darknes s .
Ro bben Is l and have a burni ng,
Burning strongly & brightly
s tro ng des i r e fo r a new Ellipsis
go towards the fiery dawn ... Deno tes a bri ght co l o ured
begi nni ng, the end o f
s unri s e. C o nno tes the begi nni ng
Aparthei d.
o f a pheno meno n o r a peri o d o f
ti me.
Stanz a 2: The pri s o ner s ar e
r i s i ng as “her o es ” becaus e
they are fi ghti ng fo r thei r
fr eedo m and the end o f
Apar thei d.
vi o l ent r evo l uti o n/turn agai ns t apar thei d l aws .
The capi tal ' s ' i mpl i es that the wo r d Str i ki ngl y s haped hi l l o r s mal l
i s mo re than a deno tati o n ' to
In the Shadow of Signal Hill peak o verl o o ki ng the har bo ur o f
po vi de s hade' . It co nno tes a dark C ape To w n. Has been us ed as a
pl ace, co ul d be Ro bben Is l and, Essop Patel l o o ko ut po s t s i nce the earl y days
whi ch can be s een fro m Si gnal Hi l l . o f the C ape co l o ny. Fr o m i t, the
(1930-2007) vi ew er can s ee Ro bben Is l and.
The No o n Day Gun (a canno n) i s
s i tuated o n Si gnal Hi l l and
The i mages i n s tanz a 1 s ugges t
s ymbo l i z es the pas s i ng o f ti me.
darknes s , becaus e o f the wo r ds
“ho w l i ng wi nds ”, “murky Onomatopoeia
water s ” & dungeo n o f death”. in the howling wind Li nes 1-3 & 9-11: Anapho r i c: The
The atmo s pher e i s ho rr i bl e, Dark and dirty; unclear del i ber ate repeti ti o n o f a wo r d o r
dark & l o nel y i n pri s o n. by the murky waters phr as e at the begi nni ng o f s everal
co ns equi ti ve ver s es , cl aus es , o r
par agraphs .
of the sea
Children of different race
Li nes 6-8: Image o f chi l dr en To ne i n s tanz a 1: pl eadi ng,
fro m di ffer ent raci al
children of colour
mel o ncho l i c & s ympatheti c.
backgr o unds pl ayi ng o n the
beach o f C ape To w n, pi cki ng gather shells 5
up s hel l s & l i s teni ng to the
s o und co mi ng fr o m the s hel l s – and hold them to their ears
us ual l y s o unds l i ke w aves . “l” alliteration Songs expressing mourning, grief
Li nes 7-8: Image o f “s l aves ” and listen to the lamentations of slaves Al l us i o n: B o o k o f Lamentati o ns i s a
s ufferi ng, w eepi ng & mo ur ni ng Prison cells “d” alliteration po eti c bo o k o f the Hebr ew B i bl e. It
i n the “dungeo n o f death”, in the dungeon of death Metaphor mo urns the des tructi o n o f Jer us al em
whi ch i s a metapho r fo r the and the Ho l y Templ e i n the 6 t h
pr i s o n cel l s . century B C .
Onomatopoeia Tw o -fo l d meani ng: ex ampl e o f
in the howling wind l ex i cal po l ys emy: 1) B l ack to w ns hi p
To ne i n s tanz a 2: Dark and dirty; unclear o n the o uts ki r ts o f s ubur ban C ape
determi ned & s tr o ng- by the murky waters 10 To w n es tabl i s hed i n 1927. 2) A
w i l l ed/mi nded. tr i bute to a man cal l ed
of the sea Langal i bal el e - a chi ef and
Li nes 12-13: Image o f yo ung r eno wned rai nmaker - w ho i n 1873
peo pl e fr o m Langa gatheri ng w as i mpri s o ned o n Ro bben Is l and.
sons of langa
at what i s l eft o f di s tr i ct s i x
Two -fo l d meani ng: ex ampl e o f
after i ts o cci pants w er e evi cted
and bui l di ngs demo l i s hed gather at the ruins of district six l ex i cal po l ys emy: 1) The
i mpl ements /to o l s that wo ul d have
under the Gr o up Areas Act.
and sharpen the spears of the night been us ed by the Xho s a w ar ri ers . 2)
Li nes 15-16: Impl i es that the Prisoners
The bo di es o f the fi ghter s agai ns t
“hero es ” (pr i s o ners ) fr o m the apar thei d r egi me. It i s a battl e
and the heroes from the island urge 15
agai nts darknes s i n darknes s .
Ro bben Is l and have a burni ng,
Burning strongly & brightly
s tro ng des i r e fo r a new Ellipsis
go towards the fiery dawn ... Deno tes a bri ght co l o ured
begi nni ng, the end o f
s unri s e. C o nno tes the begi nni ng
Aparthei d.
o f a pheno meno n o r a peri o d o f
ti me.
Stanz a 2: The pri s o ner s ar e
r i s i ng as “her o es ” becaus e
they are fi ghti ng fo r thei r
fr eedo m and the end o f
Apar thei d.
