Child shot dead at nyanga.

● poem originally written in Afrikaans

Title :
– “the” is a definite article - indicating the significance of the child as a symbol as a
metaphor or inspiring force.
– “Child” - significant through connotations = innocence, harmless,naive
– “Who was shot dead” - shows us how fatal the shooting was
– “By soldiers” - soldiers is seen as plural , while “child” is seen as singular who’s been shot
dead by many .. connotation difference between the two and the fact that the soldiers are
plural makes the incident all the more problematic or upsetting or horrific
● “soldiers” = strong fighters , stop evil or negative forces - why are they interacting with
this child ? Child can’t be evil ?
– “nyanga” - gives us the setting of the poem , town in western cape.
● poem is therefore during apartheid and about the horrific actions that occurred in the
townships.
– title is seen as more of a fact due to the lack of the emotive language.
Stanza 1 :
– line 1 : an immediate contraction of the title as now the child is seen as not dead. The child
could be physically dead but spiritually seen as a force of inspiration. Draws us into the
poem
● “the child” is repeated in line 1 and 2 = anaphora - repetition of a word or phrase at the
start of lines : emphasizes the importance of the child and how the child is the root of the
future struggle , can also be seen as a mourning sign of pain and resistance ( repetition )
– line 2 : lifting of fist in a defined manner , fist is seen as fighting and resistance ( symbol )
– Line 3 : repetition of “screams” emphasizes the anguish which permeates South Africa ,
emphasizes the anguish of the protest and how the anti-apartheid resistors are desperate
for freedom and are fighting intensely for it and experiencing pain and sacrifice as a result
of the struggle
● “Africa” - evokes the struggle of the entire continent
● “Smell” - use of the sense makes the line more immersive and real for reader
● “Smell of freedom” - freedom is eminent, freedom is coming
! : the use of enjambment in line 3 & 4 - run of lines.
– line 4 : “heather” = felt : tells us more on the setting.
– Line 5 : “locations” is plural which indicates that many places feel this oppression of the
apartheid and opened up their wounds.
● “heart under siege” - they are oppressed,restricted and cut off
● Siege - when an opposing force surrounds something , used as a military tactic to cut of
necessities and supplies for survival.
● “Heart” - Heart isn’t just being oppressed , but the use of heart emphasizes the emotion
that is being felt as a result of this oppression.

Stanza 2 :
 – line 6 : “the child” is a metaphor of the symbol of freedom
● “fist & father” - alliteration indicates the fighting spirit
● “Mother” and “father” are associated with protection and care as it is their duty to look out
and shield their children. The fact that their child resists them can show how the being
who’s responsible for caring for its people ( South Africa ) is actually the force that’s
oppressing them. The child is the people oppressed , parents are the people running
South Africa.
– line 7 : all different people are uniting to resist , “March of the generation” = affects so
many people that they’re all uniting to resist
– Line 8 & 9 : repetition of “scream” , “blood” represents anger and pain and also represents
sacrifice and so this could symbolize the many sacrifices and the horrific consequences
that were endured when resisting the apartheid regime.
– Line 10 : “armed pride” are the anti-apartheid fighters , they are armed with a fighting and
determined spirit as a result of this child’s death with is haunting them and encouraging
them to fight this apartheid
● “pride” - they have this intense believe in their course. Gives the poem a sense of strength
and emphasizes the strength of the fighters.

Stanza 3 :
● stanza has a lot of negatives ( not , neither & nor ) = links to the listing of townships where
all atrocities transpired, emphasizes how the apartheid to subject South Africa to
oppression. Emphasizes that the spirit of freedom cannot be suppressed.
– line 11 : repetition for emphasis. Brings up the idea of physical and spiritual death. The
child is physically dead - this is reinforced with line 15 but he lives on in a spiritual sense
as he inspires the fight for justice
– Line 15 : paradox = contrast with the first line of the stanza. Emphasizes the fact that the
desire for freedom cannot be killed by bullets because it is something that is so
[Link] die until freedom is realized

Stanza 4 :
– line 16 : metaphor - he’s become a solider in a sense that he is fighting and inspiring this
fight for freedom. Shadow could also indicate how the soldier is perhaps haunted at the
killing of this child. Shadow hangs over the department of apartheid
– Line 17 : all objects associated with apartheid. They were there to protect the soldier and
not the child. Listing of weapons indicates the horrific nature of this crime against
peaceful protest.
– Line 18 : this child has inspired resistant parties to take up forces and to fight the brutality
they engage
– Line 19 : anaphora - the child and what he represents has an abundant influence and
permeates every individual in aspects of life and destiny.
● “Into hearts of mothers” - repetition of heart again. What he represents is featured on
such a deep level that it cannot be let go. The spirit of resistance is within people’s hearts ,
it’s not something to be taken away without a fight.
– line 20 : his only crime is wanting to play in the sun which makes the act more upsetting.
He wanted to do such an innocent thing and this emphasizes how the protestors aren’t
fighting for privileges but for basic rights.
 – Line 21 : the child was unfortunately not able to become a man in the physical sense but
what he represents was transformed and developed and grown
● “treks” - usually a struggle , represents the persistence and perseverance
● “All of Africa” - to the whole continent and the uniting spirits of Africans under oppression
and this fight against oppression.
● His spirit has also grown to inspire the entire continent and the entire world as seen in the
next line
– line 22 : he navigates to change the world to fight for what’s right

Stanza 5 :
“Without a pass” - the fact that it’s a singular line emphasizes the importance of it and the non-
conformity to constriction and oppression.
● irony : the protest is unbounded by apartheid measures , the spirit of resistance is
unyielding and strong. The sharpville massacre was about pass laws. The fact that it ends
with the idea that this child spirit and legacy can roam free without a pass which is ironic
since apartheid measured tried to limit and restrict people but it can never kill and limit
their spirit.

● lack of punctuation / enjambment - resembles that this is an occurring issue that haunts
South Africa , there’s no sense of closure and stop.
● Structure - free verse - rhythm reinforces the height and spirit of protest and anger -
enjambment represents the momentum of the struggle of apartheid is uncontrollable and
the lack of restriction - refrein at the start of stanza implies that that the child and the
memory of the child is central to the resistance movement.
● Tone - passionate , determined , inspired , confident
● Mood - hopeful and inspiring
● Theme - violence , oppression , brutality and resistance
● Message - showcase the strength of the anti-apartheid movement and the enduring
violence