poetry essay on a young man's thoughts before june 16

A Young Mans Thoughts Before June 16 | Summary and Analysis

Critical appreciation of a young mans thoughts before june 16 by fhazel johannesse.

A Young Man’s Thoughts Before June 16 by Fhazel Johannesse is a poem written from the point of view of a young boy on the day before his death. He knows what will happen to him on June 16, and he writes a lament for himself and all the others who will share the same fate as him.

This 13-line poem is written as a single run-on thought that the boy has, and this poem lacks any sort of punctuation or capitalisation.  The poem is written in free verse , with no established structure or rhyme scheme. It fully represents a child’s thoughts going on and on without pause or regulation. This poem employs the use of enjambment , and we can see how the thoughts of this child bleed past a single line and do not end where the line ends.

A Young MansThoughts Before June 16 |  Historical Background

To understand this poem, one first needs to recognise its place in history. The poet is South African, and he is writing about the thoughts of a young person as June 16 approaches.

On June 16 1976, the black school children of South Africa held a peaceful protest against the education policies that would force them to have Afrikaans as a medium of instruction in their schools. This was brought about by the Apartheid regime, as Afrikaans was the official language of the oppressors at that time.

The Apartheid was a system that maintained segregation between the white and non-white population of South Africa. The all-white government formed by the National Party that came into power in 1948 was the key player in further enforcing the pre-existing racist policies of segregation .

The movement on June 16 is called the Soweto Uprising , and the children protested against the “ Afrikaans Medium Decree ” that made all schools use both Afrikaans and English equally. The government was full of people from a heritage that spoke Afrikaans, and they wanted to reverse the decline of the use of Afrikaans in the country, and made it an official language of South Africa, even though the black population of South Africa objected to this.

The Soweto Uprising had students marching in protest, and police soon began shooting directly at them. This led to a massacre that ended with over one thousand students being killed at the hands of this government. This went on between 16 and 17 June 1976 and led to national and international outrage, as well as overflowing emergency rooms. Black children were killed ruthlessly so that the government could prove its power over the population. Now, Youth Day is celebrated every year on June 16 in South Africa.

tomorrow i travel on a road that winds to the top of the hill i take with me only the sweet memories of my youth my heart aches for my mother for friday nights with friends around a table with broad belch of beer i ask only for a sad song sung by a woman with downturned eyes and strummed by an old man with a broken brow o sing my sad song sing for me for my sunset is drenched with red.

Reading the poem with the abovementioned background in mind, understanding it becomes a lot easier, and the pain of the poet is clearly visible in his lament. The poem is titled “ A young thoughts ..” which shows that this is a type of reflection – a sort of readiness and understanding of what is to come. The child says that he is going to make a journey for which he carries only the memories of his childhood. He already misses his family, and yearns to have a normal life again. But now, all he asks is to be remembered, to have a sorrowful woman sing a dirge in his name, because he knows he is walking toward the deaths of thousands, his own included.

“ I travel a road that winds to the top of the hill ” represents the long, arduous journey he is about to make as he protests the unfair laws of a government that does not care for his people. The top of the hill may represent the end of the journey, and thus the end of his life. This walk is one that he takes with the sweet memories of the life he is forced to leave behind, of having fun with friends and spending time with his family.

Though he has not left yet, he already misses his mother, and his heart aches with the knowledge of what his death would do to her. No parent deserves to have their child die, and this young child already knows the heartache his parents will go through as they mourn him. He misses the way he was able to be carefree, and the use of “ broad belch of beer ” ( Alliteration ) shows how he has fun on his nights out with his friends, and how he is still just a child forced to live through an event he should never have to witness, let alone participate in.

However, he has no desire to be forgotten. He wants his death to be for a good reason, and to be respected. He leaves his life behind with a single request, for a funeral with a woman who sings for him, and a man who plays the accompaniment. The sorrow he leaves behind will be reflected in their music, as he lies six feet under the Earth.

The final line of this poem “ for my sunset is drenched in red ” is in reference to the slaughter of more than a thousand children. The sunset is the end of the day, and here, it is the end of all his days on Earth. This end, however, will not be simple, as it will be part of a much bigger massacre. His sunset will be drenched with the blood of all the children who died alongside him.

The narrator of this story has accepted the role he is forced to play in this, and he speaks as though he knows what is coming. He is so young and is completely undeserving of this. This poem shows us the pain and suffering the black children of Soweto were forced to go through purely because of a racist government. They did not deserve this, and what they deserved was equality, education, and long, fruitful lives.

A Young Man’s Thoughts Before June 16 | About the Author

Fhazel Johannesse was born in 1956, in Johannesburg, South Africa.

Most of his writing was between the 1970s and 1980s, and he is an activist who supports the rights and dignity of black people. He is vehemently against racism and believes in equality for all. It is unfortunate to note that not very much more is known of him.

Johannesse was the co-editor of the magazine “ Wietie ” in the 1980s, built around giving a voice to a new generation of aspiring black writers. This was a magazine themed around Black Consciousness, but it did not last long as it was banned by the Apartheid government.

Some well-known works of his are the poem “ The Night Train ” and the collection of poems “ The Rainmaker .”

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1710249925103-4.13. Poem 2 - a young man's thoughts before june the 16th (Fhazel Johennesse)

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These Exam Success single poem study notes, questions and answers provide extra exam support for one of the English poems prescribed by the South African Department of Basic Education for the final Grade 12 examinations. Included are study notes on what the poem is about (summary and themes) and the way the poem is written (form and poetic techniques), exam-style questions and answers to help you practise for the South African Grade 12 final literature exams. Boost your confidence and ensure you are prepared for the exam by making use of these notes.

The specification in this catalogue, including without limitation price, format, extent, number of illustrations, and month of publication, was as accurate as possible at the time the catalogue was compiled. Due to contractual restrictions, we reserve the right not to supply certain territories.

English Home Language : Poem: A young man’s Thoughts before June 16th – Fhazel Johennesse Grade:10

Poetry: a young mans thoughts before  June 16th  https://1drv.ms/p/s!AlPK8M3vOaO-gh4xM6w-XOuwDwy3

Instructions:  

Below I’ve provided you with six pictures with words/ phrases below. Before you proceed to the task phase of this lesson.

1.      Below each picture/ flash card the correct word/phrase has been given (all of them are from the poem that is to follow).

2.      Now you have 15 minutes to analyse all the pictures/phrases. 

3.      Create a mind map to link everything, create a suitable title and theme for the poem using your imagination:

4.      Finally once you’ve analysed  the pictures and phrases and come to a conclusion write a summary about your main topic.

https://1drv.ms/w/s!AlPK8M3vOaO-ghwXI5xCjE4KuqCl

Background notes on poet:

Fazel Johennesse (1954 –) is a South African poet. He wrote most of his poetry during the 1970s and early 1980s. He and the poet Chris van Wyk started a Black Consciousness (a movement that promoted an awareness of the dignity and rights of black people, started by Steve Biko) literary magazine, Witie, which gave a voice to young aspirant black writers. However, the magazine was short-lived, as it was banned by the apartheid government.

On 16 June 1976, high school children from Soweto marched to protest against the government law that half of their schooling had to be in Afrikaans, which they saw as the language of the apartheid leaders and oppressors. The police shot live bullets and teargas, and many were injured or killed. After this tragic episode many young people went into exile to join the underground resistance. In this poem, Johennesse imagines himself as one of those teenagers the day before the event, foreseeing the tragedy that will take place.

➢  The horror that awaited young protesters on June 16th. It is told from the perspective of the young man who could possibly die in the violence that ensued on that day.

➢  It is also a scathing comment on the apartheid regime. Tone

It can be seen as an elegy, because of its sad, mournful tone.

It also has the characteristics of a lyric as it expresses the poet’s feelings.

   Nostalgia 

melancholy . 

. acceptance

➢  The student looks to tomorrow; the day of the protest. ‘i’ suggests the student’s insignificance in the perspective of improving education for all non- white school goers and his acceptance of the sacrifice he will make to achieve this.

➢  That the student will ‘travel on a road’ suggests the well-known metaphor of life being a journey.

    ➢   ➢   ➢

➢   ➢

The student’s journey in life is full of difficulty, as suggested by ‘winds’ and ‘hill’.

It also suggests the student’s determination as persistence is needed to navigate a winding, uphill road.

The student’s life is aimed at achieving a specific goal or summative achievement, in this case the improvement of non-white education.

–  Line 4:

The student takes only his memories on the winding road for comfort. The memories are clearly important to the speaker which emphasises the importance of the human aspects of the protest rather than the political.

  Line 5:

➢  The student realises the heartache and grief his death will bring to his mother.

➢  The student longs for a time when his life was simpler, and for the social presence of his friends. This shows the student to possess strong interpersonal bonds.

➢  The student recollects a simple instance with friends.

➢  This further emphasises that the student is merely a normal young man. Line 8:

➢  In remembrance the student asks only that he be mourned with a song.

➢  This may suggest that he wishes his friends and family not to grieve for long

over his passing.

   Line 9:

  ➢  The women who is to sing for him (assumedly his mother) has downturned eyes.

➢  This could either be seen as a way to hide her grief or as a sign of submission to the oppressor (the apartheid government).

➢  The student would also have an old man (assumedly his father) to grieve by means of the song.

➢  The man has a ‘broken brow’. This may suggest physical scarring but may also suggest that it is furrowed from emotion.

➢  This may be from the grief of the student’s death or from the years of oppression suffered under apartheid.

➢  The student asks others to sing for him which may suggest that he is already dead, as he cannot sing for himself.

➢  The student describes the end of his life (‘sunset’) as red. Red has connotations of anger, passion, blood and violence, all of which detail the occurrences during the protest.

➢  ‘Drenched’ suggests his complete hopelessness of escape from the violence and bloodshed. It also adds to the image of blood and suggests a large number of death.

Answers: Pictionary 

For this activity I will allow learners to be creative and use their imagination. So there is no right or wrong answer, however they should be able to identify the use of figures of speech, and make meaningful conclusions with regard to the poem.

1.      The word and phrases has a negative association.

2.      The phrase “drenched in red refers to blood”

3.      The imagery created is mournful or of a funeral. 

4.      A familiar image of a celebrated South African  public holiday (June16th) is used.

5.      The poem relates to the death of a young man at the hands of the apartheid regime 

6.      The poem is about student unrest that lead to the death of Hector Petersen.

7.      The figure of speech used in image 5 is alliteration 

8.      The phrase “downturned eyes” evokes a sad crying imagery 

Post-reading activity :

a young man’s thoughts before june 16th – Fhazel Johennesse 

Answer the following questions in full sentences (unless stated otherwise).

Please write neatly and legibly.

1) Identify three things that the poet knows he will give up once he embarks on his journey of protest.                                                                                 (3)

2) Match the lines in the table below with their literary characteristics.    (5)

3. Discuss the context in which this poem was written.                              (3)

4. What is the meaning of the last two lines of the poem?                           (5)

5. Explain the meaning and effectiveness of the enjambement in lines 3-4? 

                                                                                                                              (2)

6. Comment on the tone of the poem.                                                             (2)

Refer to line(s) 8,9 and 12.    

7.Why is the letter ‘s’ so significant?                                                                (1)

8. What do you think the meaning of ‘sunset’ in line 13 is?                         (2)

9. Comment on the title of the poem, what do you think the speaker was feeling?                                                                                                                 (2)

10. In two full  sentences tell me what you know about June 16th.              (2)

                    Memorandum :

1.      His Youth*, his mother*, and his friends*.                                      (3)

2.       

3.      This poem was written during the time of apartheid some time after the event of June 16th 1976.* School children took to the streets in protest against the law of that time which insisted that learners be taught half their schooling in Afrikaans, a language which they identified strongly with oppression* The young man in the poem foresees the tragic events of that day in which many school children were killed by police.(3)

4.      In the last two lines the young man indicated that he may die in the protest march* and therefore he will not be able to sing the song himself* he mentions his ‘sunset’.**                                                      (5)

5.      Enjambement- sentences are not punctuated (implies confusion and uncertainty about the future).* The speaker does not know what will happen on June 16th(tomorrow).*                                                         (2)

6.      The tone is sad or mournful and is created by the diction*. 

Negative connotation.*

Melancholy.*

Sense of loss,pain and suffering**.                                                       (1)

7.      The ‘a’ sound/letter emphasises the sadness portrayed in the poem.**

                                                                                                                   (2)

      8. At the end of the day the sunsets and at the end of ones life you die, so sunset refers to the death of the speaker after he will protest tomorrow he will die a violent death.7

      9. The title of the poem gives you more information about the content of the  poem, just by looking at the title we know that theporn is from the perspective of a young man and this before June 16th. *

        The title is written in lowercase letters and has no punctuation.*

   10.It is a public holiday in South Africa. On this day high school children    from Soweto marched to protest against   the government law that half their schooling had to be in Afrikaans and see Afrikaans as the language of the apartheid leaders and oppressors.

Creative writing homework activity :

 Choose one of the following pictures below and write either a poem or a friendly letter. Write the question number (1 or 2) and give your poem or friendly letter a title.

Please note: Thwre must be a clear link between the poem “a young man’s thoughts before june 16th and your poem/friendly letter.

1.      Poem – Select one of the pictures below and write a poem to the world in which you express your anger and frustration towards oppression, injustice and ignorance. You may use analogies like the current unrest in Palestine, the 2020 Black Lives Matter movement etc .Your poem should consist of at least two stanzas. Make use of figures of speech and create a theme(s) for your poem. Use the picture as your key element.

2.      Friendly letter- choose one of the pictures and write a friendly letter to the president of South Africa, in which you kindly ask him to the action against  oppression and injustice. Explain your fear and anger towards this sensitive topic. Use the picture as your guide .

The poet places himself in the shoes of one of the teenagers who participated in the Soweto uprising of June 16, 1976. He sees himself the day before the event, foreseeing the tragedy that is due to erupt.

Notice how the poet portrays a hum-drum, happy-go-lucky life of the innocent victims of the brutality that was about to happen.

After taking power in South Africa in 1948, the National Party systematically worked on its plan of social engineering which it called Apartheid. The goal was to divide every aspect of the country along racial lines, and create homelands for the Black population.

In 1953 the Bantu Education Act introduced this plan into the schools. The aim was to educate the Black youth into becoming permanent servants.

"There is no place for the African in the European community above the level of certain forms of labour," stated Dr H.F. Verwoerd, the architect of Bantu Education. "It is of no avail for him to receive a training which has as its aim, absorption in the European community."

Initial protest against Bantu Education was minimal, with only the Catholic Church mounting spirited opposition.

By the 1970s, however, the Apartheid system itself was beginning to show cracks. Furthermore, the rapidly developing industrial state needed educated youth. The schools that were created in Soweto to meet this demand, however, became the melting pot for opposition to Bantu Education.

On 16 June 1976, high school children from Soweto began a protest march for a better education system. Their banners centred on their hatred at being forced to undertake 50% of their schooling through the medium of Afrikaans which they regarded as the language of oppression.

The police intervened, attempting to disperse the youth by means of teargas and live bullets. The resultant massacre of the youth became the rallying point for rolling mass-action that would eventually see the end of the hated Apartheid system.

June 16 (Soweto Day) is now a public holiday in South Africa, under the title of Youth Day .

Unfortunately, we have absolutely no information about the poet -- or even a photograph of him. If anyone could help us, we would be extremely grateful.

Have you looked at the questions in the right column?

Read the left column and then answer the following questions: what happened on june 16 why is this date important in the poet's memory (6) [need help] you need only read the notes to be able to answer this question..

• What is the "road that winds to the top of the hill" ? (4)
• What do we call this "sad song" ? (2)
• "the broad belch of beer"  (3)
• "a sad song sung by a woman"  (3)
• "strummed by an old man with a broken brow"  (3)
• "o sing my sad song sing for me"  (3)

This document is copyrighted. No part of it may be reproduced in any form whatever without explicit permission in writing from the author. The sole exception is for educational institutions which may wish to reproduce it as a handout for their students.

Contact the english 4 africa subject coordinator.

English poetry

Sunday 21 april 2013, a young man's thoughts before june 16.

• Whose funeral is he lamenting? (2)
• Comment on the words which the poet uses to highlight this sadness. (4)
• Explain how this is so. (4)
• Comment on the rich imagery of this line. (4)
• Comment on the image used in this line. (4)

9 comments:

Do you have more poems ?

can i please have the theme of the poem

Why should the woman sing with down turned eyes?

Because she's broken hearted because her children were killed during the protests and the fact that they were brutally killed with guns tearing them apart

Apartheid and the Soweto uprising of June 16 1976

What is the Tone of the poem

The tone of the poem is sad,sympathetic and nostalgic.

What is the diction of the poem?