‘A Woman’s Hands’ by Eva Bezwoda
Read through ‘A Woman’s Hands’ on page 232 of Seasons Come to Pass and then read
through the brief biography of the poet, Eva Bezwoda, provided above the poem.
1. In the first two lines the poet makes a generalisation about women’s hands. She provides
a list of things that women’s hands often hold. Consider each of the items on the list
8
provided in line 2. Do these items have a symbolic meaning? Does the list suggest
something about the poet’s or about society’s attitudes towards the role of a woman?
2. In lines three and four the poet moves from a generalisation to something specific. What
is the effect of the contrast?
3. Lines 5-7 provide another juxtaposition (or contrast). This time there is a contrast
between the nun’s hands and the speaker’s hands. What could be implied in the contrast
between lines 6 and 7?
4. The poet uses repetition in lines 3 and 7. How does the repetition affect the tone of the
poem? (See page 47 of your Introduction to Literary Studies for a discussion of tone.)
5. The last three lines make use of strange imagery. Discuss the image. What insight does
this provide into the feelings of the speaker?
6. Consider the items listed in line 10. How do these items relate to the items listed in line
2? What insight does this provide into the feelings of the speaker?
2.8 ‘For Don M. – Banned’ by Wally Mongane Serote
Read the poem on page 241 of Seasons Come to Pass several times and then answer the
following questions. You should read the contextual information on page 242 of the anthology
for more information about both the title and the poem itself. You should also reflect on the four
additional questions that appear on page 242 of the anthology.
1. In no more than three sentences, provide a summary of the poem. You might want to
begin by using the following expression: In ‘For Don. M – Banned’ by Mongane Serote,
the speaker …
2. What does the speaker mean when he/she refers to ‘a dry white season’? You should be
able to identify two different concepts or images that are being suggested. While the one
is obvious from the words of the poem, the other comes into view when we consider why
and when the poem was written.
3. What is the significance of the imagery of leaves and trees? Read the poem again
several times and you will find a line that resonates with the cyclical nature of this image.
Quote this line in your answer.
4. Identify and discuss the figure of speech in line 3.
5. Given what you know about the historical context of the poem and its title, discuss the
significance of line 5.
6. Identify the instances of repetition in the poem and then explain the significance of the
final line. What is being suggested by this line? How does this line change the tone of the
poem? Remember that tone is usually described using adjectives that denote feelings,
such as angry, hopeful, proud, exciting, disappointed etc. (See page 47 of your
Introduction to Literary Studies for a discussion of tone.)
ENG1501/103/3/2017