Death of a Tree by Jack Davis
What is the main event described in the poem?
The poem describes the death of a tree, cut down by a power saw
What does the caged bird sing about?
The cage bird sings of freedom and hope.
What is the song about?
The challenges African Americans faced in the 1960s and Sam Cooke's enduring hope for a better future.
What is the poem about?
The struggles and high mortality rates of asylum seekers coming to Australia
What poetic technique is used in the phrase "the power saw screamed"?
This is an example of personification, where the saw is given human characteristics by being described as "screaming."
How does the speaker feel about the tree's death?
The speaker feels saddened and disturbed by the tree’s death, preferring a more natural end like a storm.
What do the two birds symbolise?
White America and African Americans during segregation.
What does the speaker refer to when saying, "It's been a long time coming"?
The speaker refers to the long wait for change and the struggles endured to bring about progress.
What is the purpose of the poem?
To show the audiences the struggles asylum seekers face and to remind audiences of their various privelages.
What is the technique used in the line "But a bird that stalks down his narrow cage"?
This is an example of metaphor, where the cage represents the bird's limitations and confinement.
What does the speaker mean by "Man is pain"?
The speaker suggests that humanity's interference causes pain and destruction, symbolized by the cutting down of the tree.
In what ways does the repetition of "The caged bird sings" function in the poem?
The repetition emphasizes the enduring spirit of the caged bird and reinforces the central theme of longing for freedom, despite suffering and oppression.
Identify a quote/technique from the song
Repetition - A Change Gonna come
Identify the use of simile in the poem
"He looks like a dried tomato"
What is enjambment?
The poetic technique where a poetic line continues directly into the next
What does the phrase "part of the gain" at the end of the poem imply?
The phrase suggests that, despite the loss, the speaker acknowledges that human activity or progress benefits from the destruction of nature, hinting at the idea of exploitation.
When was the poem written?
1969
What does the phrase “the grave of dreams” symbolise in A Change is Gonna Come?
The phrase symbolises the loss of hope and the death of aspirations, reflecting the speaker's despair and the hardships they face in striving for change.
What do the items such as coffee and beer symbolise?
They represent western privilages that many people in the world do not have access to.
What technique is the following: "The world is a Vampire"
Metaphor
What is the purpose of the poem?
To highlight the destructive impact of colonialism on Indigenous Nations and the natural landscape of Australia.
What significant cultural movement was Maya Angelou an influential figure in?
The Civil Rights Movement
Identify the use of symbolism in the poem
The river - symbolising division and separation of African Americans and White Americans
Who wrote the poem?
In Do You Believe a Child Can Die in the Middle of the Pacific Ocean, the line "You can hear / the sea wave’s cry and the wind call his name" is an example of which poetic technique?
Personification