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Grade 12 Poetry Analysis: At a Funeral by Dennis Brutus

Miss Glammar

3,708 views 1 year ago

Warm-up Questions

When you hear the title “At a Funeral,” what emotions or images do you expect in the poem?
What kinds of things do students usually do in a “poetry analysis” lesson?
What social or political topics might appear in a Grade 12 poem set at a funeral?

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Grade 12 Poetry Analysis: At a Funeral by Dennis Brutus

Overview of the poem and its purpose (00:00 – 04:20)

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1. What happened to the young woman the poem is about after she completed her internship?

She became a leader of the resistance movement.
She died during the Sharpville massacre.
She moved overseas to continue studying.
She stopped practicing medicine because of poverty.

2. What does the speaker say the poet urges from the reader?

To ignore politics and focus only on grief
To forgive the government
To show active resistance
To celebrate funeral traditions

3. How does the speaker explain the poem’s formality?

It mirrors the formal rites and rituals of a funeral ceremony.
It is written formally to hide the poet’s true meaning.
It is meant to sound like a casual conversation.
It imitates the style of a love letter.

Grade 12 Poetry Analysis: At a Funeral by Dennis Brutus

Imagery of the funeral: colors, graves, nurses, and the ‘hollow’ display (04:20 – 11:26)

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1. What does the speaker say the “black, green and gold” may represent?

The colors of the hospital building
The colors of the sunset only
The ANC flag linked to resistance during apartheid
The colors of a sports team

2. Why does the speaker describe the funeral display as “hollow”?

Because nobody attends the funeral
Because the speaker dislikes music
Because the graveyard is empty
Because the ceremony changes nothing about the larger situation

3. In the phrase “carrying books of birth,” what is the speaker referring to?

Birth certificates given to newborn babies
Medical textbooks used in training
Religious books used at the funeral
Pass books that restricted people’s lives and freedom

Grade 12 Poetry Analysis: At a Funeral by Dennis Brutus

Calls to action: ‘arise,’ tyranny, and the final message of resistance (11:26 – 17:50)

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1. What does the command “arise” suggest the dead (and the audience) should do?

Rebel or rise against the government
Rest quietly and accept fate
Forget the past and move on
Leave the country immediately

2. What does the speaker say “Death’s head” refers to?

A sign outside the graveyard
A traditional African funeral mask
A hospital symbol for medicine
An insignia used by Nazis

3. What is the poem’s final message according to the speaker?

It is better to die resisting than to surrender.
It is better to stay silent than to cause trouble.
It is better to leave politics out of funerals.
It is better to focus on education instead of freedom.

Grade 12 Poetry Analysis: At a Funeral by Dennis Brutus

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1. Which idea best describes the speaker’s attitude toward the funeral’s “pageantry” and “display”?

Criticism because it distracts from injustice and lost potential
Admiration because it shows success and beauty
Indifference because it has no meaning at all
Confusion because the speaker doesn’t understand funerals

2. Why does the analysis emphasize commands like “Salute” and “arise”?

They show the poem is meant to be humorous.
They show the speaker is angry at the nurses.
They show the poem is trying to push the audience toward action.
They show the poem is mainly about grammar rules.

3. What is the main contrast the speaker highlights in the poem?

Nature vs technology
City life vs country life
Formal ceremony vs urgent political reality
Childhood vs adulthood

Discussion Questions

Discuss the ideas from this video

Grade 12 Poetry Analysis: At a Funeral by Dennis Brutus

Do you agree with the idea that a beautiful funeral ceremony can feel “hollow” in a time of political violence? Why or why not?
The speaker says the poem urges “active resistance.” What kinds of resistance can be effective, and what risks come with them?
How do images like “mud devours,” “stubbled graves,” and “scythes our ground” change the way you feel about the poem’s message?
The analysis claims it is “better to resist and die than to give up and surrender.” In what situations might people disagree with this view, and why?