I have to do a verbal visual essay on "Confessions of a woman who burnt down a town" by Afua Cooper. I need help with the visual part. It's sort of like a collage. Please help! It's due on Wednesday!

Here's a link to the poem. [www.library.utoronto.ca]

Look at the images- we have fire, clearly. As well, there are children, the speaker, 'Madame,' priests, and the images that end the work- flying away to freedom.

pam

Themes in the poem:


Caring vs. non-caring

Society/ black vs. white

Anger

Pride vs. Guilt and shame

Flight of freedom

Confinement


Look in the poem for images which convey the message of the poem. Ask yourself questions about each of the topics I've listed and any others you may have noticed in your own reading.

1. Who was a more caring person, Madame or Marie? What images come to mind? I see a person who nursed young babies and one who passed on this task.

2. Why is Marie angry, is she justified? What is the source of her anger? I see a person persecuted for events beyond her control who has been driven to desperate measures. What images does this bring to mind? I see a caged panther.

I will let you finish the analysis. I think you get the idea of how to procede from here.


Les

I'm thinking I am (again) the only one who thinks this piece bears not even the slightest resemblance to a poem? Sad story, true, but not a poem.

Worse yet, it is not even consistent in being good prose. At some points the speaker shows good command of English but at others there are random voice changes into vernacular and/or bad grammar. Rhythm is random, meter is missing, and punctuation is pitiful.

Obviously the instructor who assigned this work for a verbal essay disagrees. Lucky for me, today is Wednesday, so my offbeat opinion will likely not contaminate the presentation.

Oh, today is Tuesday? Never mind then.