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Before The Sun

The poem captures a boy's anticipation of a sunny day filled with the physical labor of chopping wood and the joy of sharing roasted maize with the sun. Through various literary devices, it explores themes of youth, nature, and the passage of time. The imagery and personification create a vivid connection between the boy's experiences and the natural world around him.

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Dhairya Shah (Meltable Gallium)
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866 views2 pages

Before The Sun

The poem captures a boy's anticipation of a sunny day filled with the physical labor of chopping wood and the joy of sharing roasted maize with the sun. Through various literary devices, it explores themes of youth, nature, and the passage of time. The imagery and personification create a vivid connection between the boy's experiences and the natural world around him.

Uploaded by

Dhairya Shah (Meltable Gallium)
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Before the sun

Intense blue morning


promising early heat Commented [DS1]: Pathetic fallacy: The morning
"promising" heat gives nature human qualities, reflecting
and later in the afternoon, the boy’s anticipation and setting a tone of expectancy.
heavy rain.

The bright chips


fly from the sharp axe Commented [DS2]: Cumulative syntax: The progression
from "fly" to "arc" to "settle" mimics the movement of the
for some distance through the air, wood chips, reinforcing the physical rhythm of chopping.
arc,
and eternities later, Commented [DS3]: Hyperbole: Exaggerating on the
amount of time that exists between the morning and the
settle down in showers afternoon when the rain happens, suggesting that a lot of
on the dewy grass. work is done during this period.

It is a big log:
but when you are fourteen
big logs
are what you want. Commented [DS4]: Juxtaposition: The contrast between
the log’s size and the boy’s age highlights youthful
determination and the desire to prove strength.
The wood gives off
a sweet nose-cleansing odour Commented [DS5]: Synesthetic imagery: The scent is
described as "nose-cleansing," merging olfactory and
which (unlike sawdust) tactile sensations to create a vivid, immersive
doesn't make one sneeze. experience.

It sends up a thin spiral


of smoke which later straightens Commented [DS6]: Symbolism: The rising smoke
represents both a simple physical reaction and a deeper
and flutes out spiritual or ancestral connection, as if oDering a silent
to the distant sky: a signal prayer.

of some sort,
or a sacrificial prayer.

The wood hisses,


The sparks fly. Commented [DS7]: Onomatopoeia: "Hisses" mimics the
sound of burning wood, enhancing realism and giving the
fire a reactive, almost alive quality.
And when the sun
finally shows up
in the East like some
latecomer to a feast Commented [DS8]: Personification: The sun is given
human-like behavior, its lateness compared to a delayed
I have got two cobs of maize guest, adding warmth and playfulness.
ready for it.

I tell the sun to come share


with me the roasted maize Commented [DS9]: Apostrophe: Speaking directly to the
sun blurs the line between imagination and reality,
and the sun just winks reinforcing the boy’s personal connection with nature.
like a grown-up. Commented [DS10]: Simile: The sun’s "wink" is
compared to an adult’s knowing gesture, suggesting
unspoken understanding between the boy and nature.
So I go ahead, taking big
alternate bites:
one for the sun,
one for me.
This one for the sun,
this one for me:
till the cobs
are just two little skeletons
in the sun. Commented [DS11]: Metaphor: The cobs as "skeletons"
symbolize the passage of time and consumption, subtly
linking nourishment to mortality.

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