The slave

dealer
By Thomas Pringle
About the poet:
• Thomas Pringle, through writing poetry, aimed at
fighting the plight of slavery and forms of
discrimination pertaining to race and class against
the natives (black people) of South Africa. This is
evident in his poem The Slave Dealer. Black
people were forcefully removed from their own
land and from their families and taken across the
seas to be used as slaves for the white people in
USA and the United Kingdom, for instance. The
trans-Atlantic slave trade was effectively practiced
in the western part of Africa, in countries such as
Ghana, Nigeria and Angola. Incidents of the slave
trade were also reported in other parts of Southern
Africa which affected South Africa until 1940s. The
slave trade and acts of forced labour can be seen
as some of the platforms depicting the colonial
encounter.
• Thomas Pringle was born in Scotland, 5th
January 1789. Pringle immigrated to South
Africa with his family in 1820. He was a
Scottish writer, poet and abolitionist. He
was known as the ‘Father of South African
Poetry’, and his poems and narratives
describe South African landscapes, native
people and social conditions. Thomas
Pringle was the man who fought for ‘free This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY

press in South Africa’, in other words, the

freedom to receive or impart information
and ideas. He lived here for 6 years and due
to him not being able to make a living as a
writer, he moved to London where he
worked for the abolition of slavery. He died
at the age of 45 of tuberculosis on 4th
December 1834 in London.
This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-ND
• THE POEM

• The slave dealer- by Thomas Pringle

1. From ocean's wave a Wanderer came,

2. With visage tanned and dun:
3. His Mother, when he told his name,
4. Scarce knew her long-lost son;
5. So altered was his face and frame
6. By the ill course he had run.

7. There was hot fever in his blood,

8. And dark thoughts in his brain;
9. And oh! to turn his heart to good
10. That Mother strove in vain,
11. For fierce and fearful was his mood,
12. Racked by remorse and pain.
13. And if, at times, a gleam more mild
14. Would o'er his features stray,
15. When knelt the Widow near her Child,
16. And he tried with her to pray,
17. It lasted not for visions wild
18. Still scared good thoughts away.

19. "There's blood upon my hands!" he said,

20. "Which water cannot wash;
21. It was not shed where warriors bled
22. It dropped from the gory lash,
23. As I whirled it o'er and o'er my head,
24. And with each stroke left a gash.
25. "With every stroke I left a gash,
26. While Negro blood sprang high;
27. And now all ocean cannot wash
28. My soul from murder's dye;
29. Nor e'en thy prayer, dear Mother, quash
30. That Woman's wild death-cry!

31. "Her cry is ever in my ear,

32. And it will not let me pray;
33. Her look I see her voice I hear
34. As when in death she lay,
35. And said, 'With me thou must appear

On God's great Judgment-day!'"

37. "Now, Christ from frenzy keep my son!"
38. The woeful Widow cried;
39. "Such murder foul thou ne'er hast done
40. Some fiend thy soul belied!"
41. " Nay, Mother! the Avenging One
42. Was witness when she died!

43. "The writhing wretch with furious heel

44. I crushed no mortal nigh;
45. But that same hour her dread appeal
46. Was registered on high;
47. And now with God I have to deal,
48. And dare not meet His eye!"
Words to know
Words Basic Meaning
Wanderer A traveler
Visage Facial expression, Appearance
Fierce Anger
Gory Brutal/Violent
Gash Wound/ Deep cut
Quash Cancel
Woeful Sad/Miserable
Words to know
Word Basic Meaning
Writhing Twisting about from pain
Frenzy Extreme mental agitation
Fiend Evil spirit
Type of
poem:
• Ballad
• Tells a story of a son returning
home, and to his mother after
being away for a long time during
slave trade.

This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-SA-NC

 • The poem has 8 stanzas of 6 lines
Structure of each.
• Each stanza begins with six lines
poem: arranged in the following rhyming
pattern ABABAB;CDCDCD;EFEFEF.
• The poem is written is an Iambic
pentameter.
• The layout of the poem and rhyme
form an important part of what the
slave dealer goes through emotionally
 Title of poem:
• (Literal) The title of the poem, ‘The
Slave Dealer‘, introduces the subject
matter, contextualizes the poem and
suggests a possible theme of slavery
(forced labor and slave trading).
• In short, the title tells the reader what
to expect in the poem.
• (figurative) slave dealer is thought of
as a person who has been at the
forefront of the system of slavery, a
cruel act that was performed to the
Africans (natives of the continent),
where they were sold to the people of
the west.

This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY

 Analysis:

This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-SA

 Metaphor: slave trader
Metaphor: The compared to wanderer to
Wanderer came from Tone: despondent/ hopeless emphasise the extreme loss
the ocean- typically he feels- guilty.
where slave trade took
metaphor for all the mothers of
place. As if riding wave.
the colonialists who took part in
1. From ocean's wave Grey-brown
a Wanderer came, slave trade. The mothers did not
Metohor- colour approve what their sons were
appearance is doing
tanned and his 2. With visage tanned and dun:
features are
plagued with years Did not recognise him. Left young,
3. His Mother, when he told his name,
of harshness by the has undergone drastic changes.
weather, and his
job Biblical reference. Alliteration +
4. Scarce knew her long-lost son; Metaphor, son has been away for a
long time.
5. So altered was his face and frame

To change in a small, but significant

6. By the ill the
Metaphor: course
coursehe had
of his liferun.
is way.
compared to an ailment. This is to His journey’s was harsh, took a toll
emphasise his guilt in being a slave on his outward appearance as well.
trader and how it has affected him.
Tone: Anger Metaphor: the slave dealer’s emotions are
compared to fever, to emphasize his anger.

7. There was hot fever in his

Images he cannot get rid of,
probably of slave trade. blood,
8. And dark thoughts in his Interjections shows mother’s futile
attempt to help him forgive himself.
brain;
Idiom, she could not help him,
because what he had done was
9. And oh! to turn his heart to
unforgivable to him.
good He was angry and scared of the
things he had done; He was also
10. That Mother strove in vain, remorseful.

He felt so many emotions that 11. For fierce and fearful was his
one could say that his soul was a
tortured one. He is guilty mood,
12. Racked by remorse and pain.
 Occasionally, he displays softer
He feels that he can move forward expressions at times, just for a
and nothing bad can happen to 13. And if, at times, a gleam brief moment. Has hope, but
him, and he won’t be able to hurt
doesn’t last long
anybody else. more mild
Her son ‘her Child’ is all 14. Would o'er his features ‘the Widow’, is the mother and it
she has left now. The is also showing that she has lost
speaker makes the slave stray, her husband.
dealer seem small and
fragile and pathetic by 15. When knelt the Widow The mother encourages her son to
calling him a ‘Child’.. pray
near her Child, Even though he tries to pray with
his mother by his side, it is difficult
16. And he tried with her to Antithesis: Here we see that
his thoughts of maybe making
The Wanderer’s dark thoughts pray, peace one day are lost in the
overpower any attempt at positive
words ‘It lasted not’. He cannot
thinking 17. It lasted not for visions wild close his eyes because of the
evil deeds.
18. Still scared good thoughts
away.
Idiom, to be responsible for
some ones death. He killed allusion
innocent people during his 19. "There's blood upon my hands!" he Hyperbole-blood cannot be
slave trade days. washed off by water. He is
saying that he has spilt so
said, much blood/killed; cannot
Alliteration wash away what he has
done.
20."Which water cannot wash;
Metaphor: He didn’t fight
bravely or heroically or spilt 21.It was not shed where warriors
Violence and bled The blood he spilt is of innocent
blood for his country, he souls. Each swing of his whip,
bloodshed
instead was a coward. blood would drip from their
22.It dropped from the gory lash, wounds.
Elision and repetition to
23.As I whirled it o'er and o'er my head, emphasise repetitive whipping
and to speed up line. Describes
his violent actions of whipping
And with each stroke left a gash. slaves repeatedly
 Offensive- term for dark- He drew blood each time he
With every stroke he
skinned people. swung and the blood would
would open a new wound
swing off the whip each time
25. "With every stroke I left a gash, he lifted it above his head.

26. While Negro blood sprang high; Metaphor: Murder is

Hyperbole, not even the
described as a ‘dye’. Just like
ocean, is able to
wash/cleanse his soul of all
27. And now all ocean cannot wash dye would colour or stain the
the dreadful and gruesome hair so too, the lives he has
things he has done. 28. My soul from murder's dye; taken has tarnished his soul.

The slave dealer says to his 29. Nor e'en thy prayer, dear Mother, Alliteration of ‘w’. The
To put to an end. woman must have cried out
mother that not even her
her final words before death
prayers can help him quash came. Hyphenated to show
suppress the sound of the
synonymous.
woman’s final moments
30. That Woman's wild death-cry!
 Hyperbole: The sound
of her cry, keeps playing At all times He has committed a sin, why
over and over again. should he be given the chance
31. "Her cry is ever in my ear, to ask for forgiveness?
The woman’s voice
Her facial features, the
sound of her cry and each 32. And it will not let me pray;
time he swung the whip This woman’s last moments
and the agony this woman 33. Her look I see her voice I hear haunt him.
must have endured before
death took her.
34. As when in death she lay,
These last two lines of
35. And said, 'With me thou must appear stanza 6 explains it all in
why he has a change of
heart. She tells him that
36. On God's great Judgment-day!'" he would have to meet his
maker someday, that is
stated by the words;
‘Judgement day’ and that
God would be the one to
deal out his punishment.
 The mother calls out to Tone: pleading
Christ telling him to She has possibly lost her
protect her son. She husband not long ago and
uses the word ‘frenzy’ 37. "Now, Christ from frenzy keep my son!"she is still in mourning for
which means extreme him, but she is crying for
her son’s mercy as well.
mental agitation. 38. The woeful Widow cried;
The widow pleads that he
could never commit this 39. "Such murder foul thou ne'er hast She blames what her son has
crime or evil deed. done on him being influenced
or possessed by an evil spirit.
done
The slave dealer says no
to his mother, upon
hearing his mother’s
40. Some fiend thy soul belied!"
prayer.
He tells her that the Avenging
41. " Nay, Mother! the Avenging One Angel had bared witness to
his crimes.
42. Was witness when she died!
The first 12 angels created
by God; their purpose is to
bring justice, punish
wrongdoers.
 Personification/metonymy
: the woman’s heel is Tone: guilt-stricken
seen as angry because The words, ‘Mortal’,
as he whipped her, she meaning subject of death
probably tried to kick at and ‘nigh’, meaning near,
43. "The writhing wretch with furious heel
him. this tells us her end is
near.
Her final words to the
44. I crushed no mortal nigh;
The slave dealer was being
slave dealer.
watched by a higher power at
45. But that same hour her dread appeal the time the woman was
being tortured by him
46. Was registered on high;
Now after doing what he
had done, he realises that
he cannot be forgiven. He 47. And now with God I have to deal,
has to meet God one day He has realised that he has
and repent for all his sins. taken the lives of so many
48. And dare not meet His eye!" innocent souls and this has
sealed his fate when he
stands before his creator
Memorandum:
1. From a boat on the ocean the slave dealer came. He felt lost after his antics at sea.
2.
• Alliteration of ‘w’
From ocean's wave a Wanderer came,
This is to emphasise that the slave dealer did most of his trade at sea and when he came
back he felt guilty and aimless.
• Alliteration ‘l’
Scarce knew her long-lost son;
This is to emphasise that her son has been away for a long time. He was a child, but now
he is a man.
• Alliteration of the ‘f’
So altered was his face and frame
This is to emphasise how the hardships of the life of a slave trader has changed him
physically and emotionally.
3. The term, “Wanderer”, implies the loss the slave trader felt inside. It
can be argued that initially he had planned to make wealth in order to live a
fulfilling life, but being a wanderer suggests that the world has dealt with
him.
4. His mother did not recognise him, he probably had left at a very
young age and only when he mentioned his name did she remember him.
He is no longer a boy, he is now a man.
5. Metaphor: the slave dealer is compared to having a fever, to
emphasise his anger. The dark thoughts are bad things or images he cannot
get rid of.
6. Angry
7. He felt so many emotions that one could say that his soul was a
tortured one. Metaphor- to carry all these emotions.
8. It refers to a glimmer of hope i.e. for a fleeting moment he would feel
better.
9. The speaker makes the slave dealer seem small and fragile and
pathetic by calling him a ‘Child’- this emphasises his vulnerability.
10. ‘Visions wild’ and ‘good thoughts’ are contrasted. Here we see that his
thoughts of maybe making peace one day are lost in the words ‘It lasted
not’. He cannot close his eyes, the visions of what he has done haunts and
taunts him. All of his good thoughts of a new beginning dissipate.
11. The slave dealer is being dramatic by saying the blood on his hand
cannot be washed off by water. He is saying that he has spilt so much of
blood literally by killing and hurting people that even though he washes his
hands he cannot wash away what he has done.
12. He didn’t fight bravely or heroically or spilt blood for his country, he
instead was a coward who took advantage of those he saw as beneath him.
The blood he spilt is of innocent souls.
13. The use of the derogatory word adds credibility to the poem and the
post-colonial era it took place in.
14. Murder is described as a ‘dye’ this is a metaphor and just like dye
would colour or stain the hair so too, the lives he has taken has
tarnished his soul.
15. The woman must have cried out her final words before death
came. Alliteration ‘w’.
16. The sound of her cry, keeps playing over and over again. The
slave dealer says ‘it will not let me pray’, he is speaking of the woman’s
voice. He has also committed a sin, and feels he does not deserve
forgiveness.
17. Judgement day is known as the day that God himself were deal
punishment/justice/salvation.
18. 1. She blames what her son has done on him being influenced or
possessed by an evil spirit.
19. The first 12 angels created by God; their purpose is to bring justice,
punish wrongdoers.
20. The slave woman’s heel is seen as angry because as he whipped her,
she probably tried to kick at him.
21. Her final words to the slave dealer- to not hurt/kill her.
22. Guilt-stricken/remorseful
23. Ballad
24.
• The poem has 8 stanzas of 6 lines each.
• Each stanza begins with six lines arranged in the following rhyming pattern
ABABAB;CDCDCD;EFEFEF.
• The poem is written is an Iambic pentameter