The Candle

by Chris van Wyk

(1957-2014)
Who was Chris van Wyk?
Chris van Wyk was born at Chris
Hani Baragwanath Hospital, Soweto,
Johannesburg in 1957 and grew up
in Newclare, before moving to
Riverlea, a poor suburb about 8km
west of the Johannesburg,
surrounded by dusty mine dumps.
At the time, Riverlea, Johannesburg,
Transvaal (now Gauteng), was
designated as a Coloured township
under the Group Areas Act. The
eldest of six children, he was
fascinated by literature from a very
young age. Van Wyk rose to fame in
the 1970s for his writing.
He worked as an editor at the literary
magazine Staffrider, as well as at Ravan
Press. In 1979, he published “In Detention”,
which appeared in the collection It is Time to
Go Home under the Ad Donker imprint, and
for which van Wyk received the Olive
Schreiner Prize.
In 1996 he received the Sanlam Prize for the
best South African short story, 'Magic'.
In 2004, van Wyk’s acclaimed childhood
memoir “Shirley, Goodness & Mercy” gave a
delightful account of his special relationship
to the township he grew up in and its
inhabitants.
Like many other South African writers of his
time, van Wyk used his writing to protest
against apartheid. The difference with his
work, however, is that he often used humour.

He was married to Kathy, and they had two

sons.
Chris van Wyk passed away on 3 October
2014 in Johannesburg.
 Title/Introduction
In the late 1970s, when South Africa was
politically in a darker place than it is now,
Chris van Wyk wrote and dedicated the poem
Candle to his friend Caplan who lived in his
community of Riverlea. Caplan died young and
in this poem Van Wyk urges young people to
read and learn while they still can because
life, as symbolised by the melting candle, will
end soon.
-The title, Candle, is significant because it
refers to how quickly time passes/ how short
life is.
->It is also a symbol of hope - a light in the
darkness
Read brother read
The wax is melting fast
Candle
The shadows become obdurate
For Caplan
and mock pantomimes of you by Chris van Wyk
laughing through crude 5
cement
in silent stage whispers.

Read brother read

Though the wax lies heaped in the saucer
and the silhouettes of gloom 10
grow longer

Read brother read.

Only the wick shines red now.
But it is not yet dark.
Remember brother, 15
It is not yet dark.
 Glossary
• obdurate: stubborn and resistant
to persuasion or change
• pantomimes: plays in which actors
perform without talking
• crude: lacking finish, polish or
completeness
• silhouettes: a dark image outlined
against a lighter background

Compiled by Mrs Ferreira

Analysis

Compiled by Mrs Ferreira

 Style
This poem is written in the narrative
style, with free-flowing verse and
minimal punctuation reflecting a
conversational style of speech. The
emphasis is on the passage of time - as
represented by enjambed lines within
stanzas - and the pressing need to act
quickly, before death or darkness
comes. The repeated words “it in not yet
dark” carry the central message of
hope.

Compiled by Mrs Ferreira

 Structure
When a line of poetry is carried
over onto the next line it is
called enjambment.
Lines 3-6; 8-11 and 15-16 are
called enjambed lines, because
the sentences do not run to the
end of each line, but carry over.
 Themes
• The main theme is TIME
There is an anxiousness/ urgency about the passing
time/ how short life is
– Diction:
– 'fast’ stanza 1
– Repetition of 'Read brother read' stanza 2/3
• There is a sense of despair/ hopelessness
'silhouettes of gloom' / approaching death
• HOPE is another theme in the poem.
Although the candle has almost melted away but the
wick still glows brightly - 'wick shines red now'.
• 'But it is not yet dark’ there is still hope
• LEARNING
The poet urges young people to become
educated read and learn.

Compiled by Mrs Ferreira

 Line 1
Read brother read

Alliteration – brother –
emphasis on those in the
the urgency of community
time that is who he saw
passing as family

Compiled by Mrs Ferreira

 Line 2
The wax is melting fast
Anxious
about time
passing
quickly
Rapid speed of the
candle burning out
emphasises how fast
time is passing
 Lines 3 – 4
The shadows become obdurate
and mock pantomimes of you

Personification
of
shadows
to become
“obdurate”
and
“mock”
Shadows indicate approaching
death and it is obdurate (stubborn
against change/ will not be
 Lines 5 – 6
laughing through crude cement
in silent stage whispers.
The shadow seems
to laugh at him in a
cruel manner
because it knows
time is running out.

The approaching
death (shadow) has
a mocking nature->
Personification.
 Line 7
Read brother read
Repetition of Sense of
line 1 Urgency->line 1
Stresses the is repeated.
importance There is once
of education again a sense
of time running
out-the urgency
that you should
learn as much
as you can
because death
is approaching/
getting closer.
 Lines 8-9
Though the wax lies heaped
in the saucer
The burning
of the candle
again
As it burns to a stub, symbolises
it loses its ability to the passing
shed light. of time.

The use of the candle and the saucer

could imply poverty. There is no
money for proper lighting and
candlesticks. They use what they
 Lines 10-11
and the silhouettes of gloom
grow longer
Emphasis on the
end of yet
another day

Reinforces the idea of time passing.

->The shadows growing longer suggest that
death is drawing nearer. Time is running out.
 Line 12
Read brother read.
Repetition of “read”
shows the intention of
the poet to emphasise
the importance of
educating oneself

Once again
there is a
sense of
urgency.

Compiled by Mrs Ferreira

 Lines 13
Only the wick shines red now.

Although there is
little wax left,
there is a flicker
of hope with the
wick that is still
glowing for future
generations.
 Lines 14 - 16
But it is not yet dark.
Remember brother,
It is not yet dark.
The poet reminds young
people that it is never too
late to learn and read.

'But it is not yet dark'-

>there still seems to be
some time left.
All read
While children hope and
is not yet lost.
learn the 'glowing light'
Compiled by Mrs Ferreira
of hope will remain.
 Tone/ Mood
Stanza 1/2/3 – The Tone is urgent ->
repetition 'Read brother read’

•The Mood in Stanza 1 is eerie/ dark

and depressing.
•Stanza 2: 'heaped'/ 'gloom’-> create a
mood of despair and hopelessness.
•In Stanza 3 there is a slight shift -
>the wick is still glowing ->there is still
hope the wick is
glowing and it is not yet dark.
Compiled by Mrs Ferreira
The message of the
poem is for young people to
realise how important
education is. Make the most of
every opportunity that comes
your way. Education is the key
to the future. Not all young
people get the opportunity to
live and receive an education.
1 Refer to the title of the poem.
Explain how the title of the poem links with the theme of the poem. (2)

2 Refer to line 3-4: “The shadows become obdurate…”

2.1 Identify the figure of speech used in this phrase. (1)

2.2 Discuss the effectiveness of the figure of speech in 2.1 (2)

3 Comment on the repetition of the word “read” in the poem and discuss
how it contributes to the meaning of the poem as a whole. (2)

4 The poet is still hopeful.

4.1 Quote a phrase to prove the above statement. (1)

4.2 Explain what hope the poet has, based on your answer in 4.1 (2)

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