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The life of Shaka
• Mother was Nandi• Born fatherless• 1816 became leader• Half brothers assassinated him
because he was fatherless
• The poet suggests the baby knew he was fatherless and that is why he cried so desperately.
The gods
• Not Christian, pagan• The gods planned his life, he was an important
person from birth. The gods knew he had potential.
boiled his blood
• There is a saying: his blood boiled – which means the person is angry.
• The poet suggests Shaka became aggressive and more determined because of this action.
in a clay pot of passion
• The clay pot relates to the Zulu custom of making food and beer in clay pots. Shaka had more traditional passion.
His heart was shaped into an ox shield
• Metaphor: his heart is as strong as an ox shield. An ox shield is a traditional defensive shield. This means Shaka would be protected
Ancestors forged
• Ancestors are very important in Zulu culture. Ancestors determine the prosperity of a family because they intercede in the spirit world.
• Forged: when you make metal hot and hit it into a certain shape.
thongs as tough
• Alliteration: t Thongs: leather strips. • Metaphor: His muscles is as strong as leather
strips. Simile: His muscles that are as strong as leather strips is also as tough as water bark
and nervesas sharp as
syringa thorns
• Simile: his nerves is as sharp as syringa thorns.• The syringa has no thorns. It is poisonous to
humans and the berries make birds drunk.• Maybe Shaka was
that shone from the dark valleys of Zululand
• Dark valleys: Zulus lived there. Not enlightened by Western civilization
• Contrasts with white swallows
to see white swallows
• Metaphor: white swallows. Europeans coming from Europe. A swallow is a bird that migrates from Europe to Africa and the Europeans came from Europe to Africa