LAZY MAN - ENGLISH POETRY QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS

​Read the item below and answer the questions that follow.
(a) LAZY MAN

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​When the Cock crows
the lazy man smacks his lips and says;
So it is daylight again, is it?
And before he turns over heavily,
before he even yawns,
the farmer has reached the farm,
the water carriers have arrived at the river,
the spinners are spinning their cotton
the weaver works on his cloth,
and the fire blazes in the blacksmith’s hut.

The lazy one knows where the soup is sweet.
He goes from house to house,
If there is no sacrifice today,
his breastbone will stick out !
but when he sees the free yam,
he starts to unbutton his shirt,
he moves close to the celebrant.
Yet his troubles are not few,
when his wives reach puberty,
rich men will help him marry them.

​Questions

(i) Classify the above oral poem.         (1mk)
………………………………
(ii) Identify and explain any two stylistic devices used in the poem.        (6mks)
………………………………
(iii) How could you say line 18 of the poem? 
“Yet his troubles are not few.”
Give a reason for your answer.         (1mk)

Answers

(a) THE LAZY MAN
(i) Satirical verse /mocking poem/ridiculing poem. ½ mk
It satirises the lazy man’s laziness .√ ½ mk Total =1mk

​(ii) Repetition - And before he turns over – line 4
Before he even yawns- line 5
the farmer has reached the farm
the water carriers…..
the spinners…..
the weaker…..
- The repetition serves to mock /ridicule/satirize emphasizes on this man’s laziness   ( he wakes up late when people have done a lot of work).
- It makes the poem musical /rhythmic

Alliteration-    Cock crows (line1), spinners spinning (line 8)
Weaver works (line 9), fire blazes in the blacksmiths hut (line 10) Soup is Sweet (line 11)
 This satirizes his laziness. The cock crows and  he continues sleeping. Workers are busy doing their work while he sleeps.
Assonance:     Lazy man smocks his lips (line 2), daylight again (line 3), when he sees the free yam (line 16)
-It makes the poem musical /rhythmic
-It satirizes/ emphasizes on his laziness
-Reveals the tone of the persona as satirical and his/ her contemptuous attitude.
Satire:       The poem ridicules this man’s laziness to discourage it. He sleeps until     late…..
                          “ When the cock crows, the lazy man smacks his lips…”   
                          “ Before he even yawns”
                          “ the farmer has reached the farm”
-It satirizes dependency . He “goes from house to house” (line 13), “,,,Knows where the soup is sweet (line 12), “rich men will help him marry….(last line)
-This is intended to expose his laziness as a vice that should be discouraged.
-It reveals the mocking/contemptuous / Spiteful/ Satirical tone of the persona.
-I t reveals the attitude of the persona towards laziness or lazy people as that one of dislike/contempt
                                                                        (any 3 styles, 3 marks each)
Identification =1mark
Illustration = 1mark
Effectiveness = 1mark                                  (3x2=6mks)

(iii)​
(i)- I would say it with a falling intonation.Ö ½ mk
Since it is a statement with an absolute
Message( finality) complete statement.Ö ½ mk
- I would say it with a sneer √ ½ mk,as this line is satirical in order to show the mockery.Ö ½ mk.
-  I would stress “truobles’√ and not few to emphasize on the man’s indifference to his state of poverty . Ö ½ mk
* Must begin: I would ,,,,( ½ mk)
*  Reason for the answer ( ½ mk)       Total =1m

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