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‘Praise Song'
‘Praise Song for My Mother’ Grace Nichols revision notes GCSE English Ormerod
Poem | Key Points |
---|---|
‘Praise Song for My Mother’ Grace Nichols SUMMARY | A child’s celebration of her mother. A praise song is a traditional form from many African cultures. Sung not written down = oral tradition. |
‘Praise Song for My Mother’ Grace Nichols THEMES | Parental love. Being prepared for life's challenges. Looking back. |
‘Praise Song for My Mother’ Grace Nichols FEELINGS | Celebratory. Gratitude. Joy. Security. |
‘Praise Song for My Mother’ Grace Nichols STRUCTURE | First 3 stanzas are of 3 lines each – similar in format. 4th stanza begins the same way but is extended – leading to a final line about moving towards wider futures. |
‘Praise Song for My Mother’ Grace Nichols LANGUAGE | Past tense ‘You were’. Compares mother to water and food – vital for life. 1st 3 stanzas end with lists of the mother’s qualities. 1st 4 stanzas end with a verb = active. ‘futures’ – plural- mother creating possibilities not controlling. |
‘Praise Song for My Mother’ Grace Nichols KEY QUOTES | ‘You were water to me’ ‘deep and bold and fathoming’ ‘replenishing, replenishing’ ‘Go to your wide futures’ |
‘Praise Song for My Mother’ Grace Nichols LINKS TO… | ‘Ghazal’ natural imagery. ‘Sonnet 43’ Lists another person’s qualities. ‘Nettles’ parent/child relationships. |