‘A TAX DRIVER ON DEATH BED’ POEM

Read the poem below and then answer the questions that follow.  (20 marks)

A TAX DRIVER ON DEATH BED. (By Timothy Wangusa)

    When with prophetic eye I peer in to the future
    I see that I shall perish upon this road
    Driving men that I do not know
    This metallic monster that I now dictate,
    This docile elaborate horse,
    That in silence seems to simmer and strain
    Shall surely revolt some tempting day.
    Thus u shall die: not that I care
    For any man’s journey,
    Nor for proprietors gain
    Nor yet for the love of my own.
    Not for these do I attempt the forbidden limits.
    For those deft the traffic – man and the cold cell,
    Risking everything for the little little more.
    They shall say, I know, who pick up my bones
    ‘Poor chap, another victim to the ruthless machine”
    concealing my blood under the metal.

Questions.

a)    What is this poem about? (3 marks)
b)    What is the attitude of the persona toward his fate?  (2 marks)
c)    With illustration identify the persona in the poem.  (2 marks)
d)    What is the irony in the poem? (2 marks)
e)    With illustrations identify and comment on any other two stylistic devices used in the poem.  (6 marks)
f)    Comment on the following line.
    ‘poor chap, another victim to the ruthless machine?  (2 marks)
g)    How will the persona’s death come about? (2 marks)
h)    Give the poem another title. (1 mark)

A TAX DRIVER ON DEATH BED. (By Timothy Wangusa)

a)    It is about a taxi driver who predicts his death due to careless driving. (3 mks)
b)    A resigned / pessimistic attitude – The taxi drive predicts that his death will be caused by an accident
    and he accepts it. (2 mks)
c)    The persona is a taxi driver.  The title (2 mks)
d)    The tax driver predicts that his death will result from a road accident yet he is still doing the job.
    (irony must be brought out clearly)
e)    Alliteration.   – ‘That in silence seems to simmer and strain. (1 mk)
    It enhance rhythm / musically making the poem memorable and interesting. (1 mk)
      Metaphor – Metallic monster – to refer to the taxi as a monster to show that the taxi will lead to his death just as a monster eats its prey.
f)    To mean that the will be part of the statistics of those who have perished through road accident. (2 mks)
g)    A road accident through overspeeding. (1 mk)
    Attempt the forbidden limits. (1 mk)
h)    Any relevant / appropriate title. (1 mk)