“A Twisty Night in the Shanty Town” Poem

Read the Poem below and answer the questions that follow:   (20 Marks)

The Twist
In a little shanty town
Was on a night like this

Girls were sitting down
Around the town
Like this

Some were young
And some were brown
I even found a miss

Who was black and brown
And really did
The twist

Watch her move her wrist
And feel your belly twist
Feel the hunger thunder
When her hip bones twist

Try to hold her, keep her under
While the juke box hiss
Twist the music out of hunger
On a night like this

Questions

a)    What is the poem about?  (3 marks)
b)    Identify three senses that the poem appeals to. (3 Marks)
c)    What is the main theme of this poem?   (2 Marks)
d)    What is the attitude of the persona towards the girls mentioned in the poem?  (2 Marks)
e)    Identify three poetic devices used in the poem.  (6 marks)
f)    What are the achievements of the persona on this night? (2 marks)
g)    Explain the meaning of:
    i)     …… a miss (who was brown and black).  (1 Marks)
    ii)     Twist the music out of hunger.  (1 Marks)

The Twist ANSWERS

a)    A young man goes out for a dance in a town at night√1. He meets many girls of different types and wins one for the twist dance√1. He admires the girl’s dance moves and desires her√1.

b)    i)     Sense of sight- “like this” – seen sitting down.                     (1 mark)
       ii)     Sense of feeling – “feel your belly twist”
       iii)     Sense of hearing- “jukebox hiss”    
       iv)     Sense of touch- “try to hold her”                     Any 3 x 1 = 3 marks(id ½ illustration ½ )
c)    Themes.
    –    social interaction- persona meets a girl and befriends her.
                                  – people interacting in the twist dance.
    –     Twist dance/ dance – there is a twist dance on in the shanty town.    (Any 1 theme- id 1mk, illustration 1 mk)
d)    Attitude –    admiration/adoration- “really did the twist” see the belly twist
                      –     the persona is attracted  by the appearance and dancing prowess of the girls.
                                            (Any 1, id 1mk, illustration 1mk)
e)    Rhyme-  down          under        miss       twist
                   Town         thunder        hiss      wrist
    Repetition- …like this, twist
    Onomatopoeia – hiss, thunder.
    Alliteration – black…brown
    Assonance- hunger…thunder
    (Any three, id 1 mk, illustration 1 mk)
f)    –      He found a girl √1
–    Managed to dance with her √1
g)    i)     A girl who was neither brown nor black (1 mark)
      ii)     Listen to the last strains of the music and still crave for more (1 mark)          (Total 2 marks)