By Elimu Assistant Team 
Read the poem below and answer the questions that follows: (20 mks)
Love is madness.
Hard brutal madness
Love is fire
Flat blazing
Love is a chameleon
A camouflaged dangerous chamwleon
Hot fiery love,
I beg you……….
Put out your brazing flame,
Because I desire to fell for you
Hard remorseful love
Please change your stance
Before the fire of my youth
Is quenched
(from the African saga by Susan N. Kiguli)
Questions
- (a) Identify in your own words what the poem says about love. (4mks)
- (b) Identify and explain in images used to describe love. (6mks)
- (c) What effect does the persona create by addressing (apostrophizing)love directly in the last stanza (4mks)
- (d) Explain the irony of the last two lines (3mks)
Before the fire of my mouth.
Is quenched. - (e)explain the meaning of in the following (3mks)
- (i) Brutal
- (ii) Camouflaged
- (iii) Remorseless)
Answers
a)
- The poem addresses the issue of love being an overwhelming consuming feeling that totally controls individuals. It is also an indescribable feeling exhibited in different ways. It is described as
- – love is fire, hot brazing fire
- – love is a chameleon
- – hard remorseless.
b)
- Metaphor – love is compared to fire.
- It is also compared to a chameleon.
- Personification – the persona says ……………..” I beg of you…..
- Apostrophe – He address love directly………..” I desire to feel you…..”
c)
- By addressing love directly, the persona is showing the apparent desperation on the part of the persona. The persona is imploring love to enable him to experience the true feeling of being in love.
d)
- It is ironical that the persona desires to feel love yet he begs love to put out its blazing flame.
e)
- i)Cruel or violent
- ii)Disguised or hidden
- iii)Cruel/uncaring or callous.
