Contrast and Comparison between the Poems, "Two Scavengers" and "Nothings Changed"
Contrast and Comparison between the Poems, "Two Scavengers" and "Nothings Changed"
"Nothings Changed" was written by Tatamkhulu Afrika, a mixed race child with fair skin, who was later adopted by a white South African family who brought him up as though he was white, and he only found out about his origins as a teenager. Tatamkhulu lived in a multi-cultural area called District Six, which was destroyed by the white authorities. He feels strongly about this kind of racism towards the black people despite the fact that he has fair skin. In the actual poem, the poet is telling the story from his own experiences in first person.
"Two Scavengers" was written by Lawrence Ferlinghetti. The poem highlights the differences between rich and poor and the working classes, as well as democracy and equality. The poem itself is written in third person and based around a couple of Bin Men and a couple of 'beautiful', rich people. Then, at the end of the poem seems to ask whether America really is a democracy.
"Nothings Changed" is set in District Six, based in South Africa. The poet describes District Six as harsh-land, but also goes on to explain that he still feels that it's his home and it's still amiable and natural. I know this because he says, "amiable weeds" on line 8. This is a contrasting sentence because weeds are usually a symbol of bad things, so to use the word amiable to describe them is distinguishing. Socially, there is a separation of race. In the poets own opinion, the white people think that they are more important and superior to the black people. I know this because in stanza five, Tatamkhulu echoes the voice of the white person and says, "Take it with you, eat it at a plastic table's top, Wipe your fingers on your jeans, spit a little on the floor: it's in the bone." This free indirect discourse highlights the white minority control. The poem doesn't state any other relationships, besides the contrast between the white people and the black people. This gives me the impression that both sides "stick to their own", either due to the partite or difference of race.
"Two Scavengers" is set at some traffic lights in 'downtown San Francisco' at 9am. The whole poem is based around a freeze-frame in time. The poet gives very little description to the setting of the poem, and instead focuses mainly on the two working classes, to get the point across. Socially, I think the Bin Men, or 'Garbage Men' as they are called in the piece as this the poet is an American, aren't very well respected compared to the couple in the Mercedes. In the poem it says, "...and looking down into..." as if to say that the Bin Men were looking down on the posh couple, this is but a bit role reversal between both sides. Bin Men have a lonely, smelly and dark job and most of the time are seen as stupid people, so therefore are taken advantage of. The poem makes me think this by saying, "Grungy from their route". This particular quote gives us the impression that their job is very physical, dirty and smelly, which could possibly be linked to the hot climate, which again could add to the discomfort of the job. The couple in the Mercedes have a respectable job, are clean and are seen as clever and better off than many. I think this because the poem describes them as an, "elegant couple" and "cool couple". The scavengers and the beautiful people have a very ironic relationship, as it is said that the Bin Men are looking down on the Beautiful couple, when in fact economically it should be vice versa. The poem makes me feel that the couple in the Mercedes have more of a personal relationship, whereas, the Bin Men have more of just a working relationship.
In "Nothings Changed", the poet, who is basing himself on the side of the black people, is watching the white people through what is described as, "the clear panes." The whole poem is built around the idea that the white people have a better quality of life than the black people, and the writer gives us examples of why he thinks this. One of these examples is that the white people eat in an, "incipient Port Jackson trees: / new, up-market, haute cuisine, / guard at the gatepost." The Inn is said to be in an improving area, ...
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In "Nothings Changed", the poet, who is basing himself on the side of the black people, is watching the white people through what is described as, "the clear panes." The whole poem is built around the idea that the white people have a better quality of life than the black people, and the writer gives us examples of why he thinks this. One of these examples is that the white people eat in an, "incipient Port Jackson trees: / new, up-market, haute cuisine, / guard at the gatepost." The Inn is said to be in an improving area, but the racism drives people away. Also, it says, "No sign says it is: but we know where we belong." This means they feel out of place around the Inn, so stick to their own working man's café.
In "Two Scavengers", the scavengers and the beautiful people are sitting at traffics lights, and we are told about how the Bin Men feel when they see people that are better off, "And the very red light for an instant / holding all four close together / as if anything at all were possible / between them / across that small gulf / in the high seas / of this democracy."
In "Two Scavengers", the Bin Men are in a bright yellow garbage truck. The vehicle is in garnish colours, linked to rubbish, and, truck is harsher in sound than 'Mercedes' and more anonymous. Whereas, the beautiful people are in an elegant open Mercedes. The car is more refined, open suggests freedom, not work. Mercedes is an expensive foreign make and associated with wealth and style. Another contrast would be the red plastic blazers worn by the scavengers. Plastic is a cheap and unfashionable material, and altogether symbolises low status profession and poverty. Whereas, the beautiful people are described to be wearing a three-piece linen suit, which on the opposite to the scavengers symbolises a high status and wealth. Yet another example would be that the beautiful people are described like dolls, with their clean and presentable image, "shoulder length blonde hair and sunglasses", and, "the young blonde woman so casually coifed". But, the scavengers re said to have, "grey iron hair and hunched back", which tells the reader that they have a hard life and are physically deformed by the amount of work that they do. The poet also compares the woman featuring in the poem to an 'odourless TV ad'. This tells us that she could be boring and stereotypical, whereas the Bin Men are real people, and to some people, this can add character.
When comparing and contrasting both "Two Scavengers" and "Nothings Changed", there are very few examples. The only comparison that the two poems have is democracy and equality. Also, the structure and use of stanzas is similar.
In "Nothings Changed", the poet expresses his views on racism, as he is an African, whom was brought up by a white family. Because of this, the issue is very close to his heart. He writes about how although it is not spoken, he says, "No board says it, but my feet know...and the skin about my bones" and, "No sign says it is, but we know where we belong." He also explains the issues of partite in the area. Because the black people don't have as much money, they are discriminated. The black people cannot do the same things as the white people, who seem to be better off money-wise, or at least not in the same way. We are shown this when the poet describes the contrast between the 'whites only inn' and the 'working man's café'.
The ideas in "Two Scavengers" are to do with the extreme divisions between rich people and poor people in a supposedly egalitarian society, and the effect these divisions have on how people perceived each other. "...the two scavengers up since four am / grungy from their route," this quote encourages us to sympathise with these Bin Men who work anti social hours and who become dirty and smelly as a result. The specific detail (4 am) and the word 'grungy' makes us pity them. The quote, "...the cool couple," does not describe the pair in as much detail as the Bin Men, as the poet is less interested in them. He uses a cliché in this sentence, the cool couple, which is probably what they think of themselves. And finally, the quote, "as if anything at all were possible / between them..." makes me think that the poet would like to believe that the two pairs he describes really could be friends - but the 'as if' tells us he knows that is only imaginary and would probably never happen. He feels that democracy hasn't succeeded because communication between the rich and poor is still impossible.
The tone of voice in "Two Scavengers" is that the poet is more on the side of the Bin Men, and is less interested in the "cool couples" side. It seems to me that the poet is feeling quite resigned, and is sort of looking at the situation at the traffic lights and shaking his head. Also, it could be interpreted in a loud, angry tone to protest against the failure of democracy. Or even in a sombre, quiet tone to show sadness that there is still a barrier between rich and poor. Finally, it could be read in a dramatic tone, so that we wonder what might happen between the two pairs.
In "Nothings Changed" the meaning of a poem is expressed by the attitude it puts across to the subject. The poet seems to feel angry about the barrier between the white people and the black people and about the fact that nothing's changed. Or, it could be interpreted in a resigned way, as if he knows that it's almost to most to hope that things can change.
The poem, "Two Scavengers" is American. We can tell this by reading the poem due to the vocabulary used, such as, "Garbage men" instead of "Bin Men", and "Stoplight" instead of "traffic lights". Also, the spelling of certain words is different to our English. Examples of this could be, "Blond" instead of "blonde", and "colored" instead of "coloured". Finally, the poet includes the Mercedes in the poem, which is a typical American car. The poem may not have been written very recently, but, the language used is still similar to that used today.
"Nothings Changed" is a South African poem. This poems origin isn't as obvious as "Two Scavengers". However, there are some buried hints. The poet makes many references to the harsh-land and environment he lives in. He describes it as, "small round harsh stones," "seeding grasses thrust" and "Purple-flowering, amiable weeds." These quotations give us an idea that the land is dry, hard and home to a few weeds. Also, the poet mentions, 'bunny-chows' which is bread stuffed with pilchards or something similar. A poor mans hamburger. Also adding that the country has a mixture of black and white people, the background of the poem is easier to work-out. The language is also very similar to that used today, so it is easy to understand. The whole poem is written in the present tense. Although he is recalling a past experience, it is as if the poet is re-living the experience as he writes. This is one of the things that make this poem a vivid one to read, and to identify with.
"Nothings Changed" uses many poetic devices to add to effect of rhythm and sound. One of these would be onomatopoeia, where you can hear the sound of the word when you say it. An example of this would be, "seeding grasses thrust." The 'ss' sounds sound almost like the grass moving in the wind. The poet also uses examples of irony which are easy to miss, such as, "hot, white, inwards turning". This is ironic because the word 'white' is mentioned and the poem is based on race and wealth. Ambiguity is also used. "Whites only inn," can be interpreted in two ways, one of these being that only the white people are allowed in the inn. The poets' uses of semantic fields give a clearer description of a situation. Paragraph four includes the words, 'clear', 'ice', 'white' and 'linen', which are all semantic fields of the word 'white'. Another poetic device is connotations; "leaving small mean O." This is so the reader can make their own mind up about the meaning. This particular sentence can be interpreted in several ways. The 'O' could be describing his breathe upon the glass, or, it could symbolise nothing, as in zero. Other meanings include a vicious circle or a target. "Flaring like a flag", is alliteration and is used as it is effective on speech.
"Two Scavengers" also uses many poetic devices to add to the effect of the rhythm and sound of the poem. One of these would be onomatopoeia, which was also used in "Nothings Changed". "Short skirt and coloured stockings," is an example of this. 'Sh', 'Sk', 'Co' and 'Ck' make the sentence sound harsh when read. "Hanging on" and "Looking down" are puns. "Hanging on" can suggest clinging on to the dustcart, or, it could mean financially or simply that their waiting. "Looking down" also has a double meaning; looking down from a higher place, or, judgmentally. This pun is also role reversal as well as double-meaning. There are many reasons and devices that could be used to make the poem. For one, it is a form of communication and a way for the poet to get his views across. Also, heightened rhetoric is used in the condensing of sentences and vocabulary. Finally, the compressing of emotions and opinions. This is effective because most poems have either just opinions, or, just emotions.
"Two Scavengers" is very fragmented showing the different sides; the Bin Men and the couple in the Mercedes. Each line looks like traffic lanes which add visual reference. Or, it could be showing a 'broken' nature of society. This effect shows us that some people are further ahead than others. Also, the poet uses stanzas to separate sections of the poem. The poet also uses a freeze-frame idea during the whole piece. Finally, the poet chooses not to use full stops and very little punctuation, instead he starts a new line when he wants to pause in the reading. I think this is because with punctuation comes rules, and the poet feels that the rules of democracy aren't being followed correctly, so he can break and bend the rules of punctuation in the poem.
"Nothings Changed" is set out in six stanzas, each of eight fairly short lines. This kind of regularity in the layout creates a sense of control and shows us that the poet is very clear about what he is feeling. But, within that pattern, the length of the sentences varies from a whole stanza to just two words. To create impact and effect he also uses short harsh lines and words, such as, "It's in the bone" and "small round hard stones click." Ferlinghetti uses repetition in his poem. Individual words are repeated, for instance, "elegant" (lines 8 and 9) and "scavengers" (lines 16 and 26) as well as phrases such as "as if" (lines 29 and 33).
In conclusion, "Nothings Changed" and "Two Scavengers" both examine the differences between American democracy and the South African democracy. The poetic devices used are similar in both pieces but both have very different effects on the reader. I found that he way Tatamkhula Afrika structured his poem with short harsh lines was effective because it made things stand out and got the point across quicker. It also gave us a better idea of how the poet is feeling. I also liked the way he wrote the poem in the present tense like he was reliving the experience. In "Two Scavengers", I like the way Ferlinghetti laid out his poem and still made it coordinate with meaning of the poem. And also, the way he started a new line when there was a pause in the speech I found very effective and unlike many other poems.
