Alexandra by Mongane Wally Serote

Type and Form

• Alexandra is an example of protest poetry, drawing attention to inequality and social issues.
• It is written in free verse with no set rhyme scheme, pattern, or repetition.
• The stanzas and lines are uneven, reflecting the chaotic life in Alexandra.

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Analysis

Title

• Alexandra refers to a black township in Johannesburg.
• It is personified as a cruel mother, shaping the speaker's life.

Lines 1-5

• Alexandra is personified as a mother.
• The speaker wishes he could leave but remains tied to Alexandra.
• Repetition of 'mother' highlights his bond with the township.

Lines 6-9

• The speaker acknowledges that one cannot choose their mother, just like they cannot choose their birthplace.
• Falling out of a mother = falling out of life → Inevitability of fate.

Lines 10-22

• The umbilical cord ('knot') symbolises the speaker's connection to Alexandra.
• Biblical reference (Psalm 139:13) → Suggests an unbreakable link.
• 'Your breasts ooze the dirty waters of your dongas' → Symbolises poverty, suffering, and violence in Alexandra.

Lines 23-31

• The speaker feels fear and uneasiness about Alexandra.
• Repetition of 'You frighten me, Mama' → Emphasises his mixed emotions.
• 'You are bloody cruel' → References violence and oppression in Alexandra.

Lines 32-39

• The speaker has tried to leave but always returns.
• 'I love you' → Despite its hardships, Alexandra is home.
• 'I waded back' → Returning is not easy but inevitable.

Lines 40-41

• The poem ends with the speaker accepting his fate.
• 'Amid the rubble I lay, Simple and black' → Represents his place in Alexandra's struggles.

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Themes

Neglect and Cruelty

• Alexandra is compared to a mother who cannot care for her child.
• Lack of resources and poverty make life difficult for its residents.

Poverty, Squalor, and Destitution

• Alexandra is barren and covered in dust.
• 'Dirty waters of dongas' → Represents suffering, hardship, and death.

Attachment

• The speaker cannot escape Alexandra despite its cruelty.
• He feels at home in its struggles.

Black People's Quest for Identity

• Alexandra shaped who he is, no matter where he goes.
• The people of Alexandra struggle for survival and identity.

Violence and Death

• Alexandra is a place of constant violence and bloodshed.
• 'Bloody cruel' suggests the brutality of life in the township.

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Diction and Figurative Language

Imagery

• 'Knotted' → Symbolises attachment and inescapability.

Apostrophe

• The speaker addresses Alexandra directly as if it were a person.

Metaphor/Personification

• 'Dust burdening your nipples' → Shacks compared to ripples.
• 'Your breasts ooze dirty waters' → Suggests poverty and hardship.
• 'We fall out of them like we fall out of life' → No choice in birth or death.

Repetition

• 'Mother' and 'Mama' → Shows deep connection to Alexandra.
• 'You frighten me, Mama' → Creates a sense of fear and uneasiness.

Rhetorical Questions

• 'Do you love me, Alexandra, or what are you doing to me?' → Seeks validation and reassurance.

Oxymoron

• 'Silent/loud' → Alexandra is always part of him, even if he cannot hear it.

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Tone and Mood

Tone

• Accusing/Judgemental → Criticising Alexandra's hardships.
• Lamenting → Expressing sorrow over life in Alexandra.

Mood

• Somber and Sad → Reflects struggles and suffering.

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