Sample activity of integration on LSC S1:Poetry: poetic features

In Uganda, as in many African countries, we are no strangers to poverty. lthough the percentage of people living in poverty is getting smaller, we still have a long way to go before we solve this problem. Some major causes of poverty are ecological destruction caused by deforestation, diseases and
floods, corruption by officials, large families relying on one breadwinner, social conflict like gender-based violence and the lack of skilled labour, in agriculture as well as other areas.

1. Write a short poem about poverty. You can write about how it makes you feel, or about the problems that cause it. Include a positive outcome in your poem, for example, suggest how the problems can be solved or how you would feel if you always had enough food to eat.
2. In your poem think of and list figures of speech that describe hunger and poverty, such as the pitiful pangs of poverty or as hungry as a jackal.
3. Use word choice, rhythm and rhyme that provide a structure that suits the topic of your poem, for example, .. poverty’s pitiful pangs attack us daily like fangs .

Summary of key concepts
In this chapter, you have learnt to:

1. Understand and recognise basic poetic features such as physical structure,
   word choice, stanzas, rhythm and rhyme schemes.
2. Compare poems with a similar theme.
3. Analyse your response to poetry with reference to particular poems.