Review of City Johannesburg

Review of City Johannesburg

This poem City Johannesburg is about a man called Mongane Wally

Serote. He wrote about his life during apartheid. He wrote this

because one day he got arrested and was left in prison for nine

months. When he was finally released he was very angry. A couple of

years later he wrote this poem.

In this poem Serote speaks of the difficulties created for black

people by the law which required them to carry a pass at all times, it

also speaks of restrictions it placed on black people.

We notice that at the beginning of the poem Serote speaks of life, but

further down towards the end of the poem he talks about death. This is

quite contrasting, as we notice that he compares the things he loves

with death. 'When I go back to my dongas, my dust, my people, my

death,' this signifies that although he's going back to the people and

things he loves death is typified as being in a white supremacy,

because the white people have the power and control over those less

fortunate.

The poem is written as a narrative poem, irregular and only has one

stanza. Some of the lines thought at the poem are short which provided

impact. I think that Serote wrote this poem in order to show people

how the ethnic minority of that time were oppressed and the

difficulties that they faced by their white counter parts.

Serote uses imagery to convey this for example he uses 'I salute you'

this is very effective as the image that comes to mind when these

words are said is his hand reaching to his head, this in effect

suggests a warm greeting or a welcome but instead Serote puts his

hands is in his back trousers pocket for his pass. T...

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...ortunate due to laws conjured by white people. Serote wanted

people to appreciate that these laws were unfair and destroying the

lives of vulnerable people.

I conclude by saying that the emotive language used throughout the

poem identifies with the oppression 'where death lurks in the dark

like a blade in the flesh' for me this final statement re-emphasises

the blade, which is a knife being held close to a person who if he

moves without being told to will be killed. This without a doubt

shadows the deep pain and turmoil Serote really feels inside.

This poem has made me realise that black people had no place in life.

It also showed me how life had changed for the better. I felt that

this poem was very touching as it made me feel sorry for who had to

live life knowing that at any time death could be waiting for them.