Grade 12 Poetry: 'The Morning Sun is Shining' by Olive Schreiner

Summary

This presentation provides an in-depth analysis of Olive Schreiner's poem 'The Morning Sun is Shining.' The speaker highlights the vivid imagery of nature's beauty—sunshine, trees, birds, and fountains—before transitioning to the sorrow and grief of loss. Schreiner's use of personification, repetition, and alliteration enhances the emotional impact. The poem’s shift in tone from joy to despair reflects the poet's personal tragedy. With its sensory-rich descriptions, the poem explores themes of nature’s vibrancy, the pain of loss, and the isolation that comes with grief, making it a powerful reflection on human experience.

Takeaways

• 😀 Olive Schreiner, born in 1855 in South Africa, was a renowned writer known for her novel *The Story of an African Farm* and her advocacy on issues like anti-racism and feminism.
• 😀 *The Morning Sun is Shining* is a poem filled with vivid descriptions of nature, capturing the beauty of the morning and the interconnectedness between the speaker and the world around her.
• 😀 The poem begins with a scene of warmth and vitality, with nature described in lively, joyful terms, such as 'the green, green willow tree' and 'golden sunbeam.'
• 😀 The speaker in the poem experiences the sensory richness of nature—sight, sound, and smell—but the poem ultimately shifts from joy to sorrow.
• 😀 The shift in tone occurs when the speaker reflects on the loss of a loved one, likely referencing Olive Schreiner's own tragic experience of losing a child shortly after birth.
• 😀 The poem uses personification throughout, giving human qualities to the sunbeam ('dancing') and the fountain ('bubbling merrily'), emphasizing the liveliness of nature.
• 😀 The willow tree in the poem can be interpreted as a symbol of both life and loss, often associated with grief and mourning, particularly in many cultures.
• 😀 Through the speaker's rhetorical questions at the end—'What is sunshine? What is song? What is light to me?'—the poem explores how trauma can change one’s perception of beauty and joy.
• 😀 The poem employs sound devices like alliteration ('sweet' and 'strong') to highlight the richness of the speaker’s sensory experience of nature.
• 😀 The structure of the poem, with 16 lines divided into four parts, corresponds to the senses: sight, hearing, smell, and the shift to touch and sight in the final lines, reflecting the emotional progression from joy to grief.
• 😀 The poem’s rhythm and rhyme are regular throughout, reinforcing the initial sense of harmony, but the shift in emotional tone at the end breaks this flow, reflecting the speaker’s sense of loss.

Q & A

Who is Olive Schreiner, and what is she known for?

Olive Schreiner was a South African writer, born in 1855, and is best known for her novel *The Story of an African Farm*. She addressed political and social issues like anti-racism and feminism in her works.

What is the central theme of the poem 'The Morning Sun is Shining' by Olive Schreiner?

The central theme of the poem is the contrast between the beauty and vitality of nature and the speaker's deep sense of loss and isolation, emphasizing how grief can overshadow the beauty of the world.

How does Olive Schreiner use sensory imagery in the poem?

Schreiner uses sensory imagery to immerse the reader in nature’s beauty. The poem describes sights (green willow tree), sounds (happy birds singing), and smells (yellow thorn trees), creating a vivid and rich atmosphere.

What role does the willow tree play in the poem?

The willow tree in the poem symbolizes multiple themes, including life, growth, grief, and loss. It could represent power and security, fertility, or mourning, as willows are commonly associated with graveyards in many cultures.

What literary devices are used in 'The Morning Sun is Shining'?

The poem makes use of personification (e.g., 'the sun sends a golden sunbeam'), alliteration (e.g., 'sweet sweet and strong'), and vivid imagery to evoke a sense of beauty and emotional depth.

What is the significance of the 'golden Sunbeam' mentioned in the poem?

The 'golden Sunbeam' represents warmth, beauty, and richness. The personification of the sun sending this golden beam adds a sense of playfulness and joy to the poem, emphasizing the speaker's connection to nature.

What does the poem reveal about the speaker’s emotional state?

The speaker begins with a tone of joy and appreciation for the beauty of nature, but as the poem progresses, the tone shifts to one of grief and despair. This reflects the speaker’s emotional struggle with the loss of a loved one.

How does the poem’s structure reflect its emotional journey?

The poem is divided into four segments that correspond to different senses (sight, hearing, and smell), which reflect the speaker’s initial joy. However, in the final four lines, the mood shifts dramatically, highlighting the emotional transition from beauty to grief.

What is the significance of the rhetorical questions at the end of the poem?

The rhetorical questions ('What is sunshine? What is song? What is light to me?') highlight the speaker's emotional isolation and questioning of the value of beauty and life when it cannot be shared with a loved one, underscoring the theme of grief.

How does the poem's ending affect the overall mood?

The ending shifts the mood from joy to deep sorrow, illustrating the contrast between the external beauty of nature and the speaker’s internal pain. It emphasizes how personal loss can overshadow the vibrancy of the world.