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READ THIS
Marie Philip was born and still lives in Cape Town where she is married to the renowned
publisher, David Philip.
Her poem is about a woman on her wedding day. The bride and everyone around her are tense
after all the weeks of wedding preparations. While she is walking towards the car which will
take her to the church, however, a muddy dog jumps up against her white wedding dress. In
an unexpected turn of events, this incident provokes humour and helps to relieve the tension
felt by the bride and her father.
GLOSSARY
"meticulously": very carefully planned, right down to the last detail;
"deluge": heavy fall of rain;
"festooned": hung with flowers;
"serenity": a feeling of calm, peace and tranquility;
"retinue": the important attendants (e.g. bridesmaids) and people accompanying her
(e.g. mother, granny);
"remorse": to experience guilt; to feel sorry for something you have done or said;
"sullied": to be ruined or spoiled.
Have you looked at the questions
in the right column?
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TEST YOURSELF!
Read the left column and then answer
the following questions:
"Veiled now, and dispensing white serenity."
- Explain the literal and figurative meanings of "veiled". (6)
[Need help?]
The bride is literally wearing a veil to cover her face, as a bride does before entering the church.
On the other hand, it refers figuratively to the fact that she is hiding her true personality. She
has worked hard all day at being pleasant and charming. She has not allowed her true feelings
to be reflected in her face. Wearing a veil will make it easier to hide her feelings of tension and
nervousness.
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"dispensing white serenity."
- What does the poet convey about the bride? (3)
[Need help?]
To "dispense" means to deal out, to distribute, to give out. The bride is conveying an
image of peace, but she actually feels very nervous.
She refers to white serenity because she is wearing a white dress. White is also associated
with innocence, which a bride is supposed to portray.
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"hurtles himself."
- Why did the poet choose "hurtles" and not "jumps"? (3)
[Need help?]
The word "hurtles" conveys the speed and suddenness of the dog jumping up against
her. He was not next to her when he jumped. He came from a short distance away and threw
himself at her. She was unable to avoid him because it was so sudden and unexpected.
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"And I screech:
'Buggeroff you-bloody-little-black-dog.'"
- Which onomatopoeic word in stanza 3 contrasts sharply with
"charming"? (1)
[Need help?]
"screech" is an example of onomatopoeia. It reveals how high-pitched her scream was.
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- What does it reveal about the bride's actual state of mind? (4)
[Need help?]
A screech conveys high levels of irritation which shows that she did not actually feel charming,
but tense. A charming person would definitely not screech at anyone or anything.
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What is unusual about her father's response to her swearing at the dog? (3)
[Need help?]
Her father is not upset that she has spoilt the image of the charming bride. He does not tell her
to behave. He does not remind her that she is supposed to act like an innocent, serene bride.
Instead, he smiles. He has enjoyed her reaction and it has broken the tension they both feel.
The pressure and tension of the wedding have caused them to act differently. This incident
releases the tension and they are back to being their normal selves for a moment.
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Do the bride and her father proceed to the church in this altered state of mind? Explain your
answer. (3)
[Need help?]
No, they revert to images they have been trying to show all day. It was only a "moment of
contact" and then they continue with the ceremony associated with a wedding day.
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Explain why the bride refers to a "clean" contact. (2)
[Need help?]
It was the first time that day that they had revealed their true selves. Their personalities were
reflected honestly. They were not hiding anything. For just a moment they had stopped
pretending.
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This document is copyrighted. No part of it may be reproduced in any form
whatever without explicit permission in writing from the author.
The sole exception is for educational institutions which may wish to reproduce
it as a handout for their students.
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