Tangi
In the poem Tangi the author
Hone Tuwhare talks about a European funeral and a Maori funeral he says that he
feels differently at the different funerals. How he feels detach and alone at
the European funeral. Also how he feels that Maori ones let him grieve how he
believes he should. Some of the things he uses to show this is the use of
negative and how the language changes to a more positive tone when he’s at the
Maori funeral.
A feature in this poem is negatives. His use of negatives "not" and "nor” to describe how he does not feel as though he can mourn properly at the European funeral. The negatives are used in the Quotes “I did not meet her on the boarded path” & “nor detect her fragrances”. These negatives disappear in the second half which helps you understand that Tuwhare feels like he’s not alone any more and that it he is more comfortable to grieve at the Maori funeral. This is shown because he uses “I caught her” and “I heard her”
The second feature in this poem is contrast between the two funerals. It is shown that it is a European funeral by two quotes "violets and carnations" which are very common at English funerals. The other Sign is “the boarded path” which shows that it is very formal. Tuwhare says how he feels alienated and out of place. He then goes on to describe how he felt at the Maori funeral with the Quotes “Calm vigil of hands” and “The green leaved anguish” this is to show the Maori women with heads down and green leafed band around there heads.
In this poem the mood starts off as uneasy and alone to more relaxed and able to grieve. In ‘Tangi’ the writer uses the techniques negatives and contrasting to show the main idea of how different cultures deal with grief and death differently. He uses these techniques to create the mood that starts off as uneasy and alone to more relaxed and able to grieve that the writer is only able to experience at the tangi.
By Mitchell Scott
A feature in this poem is negatives. His use of negatives "not" and "nor” to describe how he does not feel as though he can mourn properly at the European funeral. The negatives are used in the Quotes “I did not meet her on the boarded path” & “nor detect her fragrances”. These negatives disappear in the second half which helps you understand that Tuwhare feels like he’s not alone any more and that it he is more comfortable to grieve at the Maori funeral. This is shown because he uses “I caught her” and “I heard her”
The second feature in this poem is contrast between the two funerals. It is shown that it is a European funeral by two quotes "violets and carnations" which are very common at English funerals. The other Sign is “the boarded path” which shows that it is very formal. Tuwhare says how he feels alienated and out of place. He then goes on to describe how he felt at the Maori funeral with the Quotes “Calm vigil of hands” and “The green leaved anguish” this is to show the Maori women with heads down and green leafed band around there heads.
In this poem the mood starts off as uneasy and alone to more relaxed and able to grieve. In ‘Tangi’ the writer uses the techniques negatives and contrasting to show the main idea of how different cultures deal with grief and death differently. He uses these techniques to create the mood that starts off as uneasy and alone to more relaxed and able to grieve that the writer is only able to experience at the tangi.
By Mitchell Scott
