Analysing the poem ‘Kumukanda’ by Kayo Chingonyi

English

In 'Edexcel Belonging Poetry continued', pupils used a range of reading skills to aid the supported decoding of challenging poems. In 'Unseen Poetry', pupils use these reading skills to decode texts with independence.

In 'Edexcel Belonging Poetry', pupils compared the language, form and structure of a variety of poems connected by the themes of culture and belonging. In 'Edexcel Belonging Poetry continued', pupils work on making more nuanced comparisons, focusing on the three final poems: *Kumukanda*, *In Wales, wanting to be Italian* and *Us*.

In this unit, pupis read and analyse three poems from the 'Belonging' anthology. Pupils complete two lessons about each poem: one on understanding and one on analysis. At the end of the unit, pupils analyse themes from across the anthology and practise crafting a sophisticated comparative essay,

Poetry anthology: continued study

Subjects which particular individuals may be sensitive to, eg, adoption, migration, bereavement or death, divorce, poverty, deprivation.

Depiction or discussion of sensitive content

a figure of speech that directly compares two unlike things

a type of stanza structure in classical poetry

a poetic method where a sentence continues onto the next line without a pause

a form of traditional storytelling in cultural narratives

objects or actions used to represent deeper meanings or abstract ideas

use of descriptive language to evoke sensory experiences in poetry

intentional repetition of sounds at the beginning of words in poetry

intentional repetition of sounds at the end of words in poetry

the ability to persuade someone to believe or agree with something

Match each of these words to the correct definition.

the speaker's pride in his Zambian identity.

the sadness he feels being separated from his cultural identity.

the separation between childhood and adulthood.

the grief he feels about the loss of his mother.

Arguably, the river in Chingonyi's 'Kumukanda' could symbolise ...

In stanza 2 and 3 of 'Kumukanda', Chingonyi repeats an adjective to consider how different cultures view each other as 'alien'. Which word does he repeat? 

he feels more connected to his ancestors than the father-figure in the UK

he wishes his father in Zambia could be more like the father-figure in the UK

both 'fathers' in the poem show how little fatherly support our speaker has

What is the connection between the father figures in the last two stanzas of Chingonyi's 'Kumukanda'?

a person's belief in their cultural superiority

the beliefs and values of a group that shape a person's sense of belonging

the legal documentation relating to a person's nationality

a person's preference for certain cultural practices over others

leave your own country to settle permanently in another

writer's biography and historical context

order of ideas and connections between stanzas

Which of these are examples of a poem's structure?

to indicate changes in mood or tone within the poem

to enable them to use more literary methods

to develop poetic voice and advance the ideas

a literary method that directly compares two unlike things

a type of poem with a specific rhyme scheme and meter

a detailed description of a person's physical appearance

a traditional story explaining a natural or social phenomenon

Content guidance

Depiction or discussion of sensitive content

Adult supervision recommended

Starter Quiz