A Poetry Comparison of Two Scavengers in a Truck, Two...

A Poetry Comparison of Two Scavengers in a Truck, Two Beautiful People in a Mercedes and Nothings Changed The poem Two Scavengers in a Truck, Two Beautiful People in a Mercedes has been chosen to be compared with Nothings Changed. Nothings Changed is an autobiographical poem. Tatamkhulu Afrika has written this poem on the system of apartheid, which kept white and black South Africans segregated. He writes that, despite the changing political situation, there are still huge inequalities between blacks and whites. Two Scavengersà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ describes four people held together for a moment at a red traffic light. Lawrence Ferlinghetti writes about the differences that he has observed in society. Both†¦show more content†¦This slows the poem down and gives the reader time to appreciate each idea. The unusual layout of the poem suggests that it follows the poets thought processes as he observes the scene before him. The details build up gradually and are somewhat reminiscent of stream of consciousness narrative. The poem is divided into three sections. The first sets the scene (lines 1 - 9), the second adds detail (lines 10 - 30) and the final section reflects on what this tells the poet about society as a whole. The whole of Nothings Changed has been written in present tense. Although he is recalling a past experience, it is as if the poet is re-living the experience as he writes. The language that is used highlights the impression that segregation still exists - words and phrases such as labouring, anger and mean make the reader engage with the poets emotions. His anger is described as hot, white, inwards turning / anger. Literary features used in the poem are alliteration, repetition and assonance. Comparison is done between the inn and the cafÃÆ' ©. The viewpoint in the poem is also carefully established. The first stanza, for example, puts the reader in the poets shoes. A first person account makes it more likely that the reader will see things from the poets point of view. In the poem Two Scavengersà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ the language the poet uses helpsShow MoreRelatedHow Is Contrast Used in ‘Two Scavengers in a Truck, Two Beautiful People in a Mercedes, Compared to the Use of Contrast in ‘Nothings Changed?1545 Words   |  7 PagesThe two poems I am comparing are ‘Two Scavengers in a truck, Two Beautiful people in a Mercedes, written by Lawrence Ferlinghetti, which shows the contrast between rich and poor in San Francisco, and ‘Nothings Changed, written by Tatamkhulu Afrika. ‘Nothings Changed is an autobiographical poem about a man returning to the town he grew up in as an adult, and how everything is still the same. The tone of ‘Two Scavengers changes between sombre, when the poet is describing the two garbage menRead MoreComparison of Nothings Changed with Two Scavengers in a Truck1077 Words   |  5 PagesComparison of Nothings Changed with Two Scavengers in a Truck Both poets convey strong ideas about the inherent divisions that are inherent in modern-day society. Afrika conveys his ideas by writing about racial discrimination and segregation in South Africa, informing the reader about the differences in the quality of life for Blacks and Whites. Ferlinghetti, however, decides to tackle the theme of social/wealth