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The Birth of Shaka

by Mbuyiseni Oswald

Mtshali

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Shaka Zulu was born in 1787.

Shaka established the

Zulu Empire and revolutionized

warfare in Southern Africa in the early

19th Century. 

In 1828, Shaka was assassinated by his

half brothers, Dingane and Mhlangana. 

Shaka Zulu (1787-1828)

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His baby crywas of a cubtearing the neckof the lionessbecause he was fatherless.

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The godsboiled his bloodin a clay pot of passionto course in his veins.

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His heart was shaped into an ox shieldto foil every foe.

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Ancestors forgedhis muscles intothongs as toughas wattle barkand nervesas sharp assyringa thorns.

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His eyes were lanternsthat shone from the dark valleys of Zululandto see white swallowscoming across the sea.His cry to two assassin brothers:

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"Lo! you can kill mebut you'll never rule this land!"

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There is a difference between the subject of a poem and its theme. Explain why the title 'The birth of Shaka' refers to the subject and not the theme

From the three sentences below, select the one that you feel best describes the theme (or central idea) that the poem communicates to the reader, and write it into your workbook: .•. Shaka's prowess as a warrior is examined. .•. Shaka's ability to predict the future is shown. .•. The might of Shaka as a great leader is presented. Notice that we always state the theme in a complete sentence.

Title, subject and theme

The might of Shaka as a great leader is presented and his prowess as a warrior and

ability to predict the future is examined.

Theme

The title serves to announce the beginning of the mighty

warrior – it merely introduces the subject.

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The poet's diction (or choice of words) is very important in creating clear and

appropriate images.

pawing the neck becomes tearing the neck

cooked his blood becomes boiled his blood

flow in his veins becomes course in his veins

shaped his muscles becomes forged his muscles

Diction

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'a cub' (line 2: his birth and ancestry)

'a clay pot of passion' (line 8: the gods gave him a dominant personality)

'an ox shield' (line 10: his military prowess)

'Ancestors forged/ his muscles' (lines 12-13: his chieftainship and traditional beliefs)

'white swallows' (line 21: his death and the future)

Imagery The poet uses vivid imagery to summarise Shaka's life:

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Let’s examine the poem in detail.

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His baby crywas of a cubtearing the neckof the lionessbecause he was fatherless.

The opening stanza focuses on his birth and

his pride and aggression.

Metaphor His cry was savage

The child is compared to a small lion – his

actions are immediately aggressive

Shaka was an 'illegitimate' child. His shamed mother was driven out of her homeland with her son.

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The godsboiled his bloodin a clay pot of passionto course in his veins.

The next four lines describe him as a

passionate, shrewd, strong, wise leader. Stanza two focuses

on his blood, and how the gods contributed

to his hot-tempered nature.

Metaphor This image emphasises his aggressive and dominant nature

b bp p

Alliteration Repetition of plosive sounds creates a harsh violent effect to emphasise the intensity of Shaka’s power.

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His heart was shaped into an ox shieldto foil every foe.

Stanza three focuses on his heart and how it helped him become a courageous leader.

Metaphor This image emphasises his aggressive and dominant nature

foil

foe halt in its tracks

Enemyadversary

Alliteration

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Ancestors forgedhis muscles intothongs as toughas wattle barkand nervesas sharp assyringa thorns. The fourth stanza looks at his nerves and muscles and

how his ancestors shaped them to improve strength and sharpen his reflexes.

Simile

His muscles are compared to leather strips – used for whips.The toughness of the leather is in turn compared to the bark of the wattle tree – this suggests his considerable strength

thongs

forged

Narrow strips of leather

Shape by hammering – usually after

heating

The sharpness of his nerves is compared to the sharp thorns of the syringa tree, emphasising endurance. These comparisons are particularly apt because they are associated with Shaka’s African background.

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His eyes were lanterns

that shone from the dark valleys of Zululand

to see white swallowscoming across the sea.

His cry to two assassin brothers:

The theme of the fifth stanza is his eyes, symbol of his wisdom and perceptiveness.

Metaphor

Metaphor

Lantern symbolises intelligence and insight – he could see into the future – just like lanterns cast a light ahead of you.Swallows refer to the European immigrants who arrived in AfricaSwallows refer to the European immigrants who arrived in Africa

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"Lo! you can kill mebut you'll never rule this land!"

This stanza focuses on the prophecy that the white man will rule and not his brothers who have murdered him in order to claim power.

Lo! - An exclamation or interjection used for calling attention to a

surprising thing