Kumukanda

Question 1

Who is the poet?

Answer 1

Kayo Chingonyi

Question 2

When was it written?

Answer 2

2017

Question 3

Context:

Answer 3

• Kumukanda means ‘initiation’ and this poem describes the Luvale tribe’s initiation ceremony for the young men of the tribe

Question 4

Poet’s life:

Answer 4

• Kayo Chingonyi was born in Zambia in 1987 and moved to the Uk with his family in 1993
• Both his parents died when he was a young age
• Most of his work focuses on heritage and race

Question 5

Language, form and structure:

Answer 5

• 3 stanzas
• Each stanza is one long sentence, which highlights the cyclical nature of both his life, and the Kumukanda ceremony

Question 6

Auxiliary verb

Answer 6

‘Boys of our tribe must’
- The auxiliary verb communicates social and traditional obligation of Kumukanda

Question 7

Caesura

Answer 7

‘would think me unfinished-‘
- Caesura forces us to reflect on the subdued connotations of this adjective, as well as allowing us to glean Chingonyi’s own feelings of guilt and regret

Question 8

Juxtaposition

Answer 8

‘Dad’ ‘Tata’
- These two seperate lives being brought together shows the juxtaposition between the speakers 2 conflicting identities

Question 9

Repetition

Answer 9

‘and my father’s father’s father’
- Repetition of father highlights importance of heritage and family
- Also suggests a regret for disconnection with that heritage

Question 10

Word play

Answer 10

‘and my father’s father’s father’
- Could be seen as wordplay on the word ‘farther’- emphasising the alienation he feels from his Zambian identity

Question 11

Rhetorical question

Answer 11

‘my father’s father’s father?’
- Rhetorical question at the end of the poem constructs a cyclical structure, as we are also left feeling ‘unfinished’ by the end of the performance

Question 12

Techniques used:

Answer 12

Auxiliary verb
Caesura
Juxtaposition
Repetition
World play
Rhetorical question

Question 13

Quotes:

Answer 13

‘Tata’s people would think me unfinished-‘

‘boys of our tribe must cross / in order to die and come back grown’

‘the man i almost grew to call Dad’

‘and my father’s father’s father?’

Question 14

‘The man..’

Answer 14

‘The man i almost grew to call Dad’

• As he never came back ‘grown’ from Kumukanda, this could be reflected in his relationships with others, as they’re not able to grow into anything meaningful