3. Before the Sun by Charles Mungoshi
About the Poet – Charles Mungoshi (1947–2018)
Born: 1947 in Chivhu, Zimbabwe
Career: Began writing in the 1960s during the Rhodesian Bush War; also worked as a teacher and later a lecturer at the University of Zimbabwe.
Writing style: Simple, direct language with deep insight into human nature.
Themes: Identity, loss, human relationships, social change, and strong female characters.
Famous works:
The Rain Season (1972) – short stories on love, loss, and rural life.
Waiting for the Rain (1975) – novel on the psychological impact of war.
In the Year of the Great Hunger (1992) – explores famine and hardship.
Recognition: Won the Commonwealth Writers’ Prize and the Thomas Jefferson Award.
Legacy: Major influence in Southern African literature; works translated into many languages.
Died: 2018, leaving a lasting literary and cultural impact.
Before You Read – Sensory Imagery
Imagery: Language that recreates physical sensations through words — not just visual “pictures.”
Purpose: Helps readers feel the experience (emotion, movement, or atmosphere).
Types of imagery:
Visual – sight
Auditory – hearing
Olfactory – smell
Gustatory – taste
Tactile – touch
The poem; Before the Sun by Charles Mongoshi:
Intense blue morning promising early heat
and later in the afternoon, heavy rain.
The bright chips
fly from the sharp axe
for some distance through the air,
arc,
and eternities later,
settle down in showers
on the dewy grass.
It is a big log:
but when you are fourteen
big logs
are what you want.
The wood gives off
a sweet nose-cleansing odour
which (unlike sawdust) doesn't make one sneeze.
It sends up a thin spiral of smoke
which later straightens and flutes out
to the distant sky: a signal of some sort,
or a sacrificial prayer.
The wood hisses,
the sparks fly.
And when the sun finally shows up
in the East like some latecomer to a feast
I have got two cobs of maize ready for it.
I tell the sun to come share with me the roasted maize
and the sun just winks like a grown-up.
So I go ahead, taking big alternate bites:
one for the sun,
one for me.
This one for the sun,
this one for me:
till the cobs
are just two little skeletons
in the sun.
Planning: How to Write an Essay on this Poem:
Essay Question: How does the poet use imagery and metaphor to explore themes of youth, nature, and the passage of time in “Before the Sun”?
Introduction
The poem uses vivid imagery and metaphor to explore youth, nature, and the passage of time, drawing readers into a reflection on the beauty and fleeting nature of life. Through sensory detail and symbolic metaphors, Mungoshi shows the joy of simple rural life and the transience of childhood experiences.
Paragraph 1: The Theme of Youth - Planning
Topic Sentence:
Mungoshi captures the essence of youth through vibrant imagery and energetic metaphors, highlighting the ambition, curiosity, and innocence of this life stage.
Quotes:
"It is a big log: but when you are fourteen big logs are what you want."
"The bright chips fly from the sharp axe"
"The wood gives off a sweet nose-cleansing odour which (unlike sawdust) doesn't make one sneeze."
Analysis:
The big log metaphorically represents the challenges and goals young people seek to conquer.
The flying chips convey the energy and dynamism of youth, suggesting movement, excitement, and effort.
The pleasant smell of the wood contrasts with sawdust, symbolising fresh, positive experiences and the purity of youthful perception.
Paragraph 2: The Theme of Nature - Planning
Topic Sentence:
Through rich sensory imagery, the poet conveys a deep connection with nature, highlighting its beauty, rhythm, and cyclical patterns.
Quotes:
"The bright chips fly from the sharp axe for some distance through the air, arc,"
"settle down in showers on the dewy grass."
"It sends up a thin spiral of smoke which later straightens and flutes out to the distant sky: a signal of some sort, or a sacrificial prayer."
Analysis:
The arc of the wood chips reflects natural motion and elegance in everyday actions, showing how life’s routine has beauty.
The chips settling on dewy grass emphasizes renewal and the ongoing cycle of life, linking human activity to nature.
The spiral of smoke symbolizes a connection between the earthly and the divine, representing communication with nature or higher powers.
Paragraph 3: The Passage of Time - Planning
Topic Sentence:
The poem conveys the passage of time, using imagery and metaphor to highlight the fleeting nature of life and the lasting significance of simple actions.
Quotes:
"and eternities later, settle down in showers on the dewy grass."
"And when the sun finally shows up in the East like some latecomer to a feast I have got two cobs of maize ready for it."
"one for the sun, one for me... till the cobs are just two little skeletons in the sun."
Analysis:
"Eternities later" reflects how time can feel stretched in youth, emphasizing the importance of small, transient moments.
The sun as a “latecomer to a feast” personifies time, showing its inevitable arrival and the continuity of life.
The shared maize cobs symbolize the ritualistic passage of time and respect for nature, with the cobs’ skeletons representing mortality and the cycle of life.
Conclusion
Topic Sentence:
By weaving vivid imagery and thoughtful metaphors, Mungoshi captures the vibrancy of youth, the beauty of nature, and the passage of time, encouraging readers to appreciate the small, meaningful moments of life.
Final Thoughts:
The poem presents youth as energetic, curious, and full of ambition through dynamic imagery.
It highlights nature’s beauty and cyclical patterns, showing humans in harmony with their environment.
It reflects on the passage of time, using metaphors like the sun and the maize cobs to show life’s fleeting yet significant moments.
Overall, the poet’s use of imagery and metaphor deepens the reader’s understanding of these themes, leaving a lasting impression of life’s transience and wonder.
Example for an actual Essay:
In total: 750 words
Introduction
The poem uses vivid imagery and metaphor to intricately explore themes of youth, nature, and the passage of time, encouraging readers to reflect on the beauty and transience of life's simple moments.
Paragraph 1
- 205 words
Mungoshi celebrates the essence of youth through vibrant imagery and energetic metaphors, highlighting the ambition and vigour characteristic of this stage of life. The speaker reflects, "It is a big log: but when you are fourteen big logs are what you want" which conveys the challenges and ambitions sought after by the young, reflecting their desire to take on substantial tasks and prove their strength.
The simple childish repeated adjective “big” to describe the log reflects the immaturity of the character at this moment in the poem. The speaker's youthful energy is also represented through imagery in, "the bright chips fly from the sharp axe" which conveys the way young people tackle challenges with enthusiasm and force.
The verb "fly" holds connotations of flying the nest and growing into adulthood and independence. Furthermore, the purity and freshness of youthful experience is presented through olfactory imagery in, "The wood gives off a sweet nose-cleansing odour which (unlike sawdust) doesn't make one sneeze." Here, fresh wood is contrasted with the more irritating byproducts of life - "sawdust." Here, Mungoshi paints a vivid picture of youth as period of enthusiastic engagement with the world.
He seems to imply young people long for independence and meaningful accomplishments in life.
Paragraph 2
- 220 words
Mungoshi conveys to readers the beauty of nature, and how it represents life cycles, including our own. In the vibrant and energetic phrase, “the bright chips fly from the sharp axe for some distance through the air, arc," The word "arc" stands alone on its own line, which gives it significant emphasis within the stanza. The isolation of "arc" visually mirrors the peak of the wood chip's flight, the moment of suspension before it begins its descent, adding a sense of pause and reflection; “arc” also reminds us of a character arc, like our own life story and development. Furthermore, Mungoshi portrays chopping wood as beautiful, using visual and kinetic imagery to highlight the speaker's natural motion and elegance. Mungoshi seems to be implying that even every day mundane tasks can be seen as graceful. The chips that "settle down in showers on the dewy grass" reinforce the theme of renewal and the continuous cycle of life, as they return to the earth and contribute to its nourishment. Additionally, the fire, "sends up a thin spiral of smoke which later straightens and flutes out to the distant sky: a signal of some sort, or a sacrificial prayer" introduces a spiritual dimension, depicting the smoke as a form of communication with the divine. Mungoshi's earthly labour is conflated with heavenly bliss.
Paragraph 3
- 217 words
Mungoshi presents us with a meditation on the passage of time, using imagery and metaphor to convey the fragility of existence, and the enduring impact of small actions. He writes, "and eternities later, settle down" which conveys the stretched perception of time in youth and the significance of brief transient moments which seem to last a lifetime. The personification in, "when the sun finally shows up in the East like some latecomer to a feast, I have got two cobs of maize ready for it" highlights the inevitable presence of time and its continuity, emphasizing the ritualistic nature of daily life. Furthermore, the shared maize cobs, "one for the sun, one for me... till the cobs are just two little skeletons in the sun" represent the harmony and balance between life on earth and the sun. The sun has given life to the corn which in turn has given life to the speaker, and now he respects the sun for this generosity. This imagery conveys a sense of completion and fulfilment, as the narrator and the sun engage in a symbolic exchange. Finally, "two little skeletons" implies the final inevitable cycle of life – death. The author could be reminding us of the fragility of life and to appreciate the little things every day before it's too late.
Conclusion
- 75 words
Mungoshi weaves together vivid imagery and thoughtful metaphors and in doing so captures the vibrancy of youth and the beauty of nature. For me, Mungoshi's most profound message is about the passage of time, and I find encouragement in his poetry to find meaning and grace in everyday moments. Ultimately, the poem serves as a reminder to cherish the present and recognise the beauty in the world around us, even in the simplest of tasks.
Class Questions:
1) Which quotes and analysis points did this essay do well?
The essay picked strong quotes that clearly show the themes of youth, nature, and time, like “big logs are what you want” for youth and “one for the sun, one for me…till the cobs are just two little skeletons in the sun” for the passage of time.
The analysis explains the meaning behind the quotes, like how the arc of the wood chips shows nature’s beauty or how the sun as a “latecomer to a feast” represents the inevitability of time.
2) Which other quotes could you analyse in your essay?
“The wood hisses, the sparks fly” – shows energy and excitement, linking to youth and life.
“It sends up a thin spiral of smoke…or a sacrificial prayer” – could connect more to spirituality or humans’ relationship with nature.
“The bright chips fly from the sharp axe for some distance through the air, arc” – could be used to explore movement and the flow of time.
3) What did this essay not do well?
Some analysis could go a bit deeper, like explaining how imagery makes the reader feel or connects to the bigger idea of growing up.
A few quotes could be linked to multiple themes, but the essay kept them in one paragraph. Using them across themes might make the points stronger.
The essay could also mention the poet’s tone or mood, like the playful, reflective, and peaceful feeling in the poem.