1. by Mbuyiseni Oswald Mtshali
The Birth of Shaka by
Mbuyiseni Oswald Mtshali
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2. Shaka Zulu ( )
Shaka Zulu was born in 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. 
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3. His baby cry was of a cub tearing the neck of the lioness because he was fatherless.
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4. The gods boiled his blood in a clay pot of passion to course in his veins.
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5. His heart was shaped into an ox shield to foil every foe.
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6. Ancestors forged his muscles into thongs as tough as wattle bark and nerves as sharp as syringa thorns.
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7. His eyes were lanterns that shone from the dark valleys of Zululand to see white swallows coming across the sea. His cry to two assassin brothers:
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8. "Lo! you can kill me but you'll never rule this land!"
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9. Title, subject and theme
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
The might of Shaka as a great leader is presented and his prowess as a warrior and ability to predict the future is examined.
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.
The title serves to announce the beginning of the mighty warrior – it merely introduces the subject.
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10. Diction
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
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11. Imagery The poet uses vivid imagery to summarise Shaka's life:
'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)
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12. Let’s examine the poem in detail.
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13. 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.
His baby cry was of a cub tearing the neck of the lioness because he was fatherless.
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14. Alliteration Metaphor
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
Repetition of plosive sounds creates a harsh violent effect to emphasise the intensity of Shaka’s power.
This image emphasises his aggressive and dominant nature
The gods boiled his blood in a clay pot of passion to course in his veins. b b p p
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15. Metaphor Alliteration
His heart was shaped into an ox shield to foil every foe.
Metaphor
foil
This image emphasises his aggressive and dominant nature
halt in its tracks
Alliteration
foe
Enemy
adversary
Stanza three focuses on his heart and how it helped him become a courageous leader.
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16. Shape by hammering – usually after heating Narrow strips of leather
forged
Simile
Ancestors forged his muscles into thongs as tough as wattle bark and nerves as sharp as syringa thorns.
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.
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
Narrow strips of leather
The fourth stanza looks at his nerves and muscles and how his ancestors shaped them to improve strength and sharpen his reflexes.
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17. Metaphor
His eyes were lanterns
that shone from the dark valleys of Zululand
to see white swallows coming across the sea.
His cry to two assassin brothers:
Lantern symbolises intelligence and insight – he could see into the future – just like lanterns cast a light ahead of you.
Metaphor
Swallows refer to the European immigrants who arrived in Africa
Swallows refer to the European immigrants who arrived in Africa
The theme of the fifth stanza is his eyes, symbol of his wisdom and perceptiveness.
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18. "Lo! you can kill me but you'll never rule this land!"
An exclamation or interjection used for calling attention to a surprising thing
Lo! -
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.
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