Final Exam Revision

• Target:


  A target refers to an object, person, or place selected as the aim of an attack, goal, or objective.

  (Noun)
• Vulnerable:


  Vulnerable describes something or someone open to physical or emotional harm, damage, or attack.

  (Adjective)
• Hounded:


  Hounded refers to being persistently pursued, harassed, or pressured, often in a relentless or relentless manner.

  (Verb; past participle)
• Synonyms for Target:


  goal, objective, aim, destination, purpose
• Antonyms of Target:


  non-target, off-target, non-objective
• Synonyms of Vulnerable:


  susceptible, exposed, defenseless, helpless, at risk
• Antonyms of Vulnerable:


  invulnerable, protected, guarded, resistant
• Synonyms of Hounded:


  pursued, harassed, hunted, dogged, tormented
• Antonyms of Hounded:


  ignored, neglected, disregarded, abandoned, left alone
• Who was the poet of the poem, "Under a Certain Little Star."?

  Wisława Szymborska
• Apology and Regret:


  The poem revolves around the speaker's sincere apologies, expressing regret for various aspects of life.
• Self-Understanding:


  The speaker demonstrates self-awareness, acknowledging personal limitations and the challenges of understanding and expressing complex ideas.
• Universal Themes:


  The poem explores universally relevant themes, addressing nature, existential questions, and the human experience.
• Nature Symbolism:


  Nature is used symbolically, with apologies to a felled tree, deserts, and a caged hawk, reflecting the interconnectedness between human actions and the environment.
• Humility and Accountability:

  The speaker humbly accepts responsibility for their own obstacles and limitations, emphasizing a sense of accountability.
• Contemplative Tone:


  The overall tone is contemplative, inviting readers to reflect on the complexities of existence, the passage of time, and the interplay between the individual and the world.
• What does the speaker spend most of the poem doing?

  The speaker spends most of the poem offering apologies. The speaker reflects on various aspects of life, expressing regret and seeking forgiveness for different actions and circumstances.
• What does the speaker ask of “Truth”?


  Regarding "Truth," the speaker does not ask anything specific of it in the provided lines. However, there is a line that reads, "Truth, do not pay me too much attention." In this instance, the speaker seems to be requesting a certain level of leniency or understanding from the concept of truth, perhaps acknowledging the difficulty in always aligning one's actions and words with absolute truth.
• What is the central theme of the poem "Under a Certain Little Star"?

  The central theme of the poem is reflection and apology, as the speaker expresses regret and seeks forgiveness for various aspects of life.
• How does the speaker demonstrate humility in the poem?

  The speaker demonstrates humility by acknowledging personal limitations, taking accountability for their own obstacles, and expressing regret for not fully understanding or appreciating certain aspects of life.
• What symbolic elements are present in the poem?

  Nature is used symbolically, with apologies to a felled tree, deserts, and a caged hawk. These elements represent the interconnectedness between human actions, the environment, and the broader mysteries of existence.
• What is the significance of the speaker apologizing to language in the poem?

  This signifies the struggle of expressing profound thoughts clearly and may suggest an acknowledgment of the challenges in communicating deep and complex ideas in a more accessible manner.
• What is an apostrophe in grammar?


  An apostrophe is a punctuation mark (') used to indicate possession (e.g., "John's book") or the omission of letters in contractions (e.g., "can't" for "cannot").
• What is an apostrophe in literature?


  In literature, apostrophe is a figure of speech where a speaker directly addresses an absent or imaginary person, a place, or a thing. It often involves emotional and emphatic language, as if the speaker is speaking to something as if it were present and able to respond. For example, "O, Romeo, Romeo! Wherefore art thou Romeo?" from Shakespeare's "Romeo and Juliet" is an example of apostrophe, where Juliet addresses Romeo, who is not physically present.
• What does the speaker do throughout the poem?

  The speaker primarily offers apologies throughout the poem. They express regret and seek forgiveness for various aspects of life, addressing abstract concepts, nature, and personal limitations. The speaker engages in introspection, acknowledging their own shortcomings and reflecting on the complexities of existence.
• What is the speaker’s tone, or emotional attitude? Which details suggest this tone?

  The speaker's tone is contemplative, humble, and introspective. Details suggesting this tone include the repeated apologies, expressions of regret, and acknowledgments of personal limitations. The use of phrases like "My apologies" and "Forgive me" conveys a sense of humility and a deep reflection on the speaker's relationship with different elements of life.
• What audiences does the speaker address directly?

  The speaker directly addresses various entities and concepts, including their own soul, everything, truth, speech, the mystery of being, far-off wars, the dead, and language. These direct addresses contribute to the intimate and personal nature of the poem, creating a sense of connection and engagement with abstract concepts, nature, and the broader mysteries of existence.
• Democratic:


  Pertaining to or characterized by a form of government in which power is vested in the people, either directly or through elected representatives.

  (Adjective)
• Interdependence:


  The mutual reliance or reliance of two or more entities on each other, where actions or changes in one affect the others.

  (Noun)
• Communal:


  Pertaining to a community or a group of people sharing common interests, resources, or responsibilities.

  (Adjective)
• Synonyms of Democratic:


  egalitarian, representative, participatory, self-governing
• Antonyms of Democratic:


  autocratic, authoritarian, dictatorial, tyrannical
• Synonyms of Interdependance:


  mutual dependence, interconnectedness, reliance, collaboration
• Antonyms of Interdependance:


  independence, self-sufficiency, isolation, autonomy
• Synonyms of Communal:


  collective, shared, cooperative, community-oriented
• Antonyms of Communal:


  individual, private, personal, isolated
• Introduction to Apartheid:


  Desmond Tutu outlines apartheid as a system of legal racial segregation implemented by South Africa's white government in 1948.
• Repressive Measures:


  Apartheid subjected black South Africans to repressive restrictions, with significant consequences such as the denial of their right to vote.
• Duration to Apartheid:


  Tutu highlights that apartheid persisted for several decades, impacting the lives of black South Africans for nearly half a century.
• Ending Apartheid:


  The speech acknowledges the end of apartheid in 1994, marking a significant turning point in South Africa's history.