soccer ,karoo style

• who is the author of this poem?

  Clive Lawrance
• Poem: Soccer, Karoo Style

  • Written in free verse - no definitive rhythm or rhyme scheme
  • Conversational and narrative - tells a story
  • Contains many South African colloquialisms
  • Lawrance's hallmark humour and conversational style convey the message of a slow pace life
• Title meaning : Soccer, Karoo Style

  • The game of soccer is being played in a unique way, with a twist
• Somnambulant

  Walking while sleeping
• Great dane

  A breed of large, powerful, short-haired dogs
• Hoofed

  Slang - meaning to kick hard
• why does the poet use the word 'shoo' in line 1

  shoo is a colloquialism and creates an informal setting and humour which puts the reader into action
• identify and explain the effectiveness of the metaphor in stanza 1

  the center

  
  

  “The ball… burst into a flower.” The ball is compared to a flower – just like a flower has petals that open, the center of the split centerball has flaps of fabric that spread out from its center. The split ball looks like a blooming flower.
• write a short description of what you know about life in this village based on what you learned from the poem

  • people are poor
  • players are determined
  • resourceful children
  • no soccer pitch
  • very old ball
• Why does the poet use the word ‘shoo’ in line 1?

  The word creates an informal feeling, South African colloquialism, humour, and puts the reader ‘into’ the action. AVA
• Identify and explain the effectiveness of the metaphor in stanza 1.

  “The ball… burst into a flower.” The ball is compared to a flower – just like a flower has open petals, the split ball has flaps of fabric spread out from its center. The split ball looks like a blooming flower
• Identify an example of onomatopoeia from stanza 2 and explain how this word reflects the unfolding events on the soccer field.

  “psst”(onomatopoeia) – the word echoes the sound made by the air escaping the soccer ball as it goes flat. When the ball goes flat, there is a risk that the game will also go ‘flat’ and have to be stopped.
• Examine the characteristics of the Great Dane in lines 3 and 18. Discuss how these images create humour.

  The dog is described as “somnambulant” – a sleepwalker. He needs to be carried off the field as he blocks the penalty spot. This emphasises the informality of the play and how the opposing teams work together. When the game concludes, the dog ‘slouches’ back to his spot. The humour stems from the fact that it seems that the dog accommodates the players and he remains indifferent to the drama of the game.
• Explain the contrast between the (burst) soccer ball and a flower.

  “The ball… burst into a flower.” The ball is compared to a flower – just like a flower has open petals, the split ball has flaps of fabric that spread out from its centre. The split ball looks like a blooming flower
• What does the word ‘goalless’ imply about the game?

  Neither team scored a goal