IN THE MIDST OF HARDSHIP

1. IN THE MIDST OF HARDSHIP SUMMARY VOCABULARY

2. SUMMARY This poem tells of the hardship that a family in a village faces after a big flood. The elders return at dawn in soaking-wet clothes. They go straight to the kitchen. They are probably hungry. Their hands and legs are bruised but they do not show any sign of despair or of losing hope. After braving the dreadful flood for the last 24 hours, they still can not find their son’s albino buffalo. Despite all the adversities and suffering, the people in the poem do not complain or lament on their misfortunes. They spend time together, enjoying each other’s company. They are grateful for what they have instead of what is lost. Life goes on with their daily chores of preparing food and habit of rolling their cigarette leaves. They are still able to joke with one another.

3. VOCABULARY WRITE THE DEFINITIONS OF THE FOLLOWING WORDS. WRITE YOUR OWN SENTENCES TO SHOW UNDERSTANDING OF THE WORDS. despair wounds horrendous carcasses hardship albino

4. EXERCISE 1 • From stanza 1, which words are used to describe their injuries? (1 mark) • Which phrase tells you that their search was futile? (1 mark) • What were floating in the water? (1 mark) • In your opinion, why was the flood described as ‘horrendous’? Using your own words, give a reason to support youR answer. (2 marks)