Lament for a dead cow

1. What does the word “lament” in the title mean?

• A) A joyful song

• B) A passionate expression of sadness

• C) A praise poem

• D) A humorous poem

2. Why was Wetu so important to the family?

• A) She was their only source of meat

• B) She provided entertainment for the village

• C) She was the only cow they owned and gave them milk

• D) She was a prize-winning race cow

3. Which poetic device is used in the line: “Her coat was as black as the Isipingo berry”?

• A) Metaphor

• B) Simile

• C) Personification

• D) Onomatopoeia

4. What does the metaphor "black cloud" symbolize in the poem?

• A) A storm is coming

• B) Wetu provided milk, like rain provides water

• C) The family’s sadness

• D) The end of a drought

5. How does the poet personify the sun in the poem?

• A) The sun is “thirsty”

• B) The sun is “weeping”

• C) The sun is “dancing”

• D) The sun is “angry”

6. What is Wetu’s coat compared to in the poem?

• A) A black horse

• B) The shadow of the moon

• C) An Isipingo berry

• D) The bark of a tree

7. What do the lines "the calabashes are empty" emphasize?

• A) The family no longer has milk

• B) The family is too lazy to fetch milk

• C) The calabashes are broken

• D) The family wants to sell the calabashes

8. Which sound device is used in "whistling tail"?

• A) Onomatopoeia

• B) Assonance

• C) Alliteration

• D) Rhyme

9. What does the poet mean when he says Wetu’s eyes are like a pool of water?

• A) Her eyes are full of tears

• B) Her eyes are deep, clear, and calm

• C) Her eyes are filled with reflections

• D) Her eyes are blue

10. What ultimately caused Wetu’s death?

• A) Old age

• B) A hunter

• C) A drought

• D) A disease