About the Author
Oswald Mbuyiseni Mtshali was born in 1940 in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. He grew up during the harsh period of apartheid, a system of racial segregation that affected the lives and opportunities of Black South Africans.
After finishing secondary school, Mtshali moved to Soweto with hopes of studying social work. However, apartheid laws blocked his admission into formal education institutions. Despite this setback, he did not give up. He continued his studies through correspondence and later earned a diploma in journalism and authorship through a program linked to London University.
Mtshali later became a teacher and an educator. He worked as a vice principal at Pace College in Soweto and also taught at the New York City College of Technology. Through his poetry, he became widely known for addressing social issues such as poverty, injustice, and the effects of apartheid in South Africa.
“An Abandoned Bundle” –
The poem describes a disturbing scene in a township called White City Jabavu, where the morning mist mixes with smoke from chimneys, creating a thick yellow haze. This polluted air spreads across the area like pus flowing from a large wound, suggesting sickness, suffering, and decay in the environment.
This heavy smoke covers the small houses in the community, making them feel trapped, just like fish caught inside a net. The atmosphere shows how unhealthy and oppressive the living conditions are for the people in this area.
The poem then shifts to a shocking scene where scavenging dogs are seen fighting aggressively over a bundle. These dogs are described as being covered in blood, showing how violent and desperate the situation is. The bundle turns out to be something alive, which the dogs are attacking.
The speaker throws a brick to scare the dogs away, and they run off. Unfortunately, what remains is a mutilated body of a baby that had been dumped on a rubbish heap. The speaker sadly refers to the child as an “abandoned bundle” and compares it to a baby in a manger, asking it to rest peacefully despite being surrounded by filth and death.
In the end, the poem reflects on the mother of the child, who is described as having disappeared into the morning light. She is portrayed as innocent-looking and pure, but her actions remain painful and tragic, suggesting abandonment, desperation, or social hardship that led to this situation.
INTRODUCTION
This poem was written by Oswald M. Mtshali, a South African poet born in 1940. The poem criticizes a society that has lost its moral values, set in White City Jabavu, a Black township in Johannesburg.
The poem presents a shocking situation where a mother gives birth, wraps the baby in cloth, and abandons it in a rubbish heap. Because of the early morning mist and smoke, she leaves unnoticed, appearing innocent. Later, scavenging dogs find the baby and attack it. The speaker arrives, feels sympathy, and throws a stone to chase the dogs away.
THEMATIC ANALYSIS
1. Moral Decay
The poem exposes a society that has lost its sense of humanity. The mother in the poem behaves in a disturbing way by abandoning her newborn baby in a rubbish heap, treating it like waste.
This shows extreme moral breakdown. What makes it even more shocking is that the mother leaves the scene appearing innocent and pure, as if she has done nothing wrong. The poet places this revelation at the end to surprise the reader and emphasize how deeply corrupted the society has become.
Her behavior suggests that such actions may have become normal or accepted in this environment, which highlights how serious the moral decay is.
2. Irresponsibility
The poem also reflects extreme irresponsibility, especially in motherhood. Some women, instead of caring for their children, abandon or even abort them, showing a lack of responsibility for life.
It is shocking that a mother who carried her baby for nine months can still abandon it in such a cruel way, leaving it to die in a rubbish heap. Despite this, she walks away calmly, appearing innocent, as if nothing has happened.
This shows how motherhood, which should be associated with care and protection, has been distorted by social and moral breakdown.
3. Sympathy
The persona expresses deep sympathy for the abandoned baby. He tries to save it by throwing a stone to scare away the dogs that are attacking it.
The baby is described as still moving, suggesting it may still be alive and suffering. However, it is already badly injured, and its condition is described as a “mutilated corpse,” showing how tragic the situation is.
Feeling helpless, the persona compares the baby to Jesus in a manger, symbolizing innocence and vulnerability. In the end, he can only express sorrow, saying the baby should rest peacefully even in such a terrible place.
“An Abandoned Bundle” – Hypocrisy, Guiding Questions & Language Use (Paraphrased in Human Tone)
HYPOCRISY
The poem also exposes hypocrisy in society. Many people commit serious crimes but later pretend to be innocent, especially when they are not caught.
In the poem, the mother abandons her newborn baby and leaves it to die, yet she walks away looking calm and innocent. She hides her guilt very well, appearing as if nothing wrong has happened.
This is shown when the poet describes her as moving away into the rising sun, with a face that looks pure and innocent. However, beneath this appearance is a cruel act she has committed.
This kind of behavior shows how some people in society hide their wrongdoing and pretend to be good, making them “wolves in sheep’s clothing.” Such hypocrisy prevents the creation of a truly moral and just society.
GUIDING QUESTIONS
i) What is the poem about?
The poem is about moral decay in society, shown through the shocking act of a mother abandoning her newborn baby in a rubbish heap, where it is attacked by dogs.
ii) Who is the persona? How do you know?
The persona is a passer-by who witnesses the incident in White City Jabavu. This is shown when he describes how he throws a brick to chase away the dogs attacking the baby.
iii) What is the tone of the poem?
The tone is mainly sympathetic towards the innocent baby. However, it becomes ironic when the mother leaves the scene appearing innocent. The overall mood is emotional and sorrowful.
iv) What type of poem is this?
It is a free verse modern lyric poem because it expresses strong emotions and personal reactions of the speaker toward the tragic event.
v) Language use in the poem
The language is simple and clear, making it easy to understand, but it is also very expressive. The poet carefully chooses words that help the reader visualize the harsh reality of the society.
Several figures of speech are used:
a) Irony
It is ironic that the mother who commits such a cruel act still appears innocent, as shown in the description of her “glittering innocence” and “pure heart.”
b) Simile
- Smoke is compared to pus oozing from a wound.
- Houses are compared to fish caught in a net.
- The mother’s heart is compared to pure dew.
c) Allusion
The phrase “Baby in the Manger” refers to the biblical story of Jesus Christ’s birth, symbolizing innocence.
d) Imagery
The poet creates strong visual images of poverty and suffering, such as dirty smoke, rubbish heaps, and the mutilated baby, helping the reader clearly imagine the scene.
e) Symbolism
- “Abandoned bundle” represents unwanted or neglected babies.
- “White City Jabavu” represents a morally decayed society.
- “Baby in the Manger” symbolizes innocence and helplessness.
- “Mother” represents morally corrupt individuals in society.
vi) Messages from the poem
- Mothers should take responsibility for their children.
- Abortion and child abandonment should be discouraged.
- Governments should punish those who abandon children.
- Society must protect innocent and vulnerable lives.
vii) Relevance of the poem today
The poem is still very relevant today because cases of child abandonment and abortion still occur in many societies. Some babies are still left in hospitals, streets, rubbish dumps, or unsafe places, showing that the problem highlighted in the poem still exists.
Leave a Reply