Here Be Dragons

Here Be Dragons

Stanza 1:
1. The speaker (a boy) gets access to his dad's computer & explores the internet
  1. The boy quickly discovers his dad's computer password & easily gets access to the internet
    1. And the boy's determined & focused
  2. Line 1 & 2: "pa se koedwood draf ek in 'n oogwink kaf" (emphasis placed on "pa" -beginning of line & stanza- emphasizing boy's relationship with his dad)
  3. Use of English word "surf" prepares us for informal style of language in the poem
Stanza 2:
1. The speaker wants his dad to give him freedom on the internet. He must overcome dangers like drugs & paedophiles anyway
  1. "Inligting is my religie" (Information is my religion): Information is compared to religion. The boy believes in/relies on information as much as some people do in religion.
  2. "GoogleEarth my kart" (GoogleEarth [is] my map): The boy can find places easily with it
  3. The boys tells his father that he can also be exposed to dangers not just on the internet
    1. Weed is easily available on the streets
    2. Teachers (who should make kids feels safe) sometimes sexually abuse them
    3. The boy isn't safe anywhere, so his dad can't always protect him
Stanza 3:
1. The speaker & his friends are informed because of their access to the internet. He wants freedom to communicate with friends in Poland & witches in Paris
  1. The boy (& his generation) are well informed, mostly because of their access to the internet & information
  2. Keyboards are called "wys" (wise): Personification
    1. They are also metaphors for the speaker & his generation
  3. The boy wants his dad to let him explore new places through the internet
    1. Having contact with friends from other countries via social media
    2. Meeting strange & unusual people ("hekse" -witches) through the internet
  4. "Reis" (travel) used metaphorically
    1. Alliteration of 'P' sound ("Pole" "Parys") emphasizes distance between those two places & distance between the places & the boy's boy (South Africa)
Stanza 4:
1. The internet's the only place that can still be discovered/conquered by the speaker's generation
  1. Speaker tells his dad that technology is something his generation is proud of
  2. Speaker tells his dad that past generations had mining prospectors who could dig for gold & diamonds
  3. Technology is the speaker's generation's claim to fame
  4. Use of metaphors: New discoveries & developments in technology compared to planting flags & staking claims
Stanza 5:
1. The speaker asks his dad to give him freedom to explore the internet
  1. Line 16 is a repetition of line 5: "Let me go"
    1. Emphasizing the boy's desperation for his dad to let him be independent
Stanza 6:
1. But the speaker's dad worries about his son being hurt personally/emotionally
  1. In all the previous stanza's the speaker's created arguments trying to convince his dad to let him use the internet freely
  2. "Maar" (but): Turning point in the poem
    1. Speaker says for the first time he actually needs his dad
      1. He's not as independent as he wants his dad to think he is
        He asks whether his dad will still care about his if things go wrong one day
Stanza 7:
1. The speaker wants to his dad logically & rationally
  1. The speaker states which part of him will want to communicate with his dad
    1. His brain (referring to his rationality & intellectual abilities)
Stanza 8:
1. The speaker asks if his dad would support & listen to him when he truly needs him
  1. Because it's a rhetorical question, the tone changes
  2. If he's threatened by a paedophile or molested / threatened by a thief
  3. Image of a USB to show contact & connectedness
    1. Whether his dad will make contact with him like a USB so he can share his issues & state of mind
Stanza 9:
1. Or will his dad shut him out & leave him to himself in coping with a crisis
  1. The speaker expresses the contrary
  2. 'Firewall' is used to protect your computer against viruses
    1. Used as a metaphor for the speaker's dad possibly shutting him out & leaving him to his own devices
  3. "Kuberstorm" (cyberstorm) refers to the crisis the speaker fears
  4. The poem ends in a question: Showing uncertainty & feeling of being threatened
Dragon/sea monster as symbol of something that can be discovered
1. Also a warning against something dangerous
  1. Linking to a computer/the internet

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	Created by field.sophie over 9 years ago