This document provides background information on the South African poet Mbuyiseni Oswald Mtshali. It notes that he was born in 1940 and wanted to study at WITS University but was not allowed due to apartheid laws, so he studied in the United States instead. The document examines Mtshali's poem "Oh! Baby in the Manger" through analysis of its poetic devices and imagery. It provides discussion questions about the themes of the poem and their relationship to the issue of child negligence. Finally, it outlines a research project for students to investigate causes and statistics regarding abandoned children.

1. Mbuyiseni Oswald Mtshali
GRADE:11
ENGLISH FIRST ADDITIONAL LANGUAGE
Nozipho Ngomane

2. Background of poet
 Oswald Mbuyiseni Mtshali is a South African poet. He
has written in both Zulu and English. He wanted to
study at WITS University but was not allowed to due to
the Apartheid laws. He studied at Columbia University
instead. He now lives in the United States and still
continues to write.
 Born: January 17, 1940 (age 73)
N.P Ngomane

3. Mbuyiseni Oswald Mtshali
N.P Ngomane

6. It smothered our
little houses
The houses were
engulfed by
smoke/ pollution.

7. like fish caught in a
net.
Difficulty of
escaping life in a
township.

11. 'Oh! Baby in the
Manger
sleep well
on human dung.'
The baby is
compared to the
baby Jesus,
showing that the
baby is innocent.
N.P Ngomane

12. Its mother
had melted into the rays of the rising sun,
N.P Ngomane

13. her face glittering
with innocence
her heart as pure as
untrampled dew.
This image of the mother
suggests that she is pure
and innocent.
The Poet can be implying
that the mother is
innocent of the crime
that she has committed
OR she lives in an unjust
system of Apartheid that
she is relatively innocent
, because Apartheid has
caused this to happen
and not just the mother.

14. Learning objectives
 At the end of the lesson learners must be able to
identify figures of speech and also be able to explain
how they further strengthen the poet’s argument.
 Learners must be able to realate the issue of child
negligent to the

15. INTRODUCTION (Task 1 )
•In groups of 4 learners must discuss as a group looking
at the slides presented to them what they think they
think the theme of the poem is.
• Learners must also identify the poetic devices (figures
of speech, diction, imagery) used in the poem and
discuss as a group how these poetic devices further
strengthen the poet’s argument .

16. MAIN LESSON
Show learners a front page story
about a baby that was dumped.

17. Task 2
 Ask learners what they think are the possible reasons
that made the mother in the front page story to desert
her baby.
 Ask learners the possible reasons why the mother in
the poem neglected her baby.
 Ask learners if they think that both the actions of the
mother in the front page story and the mother in the
poem are justified? If yes/no they must elaborate their
answers.

18. Research project
• Child negligent is a serious issue not only in South Africa
but the country as a whole, I will give learners a research
project and they must do the following:
• 1. Learners must make use of the internet to find online
articles and journals about abandoned children and find
out some of the reasons why parents neglect their children.
• 2. Go to orphanage homes, police stations and hospitals to
find out about the statics or rather the number of children
that get deserted every single day.
• 3. Write a 2 page report about their findings.( some of the
reasons of child negligent, places that are most likely to be
found in and what is the most common age group of these
children)

19. References
 Yesheni Nair (2013)
 Suzette Van Rooyen (2012)