Allan Paton

The Discardment
 About the poet

Presentation title 2
 Introduction
At Contoso, we empower organizations to foster collaborative
thinking to further drive workplace innovation. By closing the
loop and leveraging agile frameworks, we help business grow
organically and foster a consumer-first mindset.

Presentation title 3
The Poem
 1. We gave her a discardment
2. A trifle, a thing no longer to be worn,
3. Its purpose served, its life done.
4. She put it on with exclamations,
The Discardment 5. Her eyes shone, she called and cried,
6. The great bulk of her pirouetted
7. She danced and mimed, sang snatches of a song.
8. she called out blessings in her native tongue
9. She called out to her fellow-servants
10. Then the strangers and passers-by
11. To all the continent of Africa
12. To see this wonder, to participate
13. In this intolerable joy.
14. And so for nothing
15. Is purchased loyalty and trust
16. And the unquestioning obedience
17. Of the earth's most rare simplicity.
18. So for nothing
19. The destruction of a world.
Presentation title 5
 Consider the title.

What do you associate with the word

‘discard’?
 Glossary

• Discardment – something that is no longer useful or desirable.

• Trifle – a thing of little value.
• Bulk – something large.
• Pirouetted – to spin around while dancing.
• Intolerable – something which cannot be endured or put up
with.

Presentation title 7
 Synopsis

• The poet reflects on the giving of an insignificant item of

clothing to the family’s Black domestic worker.
• She is humbled by her excitement and appreciation for
something that seemed so trivial to him.
• The poem is an indictment (judgement) against the treatment
and status of Black people in the South Africa of the poet’s day.

Presentation title 8
 Structure

• The poem is written in free verse, containing no rhyme scheme

or meter.
• In this poem, this emphasises the joy felt by the domestic work
upon receiving the discarded item.
• Genuine emotion is not restricted by rules which is reflected by
the structure of the poem.

Presentation title 9
An analysis
1. We gave her a discardment
2. A trifle, a thing no longer to be worn,
3. Its purpose served, its life done.
• The white employers give their black domestic worker
an item of clothing which they no longer need.
• The choice of the word “discardment” creates the
impression that it has little value and was going to be
thrown away.
• This is emphasised by the word “trifle" in line 2 (which
refers to something insignificant).
• The fact that it would no longer be worn and “its life
done”(line 3) could indicate that it is shabby and not
suitable for use.

Presentation title 11
4. She put it on with exclamations,
5. Her eyes shone, she called and cried,
6. The great bulk of her pirouetted
• The domestic worker is thrilled to have received this
item.
• She exclaims over its beauty – seeing worth in it that the
family does not (line 4).
• Her excitement is emphasised by the description of her
shining eyes and her calling out and crying (line 5).

• Her joy is embodied (represented physically) in her

spinning around (“Pirouette” line 6) whilst showing off
the item – a joy which must be intense to move her
large body (“great bulk”) as described in line 6.

Presentation title 12
7. She danced and mimed, sang
snatches of a song.
8. she called out blessings in her
native tongue • Take note of the repetition of the word “she” in lines 7 –
9. She called out to her fellow-servants 9. This contrasts with “we” used in line 1.
• This is to show the “us versus them” that existed during
Apartheid – the separation of people according to their
race.
• There is sibilance (alliteration of the “s” sound) in “sang
snatches of a song” in line 7.
• This highlights her joy in receiving the clothing as she is
moved to sing and dance to express her emotion.
• In lines 8 – 9 she shares her elation by speaking in her
home language which could be seen as a symbol of the
genuine nature of her gratitude.
• Reference is made to “her fellow-servants” which serves
as a stark reminder of the black woman’s designation in
Apartheid South Africa – someone who exists to serve.

Presentation title 13
10. Then the strangers and passers-by
11. To all the continent of Africa
• In line 10, The domestic worker goes on to share the
news of her fortune with people who she does not
know.

• Hyperbole is used in line 11.

• The woman does not actually tell all of Africa, but her
reaction to the hand-me-down is so over-the-top that,
to the speaker, it seems as if the whole of Africa will
hear of it.
• This serves to emphasise her gratitude and excitement.

Presentation title 14
12. To see this wonder, to participate
13. In this intolerable joy.
• She calls upon other people to witness this miracle
(wonder) and to share her joy.

• Take note of the oxymoron (a combination of

contradictory ideas) in the words “intolerable joy”.
• It seems that joy should be welcomed and not tolerated.
• The speaker is highlighting that the domestic worker’s
joy is so great that she almost cannot stand it.

Presentation title 15
14. And so for nothing
15. Is purchased loyalty and trust
16. And the unquestioning obedience • In line 14, the speaker once again highlights that the
17. Of the earth's most rare simplicity. item given to the domestic worker holds no value by
referring to it as “nothing”.
• He realises that he has gained her loyalty and trust
through this act of giving.
• The inclusion of the words “unquestioning obedience” is
disturbing to the reader.
• These three things should not be so easily won.
• This emphasises the great divide between the white
family and their black employee.

Presentation title 16
18. So for nothing
19. The destruction of a world.
• In line 18, The repetition of the word “nothing”
emphasises how unimportant the item is.
• For this reason, it is shocking that it is capable of
destroying a world.

• The world being destroyed is that of non-white people

in South Africa.
• Their lack of rights and poor socio-economic status
places them at the mercy of the people who have
everything.

Presentation title 17