Q HOW DOES THE COMPOSER CONVEY HIS IDEAS TO ILLICIT THE READER'S RESPONSE?
             In the poem "African Beggar" the composer conveys his ideas by using very descriptive writing. He also paints a vivid portrait of the beggar and his surroundings by using similes, metaphors and adjectives.
             He doesn't just tell a story but rather paints a picture. The reader is in no doubt that this is a tragic story. On the other hand were one to live in an environment where this was an everyday scene then their response would be altogether different. The composer uses shocking descriptive language at first to disgust the reader. For example "sprawled" as opposed to "lying", and metaphors such as "a heap of verminous rags and matted hair".
             The composer begins by showing us the beggars surroundings and also that the beggar is the object of ridicule by children, hence the metaphor "a target", as well as being subjected to dogs and flies scavenging for survival like the beggar.
             Further on the reader discovers that the beggar is also physically detestable by the description of his teeth, his missing nose and pocked marked face. The composer further stir's fear with his description of the beggar's eyes by use of the word "reptile", in this case used as an adjective rather than a noun, and also the word "cunning" which makes one feel threatened and wary of the beggars intentions. The description of his face being "creased in a sneer" also adds to this feeling that perhaps the beggar is not to be trusted.
             In the second stanza although the beggar is actually begging, the composer lets us know that while the beggar "whines for alms, perceiving that we bear the curse of pity" he must in fact feel enormous contempt for the people willing to give him money by suggesting that pity is a curse rather than a good huma
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