Question

Explain the the poem Song of the whale by kit Wright

Answer 1

'Song of the Whale' by Kit Wright focuses on the exploitation of the whale, 'heaving mountain in the sea' at the hands of humankind. They use the whale, once it dies, to make lipsticks and polish and deprive them of thriving in the sea. The poet hears whale grieving, calling and singing, but he feels we would never let her live and instead of her life we chose lipsticks and polishes for our shoes.

Answer 2

The poem Song of the Whale depicts the poignant emotions of a whale. The whale mourns for the death of its already dead kin and the remaining whales that will be killed by human beings for its fat. This is used to make lipsticks, soaps and shoe polish.

Throughout the poem, the poet repeatedly states that he sympathizes with the whale. He goes on to compare the huge size of a whale with that of a mountain. The poet also highlights that human beings tend to forget that whales play a key role in contributing to the food chain.