Two Scavengers in a Truck,Two Beautiful People in Mercedes and Nothings

Two Scavengers in a Truck,Two Beautiful People in Mercedes and Nothings Changed Compare and contrast of two poems from different cultures- ‘Two Scavengers in a Truck, Two beautiful People in Mercedes’ and ‘Nothings Changed’. ‘Two Scavengers in a Truck, Two Beautiful People in Mercedes’ by Lawrence Ferlinghetti, is a poem about four very different people brought together by traffic lights turning red. The poet is protesting against the inequalities within a democracy. ‘Nothings Changed’ by Tatamkhulu Afrika, is a poem which is also protesting, but about the way black people are treated in a place where the poet used to live, in District Six, in South Africa, where apartheid took place. In the poem ‘Two Scavengers in a Truck, Two Beautiful People in Mercedes’, the poet compares four people. The four people are brought together by the traffic light turning red. The poem is set in downtown San Francisco at 9 O’clock in the morning. First he describes the two garbage men in their truck. He compares them with a very elegant couple in their Mercedes, who have a very different lifestyle. The poet describes the two garbage men as- ‘two scavengers up since four a.m. grungy from their route’ This phrase creates the image of vultures swooping around San Francisco early while everyone is asleep, because vultures are often described as scavengers. The word ‘grungy’ also makes it clear to the reader that the garbage men are dirty and grubby. The writer tells us that the garbage men have been up since four a.m. This tells us that they are hard workers. In contrast, the poet describes the couple in the Mercedes as- ‘The man in a hip three piece linen suit with shoulder length blond hair and sun... ...manner, and the writer clearly wants to make himself heard. The poet, Tatamkhulu Afrika also talks about his own personal experiences, but on the other hand Lawrence Ferlinghetti, just writes about people he might have seen on the street. I personally preferred ‘Nothings Changed’ by Tatamkhulu Afrika, although I really liked ‘Two Scavengers in a Truck, Two Beautiful People in Mercedes’ by Lawrence Ferlinghetti, I thought ‘Nothings Changed’ was more thought provoking and I think I learnt more about the poet from it, because he was not afraid to express his feelings and opinions. However, I agree with both of the poets on their opinions. I think that everyone should be treated equally and no one should be made to feel like they are worse than someone else, just because they do not have a sophisticated car or because they are a different race or colour.