BUSRIT IN DIE AAND – Elisabeth Eybers

BUSRIT IN DIE AAND – Elisabeth Eybers

ENGLISH SUMMARY

In this descriptive poem we read about a bus transporting passengers who are on their way home after a long working day. They are tired and do not speak to one another. The passengers' reflections can be seen in the bus windows as they are sitting quietly staring out in front of themselves. The bus struggles to move with its heavy load. Both downhill and uphill is a big battle for the poor bus driver.

The poet compares this exhausting bus journey with a pirate ship heavily loaded with loot and taking the crew hostage to sell them as slaves. The bus driver is the captain of the ship and the passengers are the captured slaves.

In stark contrast with the other bus passengers the narrator and his/her companion are laughing cheerfully and having great fun. Their togetherness makes them happy and this contrasts sharply with their fellow-passengers who are portrayed as tired and lonely individuals who are trapped in a confined space.