Hard To Find

HARD TO FIND
Sinesipo Jojo
ABOUT THE POET
• Sinesipo Jojo was born in the Eastern Cape (Port St
Johns) in 1993.
• She studied at Nelson Mandela University in
Gqeberha (Port Elizabeth).
• In her final year of studying Psychology, she joined a
creative writing workshop.
• She wrote this poem during those workshops.
• Now a psychologist, she says the following about her
poetry: ‘However, writing is a way of expressing
myself, a way of letting my feelings and thoughts out,
and a way of speaking to myself. It is also a way of
letting my thoughts be known by others. Most of my
writings are based on personal experiences, and on the
relationships I have with others.’
THE POEM
1. Words are everywhere
2. daily
3. we read them, and they fly out
4. like nobody's business when we are provoked…
5. but there's always something hard to

understand...
6. they are hard to find

7. when they are needed by the heart;
8. when the heart feels,
9. words hide like they are not part of life.
THE POEM
10. While words are busy playing some twisted games
11. my heart looks sadly through the glass windows
12. as the raindrops slowly slide down, gently
13. on a cloudy lifetime,
14. hoping that one day,
15. words will realize what my heart wants to say.

TYPE
• It is a short lyric poem written from the
first person’s point of view.
• The speaker expresses her very personal
thoughts and feelings about how it is
difficult to find the right words when she
really needs them.
• It is written in free verse
FORM
• The poem consists of five stanzas of
varying length.
• The lines themselves vary in length too.
• The mixture of long and short lines
creates stanzas that portray the speaker’s
mixed feelings.
• Limited punctuation – only two sentences
• Enjambment is used, increasing rhythm
where needed
THE TITLE
• Refers to words that are difficult to find.
• Also refers to the speaker’s difficulty to
understand why words are hiding.
• Words of the title are repeated in line 6.
THEME 1:
COMMUNICATION
• Words are used to communicate with one
another.
• At times, words ‘fly’ freely when we are
passionate, however, there are times we
fail to speak freely as words ‘hide’ and
we cannot find the right words to
express how we feel.
THEME 2:
SADNESS
• When the speaker is at a loss of words to
express emotion, it leads to a feeling of
sadness.
• The ‘raindrops’ is a physical sign that the
speaker experiences sadness when the
‘heart looks sadly through the glass
window’.
THEME 3:
DISAPPOINTMENT
• The speaker highlights the abundance of
words through daily interactions (reading).
• The problem starts when emotions are

triggered then words escape the speaker’s
mind.
THEME 3:
DISAPPOINTMENT
• The speaker is disappointed at her inability
to recall words. The disappointment is
further explained in the personification of
the heart which feels the sadness as words
continue to escape.
• The speaker’s frustration is portrayed

when words are described as hiding and
playing ‘twisted’ game.
THEME 4:
HOPE / PATIENCE
• The speaker has faith that one day words
will discover what she wants to do, that is,
write poetry.
• This brings a glimpse of hope that words
will flood her thoughts to produce some
piece of writing/poetry.
• With time and patience words will no
longer escape her thoughts.
THEME 5:
THE POWER OF WORDS
• Words are powerful, whether you speak or
write them, they have energy and life-
changing power.
• They have impact on the speaker and the
receiver. They can help or heal, or hurt,
harm and humiliate.
TONE AND MOOD
• The tone is reflective, and the speaker
considers why it is sometimes so
difficult to find the appropriate words
to express intense emotions.
• The mood is hopeful (in the last 2
lines) as the speaker is optimistic
about the possibility that in future,
words might be easily available.
SUMMARY
• In this poem, the speaker looks at how
words come freely at times, and how
they hide when the poet really needs
them.
• The core image in this poem is the
description of the heart in the last three
stanzas. It creates an emotion-filled
atmosphere of the heart searching in
vain for the right words to use to air its
emotions.
VOCABULARY
WORD BASIC MEANING
everywhere Indicates abundance – words are all
over
fly out Escape / leave
nobody’s business Great intensity / amount
provoked Trigger / prompt a feeling
(passion/anger)
hide To conceal
twisted Sick or evil
slide Move smoothly / glide
realise Understand clearly / become aware
HARD TO FIND
LINE BY LINE ANALYSIS
Hyperbole: The availability of words is exaggerated
which indicates the abundance that comes out of reading.
1. Words are everywhere
2. daily
Words are used frequently –

emphasised by single-word line
Metaphor – a quick action. Refers to the speed with
which words can be said. Words come out easily
when filled with emotions of anger or frustration.
3. we read them, and they fly out
With great intensity
4. like nobody’s business, when we

are provoked…
Triggered passion Ellipsis stresses the
in response – difficulty/frustration that the
anger/frustration speaker experiences when
words cannot come out.
Contradictory – “but” suggests change in idea.
5. but there’s always something hard

to understand…
Ellipsis emphasises how difficult it is for the

speaker to understand why he/she struggles to
find words when experiencing intense emotion.
Repetition of title – emphasises speaker’s inability
to understand why words are suddenly elusive
6. they are hard to find
Symbol of emotion
7. when they are needed by the heart;
Metonymy (name of an object or concept is

replaced with a word closely related to or
suggested by the original) = the heart refers to
the speaker struggling to express feelings.
Specific emotions that are difficult and confusing to
deal with.
8. when the heart feels,

Personification – words compared to people
hiding from others
9. words hide like they are not part of

life.
Simile – when deeply emotional, words are so

difficult to find, it seems as if they don’t exist.
Personification – words play a cruel game and hide-
and-seek = causes sadness when one can’t express
feelings
10. While words are playing a twisted

game
Personification – heart given the human quality of

seeing / looking outside
11. my heart looks sadly through the

glass windows
Metaphor – eyes are compared to glass windows.

It suggests that the speaker’s emotions are
reflected in the eyes
Metaphor: tears falling down the speaker’s cheeks
compared to raindrops sliding down a windowpane =
suggests the speaker is sad and crying
12. as the raindrops slowly slide

down, gently
State of mind: the speaker is pensive/thoughtful and

realizes that not finding words to express emotions
has clouded her life
13. on a cloudy lifetime

Metaphor – lack of expressive words has always
prevented the full range of emotions to be
expressed like clouds hiding the brightness of the
sun. It is not a moment’s inability, but a lifetime.
Change in tone – there is hope that the future might
be different
14. hoping that one day,
Personification: in the same way a person would

come to a clear understanding, words will one day
be able to understand and express what the heart
feels
15. words will realize what my heart
wants to say.
Concluding single line emphasizes the hope of

finding the right words to express feelings.

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5. but there's always something hard to

6. they are hard to find

15. words will realize what my heart wants to say.

• The problem starts when emotions are

• The speaker’s frustration is portrayed

1. Words are everywhere

Words are used frequently –

3. we read them, and they fly out

With great intensity

4. like nobody’s business, when we

5. but there’s always something hard

Ellipsis emphasises how difficult it is for the

6. they are hard to find

7. when they are needed by the heart;

Metonymy (name of an object or concept is

8. when the heart feels,

9. words hide like they are not part of

Simile – when deeply emotional, words are so

10. While words are playing a twisted

Personification – heart given the human quality of

11. my heart looks sadly through the

Metaphor – eyes are compared to glass windows.

12. as the raindrops slowly slide

State of mind: the speaker is pensive/thoughtful and

13. on a cloudy lifetime

14. hoping that one day,

Personification: in the same way a person would

Concluding single line emphasizes the hope of

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