Prose: 'Fallen Angels' by Tracy Chevalier. Extract about Simon the gravedigger when he gets stuck.
Alot of things to consider, I personally wrote about the contrasts of one half of the passage between the other (when he realizes he's stuck), his innocence and lastly the social message, namely oppression of workers. Stating that his boss standing on top of the pit over him, bossing him whilst Simon is in the pit digging is quite the mark winner.
Poem: 'Route 62' by an author I forgot. Main themes (from friends) were: Nature, Power, Peace, Growing up and a friend wrote about sexual innuendo (volcanoes opening up, raging hormones, etc.). I don't know about alternative interpretations.
This is what Route 62 meant:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Route_62_(South_Africa)
