With reference to the extract explain the sentence, "The sun shall never set on so glorious a human achievement."
With reference to the extract explain the sentence, "The sun shall never set on so glorious a human achievement."
Official answer
The sentence means that the achievement of political freedom and the end of apartheid is so glorious that its significance will last forever, just as the sun 'never sets'. Mandela deliberately echoes the imperial phrase 'the sun never sets on the British Empire' but reverses its meaning — celebrating the permanence of human freedom and dignity rather than colonial domination.
Marking scheme
- 1.1 mark for correctly explaining that the sentence is a metaphor meaning the achievement (ending apartheid/oppression) is permanent and everlasting in significance, with reference to the extract's context.
Hint
Treat the sentence as a metaphor for permanence, and connect it to the achievement of ending apartheid described just before it in the extract.
Quick oral answer
It means the freedom achieved is so great that its glory will last forever, echoing and reversing the old phrase 'the sun never sets on the British Empire'.
Common mistakes
- 1.Explaining the sentence literally as being about the sun/daylight rather than as a metaphor for lasting glory.
- 2.Failing to connect the explanation back to the extract's context — the end of apartheid and political emancipation.
- 3.Missing the ironic echo of the colonial phrase 'the sun never sets on the British Empire'.
Analysis and explanation
This figurative sentence must be explained WITH REFERENCE to the extract, not literally.
Key points
- 'The sun shall never set' is a metaphor for permanence — the triumph over apartheid will remain forever significant.
- It deliberately echoes and inverts the imperial boast 'the sun never sets on the British Empire', turning a symbol of colonial conquest into one of liberation.
Common mistakes (exam caution)
- Explaining the sentence literally (about the actual sun) instead of recognising it as a metaphor for the permanence and glory of the freedom achieved.
Interesting facts
The original phrase 'the sun never sets on the British Empire' dates back to the 16th century and was used to boast that the empire spanned so many time zones that the sun was always shining on some part of it.
Mandela's use of the phrase here is widely studied as an example of rhetorical inversion, turning a symbol of colonial pride into a symbol of liberation from colonial-style oppression.
Question details
Q29 of 72 questions
- Board
- CBSE
- Class
- Class 10
- Subject
- English (Language & Literature)
- Year
- 2026
- Section
- Section C
- Marks
- 1
- Type
- Very Short Answer
- Chapter
- Long Walk to Freedom — First Flight (Nelson Mandela)
- Topic
- Interpretation of a key line — Long Walk to Freedom
- Bloom's level
- analyze
- Syllabus topic
- First Flight: Long Walk to Freedom — Figurative language and interpretation
- Author
- CBSE
- Reviewed by
- Padhantu Academic Team
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Frequently asked questions
Is this sentence literal or figurative?
It is figurative — a metaphor for the permanence and glory of the achievement of freedom, not a literal statement about the sun.