'The Clothes' is an elegy written in free verse, characterized by its personal recount and rich imagery. The poem uses the wet clothes of a dead comrade, hanging on a washing line, as a central symbol. These clothes, particularly the pink shirt with a gash, represent the suffering and violent death of an activist during the apartheid struggle. The poem explores the theme of hopelessness, reflecting the sentiment that despite the sacrifices and deaths of many, there was little significant change or progress in the fight against apartheid. The clothes, therefore, symbolize the lives lost and the despair that their deaths did not bring about the desired freedom. That's 2 down. 3 left today — send the next one.