Analysis Of No Coffin No Grave By Jared Angira

The Summary

This poem is about the shameful murder of a tyrant. 

He was stabbed and shut in front of a night club; the poet sarcastically compared his murder shut to a gunshot representing a last respect to a warrior. 

Instead of the poem being a pure elegy, the poet created a sarcastic elegy which was beautified with irony and euphemism to show his dislike towards the wicked and selfish life led by the tyrant leader; it was so unfortunate for the dead politician who wished to have respected burial rite but ended with a belittled massacre.

The content of the poem is straightforward as a result of the simple diction maintained by the poet. Line 1-7 shows where and how the tyrant was buried, line 8-17 describes the event of his murder by comparing the murder gunshot, and state of his car, line 18-28 tells of the unwell condition of the masses and their state of no-say because they lived in a lower class, line 29-end is about the politician's empty wish for a befitting end.

The Themes

Few of the themes in the poem are uncertainty of life and living, shameful rewards for selfishness and wickedness, poverty within the masses, extravagance and embezzlement. The death of the tyrant proved that life is uncertain and whatever anyone sows, he/she will reap.

NO COFFIN, NO GRAVE

He was buried without a coffin
without a grave
the scavengers performed the
post-mortem
in the open mortuary
without sterilized knives
in front of the night club
stuttering rifles put up
the gun salute of the day
that was a state burial anyway
the car knelt
the red plate wept, wrapped
itself in blood its master’s
the diary revealed to the sea
the rain anchored there at last
isn’t our flag red, black, and
white?
so he wrapped himself well
who could signal yellow
when we had to leave politics
to the experts
and brood on books
brood on hunger
and schoolgirls
grumble under the black pot
sleep under torn mosquito net
and let lice lick our intestines
the lord of the bar, money
speaks madam
woman magnet, money speaks
madam
we only cover the stinking
darkness
of the cave of our mouths
and ask our father who is in hell
to judge him
the quick and the good
Well, his dairy, submarine of the
Third World War
showed he wished
to be buried in a gold-laden
coffin
like a VIP
under the jacaranda tree beside
his palace
a shelter for his grave
and much beer for the funeral
party
anyway one noisy pupil
suggested we bring
tractors and plough the land.
©copyright Jared Angira

The Poet

According to wikipedia article, "Jared Angira (born 21 November 1947) is a Kenyan poet. He has been called "the country's first truly significant poet.

Angira studied commerce at the University of Nairobi from 1968 until 1971."

Samuel C. Enunwa aka samueldpoetry
(the Leo with wings flying)

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Analysis Of Young Africa's Plea By Dennis Osadebay

Are you thinking of having a clearer idea of the poem "Young Africa's Plea" by Dennis Osadebay? Here is naijapoets.com.ng review regarding to the poem.

The poet:-

Dennis Osadebay is a Nigerian author, poet, and lawyer. He received his university education in the United Kingdom, where he was called to Bar. At a certain point, Osadebay was the Premier of the Mid-West Region of Nigeria.

The surface meaning:-

As the title of the poem suggests, the poem speaker is seen begging for his freedom of choice and his freedom of association. The is culturally inclined and somewhat relates to the issue of human race and difference in colour.

The poem speaker addresses some abstract subjects (the African rulers) warning them not to push his culture aside like something out-of-date in other "to suit" an alien culture. The poem speaker further pleads for the opportunity to be allowed to live with both culture on a balanced scale; believing that in such way he will "have untrammelled growth" and his friends will not regret he did leave with both culture because he will always keep them in the best part of his mind.

The Line-By-Line Summary:-

Line 1-3, you should not throw my culture, customs and believes into the bin like something expired so as to favor the colonialists customs.

Line 4-6, because such newly imbibed colonialists culture can never be better than mine.

Line 7-9, allow me to work with both customs and ideologies by managing the new culture with my African sense of reasoning.

Line 10-13, this way I'll easily be able to mingle and level up with the whole world and be a very better human.

Line 14-16, have you ever wondered why those who look down on me in public fear my strength in private of their hearts? It's because they know I have abilities and "I am no less a man"

Line 17-20, allow me this freedoms, and I'll make sure that my friends don't regret I'm living with two different cultural ideologies.

The Style, Preoccupation and Structure:-

Young Africa's Plea by Dennis Osadebay is another beautiful cultural poem. It gives in line with poems like Piano and Drums by Gabriel Okara, Anvil and the Hammer by Kofi Awoonor; what differentiated this poem is that it begs for the opportunity to live with both cultures amicably. It has a simple style and the dictions are very easy to understand. 

Dennis Osadebay was so preoccupied with the fear of loosing the values in his African culture to the European culture and from the second person point of view, he begged to be allowed the privilege to live with both cultures than favoring one for the other. The poem is structured with no specific end rhyme pattern or rhythm. It is a straight single stanza poem of 20 lines that flow from head down to toe.

The Figures of Speech:-

It is no doubt that poetic devices are one among the flavors of any good poem and this poem has loads of beautifying figures of speech. 

"Let me" is a repetition in the poem used to emphasize the mood of the poem, there as well, there is a simile in line 2, "As some fine curios", imageries, symbolisms "white historians" which implies the European colonialists and the "black man" which implies an African, plenty of alliterations; line 7, 8, etc.

Few words in the poem to be explained are:-

1) curios in line two, they are things which serve as a reminder of the past.
2) tastes in line three, means liking.
3) talents in line thirteen, means the natural abilities.
4) untrammelled growth in line seventeen, the opportunity to develop without restraints of any kind.

The Themes:-

The theme of cultural differences, where the poets doesn't deny the usefulness of the new culture but requests the two be used together to make him a better man. 

The theme of friendship, where the poets aims his actions towards things that will gladden his friends and make them proud of him. The theme of colonialism and volatility of African leadership in such era: "Don't preserve my customs/ As some fine curios/ To suit some white historian's tastes" (line 1-3)

The Poem:-

Don't preserve my customs
As some fine curios
To suit some white historian's tastes.
There's nothing artificial
That beats the natural way,
In culture and ideals of life.
Let me play with the white man's ways,
Let me work with the black man's brains,
Let my affairs themselves sort out.
Then in sweet rebirth
I'll rise a better man,
Not ashamed to face the world.
Those who doubt my talents
In secret fear my strength;
They know I am no less a man.
Let them show their noble sides,
Let me have untrammelled growth.
My friends will never know regret
And I, never once forget.
Copyright © Dennis Osadebay, all rights reserved.

Samuel C. Enunwa aka samueldpoetry
(the Leo with wings flying)

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Analysis Of My Grandmother By Elizabeth Jennings

Introduction to the Analysis

From the third person point of view, Jennings painted a clear image of an aged person's way-of-life (her grandmother). 

The poem opened with comparison; comparing the abode of the grandmother to an "antique shop". From the poem, naijapoets.com is of the opinion that old age has some stages (initial frailty, intense frailty, and death) the first stanza described the poem-speaker's grandmother as being old and lonely. She only had things than beings as companions: "Apostle spoons and Bristol glass/ The faded silks, the heavy furniture/ She watched her own reflection in the brass/ Salvers and silver bowls, as if to prove/ Polish was all, there was no need of love."

Jumping to stanza three, the grandmother was in an intense frailty and all youthful remnants surrounding the old woman (acting as her cherished company) lost their meanings and were moved aside into "Sideboards and cupboards" because she was "too frail to keep a shop, she put/ All her best things in one long narrow room/ The place smelt old, of things too long kept shut"

The Summary of Events

The poem speaker stood in state of mournfulness but pretended she didn't feel grief after the death of the old woman. She said in stanza four:

"And when she died I felt no grief at all,
Only the guilt of what I once refused.
I walked into her room among the tall
Sideboards and cupboards_ things she never used
But needed: and no finger-marks were there
Only the new dust falling through the air."

The Message of the Poem

From the message of the poem, one with deep thought will figure so many things; futility is one among. It became obvious in the final stanza of the poem that many cherished things were left behind not excluding the poem speaker. 

Based on the theme of "aging to death" loneliness is human's worst enemy but people neglect the company of their aged ones calling them out-of-date. The theme of remembering the loved-ones inspired the poem. Elizabeth Jennings couldn't stand the lost of her grandmother by so doing transposed the elegy into something close to a satire. 

She claimed no grief but narrated the lonely plight of the old woman and how she so much need human company. The poem is interesting because it brings back to readers mind the truth that "We never a good thing till is gone".

Samuel C. Enunwa aka samueldpoetry
(the Leo with wings flying)

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Analysis Of Report To Wordsworth By Kim Boey Cheng

About the Poem

This post will explain the figures of speech and the themes in Report To Wordsworth by Kim Boey Cheng.

Report To Wordsworth is a poem believed to be addressed to William Wordsworth, the poet, whose poetic messages show affection for nature. Cheng wasn't glad with the deplorable states of natural things like rivers, animals, plants, atmosphere, etc; after he felt that the gods meant to come to the rescue of nature were silent, he had no choice than to address the poem to Wordsworth as his last resort.

The Poetic Devices

"You should be here, Nature has need of you" in line 1 is an example of epanalepsis.

"As Nature's mighty heart is lying still" in line 12 is an example of imagery.

"The flowers are mute, and the birds are few" in line 4 is an example of paradox, parallelism and personification.

"in a sky slowing like dying clock" is an example of simile.
"She has laid waste" is an example of personification; the "She" was referring to "Nature".

"The wound widening" "insatiate man moves" "sky slowing" "poetry and piety" are examples of alliteration.

"Proteus, Triton, Neptune, Wordsworth" are examples of allusion.

The Themes

(1)The effect of Nature on poetry and religion (2)The destructive nature of human (3)Hopelessness and Helplessness in Nature's recovery

It was shown in the poem that without nature, poetry and religion is nothing. Meaning that the bad shape of Nature has a lot of negative effects on poetry and religion: "Poetry and piety have begun to fail/ As Nature's mighty heart is lying still" (line 11 and 12). 

The destruction suffered by Nature is man-made (i.e. caused by the effort of human) and few of them are plants infertility which the poet described "the flowers are mute..." the unreasonable hunting and killing of animals which the poet also described "the birds are few" polution of water and atmosphere beyond control. "all hopes of Proteus rising from the sea/ has sunk; he is entombed in the waste/ we dump..." according to line 5 to 7 of the poem. Kim Cheng revealed the degree of hopelessness and helpless of Nature's recovery by inviting Wordsworth who is a mortal with less power as the immortal deities that has failed to rescue Nature from peril. 

He also made the readers to see reasons for inviting Wordsworth; "Neptune lies helpless as a beached whale/ while insatiate man moves for the kill".

Samuel C. Enunwa aka samueldpoetry
(the Leo with wings flying)

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Analysis of In Memory of Anyone Unknown to Me by Elizabeth Jennings

About the Poet

We seem elated to be analyzing another elegy_ a mild elegy for that matter. What could be more delighting than meeting poets in their genius dens.

The poem "In Memory of Anyone Unknown to Me" proved Elizabeth Jennings' creativity was inelastic during her lifetime.

Elizabeth Jennings was an English poet born 18th July, 1926 in Boston, United Kingdom but died 26th October , 2001 in Bampton, United Kingdom.

About the Poem

The poem is about death. She wrote the poem solely because she admired the dead_ they are humans just as herself. Structurally, "In Memory of Anyone Unknown to Me" by Elizabeth Jennings is a three stanza poem of six lines each stanza with the end rhyme pattern of ABBACC DEEDFF GHHGII.

[You Can Even Listen to the Poem In Memory of Anyone Unknown to Me]

In the poem, Elizabeth Jennings treated mourning like a philanthropic act. Even when none of the poet's friends or relatives died, she still found it in her heart to practice a mournful ritual to those that are dead anywhere in the world at such time. 

Besides mourning, she also emphasized life's achievements or earthly accomplishments as seen in the second stanza of the poem below:
"How they lived, or died, is quite unknown,
And, by that fact gives my grief purity--
An important person quite apart from me
Or one obscure who drifted down alone.
Both or all I remember, have a place.
For these I never encountered face to face".

The reason she didn't mourn any status under the grip of bias was because the famous which she referred to as "An important person quite apart from me" and the commoner which she referred to as "...one obscure who drifted down alone" are both victims of death which she was yet to witness though indebted to it.

She did imagine whatever burial rites could be going on at that particular time_ digging of grave or cremation. 

And being an abstract mourner also took away any form of sentiment in as much as she wouldn't have to worry about their epitaph, or taking roses to their graves or wondering whether they were good persons who deserved not to die or bad persons who truly deserved the cold stings of death.

Enunwa Chukwudinma S. aka samueldpoetry
(the Leo with wings flying)

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Analysis Of I Think It Rains By Wole Soyinka

About The Poem

I Think It Rains by Wole Soyinka is a poem of difference; it differs in every form both structure, diction and message. The poem looks into the practice of smoking though one cannot predict the author's stand (whether of likeness or dislike).

About The Poet

The poet was born 13th of July in the 1934 with the name Akinwande Oluwole Soyinka. To spare you of the known, a comprehensive profile of Wole Soyinka can be found everywhere on the internet.

The Use Of Imagery

The poem is built on metaphor since the puffing, smoking is liken to a rainfall and every other imageries are in support of the raining, the dryness before the rain, the descriptive picture of the smoke being a Rain-Reeds and circling spirit, etc.

Soyinka, in the last stanza of the poem claimed that the act of smoking had no reasonable effect but done for the fun of its routine outcome:

"Rain-reeds, practised in
The grace of yielding, yet unbending
From afar"

"this, your conjugation with my earth
Bares crounching rocks"
There is ambiguity in the line above with the poet's use of "this, your" which created an address either to the smoker or the puffed smoke. If to the puffed smoke, then it should be considered an apostrophe. "your conjugation with my earth/ Bare crounching rocks" means your mingling with the early space, causes the smoker's teeth to be exposed in tightened as if in grinding.

Another ambiguity is in "circling spirit" which might mean the smoke coming out in a circular motion or the odour of smoking always circulating.

Metaphor in "a ring of grey" "The circling spirit" "Rain-Reeds" Asyndeton in "Uncleave roof-tops of the mouth, hang heavy with knowledge” Alliteration "Rain-Reeds" Symbolism "crounching rocks"

One of the themes to derive from this poem is the futility in the act of smoking which requires more action than its derived wasteful result.

Probably people's addiction to smoking must have motivated the poet into crafting this poem. Even the structure looked imbalance, unable to hold, and wavery like a puffed smoke.

MUST NOT MISS:-
>>>Analysis of Telephone Conversation by Wole Soyinka

>>>Analysis of Abiku by Wole Soyinka

>>>Deep Analysis of Post Mortem by Wole Soyinka

Samuel C. Enunwa aka samueldpoetry
(the Leo with wings flying)

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Analyzed Poem: Desiderata by Max Ehrmann

The Introduction

At the moment,

• If you're not happy with yourself.
• If you're not in harmony with whatever you regard as your own God.
• If you're yet to find peace in this lousy world that looks so shapeless like amoeba.

Then you need to download and listen to Desiderata by Max Ehrmann.

It is what I regard as the modern ecclesiastic; so direct and simplified.

Without the right knowledge and wisdom, most people live through life like a ship navigated by sailor with a lost compass because nothing seems to be justifiable_ not even what some people fanatically portray to be a sin.

The Motive

The poem Desiderata by Max Ehrmann is an eight stanza free verse that is capable of assisting any human to narrow his/her mind in this broad universe. It emphasizes the pursuit of peace, prudence, tolerance, growth, love, uncertainty, adaptability, godliness and the undiluted happiness. Ehrmann is an American poet who live between September 28, 1872 and September 9, 1945.

The Paraphrase

Now, let me paraphrase the poem as follows:
Silence is very peaceful and it best never to hold grudges against people. Humbly express your opinions give ear to others because everyone has a story.

Stay away as far as possible from loud and aggressive people because they will corrupt your inner being. Don't forget that it is very painful comparing yourself with others (you will always be better than some and some better than you); therefore enjoy whatever you have acquired.

Remember, whatever career you chose, it is worthwhile. Heroism is never a bad thing but be careful of fraudsters in your career path.

Do not walk in someone else's shadow; be yourself. Don't pretend to love when you hate or hate when you're actually in love "for in the face of all aridity and disenchantment it is as perennial as the grass".

As time grows, grow with it. Misfortunes will come and be courageous to handle them wise well, don't bury yourself in charm or magical powers. Be careful and be calm because "many fears are born of fatigue and loneliness".

"You are a child of the universe,
no less than the trees and the stars;
you have a right to be here.
And whether or not it is clear to you,
no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should."

Be at peace with whatever you regard as your own God and do not let worldly aspirations deprive you rest of mind.

And no matter what the case may be, this world is a very beautiful world, therefore inner happiness is the most important thing you should pursue.

Enunwwa Chukwudinma S.
aka samueldpoetry
(the Leo with wings flying)

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Plot And Themes Of Night Rain By John Pepper Clark

Plot:-

The poem talks about rain falling in the night and the effects of it on a small boy, the other brothers, the mother and the small improverished abode.

The boy wakes up not knowing the time as "no cock crow"

The rain starts falling hard. He takes into consideration the effects of this on his brothers who are advised to sleep on; on his mother who continuously shifts "her bins, bags and vats" so that the rain does not fall on them; on their roomlet which has a roofing leak. 

The boy, in his sleep befudged mind, is also able to imagine the world outside in terms of the owl, the iroko and the bats. Feeling safe, he turns back to sleep.

Themes:-

The following are the themes of Night Rain by John Pepper Clark that naijapoets.com.ng was able to fetch through research and findings:

(1) Man and Nature: He discusses the forces of nature through a natural phenomenon and that man is not to run away from the latter but face it and become unified with it.

(2) Solidarity of Humanity: Under the unrelenting forces of nature man should stick together as the family did.

(3) Poverty: The family becomes an epitome of the general level of poverty prevalent among humans even in the face of something so powerful as a natural phenomenon.

The poet examines man in interdependence with rain_ a natural phenomenon. Man is seen as depending on the environment, suppressed by it but also fighting and getting united in the face of its onslaught.

The poet sees all the actions in the poem through the eyes of a small boy whose innocence can be contrasted to the stark, naked and vicious force of nature. 

We see the attack of the rain in the night on the small household which is poverty-ridden. Notwithstanding this, the family is able to overcome and stay united against the vicious night attack as they are able to go back to sleep, so innocent and free.

Samuel C. Enunwa aka samueldpoetry
(the Leo with wings flying)

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Poetic Figures And Forms In Piano And Drums By Gabriel Okara

As we've already known that Piano And Drums by Gabriel Okara is a culturally oriented poem comparing the poet's past and present experiences. In looking at the figures and form of the poem, will it be perfect to refer to the poem as a non metered free verse? Yes.

Judging from the definition of free verse ("vers libre" in French language), any poem with no particular rhythm or metre and without a rhyme scheme can be referred to as a free verse. 

It is vivid how Gabriel Okara with this poem imitated Walt Whitman in creating impossible effects far beyond the boundaries that even blank verses can cross.

Gabriel Okara employed beautiful imageries an
d symbolisms in collaboration with some state-of-the-art poetic devices to balance his 4 stanzas poem of unequal lines.

[naijapoets.com suggest you read: How Do I Love Thee? by Elizabeth Barrett Browning]

Assonance, alliteration, imagery, personification, simile, symbolism are few of the poetic devices dwelling within the poem: Piano And Drums. Alliterations in the poem are "the panther ready to pounce" in line 6, "leopard snarling about to leap" in line 7, "turn torrent" in line 9, "solo speaking" in line 18.

Assonances are located in line 3 (jungle drums), in line 4 (mystic rhythm), in line 5 (bleeding flesh, speaking), in line 8 (hunters crouch). 

Imageries in virtually all the lines of the poem; examples are "naked/ warmth of hurrying feet and groping hearts/ in green leaves..." "wailing piano/ solo speaking of complex ways/ in tear-furrowed concerto/ of far away lands"

There are personifications in line 15 (groping heart/ in green leaves) and in line 18 (piano/ solo speaking of complex ways). 

Simile in line 4 "like bleeding flesh" and symbolisms like piano symbolizing future, drums symbolizing past.

Samuel C. Enunwa aka samueldpoetry
(the poetic Leo in the sky flying)

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Analysis of Ibadan by John Pepper Clark

Photo is from tukool.com

The Poet and Summary

The poet, John Pepper Clark wrote the poem title "Ibadan". He was born in Delta, Nigeria on the 6th of April, 1935.

This' a descriptive poem. Clark painted an image of Ibadan, the largest city in Nigeria as of the time of this post. He saw rustiness and muddiness deposited haphazardly amidst the hill-city but the simplicity of the poem, made it hard to determine whether he was disgusted or marveled at the sight he described.

The Message and Paraphrase

Actually, the message of the poem is that Ibadan is an ancient city where the huge effort of modernization seemed hard to erode its ancestral landmark.

To paraphrase the poem, it will flow thus: As I drove by the city of Ibadan, I saw mud buildings with rusty roofing so much like a water splash. They seemed scattered around the seven hills like broken China.

The Use of Imagery

The five line poem (Quintain) is dominated with imagery yet there are enjambment, simile, assonance, etc. According to thepoetsgarret, "there are many great poems that use a five line stanza, often called a Quintain. It can be any five line stanza poem of any meter or line length and is often misused because of it's alleged simplicity." 

Let's further shed light on the imageries: 

• "Running" in line 2 indicates movement and because a city can't be mobile led to the conclusion that the poem speaker described what he saw while in a moving vehicle.
• "splash of rust" refers to the large numbers of rust roofing that are always obvious to those traveling through the city.
• "Gold-flung" describes the yellowish mud which most ancient Ibadan buildings are made of.
• "Among seven hills" in line 4 enlightens that there are seven hills in the city of Ibadan.
• "broken/ China in the sun" is another image of sight which John Pepper Clark employed in the poem to indicate the uniformity of architectural age in the city.

Continue Reading >>>

Samuel C. Enunwa aka samueldpoetry
(the Leo with wings flying)

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3 Major Poetic Devices In Vanity By Birago Diop

3 MAJOR POETIC DEVICES IN VANITY BY BIRAGO DIOP

[feel free to read Breath By Birago Diop]

In the poem Vanity by Birago Diop, there are three major poetic devices that gave the poem her grandeur. These are (1) Imagery (2) Repetition (3) Rhetorical Question.

Other Poetic Devices

Before we examine the great impact these three poetic devices have on the poem, naijapoets.com.ng takes a look at the several poetic devices in the poem.



(1) Alliteration: The repetition of consonants at the beginning of two or more words immediately succeeding, or at a short interval. In line 1 "gently gently"in line 8 "what eyes will watch" in line 15 "Dead came with their Dead" in line 25 "Did not understand our dead".


(2) Imagery: This is the use of word in giving vivid picture of an occasion or object or person. In line four "sad complaining voices of beggars" it describes how the voices of the people in the poem look like. 

"Just as our fears were deaf" is a simile and imagery telling the readers how oblivion the people in the poem were. In line 14 "the black depths of our plaintive throats?" is also an imagery among many that exist in the poem.

[The poem, Ambush By Gbemisola Adeoti also has huge imageries]

(3) Metaphor: This' an indirect comparison which opposes simile that uses "like" and "as" to create its own comparison. In line 4 of the poem "voices of beggars" in line 14 "plaintive throats" in line 9 "the laughter of big children".


(4) Repetition: In the poem, there are repetin tioof words, phrases and lines. "Gengly" "what" "our" "laughter" "mouth" are few words repeated in the poem. 

There are partial repetition of lines, for instance: line 3 and 5 repeat "who... will hear... without laughter" in line 8 and 10 "what eyes will watch our ... mouths" in line 17 and 19 "just as our ears were deaf" in line 21 and 24 "in the air, in the water, where they have traced their signs".


(5) Rhetorical Question: This' a question posed by a character in a poem which will have no response at all. "Who indeed will hear them without laughter?" line 5, "What eyes will watch our bad mouths?" Other rhetorical questions are in line 8, 10, 11, 13, 14, 29.

The 3 Major Poetic Devices

As said earlier, imagery, repetition and rhetorical questions are the three major poetic devices that aided the sweetness of the poem, the rest devices pillared the three. 

A vivid look at the simile, metaphor, and personification within the poem, one will see that they all assisted the use of imageries and the cases of alliterations and assonances that existed in the poem; they helped in making the words and lines repetition more accommodating to the readers hearing. 

The imageries and the repetition also helped in the usage of rhetorical questions.

Samuel C. Enunwa aka samueldpoetry
(the Leo with wings soaring)

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Analysis of The White Man's Burden by Rudyard Kipling

The Poet and Introduction

I do not think any lover of good literature will dispute my believe that Rudyard Kipling was one of the geniuses in his lifetime. Born in India on the 30th of December, 1865. 

His love for literature led him to journalism, poetry and short-story writing (he authored the famous book title: The Jungle Book) but to cut the very long profile short, at the ripe age of 70, Joseph Rudyard Kipling kissed his mortal flesh goodnight 18th of January, 1836.

If you're a fervent follower or reader of this blog, you'll recollect when Naijapoets recently analyzed a poem written by poet with Nobel Prize in Literature and Rudyard Kipling is another example on this blog. Jean Paul Sartre had his Nobel Prize in Literature in the year 1964 while Rudyard's Nobel Prize award was in the year 1907.

Colonization, exploitation and civilization are known to share the same link in any historical growth of both developed and developing countries. Colonialists act on the motive of calculated gains from the intended land which on the other hands lead to the further development of such land.

"The White Man's Burden" by Rudyard Kipling mocks the  long practiced heroism by people from Europe and America which they carry out in different ways noted in the poem. Colonialism, Activism, Philanthropism, Missionary, Exploration, Humanitarianism, Rescue Missions.

Structure and Devices

Structurally, the eight stanza poem has irregular rhymes pattern and stanzas. 

With tone of admonition to arouse a repellant mood, the poet made mockery of so many glorified acts through a second person perspective. 

Besides, the use of refrain "Take up the white man's burden" seen at the commencement of each stanza, there are other poetic devices as thus: "By all ye cry or whisper/ By all ye leave or do," is an instance of antithesis in the poem, "The savage wars of peace" is an example of oxymoron, "To wait in heavy harness/ On fluttered folk and wild" has alliteration. 

"And bid the sickness cease" which possesses assonance. Biblical allusion in the poem is "Why brought he us from bondage/ Our loved Egyptian night?"

Paraphrase of the Poem

Take up the white man's burden of sending your sons to rule the land you've colonized. 

Take up the white man's burden of patiently cajoling people with sweet public speeches that quench their threats of terror towards you. Or take up the white man's burden of discouraging the enjoyable lifestyle of the nobles and the kings but risk your life on deadly adventure to explore new places.

You can take up the white man's burden of giving gifts and financial aids to those affected by the aftermath of revolutionary wars filled with famine only to watch your effort amount to waste by people's laziness and religious fanaticism. 

You should also take up the white man's burden of being rewarded with blame (like Moses in the Bible) from your rivals and those you worked hard to safe from captivity. Take up the white man's burden of missionary approach where freedom is prayerfully seek knowing that people will always judge you by your gods and personal behavior. 

Or maybe you should take up the modern white man's burden of sacrificing a whole lot of yourself in the quest for laureates and honorary awards.

If you take this moment to examine, you will realize those white man's burdens give nothing but ingratitude, sorrow, hard wisdom and criticism.

Samuel C. Enunwa aka samueldpoetry
(the Leo with wings flying)

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How Suitable Is The Title Vanity By Birago Diop?

The Poet

The poem Vanity was written by Birago Diop, the author of a poetry book titled: Lures And Glimmers (1960). Birago Diop wasn't just a poet, he was a veterinarian and was once an ambassador of Senegal to Tunisia. He was born 11/11/1906 but died 10/11/1989.

The Title Justification

I prefer the poem Breaths by Birago Diop  to the poem Vanity by Birago Diop but considering the title of the poem Vanity, how suitable is it to the context of the poem?

There was no direct display of vanity in the poem because the twenty nine lines of the poem were written without a single word called vanity, but the poem speaker painted the picture of vanity from start to finish.

Through one of the theme of negligence, the poem speaker revealed vanity in virtually all the four stanzas ("Who indeed will hear them without laughter?" in line 5, "What eyes will watch our loud mouths?" in line 8, even line 11-14 portrayed vanity)

The poem went "in black depths" to show how negligence on part of the poem speaker and of those who will hear what the poem speaker had to say, made the message of the poem to be in vain.

In conclusion, I'm of the notion or support that the title of the poem is well suitable. Kudos to Birago Diop.

Samuel C. Enunwa aka samueldpoetry
(the candid winged Leo soaring)

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Simple Summary of Finery by Jane Taylor

About Jane Taylor

Twinkle Twinkle Little Star was written by Jane Taylor who lived between 23rd September of 1783 and 13th April of 1824. She was a poet mothered by another writer who goes by the name Ann Taylor (1796-1810). 

Jane Taylor hailed from Lavenham, Suffolk in London.

Summary of Finery by Jane Taylor

Finery is a poem that narrates a story of two young ladies_ Fanny and Lucy. 

Fanny was a young rich lady who took dozen of time to groom herself for a short party she needed to attend in her friend's place. She wore her hair so perfectly curly and chose the finest of her dress decorated with beautiful lace. She said to herself "Ah! how they will all be delighted, I guess,/ And stare with surprise at my handsome new dress!". 

The other lady (Lucy) not quite from a rich family attended the same party wearing white simple, cheap and neat dress.

Unfortunately for Fanny, no one noticed her nor her rich attire. She was almost a ghost at the party because none related with her because she appeared so proud and oppressing but all eyes were on Lucy, the simple and cheerful lady. 

Lucy at the party was preferred because she wasn't acting fake or trying put on the personality she doesn't possess.

The final stanza of the poem advised that it's always better to wear a smiling face than expensive outfit because "the good-natured girl is loved best in the main/ If her dress is but decent, though ever so plain".

The 5 stanza rhyming poem is 4 lines each which total 20 lines. Via a third person perspective, Jane Taylor pointed at the importance of good social behavior by comparing two young ladies with contrasting social behavior.

The Poem

In an elegant frock, trimm'd with beautiful lace,
And hair nicely curl'd, hanging over her face,
Young Fanny went out to the house of a friend,
With a large little party the evening to spend.

"Ah! how they will all be delighted, I guess,
And stare with surprise at my handsome new dress!"
Thus said the vain girl, and her little heart beat,
Impatient the happy young party to meet.

But, alas! they were all too intent on their play
To observe the fine clothes of this lady so gay,
And thus all her trouble quite lost its design;­
For they saw she was proud, but forgot she was fine.

'Twas Lucy, though only in simple white clad,
(Nor trimmings, nor laces, nor jewels, she had,)
Whose cheerful good-nature delighted them more
Than Fanny and all the fine garments she wore.

'Tis better to have a sweet smile on one's face,
Than to wear a fine frock with an elegant lace,
For the good-natured girl is loved best in the main,
If her dress is but decent, though ever so plain.

Enunwa Chukwudinma S.
aka samueldpoetry
(the Leo with wings flying)

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Analysis of With A Water Lily By Henrik Ibsen

The Poet

Henrik Ibsen is a poet who lived 78 years on earth between 20th March 1828 and 23rd May 1906. He was born in Telemark County in Norway.

The Summary

In the poem "With A Water-Lily", Henrik Ibsen admonished a child who seemed to be too fond of water. He told of the decoy a stagnant water creates with water-lilies.

The poem reminds me of my father's warning against playing in the river. He never would risk even the best knowledge of swimming to allow us play in any kind of river_ shallow or deep. He had witnessed how many expert swimmers lost their lives to the water.

The Structure

Back to the poem, the first stanza introduced the readers to the water and the lilies in the spring time while the second stanza was about the scenes created by the water-lilies.

Line 1 of the poem says: "See, dear, what thy lover brings". The phrase "see, dear" was referring to the child, "thy lover" used in the poem referred to the stagnant water, while "what thy lover brings" referred to the water-lilies floating above the water. Henrik Ibsen further described the water lilies by comparing them to birds with white wings [Line 2].

In line 5, the poet expressed the attractive sight of the water decorated with white-lilies; he said it was "Homelike to bestow this guests".

Quite in form of refrain, the last two stanzas of the poem were associated with the dangers of such water.

"Child, beware the tarn-fed stream;
Danger, danger, there to dream!
Though the sprite pretends to sleep,
And above the lilies peep.

Child, thy bosom is the stream; Danger, danger, there to dream!
Though above the lilies peep,
And the sprite pretends to sleep."

The Form

Categorized under life and living, the poem "With A Water-Lily" by Henrik Ibsen contained an end rhyme scheme of AABB CCDD with tone of admonition. The 4 stanza poem addressed naivety, beauty, season, and nature.

Based on observation, "Child, beware the tarn-fed stream" in line 9 and "Child, thy bosom is the stream;" in line 13 are instance of parallelism in the poem.

"Adream" means to dream or be in state of dreaming.
"And the sprite pretends to sleep" means the water inhabitant acts as if in sleep.
"Buoyed" means float.

Enunwa Chukwudinma S.
aka samueldpoetry
(the Leo with wings flying)

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Analysis of Listen Comrades by David Diop

The Overview

Since the birth of civilization, inequality and the struggle for freedom have lasted beyond the expectations of humans.

So many literature have penned the varying happenings of people's fight for freedom which in most cases are never without lose of lives and belongings.

In the poem "Listen Comrades" by David Diop, the voice of the poem expressed his freedom-fighter spirit by calling attention of other comrades to the death of their mentor-fighter "Mamba".

The poem revealed that the victim (Mamba) was imprisoned yet not aggressive nor holding grudges against none. The victim, in his state of confinement, was aged yet hopeful in his course for freedom.

The Line-by-Line Summary

Between line 13-20, the voice of the poem poured out his pains and sorrows for the death of the aged dead comrade who went by the name Mamba and other imprisoned comrades who might likely share the same fate:

"For there rings out higher than my sorrows
Purer than the morning where the wild beast wakes
The cry of a hundred people smashing their cells".

Though the voice of the poem had escaped imprisonment by going on exile, he still followed up on the events noting in line 23-24 that those who killed Mamba wanted the murder to be kept secret but unfortunately such figure could go unnoticed: "The blood they hoped to snare in a circle of words/ Rediscovers the fervour that scatters the mists".

The last two lines of the poem, after refrain, urged the comrades the time has come to rise to the challenge at hand.

The Poetic And The Themes

I did state that the poem is about comrades waking other comrade to the fight for freedom ahead. Common themes in a poem of this nature are death, mourning, struggle, imprisonment, freedom, unity, hope, aging, etc. 

The 27 line free verse poem is translated from its original French version. Nonetheless, it has refrain of  line 1-2 in line 24-25 (Listen comrades of the struggling centuries/ To the keen clamour of the Negro from Africa to the Americas). The poem also made so allusions in line 4-5 (As they killed the seven of Martinsville/ Or the Madagascan down there in the pale light of the prisons). 

Many imageries in the poem for instance in line 14 "And the peaceful tremor of his breast". "Like a plant torn from the maternal bosom" has a simile while "The blood they hoped to snare in a circle of words" contained metaphor.

Other Salient Points

Other things to be noted in the poem are: "to snare" which means to catch in a trap. "the bright colours of a bouquet of hope" which is a metaphor comparing the bright colours of bunch of flowers with the vivid inspiration of hope. "poured forth for us milk and light" which means it sustained and encouraged with his speeches. "the Madagascan" in the poem refers to the revolt of 1947 which was cruelly suppressed. "the seven of Martinsville" There was no prove of any event in the African struggle for freedom to which the reference might allude. 

"Mamba" can not be traced to any human right activist in particular. David Diop was born in France in 1927. His father as a Senegalese and his mother a Cameroonian. He died in a plane crash near Dakar in 1960.

Samuel C Enunwa aka samueldpoetry
(the Leo with wings flying)

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Q and A: End of War by Okinba Launko

                              End of War by Okinba Launko

Question

The casualties in Launko's End of War are ____

Answer

Men (Option C)

Explanation

The poem is similar to the poem title The Dining Table by Gbanabom Hallowell. In the poem "End of War" by Okinba Launko, line 4 and 5 of the poem are prove that men are truly the casualties; the lines stated "the silence of the battlefield/ heralds the widow's anguish".

The men that went to war die leaving their wives to suffer the pain and aftermath of war which happens to be a lasting widowhood. [click here to listen to the audio]

Judging by the title of the poem, its subject matter is war and and its effects.

"Okinba Launko is a pen name of the playwright and poet, Femi Osofisan (Winner of the Folon-Nichols Award) He has been honoured with awards and appointments for his lifetime achievements", says description at todara online bookstore.

Enunwa Chukwudinma S.
aka samueldpoetry
(the Leo with wings flying)

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Q and A: Give Me The Minstrel's Seat

Question

Give Me The Minstrel's Seat ends on a clarion call for ______

Answer

Rectitude (Option C)

Explanation

The final line of the poem "Give Me The Minstrel's Seat" goes thus:
"Better a loin-cloth without disgrace than d fine-flowered shawl of shame".

Above line referred to moral choice of judgement or action in any arising situation. 

On the other hand, rectitude can be defined as the righteousness of principle or practice; exact conformity to truth or to the rules prescribed for moral conduct either by divine or human laws. 

Therefore the word "Rectitude" best represented the line.

Give Me The Minstrel's Seat is not associated to any particular poet because it is a traditional poem. 

Traditional poems are oral form of poetry passed from generations to generations. Give Me The Minstrel's Seat addressed the subjects of companionship, unity, friendship, morality; are parts of elements that enhances peaceful coexistence within any given society.

Enunwa Chukwudinma S.
aka samueldpoetry
(the Leo with wings flying)

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Analysis Of Half Past Two By U A Fanthorpe

This 11 stanza poem is woven with 3 lines per stanza to a total of 33 lines. The diction is very simple except for some intentional disarranged words for the purpose of clarifying the setting of the poem. Rich in repetition with a third person point of view, it is void of rhythm, end-rhyme, simile, run-on-line, etc. 

“Half Pass Two” by began thus:

 “Once upon a schooltime

He did Something Very Wrong

(I forget what it was)

And she said he’d done

Something Very Wrong, and must

Stay in the school-room till half-past two…”

In summary, the voice of the poem told of a little schoolboy who was asked by the teacher to remain alone in the classroom till half-past two as a form of punishment to an unknown misconduct. The naïve little boy never understood the term “half-past two” and wasn’t brave enough to inquire the meaning from the teacher. The boy remained in the school till dark before taken home.

And the truth is that when I was in class 3, I was a victim of such. I did offend my class teacher and she asked me to be walking up and down the long class pavement with my knees. I knelt to and fro the pavement from around 12pm till 5pm before the school security saw me while inspecting the school classrooms and asked me to stand and be going home. I refused with the fear that my teacher would be very angry when she realized I left the punishment without her permission but in class the next day she didn’t even asked me about it_ meaning she didn’t remember that she left me kneeling and when home.

I have analyzed a poem whose main theme relates to formal education_ The Schoolboy by William Blake, this poem slightly shares such theme.

Few among the themes in this poem “Half Past Two” by U A Fanthorpe are Imperfection, inferiority, naivety, teaching and learning, timing, etc. The teacher’s inability to track the schoolboy’s level of knowledge plus her wrong judgmental action proves that formal education remains imperfect atmosphere for learning. “he was too scared at being wicked to remind her” which in line 9 points at pupils’ level of inferiority to their teachers. Another theme in the poem is naivety. Not only did the poem speaker’s diction portrayed the little schoolboy naivety with the use of “gettinguptime” in line 11, “timetogohomenowtime” and “Tvtime” in line 12, “timeformykisstime” in line 13; he also didn’t possess the mature mindset that questions authority.

It is no denying that teaching and learning is a vital part of human development but it sometimes falls in the trap of ambiguity which in turn results to misinterpretation. Though, as simple as it seems, the phrase “half-past two” became too huge for the little schoolboy to understand. Another theme in the poem is the theme of timing which governs every human existence not excluding the little schoolboy.

From the words of the poem speaker, time and the knowledge of time seemed a burden to the boy. The only time he could acquire freedom from the bondage of timing was by lacking the skill to read the clock and having no one around to disturb him with timing.

The little schoolboy enjoyed such freedom until the teacher came back in lines 28-29 and “So she slotted him back into schooltime/ And he got home in time for teatime”

Few other things to note are:

• In line 19 “He waited beyond onceupona” referred to the boy’s stay beyond the stipulated time.
• In line 20 “Out of reach of all the timefors” referred to the boy’s lonely state where no one disturbed him with “it’s time for this or it’s time for that”. 

Enunwa Chukwudinma S. 

aka samueldpoetry

(the Leo with wings flying) 

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Analysis Of My Sister By Liz Lochhead

One of the best way the little ones learn faster is through imitation. To the kids, imitation is the best form of trial-and-error because it comes with few hurts or mistakes before the actual mastery.

Even in the foundational classroom learning, imitation is adopted for the kindergartens via recitations and mimicries.

To summarize the poem "My Sister" by Liz Lochhead, my little twelve years old sister loves to play hopscotch wearing my shoes too big for her feet.
Although it's so admiring to know how perfect she has mastered the game in such oversized shoes but I tries to warn her how foolish and risky is it trying to live in any person's shoes.

In the poem, there are themes of childishness, learning by examples, risks associated with imitations, etc. Based on the message of the poem, there is a point where everyone exercises naivety which can be acceptable but not suitable for adulthood.

A three stanza poem; in its free verse form, the poet shares both first and third person point of view with very simple diction.

Liz Lochhead, a poet and a broadcaster, was born 26-12-1947 and also known for other intereating poems such as The Bargain, For My Grandmother Knitting, My Rival's House, Random, etc. which are listed at poemhunter website.

Samuel C. Enunwa aka samueldpoetry
(the Leo with wings flying)

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