Overview Of We Shall Not Sleep By Chirikure Chirikure

The Poet

Chirikure Chirikure is a Zimbabwean poet, songwriter, and writer born in the year 1962. The poet's name is relevant in African poetry circle and in 1990, Chirikure's book "Rukuvhute" received Honorable Mention in the Noma Award for Publishing in Africa.

The Style and Structure

The style adopted in crafting the poem is similar to that of Birago Diop's fondly used of refrain. The thematic message in the poem is based on oppression and opposition.

The voice in the poem sounds protesting the evil deeds of unnamed oppressor. It is shown that the victims have been pushed to the wall.

And the stanza 1 goes thus:
" No-one is going to sleep a wink this year
                till we fix this whole mess
No-one is going to close an eyelid
                till we get to the bottom of this"

In stanza 2, the speaker in the poem believes enough is enough from the oppressor's destructive actions

"That day you assaulted granny, we said nothing
The other day you sold the family milk cow, we said nothing
Only yesterday you set fire to the family granary, again we said nothing"

All the mentioned above had been condoned by the victims but they won't tolerate their water-well been defiled.

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

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