ANALYSIS OF THE FOLLOWING POEMS
LOST BEAUTY
Title of the poem
It is direct because it simply explains the lost beauty of the dark African skin in short.
Type of the poem
It is a modern poem. Also it reflects deep feelings (i.e. Lyric), though this is not necessary to be included.
Tone of the persona
The persona is disappointed and filled with anxiety.
Sound features
There are no rhyme pattern(s) and there is irregular rhythmic pattern.
Structure of the poem
It is comprised of 5 stanzas with variable number of verses in each stanza.
Figures of speech
- Imagery e.g.: with skin sweating darkness
- Hyperbole e.g.: a dark face as the night
- Simile e.g.: face a dark as night
- Repetition e.g.: my eyes oh! My eyes, word “black” in all stanzas
Themes
- Deterioration of culture, changing of their skin colour.
- Lack of self worth, among of African women.
- Disappointment
- Beauty
- Value of black women.
Message
Or African culture should be treasured and preserved by us.
The persona
He is black himself, “I am not black either portrays that he himself is in the group of those who, change skin colour through mainly the artificial methods. The persona tries to show that “everybody” has to change.
Relevance
Both men and women in the current situation face cultural deterioration.
Title of the poem
It is direct to show that the women (dada) is lost.
Type of the poem,
It is a modern poem.
Structure of the poem
The poem has 6 stanzas (six) with variation in the number of verses from 4, 5 to 6.
Figures of speech
Some of the have been used by the poet such as:
(i) Personification e.g.:
“The tenderness that asks where my wallet is” “Your passions chasing my bank account”
Barbarism
Use of borrowed words such as “dada” which is a Swahili word such as “dada” which is a Swahili word meaning sister.
Themes presented are
- Unfaithfulness
- Hypocrisy e.g. In the 3rd stanza
- Awareness
- Lust for money
Messages
- Should be trustworthy to your partner in a relation
- Have true love, not only for money
Relevance
Most women in the society are money oriented.
SUNRISE
Morning of the poem
The sons of the land have risen up like the sun when it rises, singing the beauty of the sunrise.
Indirectly, it means liberation struggle where by the sun symbolizes a nationalist leader.
Type of the poem
It is modern poem which does not follow most of the poetic principles.
Tone of the persona
Excitement
Sound features
Irregular rhythmic pattern and no rhymes. Themes obtained are;
Liberation struggle.
Rising of the nationalist leaders led to rise of confidence of the sons of the land, such as peasants, workers and all the oppressed.
Courage
African warriors are courageous and thus willing to rise as the sun against their enemy (common enemy).
Unity
Together in unity they rise to fight the colonialist.
Hope…
Expected to achieve victory e.g. “wait and see what glory they bring at sunset” Hence, here they are being optimistic.
Determination
This is well portrayed in the 7th verse.
Structure
It consists of a single stanza with 15th verses.
Message
Be optimistic on the challenges an individual faces.
Relevance
It is relevant to many African countries which were colonized by the European countries.
Language use
Language used is simple and well understood. No figure of speech employed.
HOLLOW HEADS
Meaning of the poem
The poem is about an individual who complains about oppression.
He says he is tortured, oppressed. He is tired of being oppressed and he or she has decided to wage war against all evils.
Type of the poem
It is a free verse/open/ modern poem.
Tone of the persona
The tone is that of seriousness because the persona is ready to fight till his/ her last blood.
Sound features
There is irregular rhythm also there is a rhyme pattern.
E.g.: In the 1st Stanza, the words ignorance, darkness, silence
Structure of the poem
It has stanzas with variable number of verses for each stanza when counted.
Language use
The language used is simple and well understood.
Figures of speech;-
Repetition; words like wits and ears and eyes
Personification; e.g.”Hollow heads torture me”
Irony; The persona calls his enemies friends in the 3rd stanza he says, ” All right, my friends.
It’s a battle and I’ll fight it”
Themes obtained are;-
- Oppression; Treated in a cruel way e.g. The whole of the 2nd stanza
- Protest and determination e.g. In the 4th stanza “And I will fight to the last cell”
- Patriotism
- Ignorance e.g. In the 1st stanza
- Awareness.
Message
Determination in any straggle is a key tool to achievements.
Relevance
It is relevant those African societies which underwent and are still undergoing such situation of oppression, protest as well as awareness, due to their background.
Extra meaning of the poem is: The African leaders are the hollow heads who oppress the other (the mass).
A FREEDOM SONG
Title of the poem
It is indirect since in the poem Atieno is not granted for freedom and rights as a child and also as a human being.
Type of the poem
It is a modern poem also it is narrative (though it is not necessary to say whether its narrative or not).
Tone of the persona
It is described as sympathetic.
Structure of the poem
It has 7 stanzas with constant number of verses which is six (6).
Sound features
There is regular rhythm and it has rhyme pattern in the 2nd and 4th verses in every stanza. There is a refrain “Atieno yo”.
Also this is a figure of speech.
Themes obtained are;
- Child oppression; in the 1st stanza.
- Discrimination; in the 4th stanza.
- Jealousness; in the 3rd stanza (but this is according to the uncles perception) although Atieno may not be jealous in real sense.
Message
Stop child oppression
Relevance
In our society for instance houses which employ young children such as housekeepers. Also families which treat the children harshly since they are not theirs.
Failure
The poet did not show the solution to the problem of child oppression.
Poem: YOU ARE LOST
Poet: Isaac Mruma
“To you dada
It’s the days that matter For we are unable to chat In the language we had When I look at you
And see my pay-slip
In your eyes I feel empty And sapped.
Your glance, sister
Is to me the measure
Of the heat of the dough In my pocket.
Never are positions cool To you I am now a tool
And all my wage is now the fare I ride on your throbbing kisses
It is you I accuse Because your love is lost And you only touch me
With the tenderness that…”
Content
Title
The title of the poems is “YOU ARE LOST” it is nit direct but it’s indirect because it does talk about love that is lost in money. This can be verified in the 5th stanza with words saying “It is you I accuse because you love is lost”
Themes
1. Hypocrisy
This can be clearly seen in the stanza 5 and stanza 6. The persona complains that, “And you only touch me
With the tenderness that asks Where my wallet is”
Also, in the sixth stanza, the persona complains, “For I only see your love
Focused on my purse With your passions Chasing my bank account
2. Lust for money
The persona explains how much the woman she is writing to in the 5th and 6th stanza, the explanation show that, the woman is providing love to the man in order to obtain money that he has; that means that, she has lust of money.
3. Awareness
This can be seen in most stanzas that the persona has noticed the trick the woman is playing on him for providing him with love and, different good actions towards him so that she could get money.
4. Exploitation
The persona is being exploited by the one she loves. The 4th stanza
“Never are positions cool
To you I am now a tool”
This means that, the passions are given to him so that he is used as a tool for providing money.
5. Untrue love
The love existing between the persona and the woman is not true because, the persona complains in the 1st stanza; their communication is not so well
“For we are unable to chat In the language we had”
THE POOR MAN
Title of the poem
It is direct, because it explains / reveals the life of the poor person.
Type of the poem
It has 6 stanzas with a constant number of 2 verses in each stanza.
Language use
The language used is a simple one and easy to understand.
Poetic diction and license
When the choice of words is met to ensure world economy as well as breaking of grammatical rules to meet rhythmical rules of a poem ,
e.g. “The poor man knows not how to eat” instead of “the poor man does not know how to eat”.
Figures of speech
Metaphor, no conjunction is used e.g. “It makes him a beast to be fed on grass”.
Imagery; with a lot of imagination e.g. “with blood of lice under his nail”.
Themes presented are:
- Poverty, in the 5th stanza.
- Uncivilization in the 3rd stanza.
- Classes in the society, the rich class which segregate the poor/ low class e.g. in the 1st stanza.
- Greediness in the 2nd stanza.
Message
People should be treated equally despite their economic status, whether poor or rich e.g. “A poor man eats the head”
Relevance
Poor in the society face the problem of famine whereby they lack food.
LULLABY
Title of the poem
It is direct.
Tone of the persona
The persona’s tone is described as being happy and proud of the child’s good behavior of getting contented with what is given to her/him.
Structure of the poem
It is a single stanza poem with nine (9) verses.
Sound features
There is a rhyme pattern e.g. “mine” but there is irregular rhythmical sound.
Figures of speech
Repetition: e.g. “But you are mine”
Language use
The language used by the poet is simple and clear.
Themes obtained are;-
- Love to the child
- Poverty e.g. ” To rear on a torn mat”
- Value of the child e.g. proudly saying “But your mine”
PSALM 23 PART II
Type of the poem It is a modern poem.
Title of the poem
It is indirect because the whole poem is on irony and it is not true at all. Also relating with Biblical meaning it does not reflect the message as described in the original Psalms 23 that is to say as the real Psalm 23 of the Holy Bible.
EXERCISE
1. Define the following terms.
POEMS: These are precise of writing using beautiful and reactive language arranged in fixed lines with a particular beat.
POETRY : It is an art of composing and correcting poems.
STANZA: It is the correction of different verses. OR Is the arrangement of verses.
RHYTHM: Means a regular beats or pattern of sounds in a poem.
RHYME: Is the similar sound at the end of the verses.
VERSES: These are single line present (found) in the poem which form a stanza.
POET : A man (male) person who compose poem.
POETESS : A female person who compose poem.
Personal: A person or dramatist who speaks in a poem, but not the poet/ poetess.
Mention five characteristics of poem
1. Poetry is imaginative
2. Poetry reflects experience (ideas) of people
3. Poetry is rich in figures of speech (images)
4. Poetry arouse emotion
5. Poetry is rhythmical – Is arranged in a potent of verses which form stanza.
