Read the selective poems For 2018/2019 junior and Senior School Cert

WISE POEMS PEACE IS THE FLOWER Peace is the great flower That cruel war knows n’t Men know n’t this As modest realism Aye, some think war a honey pot, Millions like to shoot an’ loot. Peace is good health an’ joy, Peace is the greatest open sesame Peace is like cheese an’ butter Summer an’ sweet sunshine But, war is barren of bliss to soul, War breaks men’s hearts, Chief foe gives inferno Grave eard crematorium stench, Pains, bloody mark teras, At the end of the crisis of war The lost is the mount, Vantage dell or valley, Foes, casualties un-healed. THEMATIC ANALYSIS This poem in which the poet highlights beauty of peace and its necessity. It is seen as a better and healthier option than war and conflict. Despite the benefits derivable from peace, the poet says men do not appreciate this, which often times lead to war and conflict. In the first stanza, the poet compares peace to flower, but regrets that man does not know this simple or “modest” “realism”. In stanza three, peace is compared to “good health” and “open sesame”, “cheese an butter of bliss or happiness to the soul. In the last stanza, the poet reels out the casualties of war or crisis, and also the environment that is polluted with the stench that oozes out from decaying humans and animals, both casualties of war. POETIC DEVICES Diction: There is extensive use of appropriate (words) associated with peace and war. Some of which are “shoot”, “loot”, “pains”, “bloody”, “tears”, “casualties”, “foes” etc. However, the reader needs to read between lines to grasp the meaning of som of the registers (words) in the poem. They include: “aye”, “bliss”, “crematorium”, “murk”, “dell”, etc. Style/Structure: The poem contains five stanzas of four lines each (quatrain) of irregular lines. Mood/Tone: The mood in the poem is a relaxed one, with excitement at the disclosure of the good qualities derivable from peace. The quality of the voice (tone) is mild and reflective Symbolism: Flower used in the poem to symbolize, also good health is used to symbolize peace. Again sesame here depicts peace; while “tears”, “inferno”, “graveyard”, “depict war”. FIGURES OF SPEECH Assonance: “…Shoot an loot (L6) “chief foe, gives “inferno” (L3) Alliteration: Summer an “sweet sunshine” (l10) “….Barren of bliss to soul” (L13). “Birth to bloody tears” (L16) “Vantage”, “dell or valley” (L19) Repetition: “War,” “peace,” “foe,” etc. Enjambment: “peace is the great flower (L1) That cruel war knows n’t,” (L2) “At the end of crisis or war (L17) The lost is the mount” (L18) Questions: 1. Are there other poetic device used in the above poem which are not stated? If so identify them. 2. In one sentence, what is the central theme of the above poem? 3. Discuss the alliteration and the enjambments used in this poem and explain their significance to the theme of the poem. TEARS OF LOVE I love you like the xmas day. I think of you day by day. My face is pale an’ sorrow ridden Love stops weeping Your sorrow plants dolour In my blossom Your painful cry draws My acrid tears I’ll give you my oracle: With my love I’ll wash away your Painful tears, all your tears In this vile world all the way This is my vernacular, my love: All the time I’ll signal to you the way, To love peace an’ life Not to cry death an ‘woefully strife. Love you are sage in thought, A paragon of beauty, lioness in action Love, you’ re a saint, smiling to those smiling, Weeping with those weeping, If you die in the battle of faith, You shall rise an’ shine as white as snow; Resurrect an’ descend from The bright cloud of glory. THEMATIC ANALYSSIS In this poem, the poet expresses his love to his lover and highlights his passion and excitement towards his lover. He bemoans the unhappy state of his lover “your sorrow” and always find himself sad at the cry of his lover. In stanza one, the poet compares the love he has for his lover to that he has for Christmas day. The joy of experiencing Christmas, the passion and aura. In order words, he feels happy and great passion for his lover. He feels great pain at seeing his lover become unhappy or sad. In the third stanza, he conveys his candid sweet love words to his lover, and promise to make her happy always in the confort of his hands. In stanza four, he reassures his lover with his words. “The is my vernacular,” promising to make her happy, without suffering pains or sorrow—“No to cry death an’ woeful strife,” and acknowledges her promises and audacity, POETIC DEVICES Diction: The language of the poem is so simple, it will pose no difficulty to the average reader. Also, the author’s choice of words is apt, as most of the poem. Style/structure: The poem is structured on six stanzas of four line each (quatrain), most of which are run on-lines Mood/Tone: The mood of the poet is that of joy and happiness garnished with romantic flavor. The tone is ecstatic for the loved one. FIGURES OF SPEECH Smile: A direct comparison between two things of different nature or class but with a striking similarity, E.g. “You shall rise an’ shine as white as snow (L22) Alliteration: “To love peace an’ life” Assonance: “…Tears, all your scares” Apostrophe: It is when the poet talks to another who is not physically present or even to an object which is incapable of listening. E.g. “Love you re’ sage in thought” Metaphor: “…Lioness in action” Here the poet compares his lover to lioness in action. “Love, you re a saint…. Further, his love is addressed as a saint. Personification: “….smiling to those smiling Weeping with those weeping, Enjambment: also called run-on-lines. It is a situation when an idea in a line runs into another line. E.g. “your painful cry draws (L7) My acrid tears “(L8) Repetition: “Love,” “day,” “sorrow,” “tears,” Questions 1. Some end rhymes are used by the poet but are not identified by the commentary, identify them. 2. Are there other figures of speech identifiable in the poem which are not identified? If there are, identify them. 3. What strikes you most in the poem? 4. Critically examine the uses of metaphor and personification in the poem’s 5. State the themes in the poem in one sentence. THE CHILD OF SORROW I’m born a child of sorrow When the moon an’ the sun eclipsed In the gloomy sky…… And when the night broke to dawn. I saw the wicked world I yelled for help at the time When the foes pursued me for a kill, An’ dangers threatened My survival an’ welfare I am born a child of sorrow In a wicked world where Evil-hearted men pursue my success, breath an’ growth Like herod to the only son. I am born a child of distress In an evil-fated universe, Where children die like venom flies Because of overcoming starvation an’ malnutrition An’ the fainting away of childhood. Tho I was taken to asylum Oximenia hosted me There my soul rested Until the puppets an’ halberdiers An’ bobtails kick-the-bucket I am born a child of sorrow I see the world full of foes an’ war The love of many waxed cold. No your neighbor as yourself. Those I love become my enemy…. Men pursue me in every nook an’ cranny To remove my head….. All pray for life but I for death, Yes I want to see my death. THEMAATIC ANALYSIS The author in the poem expresses horror and disgusting from the many dangers prevalent in the world, and definitely feels bad at been at risk from the evil of the world. Right from his birth, the world has waged war against him “And when the night broke to a dawn, I saw the wicked world”. In stanza one, the poem explains he had known sorrow from his childhood, and the world waged war against him. In stanza two, he explains he seeks for help against dangers aimed to exterminate him completely. In the fourth stanza, he deplores the wanton destruction of life by starvation and malnutrition brought about by man’s inhumanity to man; and the dagger-wielding puppets (halberdiers) aimed at snuffing life out of the vulnerable members of the universe. Finally, he goes on to say that having seen all the evils in the world, life is not worth living, hence he prefers to end the pains in a lonely sepulcher- “All pray for life but I for death. POETIC DEVICES Diction: The poem, descriptive and very frank, and contains words the reader will easily understand, most of which are danger laden, portraying the theme of the poem. Some of such words are “sorrow” “gloomy sky,” “starvation”, halberdiers”, “war”, etc. Also the reader needs to read between the lines to fully grasp the full meaning of some of the words used in the poem. These include: “oxiamenia.” “halberdiers” “bobtails” “waxed”, etc. Style/structure: The poem is arranged in seven stanzas with unequal times, thus depicting a free verse. Mood/Tone: The pervading mood of the poem is that of despondency, despair and gloom. The tone is harsh and bitter expressing frustration, sadness and fear of the danger that pervades his environment. Imagery/Symbols: The poem is full of images creating mental pictures of danger, sorrow, unsafe environment, which portray the theme of the poem. These include: “venom flies,” “….puppets an’ halberdiers,” “bobtails kick-the-bucket,” ‘waxed cold”, etc. FIGURES OF SPEECH Alliteration “I saw the wicked world” (L5) Ejanbment: “an’ dangers threatened (L8) My survival an’ welfare” (L9) Simile: “….die like venom flies” Euphemism: “An’ bobtails kick-the-bucket” Repetition: “sorrow,” “wicked world”, “child,” etc. Question: 1. Mention any figure of speech in the poem, and state how it contributes to the effectiveness of the poem. What are meant by the followings: (a)oximenia hosted me (b)An’ bobtails kick-the-bucket (c)….evil fated universe (d)in the gloomy sky….. (e)my success breath an’ growth. 2. State the central theme of this poem 3. Give an account of the poem in your own words 4. Examine the images in the poem. EARLY BIRDS POEMS RAIN AND SHINE It rained so heavily this morning We thought the showers Would pierce our roof The mist was thick We couldn’t see the sky Now noon…. And the sun is up Fresh, fierce, and very famous Apart from the mud On the foot of the walls And the little pools On cocoyam leaves There was no other sign That just this morning The sky opened up And the mist was thick COMMENTARY This little poem is a study in rapid changes in the weather. A very heavy rain in the morning is followed by moon, by very bright sunshine. In no time at all, there are very few signs of the morning’s heavy downpour. Notice how the poet presents the heavy rain. The rain was so heavy that ‘we thought the showers Would pierce our roof. Also, it was so cloudy that we couldn’t see the sky. This contrasted with the weather at noon when ….the sun is up Fresh, fierce and very famous. Note the alliteration in the second line. The poem ends by drawing attention to the very rapid way in which a stormy morning changed a few hours later to bright sunshine, leaving very few signs behind. The poem is divided into three unequal stanzas, and the second stanza acts as a ‘transition, or point of connection, between the first and the third. It is an example of what is known as free verse, in which the stanzas contain a different number of lines, and the lines contain a different number of beats, except in the last stanza, where there are basically two beats to the line. The lines in each stanza mostly run into one another. This device is known as ‘enjambment’, and the poem proceeds in broad sweeps. For example, the first three lines of the first stanza are to be said without a break, as are the following two lines. Even the whole of the third stanza is to be said without any break. This is because this stanza, though containing eight lines, is made up of only one sentence. This is a piece of eloquent poetry, and it should not be difficult for you to memorize. UP AND DOWN (For Okey Ndibe) The pineapple has a house of honey But its walls are built with thorns Sometimes life is a two edged knife That cuts sharp at both ends They who choose the day Must be ready for the terror of night For if you want the rainbow You must prepare for arrows of rain. A priceless robe eventually Ages into rags But the loom is large And cattonfields are green with pods My forest is full of trees But each root knows the way To the nearest river The bitterest leaf paves the way For the sweetest cure stay silent My friend, that I may hear your voice; The shortest step Is the mother of the journey COMMENTARY ON UP AND DOWN POEM “Up and down” is another study in contrast. Even the little of the poem is made up of two contrasting words, “Up” and down”. The pineapple is sweet inside but has thorns on the outside. In the second stanza “day” and “night” and ‘rainbow” and “rain” are also contrasted. In the third stanza, priceless robes” and “rags” are similarly contrasted. What other words and phrases are contrasted in the poem? Note that the end of the fourth stanza runs into the beginning of the fifth stanza, so that he two stanzas are smoothly joined together, building up to a climax.