By using two poems you have read give four messages from each poem
Poets like other literary artists have messages they want to convey to their readers through poems. By using two poems you have read and appreciated give four messages from each poem. |
Messages refer to the lessons taught by a literary work. A poem, often suggests a lesson/moral that is not directly stated. It is true that “Poets like other literary artists have messages they want to convey to their readers through poems”.
This statement can be proved by using the poems “Development” by Kundi Faraja and “A freedom song” by Marjorie O Macgoye. To begin with Development, the poet has conveyed the following messages;
The leaders should be careful with national development. The poet shows that if the leaders are not careful with the national development one day the majority might stage a revolution.
The majority are tired of witnessing the leaders enjoying life while they are suffering. As a result the citizens need changes. The poets says
How is development To be brought brother
When the people to whom We have entrusted power Are corrupt?
This is a wakeup call to his fellow citizens that they need to do something to change the current leadership as it is corrupt.
Awareness is an important tool in so far as the liberation of the oppressed is concerned. The poet shows that if the oppressed class is aware of what is taking place it is easy for them to bring about the desired changes.
The poet shows that these people are aware that they are exploited, cheated, disregarded and in that case, impossible development. He says;
The majority plead Exploited, Cheated, Disregarded,
But, brother,
How is development to come?
This shows that the majority are aware that if exploitation, cheating, and disregard continue, then no development should be expected.
Corrupt leaders are an obstacle to national development. The poet shows there is no way a country whose leaders have invested in corruption can develop. The issue of development is even more complicated when we come to think of the fact that those to whom we have entrusted power are the same who are corrupt. In this case we cannot expect sustainable development. He says
How is development To be brought brother
When the people to whom We have entrusted power Are corrupt?
This shows that we cannot get development with corrupt leaders still in power.
Bringing about development is not a simple task or a cheap commodity. It needs determination, dedication and focus. The poet uses different symbolic comparisons to show how bringing about development and fighting underdevelopment is a tough task to undertake.
He compares it with, hurricane, fighting wounded buffalo, combating colonialism, and stopping a coup d’état. For instance he says
I plead fighting underdevelopment Tougher than fighting
A wounded buffalo With a pocket knife;
This shows that people need to show the spirit of determination, focus and sacrifice in order to get sustainable development.
Selfishness, exploitation and misuse of public resources for private gain are also obstacles to development. Leaders should utilise the national resources for mutual benefit from both classes. But more often than not, the leaders are selfish, exploit their subjects and misuse the public resources for their own benefits. This is not good if we need to bring about sustainable development. The poet says
I reckon the minority
More sensitive to egoism
Than to National Development; Nothing that is not theirs
Is of any interest.
The leaders should fulfil their promises to the majority when they get power. The poet shows that the leaders usually betray their subjects when they get power. Before independence the citizens were promised better life once uhuru is gained.
This happens today as well when the leaders are asking for votes. But when they get power they forget the promises they gave to the poor citizens. The poet says.
You have always been telling us What we need
Health centres More schools Clean water
Better transport facilities Better living conditions
This shows that the leaders have not been capable to fulfil the promised they gave to people.
Turning to the next poem, “A FREEDOM SONG” The poetess has conveyed the following messages.
Parents should be careful with the upbringing of their own children. Atieno is mistreated by her uncle since she is not his biological child. We are not told the reason whatsoever why Atieno is not living with her parents, but they had a duty to make regular follow ups and know how she is doing.
Atieno lacked proper guidance because of the negligence from her uncle and aunt. The poetess says
Specially when I work nights. That girl stays too long at market Who will teach her what is right?
Atieno’s uncle is busy with his work and the young Atieno lacks parental care. This is common among the busy parents today who leave their children under the care of house girls.
Child labour should be discouraged at all cost. The young Atieno is working as a house girl at the age of 8 and strangely enough without pay. At this age she should have been in STD 2.
Yet she is employed in her uncle’s home while his own children attend school. The poet shows that she is overworked doing the domestic chore but without pay.
Since she’s my sister’s child Atieno needs no pay
While she works my wife can sit Sewing each sunny day,
This is exploitation of the highest order so it should be discouraged because the reason he gives as to why he does not pay the young girl is a lame excuse.
All the children should be given the right to education. All children have the right to education but Atieno’s uncle sends only his wife and children to school while Atieno is left working at home. She is still at such a tender age that she should have been in school. This negligence to the children’s right to education should be discouraged.
Now my wife has gone to study Atieno’s less free,
Don’t I feed her, school my own ones,
Children should be given proper reproductive health education. Without proper guidance, the young girl Atieno becomes pregnant and dies because of post- partum bleeding. Children need to be provided with reproductive health education when they reach puberty to avoid early pregnancies which may result to death as did Atieno.
The poet shows that all this happened because Atieno was neglected by her uncle who paid attention to the visitors and his work than to Atieno (his niece).
Visitors need much attention, Specially when I work nights. That girl stays too long at market Who will teach her what is right?
As Atieno had nobody to teach her what is right she ended up getting pregnancy and died of the same.
So it is true that poets usually have a message they want to communicate to their readers. It is this message that gives the members of the society a sense of awareness, knowing where they are right and where they are wrong. They have to discard the bad habits and pick the good ones. In this case, poems are worthy reading.
