Poems
have their own role to play for the struggle to create a new person discuss the
statement referring to two poems you have read and appreciate. Give four points
for each of the poem.
A poem is a piece of writing in a verse form, especially expressing
deep feelings in an artistic language. It is true that poems have their own
role to play for the struggle to create a new person. Using the poem titled “A Freedom Song by Marjorie Oludhe Macgoye and “Development” by Kundi Faraja the truth of this statement
can be verified as follow:
Starting with the poem “A Freedom Song” the poet has
shown the role played by the poem for struggling to create a new person as
follows.
The poem
shows the effects of child labour in the society. In this poem, the persona
explaining about the issue of child labour as many children are employed
informally in the streets, homes and some workplaces. Some of them are selling
plastic bags, washing cars, etc. Atieno in the poem is just one case in point.
She represents this class. She 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. This
can be seen as the poet says;
“Atieno
washes dishes,
Atieno plucks the chicken,
Atieno gets up early,
Beds her sucks down in the kitchen,
Atieno eight years old
Atieno
yo”
Also, the
poem shows the problem of exploitation and oppression. Despite
the growing awareness of the violation of human rights, the world is still
facing the problem of exploitation and oppression. The young girl in the poem
is not only exploited but also oppressed by her own uncle. Although she works
and does all the domestic chores, she is not paid nor given any good care. Here
the poet says:
“Since she’s my sister’s child
Atieno needs no pay
While she works my wife can sit
Sewing each sunny day,
With her earning I support
Atieno
yo”.
The poem concietizing the
public about the source of early pregnancy. This is another common
problem among the teenagers today. Parents are now very busy than at any point
in human history. As a result teens have been left without proper parental
care. Many girls today have failed to reach their educational goals because
when they get pregnancy. The poets shows
Atiano, who is at fourteen years but becoming pregnant. This is partly due to
poor parental care. The poet says:
Visitors need much attention,
Specially when I work nights.
That girl stays too long at market
Who will teach her what is right?
Atieno rising fourteen,
Atieno
yo”
Poem criticism the poor
parental care in the society. The
poet shows how most parents have left the responsibility of taking care of
their children to the community like schools. Because the parents are busy, they have no
time to make regular follow-ups to check the kind of upbringing their children
go through. For example Atieno goes to work in her uncle’s home at the age of
eight, and her parents are not making follow-ups. Atieno’s uncle is also
portrayed as a bad parent since he mistreats his own niece. The poets says”
“Atieno’s had a baby
So we know that she is bad
Fifty-fifty it may live
To repeat the life she had,
Ending in post partum bleeding
Atieno
yo”.
In the
poem of _________________the situation is as follows
Poet
educate the society about the effects of selfishness.
It is the thinking of one`s own interest or needs without thinking for others. In the poem, the poet has depicted selfishness
of leaders as one of obstacle against development in the developing countries
like Tanzania. The leaders are sensitive to selfishness than building the
nation. He says:
“I reckon the minority
More sensitive to egoism
Then to National
Development”
It is true that the
selfishness of most leaders is very dangerous in the process of development.
Also the poet portrays the effect of Corruption. this is immoral
action where one gains his favour by giving bribes. It can be in terms of sex
or materials. This is a problem which most of developing countries and even the
developed ones are facing. In this poem, the persona argues that it is very
difficult for a nation to develop when corruption dominates the society. We
cannot get development with the corruption. The persona says,
“How is development?
To be brought brother
When the people to whom
We have entrusted power
Are corrupt?
Poem fighting against the classes in the society. In this poem, the persona has pinned down the
two major classes in the society. The first class is the upper class in which
the persona seems to dislike it. To him this class includes the minority who
are selfish and corrupt. It is the class of the people whom we have entrusted
power.
The poet say,
“I plead the stomachs
Of the privileged few
Greater than the rift
valley;
They cannot be satisfied
With a normal share.
The second class is that of
the majority who are exploited, cheated, and disregarded. In the last stanza,
the persona says:
“To majority plead
Exploited
Cheated.
Disregarded
But brother
Exploitation. It refers to the use of manpower or materials
selfishly or unfairly. In this poem, the minority are selfish and not satisfied
with what they have. The poet says:
“To majority plead
Exploited
Cheated.
Disregarded
But brother
How is the development to
come?
How is the development to
come?
