Wednesday, July 26, 2017

26th July 2017



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 “Developmentby 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?


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