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Jul 11, 2014 · Chinua Achebe on the Meaning of Life and the Writer’s Responsibility in the World. By Maria Popova. “A writer,” E.B. White asserted in a fantastic 1969 interview, “should tend to lift people up, not lower them down. Writers do not merely reflect and interpret life, they inform and shape life.”. A quarter century later, another ...
Vultures. ‘Vultures’ is one of the famous poems of the Nigerian poet Chinua Achebe. It is a dark and somber piece that focuses on the Belsen concentration camp and a commandant who works there. In the greyness. and drizzle of one despondent. dawn unstirred by harbingers. of sunbreak a vulture.
- Summary
- Structure
- Literary Devices
- Themes
- Detailed Analysis
- Similar Poetry
‘Answer’by Chinua Achebe is a poem about getting rid of one’s inferiority complex. The poem begins right away with the persona’s breakthrough. He experiences immense relief from no longer fearing or admiring the colonial masters. The speaker then narrates his life before the breakthrough: how the colonizers’ ways fascinated and scared him, how he p...
‘Answer’ is an isometric poem of 31 short lines written in free verse. It reads like prose, employs enjambment, and spots no rhyme or comma where there should be. The notable omission of necessary commas either depicts the stream-of-consciousness narrative technique or the urgency of the speaker’s thoughts. ‘Answer‘ concludes with a final full stop...
Metaphor: Three forms of metaphor run throughout the poem: extended metaphor, implied metaphor, and the, so to say, simple metaphor. The simple (or most direct) metaphor appears in “potsherds of br...The major themes of ‘Answer‘ are: 1. Westernization 2. Colonialism Other themes like that stem from the above major themes include: 1. Inferiority complex 2. Cultural dominance 3. White supremacy 4. Patriotism
Lines 1-12
‘Answer‘s opening lines describe the speaker’s dread and awe for a group of people. The metonymy “white-collar hands” and Achebe’s nationality tells readers it’s a group of European colonizers who ventured into Africa. The speaker’s fear stems from the knowledge that the whites have clearly come to rule his people. At the same time, however, their ways fascinate him. He notes the effect of these juxtaposedfeelings: the abandonment of his homeland’s culture. These lines uncover the beginning o...
Lines 12-22
These lines portray how colonizers determined the status of the persona’s people, using that “terror-fringed fascination” to their advantage. The speaker’s complex shows in his behavior here. He mentions how eager he was to have the Europeans approve of him so he could rise in rank. It provides a glimpse into the continent of Africa at the height of colonization. Historical records detail the acts tribal chiefs committed to pleasing the whites. Between lines 18-20, the speaker points out thes...
Lines 22-31
‘Answer‘s final lines expand upon the speaker’s realization mentioned at the beginning. Using imagery, the persona speaks of the value and beauty of his homeland. He realizes that, in fact, it isn’t inferior to that of the colonial masters and abandons the supposed benefits pleasing them had provided him. The theme of patriotism shines through lines 26-31, as the poet persona returns to cherishing his home. It’s a message to Africa—specifically Nigeria—to always remember and cherish their cul...
If you enjoyed reading ‘Answer‘ by Chinua Achebe, you might find these other poems interesting: 1. ‘Love Cycle‘ by Chinua Achebe: a poem comparing a couple’s relationship with the effects of sunrise and sunset on Earth. 2. ‘Meeting the British‘ by Paul Muldoon: a poem recording the Native American’s thoughts on French and English colonizers. 3. ‘No...
- Female
- January 28, 2003
- Poetry Analyst
The plot might move irregularly for large sections of the book, but this pacing represents a deliberate attempt to conform to an essentially African literary tradition and style. ‘Things Fall Apart ‘ contains themes that reflect the richness and sophistication of African cultures as well as the debilitating impact of outsiders on this culture.
Mar 24, 2019 · Chinua Achebe (1930 – 2013) is probably both the most widely known and the most representative African novelist. He may very well have written the first African novel of real literary merit—such at least is the opinion of Charles Larson—and he deals with what one can call the classic issue that preoccupies his fellow novelists, the clash ...
Apr 14, 2015 · Although Nigerian novelist Chinua Achebe (November 16, 1930–March 21, 2013) is one of the greatest writers of the past century and his 1958 debut novel Things Fall Apart is still the single most widely read book in African literature, few people are familiar with his lesser-known yet no less powerful poetry — so much so, that Achebe himself joked in a 1998 lecture at Portland’s Literary ...
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Aug 10, 2004 · Chinua Achebe's award-winning poems are marked by a subtle richness and the political acuity and moral vision that are a signature of all of his work. Focused and powerful, and suffused with wisdom and compassion, Collected Poems is further evidence of this great writer's sublime gifts and it is an essential part of the oeuvre of a giant of world literature.
