english Notes

Form 4 English – READING LITERARY WORKS

msomimaktaba,


EXAMPLE OF ANALYSIS OF A POEM

ANALYSIS OF POEMS

BUILDING THE NATION

(By Henry Barlow)

Today I did my share,

I build the nation,

I drove a permanent secretary,

To an important urgent functions

In fact to a luncheon at the Vic

The memo reflected its importance,

Cold bell bear with small talk,

The friend chicken with niceties,

Wine to fill the hollowness of the laughs,

Ice-cream to cover the stereotype jokes,

Coffee to keep the Ps awake on return journey.

I drove the permanent secretary back,

He yawned many times at the back of the car

Then to keep awake, he suddenly asked,

Did you have any lunch friend?

I replied looking straight ahead

And secretary smiling at his belated concern

That I had not, but was slimming!

Upon which he said with seriousness

That amused more than annoyed me,

Mwananchi, I too had more!

I attended to matters of state,

Highly delicate diplomatic duties you know,

And friend, it gives against my grain

Cause me stomach ulcers and wind

Ah, he continued yawning again

The pain we suffer in building the nation

So the Ps had ulcers too!

My ulcers I think are equally pain full

Only they are caused by hunger

Not symptoms launches

So two nation builders

Arrive home this evening

With terrible stomach pains

The result of building the nation

Different ways.

ANALYSIS OF THE POEM

BUILDING THE NATION

1. What is poem about?

The poem is about two national builders who build the nation differently. Ps is pretending that he is building the nation while he is destroying as he is feeding his stomach. The Driver is building the nation in which he fulfills his responsibilities but his stomach is empty. He is not paid as he should. Hence he has developed ulcers.

2. Point out eight themes from the poem and explain

(i) Poverty

The Driver is poor as he could not afford lunch. He says his ulcers are caused by hunger

(ii) Hypocricy

The upper class is depicted to be hypocrite. The leaders, in this case the Ps promise or pretend to build the nation while they are destroying the nation while they are destroying the nation. This is shown in the first stanza.

(iii) Classes in the society

The poet has shown classes in his society. He has identified the class of people who enjoy the national cake. The exploiters are people of the upper class. The Ps is rich and had more than enough. The drivers are poor. He represents poor people in our society. This class is starving from hunger, as shown through the driver who has ulcers due to hunger.

(iv) Exploitation

The driver is exploited. He is working but he is not paid well. He explocted hence he is poor.

(v) Misuse of resources

The term resource refers to supply of raw materials which can be used to bring development. The poet has discussed the issue of misusing the national resources. This is shown through the Ps who misuses time, the car for his personal matters

(vi) Consciousness / Awareness

Consciousness means knowing what is going on. Peoples awareness is important in development. The person who is the Ps driver is aware that the Ps has been doing. He knows that the Ps went.

(vii) Disease

The person has ulcers due to hunger and starvation

(viii) Irresponsibility / Misuse of power

The Ps is misusing his power as he attends matters. He does not attend matters of state as claims. He does not fulfill his responsibilities.

3. What is the mood of the person?

The person is angry and sad. The person is sad because the Ps does not build the nation. The Ps is hypocrite. He is sad as he is also poor.

4. What is tone of the speaker is bitter and sarcastic. The speaker ironically speaks that the Ps pretends to build the nation while he was attending personal matters. He went for lurch.

5. What is relevance of the poem to your society?

In Tanzania we have leaders like the Ps and senior avil servants who are selfish, corrupt and irresponsible. On the other hand most of the workers are poor. There works receive law salaries. Lastly, we have people who are aware of the evils of the leaders, but they fear to criticize them.

6. Who is speaking in the poem?

The speaker is driver who is poor, oppressed, and hardworking. The speaker not happy with situation that the system has created for him. He hates his state of poverty while the Ps is extremely rich but he does not work.

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