Week 3 and 4 – SS2 First Term English Literature Notes

 WEEK THREE. AMBUSH
CONTENT : The poem is a metaphorical depiction of a nation as destroyer of the dreams and aspirations of her citizen. The nameless nation referred to as ‘the Land’,is likened to different predatory animals. It is likened to ‘a giant whale’, which swallow other water creatures alive to satisfy its own hunger and sometimes greed and leaving in its wake frustration and sadness. The land is also likened to ‘a Sabretoothed tiger’ whose cries send other creature of wild, especially the vulnerable and weaker ones, into a run for their dear lives. Having used animals of water and land for his imagery as stated in the poem ,the poet uses that of space in third stanza. The land is likened to ‘a giant hawk’, a dangerous predatory bird that attacks other birds, both flying and non- flying ones, and even other animals like rodents and reptites. The poet see the land as an agent of frustration to her peoples hope at every turn.
    POETIC DEVICES
The following are the poetic devices used in the poem.

1. Personification-Stanza one,stanza two,stanza three and stanza four.
2. Metaphor – line 1,line 8, line 14.
3. Allusion – stanza one.
4. Metonymy –stanza one to three.
5. Run-on –lines –all lines in the run into each other.
6. Symbols: many symbolic expression are used in the poem. The images are giant whale,giant hawk etc.
7. Alliteration : -lines 2,7 and 16

    

THEMES

1. The spectre of social unrest in the country
2. The irresponsibility of the ruling class
3. The feeble resistance of the masses
4. The suppression of voices of dissent
5. The hope of a bright future

    

CLASS WORK
Identify and explain the poetic devices used in the poem ‘Ambush’
ASSIGNMENT

1. Discuss five themes in this poem
2. Discuss the used of alliteration in the poem
3. Comment on the poet style.

Reference to Exam Focus on Literature in English by Nwachukwu Agbada

 WEEK FOUR
Piano and Drums by Gabriel Okara
CONTENT:
The poem is a reflection on the impossibility of living two different culture simultaneously. The two culture concerned here are African and European culture. The former is depicted as natural and simple while the latter is described as strange, fascinating and complex. The poet struggles to identify with a particular one but gets lost in the process. The European culture introduce strange and surprising things to Africans. Most of such things were easily rejected while a few, especially material artefacts, were enthusiastically embraced by both the commoners and the nobilities. As Aficans got more and more exposed to European ways of life through Western education, they found more aspects of it very fascinating but complicated. The poet being one of those privileged to access Western education when it was available to only very few Africans, happened to experience this uncanny fascination.
POETIC DEVICES
The following poetic devices are used by the poet in the poem.

1. Simile _ line 3 and 4
2. Metaphor _line 2,line 9 and line 10
3. Transferred epithet – line 16
4. Personification _ lines 17-18
5. Alliteration lines 6,9 and 20
6. Symbols: There is abundant use of symbols in the poem.
7. Exaggeration _ stanza 1 and 2

    

THEMES

1. Clash of culture
2. Primal youth of the African
3. Beauty of the concerto
4. The decay of African civilization.
5. The theme innocence

    

CLASS WORK
Give a detailed account of the poem
ASSIGNMENT.

1. Compare and contrast ‘Piano and Drums’ with ‘Vanity’
2. Discuss the poet attitude in ‘Piano and Drums’.

REFERENCE TO EXAM FOCUS ON LITERATURE..