Week 5 and 6 – SS2 First Term English Literature Notes

WEEK FIVE
THE DINNING TABLE BY GBANABAM HALLOWELL.
CONTENT
The poem has its background in the ten year civil war that ravaged the country of Sierra – Leone during which a lot of lives and properties were lost and many Sierra –Leones were displaced. The poet is one of the few Sierra –leoneans that decided to go into reconstruction and rehabilitation of Sierra –leone after the war. Apart from his physical and financial contributions to rebuild the war rauaged country,the poet also ventures into writing to expose and teach the Liberian youths the evil effect of war.
POETIC DEVICES
The following are the poetic devices used in the poem.

1. Metaphor -lines 2, 7, 10, 11, and 13.
2. Personification _lines 8, 9 and 10.
3. Rhetoric question _ line 16.
4. Alliteration _ line 5 and 20.
5. Repetition _ line2 and 25, lines 3 and 8, lines 4 and 8, lines 12 and 15 and lines 21 an d 23
6. Paradox _line one and two.
7. Symbols: This is one of the strength in this poem.The poet uses many symbols to make the poem meaningful and beautiful

    

THEMES

1. The destructive consequences of war as seen in gun wounds and other deprivations the people suffered.
2. The disorder, fears and chaos that accompany civil strife as seen in the children scampering for food and safety.
3. The problem of malnutrition, hunger and outbreak of diseases in war –torn societies as seen in cracked lips and cholera epidemic.
4. The flight of reason and unity in the event of war as seen in the last stanza where the poet’s resolution fell like a pack of cards because there is no one to support his revolutionary ideas.

    

CLASS WORK
Discuss the theme of war in the poem.
ASSIGNMENT: How would you describe the background of the poem.

 
 WEEK SIX
THE PANIC OF GROWING OLDER BY LENRIE PETER
CONTENT
The poet examines the transitional stages in man’s life. He tries to point out what man feels or knows at the time of his growth till he gets old. Also the poet points out that the fear of growing older is just like an excited state of agitation in life of man. That at every time man thinks of getting older, the fear shows in his face. He points out that there is a period in a man’s life, when he would be full of hopes, aspirations, and excitement for success. At another stage, the excitement will be mixed with anxiety. A particular time will come when man will resign to fate, when there would be nothing to show for all his youthful efforts. All expectations from life would have become nothing. But because it is believe that man is expected to live for seventy years on earth, he may still be hopeful that things may get better but the major challenge would now be physical strength, inner agility and time. This is the time when inner satisfaction loses substance and man awaits the call to glory.

POETIC DEVICES

The following poetic devices are used by the poet in the poem ‘PANIC OF GROWING OLDER’.
Metaphor; the whole poem is an extended metaphor about the transitional stages in man’s life.
Personification; the poet personifies ‘fear’ which he describes as ‘spread fluttering words’.
Symbolism; ‘blades of expectation’ – line 31.
This symbolizes the young stage of man when he is full of expectation. The poet says, this will no longer exist. It would have disappeared sharply.

THEMES

1. Transitional stages of man.
2. Hope against hope.
3. The vanity in life of man.

    

ASSIGNMENT

1. Identify and discuss fully two themes in the poem.
2. Comment on the poet’s use of language in the poem.

    REF; EXAM FOCUS ON LITRATURE IN ENGLISH.