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Poetry

Poetry Assignment Part Two: Chess by Rosario Castellanos

I picked the poem because of its simplicity with respect to style and meaning. It is certain that the author’s choice of words is exemplary. In particular, they can be easily understood by different audiences and succeeds in relaying the message at the same time. There is rhyme in the poem that gives it a rhythmic effect and therefore makes it easy to memorize as well as remember. The arresting phrase in this poem is “We’ve been sitting here for centuries, meditating ferociously”. This had an impact on the reader as it exhibited the inherent indecision that the two parties were faced with. It keeps the reader guessing about the effects of this last step on the relationship of the two parties.

Notably, they share a close love relationship that the poem gives an illusion that it could be compromised by the results of this game. It is a reflection of the daily relationships in which there is competition but none wants to accept defeat. The main theme in the poem is indecision that then culminates in suspense. Parties are undecided on how to end the game because of the underlying implications of the results. The author cites that the respective parties have taken centuries meditating about the expected impacts. This implies that the effects are likely to have far reaching implications on their welfare.

At the Mosque by Chairil Anwar

I chose this poem because of the uniqueness of the religious aspect that is associated with it. In this, the persona exemplifies great courage and persistence when he decides to enter a fight with the Higher Power. It is certain that this decision had immense implications on his welfare, considering the fact that the deity has always assumed an elevated social status (Robinson 45). The fact that the fight takes place in the mosque is an indication that the speaker is a daring person. Essentially, a mosque is considered a holy place where the Higher Power resides and therefore should be at its best with respect to power and intellect.

The phrase “all my strength struggles to extinguish him” implies that the speaker had made the decision to pursue this fight whole heartedly. Put differently, it implies that the persona is dedicated on meeting his goal. This has a direct effect on the audience who are invited to share in the experience of the speaker during the fight. Arguably, it evokes mixed feelings of fear and pity as human are considered to be lee powerful than the Higher Power. Further this is an indication of persistence and consistence in behavior and decision making as s/he is the one who “shouted at Him until He came”. The theme of courage and persistence is inherent in this poem and these characters are typical of the speaker.

A Pity. We were such a Good Invention by Yehuda Amichai

I chose this poem because of the pathological effect that it has on the audience. This has been attained by the author’s choice of words such as ‘amputated’ and ‘dismantled’ implies great pain and suffering. It cannot be disputed that the pain and suffering associated with amputation and separation is significant. In addition, amputation in this case implies that there is no possibility of their reunion and the situation is hopeless (Amichai 68). It is certain that the reader feels sorry for the persona because of the anguish that he has to endure. On the other hand use of the phrase ‘such a good and loving invention’ implies that the affected parties were compatible and shared a strong love relationship.

The arresting phrase in this regard is “A pity’. This actually evokes feelings of sympathy and concern from the audience. It can be argued that this drives the point home- that man and wife have been separated without their consent. The audience is finally informed about that implications of the separation and made to appreciate that it is hurtful. The theme of this poem is separation. All through the poem, the persona underscores the impacts of his separation from his wife and manages to evoke feelings of sympathy from the audience.

Hamlet by Wole Soyinka

I chose this poem because of the fact that it is a reflection of Shakespeare’s Hamlet. Essentially, Shakespeare’s work is respected within the literary cycles because of its timeless themes and distinctive style. The author underscores the theme of revenge that was perpetuated by Hamlet. He also mentions the external factors such as ghosts that influenced the decision of the protagonist. In this regard, it can be posited that by writing this poem, Wole Soyinka was appreciating Shakespearean literature and themes.

This implies that Shakespeare’s works were undoubtedly credible and influenced other writers too, apart from the audience. The phrase in this poem that has a great impact on the audience is ‘passionless he set a stage’. This sets the stage for revenge and can be considered a turning point of the persona. he decides to pursue the vengeful activities that have been harbored in his mind. Notably, he eliminates passion and replaces it with hatred in order to carry out the activities with ease and without any form of guilt (Ojaide 53). The main theme that has been explored in this poem is hatred. This influences the persona to plan for vengeful activities through the elimination of doubt and revulsion of his target.

The Pebble by Zbigniew Herbert

I chose this poem because of the exemplary message and distinct description that it accords “The Pebble”. The author capitalizes on the style of description to inform the reader of the ideal attribute of the pebble and evoke feelings of desire. The choice of the poem was out of curiosity to understand the relative attributes of this perfect Pebble. At this point, it should be appreciated that the current world is compounded by various complexities that make it impossible for an individual to attain perfection. In addition, pollution and other anthropogenic processes have made it impossible for anything to be perfect. The arresting phrase in this poem is “filled exactly/ with a pebbly meaning”.

Notably, this can be considered a summary of the entire poem. The attributes that the author accords the pebble are essentially used to define it. Therefore, it can be argued that they are just different constituents of the pebble that cannot define it better that its entire meaning. The main theme in this poem is the steadfastness or consistency (Wislawa 37). The author ascertains that the pebble is perfect and cannot be tamed. This implies that it cannot be influenced by external forces at any given time. It is a perfect creature that maintains this status at all times.

Poetry Assignment Part Three

Hamlet by Wole Soyinka

I chose this poem over the other four because of the fact that it is a reflection of a theme that has been handled by other writers in the past. In particular, it explores the work of Shakespeare that was presented in his play Hamlet. It is a direct reflection and the prominent theme in the poem is hatred and revenge, which corresponds to the theme that was presented by Shakespeare. From a historical point of view, Shakespeare is an artist that has been credited for his great works through time. The timeless nature of his themes has made it possible for these to be explored through time by different audiences. Currently, most of his works are considered classical and are still invaluable in literary circles.

Another factor that made me to choose this poem for analysis is the fact that it has been written by a credible author. It cannot be disputed that Wole Soyinka is a dominant writer especially of African literature. He has been accredited for authoring a host of plays and other literary works such as poems and even articles. He has won various awards both in Africa and abroad and notably, his works are very influential. In particular, most of his works have been employed for analysis in learning institutions at different levels.

Basically, Wole Soyninka is a respected author because of his proven record of producing high quality products with respect to literature. This implies that he understands and appreciates the dynamic of literature. Perhaps this can be used to explain why he explored a theme that had already been evaluated by Shakespeare. It can be posited that he was impressed with this work and sought to preserve it in another form. At this point, it is worth noting that the decision to analyze this poem was partly influenced by the fact that Wole Soyinka is a credible writer whose decisions regarding literature are reliable and can be trusted.

Also, the dramatic nature of the theme of hatred and revenge influenced me to choose to analyze this poem. Essentially, individuals that choose to pursue revenge are usually triggered by various factors that are likely to have had far reaching implications on their welfare. Research indicates that a critical background analysis of any piece o literature pursuing such themes always ascertains the occurrence of dramatic events that could have made the speaker to pursue the same. In this case, the poem was easy to understand because I am well versed with the historical background information about it.

This is available in the play Hamlet by Shakespeare that has been handled earlier on. The fact that it made it possible for me to discern the various factors contributing to the pursuance of the theme made it desirable for analysis. Basically, I have a clear understanding of the background of both Shakespeare and Wole Soyinka and I appreciate their pieces of work. Their personal contribution to this poem is credible as it has created a piece of literary work that is of exemplary quality.

Poetry Assignment Part Four: The Essay

Hamlet by Wole Soyinka

From a historical point of view, it is indicated that Wole Soyinka wrote the poem while in prison and it was geared towards underscoring the suffering that he endured during this time. Notably, the author pays particular emphasis on the inability of Hamlet to make a viable as well as timely decision that would solve the problem at hand in a sustainable manner. Regardless of the fact that he loved his father so much, he did not take any practical steps to revenge according to his will. In other words, he did not demonstrate his love for his father because he failed to grant his wishes. This inability culminated in increased guilt and aggravated the situation even more.

Soyinka criticizes the speaker by indicating that he wasted time addressing abstractions as opposed to revenging accordingly. Essentially, he dealt with the challenges that his uncle posed and failed to address the issue head on. For example he postponed killing his uncle when the latter was praying on the premise that he would go to heaven as opposed to heal. Instead of using his emotional status that could have enabled him to pursue revenge effectively and in a timely manner, Soyinka cites that hamlet lay undue emphasis on passionless activities that did not yield much.

In this regard, Soyinka was implying that this situation required actions that were beyond rational thought. Hamlet wasted a significant period of time thinking about the best action and as a result failed to avenge the death of his father accordingly. From his point of view, Soyinka believed that the death of Hamlet’s father was not avenged regardless of the fact that his ghost had instructed Hamlet to do this. As such, Hamlet has been cited to have disregarded his father’s directive and therefore failed to perform his duty as a son. Soyinka contends that Hamlet only gave up thinking and assumed an “acceptable’ way of dealing with this situation when he was almost dying. Even at this point, the author maintains that Hamlet only responded to his uncle’s attempt to kill him as opposed to avenging his father’s murder (Ojaide 88).

Emergent research indicates that Hamlet was a representation of Soyinka’s suffering in prison. Arguably, he shows that Hamlet deserved to suffer because of his inability to respond to his father’s will promptly. On the other hand, he justifies his activities and blames the nature of governance for his being in prison for that specific time. The author employs the first person narrative because of the fact that he was surrounded by lonesome conditions in the prison. This has been effective in development of the tone of the poem. The tone that is assumed by the speaker can be considered to be both critical and self dramatizing.

With respect to the former, it is certain that the author sought to portray the then federal government as being mean and hypocritical. He likens the activities of the government to Hamlet’s and blames the same for his suffering. The inherent hesitancy and inability to take action promptly were being implicated for the author’s overstay in the prison (Ojaide 91). With respect to the self dramatizing tone, it is certain the author makes significant efforts to defend himself against the accusations. He tries to justify his activities and blames the government for the conditions that he was in.

With regard to literary styles, the author employs rhyme that is exemplified by words such as ‘doubts and points, clay and delay, stage and engage and so forth. These are important because they accord the poem a rhythmic or lyrical effect. Essentially, rhythm makes the poem to be appealing and easy to memorize. Memorization is important because it make the audience to remember the poem and its meaning accordingly.

This underscores the fundamental goal of the author with respect to keeping the audience informed about the various aspects. Different authors in the literary circles affirm that the fundamental goal of each writer is usually to be able to relay vital information to the audience. Making the audience to remember relative information and be able to employ the same for various purposes is usually at the center stage of all literary works. Soyinka manages to attain this through rhyme.

Another poetic device that has been used by the author is repetition. Examples of this include ‘the turn and turn abouts”. This has been used to emphasize the complicated approaches that Hamlet undertook in approaching the problem. Notably, they emphasize on the issue of hesitancy and the implications that this had on his ability to revenge his father’s murder (Ojaide 112). Usually, repetition is used to lay emphasis on a certain point and inform the author of its importance to the theme.

In addition, it creates a rhythmic effect that has different benefits with regard to understanding and appreciation of the poem. Finally, it is certain that the theme of revenge and hatred has been explored by Soyinka. Although he does not make it to revenge his father’s death, his activities and decisions are geared towards this. From Wole Soyinka’s perspective, it is can be argued that the theme of injustice is inherent. He is not only accused falsely but he also fails to get his trial in a timely manner.

Works Cited

Amichai, Yehuda. The Selected Poetry of Yehuda. California: University Press, 1996.

Ojaide, Tanure. Two Worlds: Influences on Poetry of Wole Soyinka. USA: St. Louis University, 1998.

Robinson, Edwin. Selected Poems. USA: Penguin Classics, 1997.

Wislawa, Szymborska. Poems: New and Collected. USA: Mariner Books, 2000.