The two poems “Money and “Not in Haste” paint the picture of patience, endurance, power, and the evil of money. The poem gives the general impression of the control of money and the consequences of impatience. The poems allow researchers to do critical analyzes of the poems. Read them below and work.
Poem 1
Contents
Money
The mysterious paper that man chases
No one cannot without work
The poor come to the world in vain
An impecunious husband becomes a rag
Before his wife
No society respects the needy
Nobody wants the poor as friends
Money that intoxicates
Money that causes strife
Money that destroys
Money that wounds
Money that sends to heaven of no return
Man journeys from east to north
Because of kaya
Some travel from west to south
Just to catch the head of gbemu
The world wakes up at the cockcrow
And resumes home in the dark
All is because of Kuluso
Eledumare I plead
Give it to me abundantly
So that I will not be a beggar
Briefs of the poem
The poem is in appreciation of the money and power surrounding it. The poet sees money as a necessity for every human because of its service. The poem portrays money as a valuable paper that people chase around. He continues that all efforts of people on this earth are because of money. Nobody can live without money. Money controls and turns mad.
Themes of the poem
The poem has several themes that explain it better. Some of the themes have been discussed below.
The theme of the evil of money: The poem explicates the evil deeds of money. Money intoxicates, causes strife, destroys, wounds, and care is not taken, money kills. As good as money is, it is also evil.
The theme of the power of money: The poem depicts how money controls a lot of things and puts several people in slavery. If one does not have money, one comes to earth in vain. Nobody respects the poor in our societies. Money makes a father become a child and makes a husband become a wife and a wife become a husband.
The theme of money struggle: The poem portrays how people make effort to look for money anywhere and anytime. People travel from west to south and from east to north because of money. A lot wake up early in the morning and resume home in the dark just because of money.
Language and Poetic Devices
The poem consists of language and poetic devices to enrich the poem and to allow the researchers to learn more and do critical analyses. Some of them have been analyzed below.
Stanzas and lines: The poem has 22 lines. The lines of the poem encompass the evil of money, the power of money, and the struggle with money.
Rhymes and Rhythm: The poem is easy to read because of the metrical flow of sounds and effects.
Mood/Tone: The poet feels worried about the power of money. He eventually pleads to have it abundantly.
Neologism: The local vocabulary such as “Iworo, Kaya, Gbemu, Kuluso,” means “Money”. “Eledumare”
to mean “God”.
Type of poem: The poem is Ode. The poet addresses money as a powerful element.
Figures of speech
The poem consists of figures of speech to enrich the poem and to allow the researchers to learn more and do critical analyses. Some of them have been analyzed below.
Personification: The poet makes use of personification such as “Money that intoxicates” “Money that causes strife” “Money that destroys” “Money that wounds” and “Money that sends to heaven of no return”. (lines 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
Synecdoche: The poet makes use of synecdoche such as “No society respects the needy.” (line 6) Society means people while needy means the poor. “…world wakes up at the cockcrow” (line 17) the world means people.
Euphemism: The poet makes use of euphemisms such as “…money that sends to heaven of no return”. (line 12).
Hyperbole: The poet makes use of hyperbole to emphasize his message. The hyperboles are “Just to catch the head of Gbemu” (line 16),
Repetition: The poet makes use of repetition such as “Money” (lines 9, 10, 11, 12).
Word List and meanings
Kaya, Iworo, Gbemu, Kuluso: Money
Eledumare: God
Impecunious: Having no or little money
Practice Questions
1. Explicate how neologisms contribute to the beauty of the poem.
2. Comment on the power of money in the poem?
3. Do you think one can live without money according to the poem? Discuss.
Poem 2
Not in Haste
Do you know when cock crows? the
And when the vulture sits and dozes?
Who teaches a baby to suck breasts?
Do you know when the bird sings?
And feed itself when hungry
Who teaches rain how to pour?
And the wind blow
Nobody reminds the moon to replace
The sun at a set time
O man in haste
Can you overtake your destiny?
Stand still!
And see the salvation of God today
Glossy your life is
‘Tis a matter of time
Stop in haste!
Patience is a better choice
Will come soon your time
Briefs of the poem
The poem speaks against impatience and over-ambition. It teaches us to exercise patience in all that we are doing. “Not in Haste” is an advocate of patience and perseverance to wait for our appointed time.
The theme of the poem
The “Not in haste” has several themes that explain it better. The themes encompass the summary of the poem. Some of the themes have been discussed bel theme
The theme of patience: The poem depicts the theme of patience. The poem thus aches to desist from hastiness. We should not be in a hurry. We have to wait for our appointed time. The first stanza points it that nobody tells all creatures for actions when it is set time. That is when it is set time for things to putbe in place for us, it will be done.
The Theme of over-ambition: This poem portrays how people dabble in high ambition in things that concern them. The poem warns those who are ambitious to stand still. Everything will be put in the right way.
The Theme of Destiny: The poem divulges the theme of destiny. Whether we are in a hurry or not, our destiny stands. It cannot be changed. Therefore, let us wait for nobody will pass tier destiny.
The theme of the glorious end: The poem gives assurance that no matter what the beginning may be saying, the end will be glorious. It is important to be patient.
Language and Poetic Devices
The poem consists of language and poetic devices to enrich the poem and to allow the researchers to learn more and do critical analyses. Some of them have been analyzed below.
Stanzas and lines: The poem has 18 lines. The lines open with nobody should be in haste until the poet advises that patience is better.
Mood/Tone: The poet is worried about how people are too in a hurry to get things. The poet then advises that patience is key.
Rhymes and rhythm The poem has good ending correspondence. It has a rhyming scheme of “abcdefagheijkbhblh”.
Type of poem: The poem is didactic. It teaches the moral lesson to be patient. No one should be in a hurry.
Figures of speech
The poem consists of figures of speech to enrich the poem and to allow the researchers to learn more and do critical analyses. Some of them have been analyzed below.
Rhetorical question: The poet makes use of rhetorical questions such as “Do you know when cock crows?” (line 1), “Who teaches a baby to suck breasts?” (line 3), “Do you know when the bird sings?” (line 4), “Who teaches rain how to pour?” (line 6), “Can you overtake your destiny?” (line 11).
Personification: The poet makes use of personification such as “…when the bird sings?” (line 4).
Repetition: The poet makes use of repetition to emphasize the message. The repetitions are “Time) (lines 9, 15, 18).
Alliteration: The poet makes use of alliteration such as “…cock crows” and “c” alliterates (line 1), and “standstill “s” alliterates (line 12).
Metaphor: The poet makes use of metaphor to compare two things without the comparative words. For example: “The sun t a set time” (line 9), “O man in haste” (line 10), and “patience is a better choice” (line 17).
Word List and Meanings
Pour: Flow quickly
Glossy: Shining
Vulture: A large bird that eats animals.
Practice Questions
1. The message of the poet is that ______________. (a) we should be in a hurry (b) we should be patient (c) we should not be patient (d) we should not be in haste
2. The poem is __________ (a) didactic (b) entertaining (c) accommodative (d) aesthetic
3. The figurative expression in line one (1) is ___________ (a) metonymy (b) euphemism (c) irony (d) rhetorical question
4. ‘Glossy your life is is an example of __________ (a) simile (b) personification (c) metaphor (d) hyperbole
Editors
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