A Poem on Bomb Blast with Critical Analyses

The poet is particular about the disaster, to be precise, the intervention of Boko Haram and other insurgents, which pervades the world. The occurrences in Nigeria are strange to us and the disaster has affected our economy. The researchers and readers may learn more and have further knowledge of appreciating and analyzing any poem. read the poem and work on it.

Bomb Blast

Uh! Happened it is

Another historic disaster

Has engulfed the globe

The common cry of bommuu

Here and there

Haram has taken charge of paradise

And put pepper into many faces

They often bokonise us with whips

And honeycomb turns to desert

Every place has become a horror

For the world to live

A hundred thousand innocents perished

In moments of loses

They drew more tears from sobbing eyes

And putting hot tears on all faces

Many parents bow their heads in sorrow

For their children in unknown Haram

Prison yards

I pity Laga, my friend indeed

Laga was struck to death recently

Laga, the legal library

Laga, a mobile encyclopedia

Legal titan, titanic in stature, titanic status

You are not dead, you have triumphed

Adieu! Our legal icon, rest in peace.

Poet: Deola Adelakun

Briefs of the Poem

The poet explicates the disaster the insurgency has caused in some African countries, especially Nigeria.

The intervention of Boko Haram and gunmen has put sorrow into many families. The cry of bombs has become the song of every Nigerian.

Many Nigerians have been sent to heaven of no return by a bomb blast. In a wink of eyes, many innocents perished by Boko Haram.

The poet shows his pity for his friend: Laga who was struck to death by a bomb blast recently.

Theme

The poem, “Bomb Blast”, covers wide areas to explain the disaster popularly called the Boko Haram insurgency that pervaded every nook and cranny of this country. There are themes of disasters, losses, bomb accidents, and death. They are discussed below.

The theme of disasters

The poet is particular about the disaster, to be precise, the intervention of Boko Haram and other insurgents, which pervades the world. The occurrences in Nigeria are strange to us and the disaster has affected our economy. The people in the Northern part of Nigeria up till now, especially Borno State cannot peacefully go out and do whatever they like because they fear the Boko Haram group.

The theme of losses

The poet explains that during the insurgency, many lives and properties were lost and many are destroyed. The poem reminds us the tense atmosphere that the group has caused. As I quote” “Haram has taken charge of the paradise and put pepper into many faces. Hundred thousand innocents perished.” That is many lives and properties are destroyed during the actions of Boko Haram.

The theme of Bomb accident

The poet points out the terrible and disastrous consequences of Boko Haram. Some accidents bomb blasts caused. Some of the accidents are the destruction of properties and loss of lives.

The theme of death

The poet affirms that Boko Haram has sent many people to heaven with no return. The old die and the young die. The male persons die and the female persons die.

Language and Poetic Devices

There are languages and poetic devices used by the poet to explain the concept of the poem. Some of them are discussed below. Read the poem and work on the language and poetic devices.

Stanzas and lines

The poem has 25 lines and the stanzas are accurate. The poem is rhymed is which it contains stressed and unstressed syllables that give a rhythmic effect.

Mood/Tone

The poet feels sad and he is angry to explain the kind of people Boko Haram are. The state of mind of the poet is the question of how certain wicked people can surrender themselves for the devil to be used to destroy properties and lives of people.

Diction

Diction can be seen as the language and choice of words that the poet uses. The poet deliberately chooses certain words and languages. Such words and languages are “Bommuuu”, “Bokonise” etc.

Neologism

The poet uses local vocabulary to explain the weight of the happenings in the poem. Some of the coinages are “Bokonise us…” to mean torment or torture us. (line 8)

Type of poem

The poem is historical as the poet gives an account of Boko Haram in Nigeria. The poet cleverly give accounts of the history of insurgency of Boko Haram in Nigeria.

Figures of Speech

Several figures of speech are used in the poem to enrich the language and allow the readers and researchers to do the work of art. Some of the figures of speech are discussed below. Read the poem and work on the figures of speech.

Onomatopoeia

The poet uses onomatopoeia (sound) such as “bommuu” to suggest the meaning of “bomb”.

Metaphor

The poet makes use of metaphors to compare two objects without the use of comparative words. Such metaphors are “The common cry of bommuu”,(line 4) “Every place has become horror”(line 10), “Legal, the legal library” (line 21), and “Legal, mobile encyclopedia” (line 22).

Hyperbole

The poet makes use of hyperboles for emphasis. Such hyperboles are “Hundred thousand innocents perished” (line 12), “And putting hot tears on all faces” (line 15), and “And put pepper into many faces” (line 7).

Symbolism

The poet makes use of symbolic words to represent certain words or concepts. Such words are “Paradise” (line 6) to represent Nigeria, “legal library and mobile encyclopedia” are “Academic and intellectual”