A Poem on Gossips with Critical Analyses

The poet presents that there is a tendency that those who talk too much will be liars. He advises gossip, not to slander, and blisters our tongue with backbiting. It is better according to the poet to work hard and reduce your talk. Think much and say little. The researchers will learn further in this work, thus making them appreciate and analyze any poet.

Gossips

Hear-say is half lies, silence is wisdom

Grows by rolling as a snowball, so does a story

Those in many talks are in many lies

Silence seldom makes mischief

But talking is a plague to the Parish

An open mouth shows an empty head

The chest with gold and silver in it

Would not often stand wide-open

Free from slander if we must talk and

Not blister our tongue with backbiting

Slander, a sport to tale-bearers is death

To those who abuse

Gossips of both genders give up the shameful

Trade of tale-bearing

Never be the devil’s bellows any longer

To blow up the fire of strife

The files will go down your throat

If you keep your mouth shut

And no evil speaking comes out either

Think much but say little

Be quick at work and slow at talk

Ask the great Creator to set

A watch over your lips

Poet: Deola Adelakun

Briefs of the Poem

‘Gossips’ is a poem that warns against idle talk or rumor, especially about the personal or private affairs of others; the act is also known as dishing or tattling, joblessness, vegetating, hibernating, time-wasting, truancy, time to kill, time to burn, indolence and mouth losing.

The poet presents that there is a tendency that those who talk too much will be liars. He advises gossip, not to slander, and blisters our tongue with backbiting. It is better according to the poet to work hard and reduce your talk. Think much and say little.

We should not be the devil’s agent any longer to cause strife. The poet sees gossip as a slothful, dull, lackadaisical, lethargic, jobless, and flagging person. He continues that an open mouth shows an empty head. The chest with gold and silver will not often widely stand open.

The poet continues that keeping our mouths shut will make the flies go down our throats. By doing this too, no evil speech will come out of our mouths. Gossips of both genders give up the shameful trade of tale-bearing.

It is better to think much but say little instead of saying much and thinking little. By doing this, we should have control over our mouths. A good virtue is not gossip.

Theme

The poet sees people as busy animals talking about other people. He continues to reveal what backbiting and gossip can cause. Those who gossip people are causing rifts and conflicts. It is important to keep our mouth shut and face our work instead of backbiting and gossip.

Too much talk is dangerous

The poem is an account of the acts surrounding gossip and the consequences that can accompany the acts. The poet warns all people who are fond of too much talk to be cautious because too much talk is dangerous and disastrous.  Also, those who are in many talks are in many lies.

Many words cause conflicts

The poet is in concern to warn those who utter many words because it causes conflicts. It is something that blows up the fire of strife. At times, according to the poet, fights, rifts, and conflicts will go down if keep our mouths shut.

Actions are more active than many words

It is better sometimes to take action rather than utter words because if we are not careful of any word used, it can come back to us later. This is the poet tries to say that we should be quick at work and slow at the k and no evil speaking should come out of us.

Language and Poetic Devices

Stanzas and lines

The poem has 23 lines which also have stressed and unstressed syllables which give a rhythmic effect.

Mood/Tone

The poet is very concerned about gossip (gossiping) and gossip (the people who gossip). He is optimistic that strife will go down if can minimize how we use our language.

Didactics

The poem is considered didactic. It teaches moral lessons to deviate from gossip because it causes conflicts and rifts.

Symbolism and imagery

The poet uses certain words to represent real meanings in the poem. Some of the words are “plague” and “parish” (line 5) “plague” is used to represent danger or bad things while “Parish” is used to representing “people”.

Figures of Speech

Metaphor

The poet makes use of metaphor, comparing two objects without the use of comparative words. Such words are “But talking is a plague to the Parish” (line 5), “Slander, sports to tale-bearers is death” (line 11), “To blow up the fire of strife” (line 16)

Hyperbole

The poet makes use of hyperbole for emphasis. Such exaggerated words are “slander, a sport to tale-bearers is death” (line 11)

Personification

The poet makes use of personification such as “Never be the devil’s… to blow up fire of strife” (lines 15 and 16), “…silence is wisdom” (line 1), “Silence sometimes makes mischief” (line 4)

Alliteration

The poet makes use of alliteration such as “Silence seldom make mischief” and “s and m” alliterate (line 4)

Repetition

The poet makes use of repetitions such as “Silence” (lines 1, 4,)

Word List and Meanings

Mischief: Bad behavior that is annoying but not causes serious damage.

Blister: Cause

Strife: Conflict

Tale-bearing: Slander

Practice Questions

1. Explain the message of the poem.

2. ‘The poem is didactic’. Discuss.

3. Comment on the poetic devices of the poem.

4. Explain the expression ‘to blow up the fire of strike’.

5. What, according to the poet, should be our attitude?