The “Procrastination” and “Four Friends” are poems written to communicate to the society about the need to avoid the delay in the steps taken and the need to acquire the proficiencies as human beings. The poems have been worked upon to allow the readers to learn more and researchers to do the critical analyses of the poems.
Poem 1
Contents
Procrastination
Don’t say it is tomorrow
Why not today?
Play when to play
Work when to work
Hard work never kills, it exalts
The nation
Diligence is the war to stardom
O’ little and comrades
The crabs work in the banks
The fish work in the river
The ants work in the bush
What excuse, man? What excuse?
Make hay while the sun shines
May be too late tomorrow
Work hard.
Poet: Deola Adelakun
Briefs of the poem
The poem “Procrastination” is advice to everyone to abstain from unnecessary delay. The poem captures the reason why it is necessary to act at the right time because unnecessary delay is dangerous. The poem calls our attention to hard work, diligence but abstain from flippant excuses.
The theme of the poem
The theme “Procrastination” expands the knowledge of the readers and researchers on the central ideas of the poem. It gives more explanations of what the poem is about. Some of the themes are discussed below.
Unnecessary delay is dangerous: The poem portrays the danger that is in delay. It continues to shed clear detail on doing things at the right time because there is time for everything. So, it is important that we should not delay or postpone what is supposed to do today. The reason is that there is another assignment tomorrow. Why not today?
Hard work pays: The poet in the poem encourages hard work and diligence. The poem continues to help saying work when to work; hard work never kills, it exalts the nation. The poem also advises that we should be diligent because diligence is the war to stardom.
Avoid flimsy and flippant excuses: The poem warns you against excuses that will not fetch you good results. The poem says we are not a product of excuses. Instead of complaining, face the work and make it done on time. Tomorrow may be too late. Stop excuses!
Language and Poetic Devices
The poet uses language and poetic devices to enrich the poem and to allow the readers to learn more. Also, the use of language and poetic devices help the researchers to do the critical analyses of the poem.
Stanzas ad lines: The poem has 17 lines. The stanza discusses how to be hardworking, diligent, avoid delay and excuses.
Mood/Tone: The poet feels worried about how people procrastinate things. He writes to warn unnecessary delay and flimsy excuses instead of quick actions.
Rhymes and rhythm: The poem has the structure that gives a rhythmic effect.
Type of poem: The poem is didactic. It teaches the moral and virtue of hard work and diligence.
Idiom and proverb: The poet makes use of idiom and proverb such as “Make while the sun shines” (line 15), “The crabs work in the banks” (line 9), “The fishes work in the river” (line 10), “The ants work in the bush” (line 11). The whole poem is proverbial.
Figures of Speech
The poet uses figures of speech to enrich the poem and to allow the readers to learn more. Also, the use of figures of speech helps the researchers to do the critical analyses of the poem.
Repetition: The poet makes use of repetitive words to emphasize the messages. The repetitions are “Play” (line 3), “Work” (lines 4, 9, 10, 11,) “Tomorrow” (lines 1, 16), “complaints” (line 14), “Excuses” (lines 12, 13).
Metaphor: The poet makes use of metaphor to compare the two things without the comparative words. The metaphorical words are “Diligence is the war to stardom”, (line 7) “O’ little and comrades” (line 8).
Apostrophes: The poet makes use of apostrophes such as “O’ little and comrades” (line 8), “You are not a product of excuses” (line 14).
Rhetorical question: The poet makes use of rhetorical question such as “Why not today” (line 2).
Word List and Meanings
Stardom: The state of being famous
Comrades: Friends
Practice Questions
1. Explain the central idea of the poem.
2. What advice given by the poet?
3. What the expression ‘make hay while the sun shines’ mean?
Poem 2
Four Friends
These four friends are inseparable
So crucial they are to humans
Intimate they are
If you have them, you are lucky
Each with a wonder!
But different thoughts
Knowledge is good
It decide what to say
Skill is good
It decides how to say it
Attitude is better
It decides how much to say it
Wisdom is the best
It decides whether to say or not
The four friends are good for you
If you cannot host them
Try to visit each a day.
Poet: Deola Adelakun
Briefs of the poems
The poem “Four Friends” depicts four friends that are inseparable. These friends are very important to humans. They are close to the extent one cannot do without others. If humans have these four friends in their lives, I think that humans are complete. The four friends are skill, wisdom, attitude and knowledge. The poem captures it that the achievements of humans lie in the activities of these four friends.
The themes of the poem
The theme “Four Friends” extends the knowledge of the readers and researchers on the central ideas of the poem. It gives more explanations of what the poem is about. Some of the themes are discussed below.
The theme of knowledge: The poem points at the knowledge as an important trait that every human being must have. If one has the trait of knowledge, one should be able to decide what to say. One will not say things anyhow.
The theme of skill: The poem identifies the skill of humans as important as a treasure to have. The skill always helps us know how to decide to say things in a right way. The skill is good value which can make a person perform proficiently.
The theme of attitude: Where there is no good attitude, there is no good character. The poem tries to portray attitude as the trait that all human being should have to achieve in life. It makes people decide how mu to say things. It cautions the number of words one must say at a particular time or moment.
The theme of wisdom: Wisdom is the foundation of every good thing. Without wisdom, nothing can be put in place. The poem remembers that wisdom is the best trait every human being must pray for have. Wisdom helps decide whether to say things or not. You know everything is good to say, especially at a particular time or season. It is the wisdom that will determine if you will say it. Wisdom is very crucial to human life.
Language and Poetic Devices
The poet uses language and poetic devices to enrich the poem and to allow the readers to learn more. Also, the use of language and poetic devices help the researchers to do the critical analyses of the poem.
Stanzas and lines: The poem has 17 lines. It has six stanzas. The stanza 1 introduces the four friends; stanza 2 identifies knowledge as the first friend; stanza 3 identifies skill as the second friend; stanza 4 identifies attitude as the third friend while stanza 5 identifies wisdom as the fourth friend. Stanza 1 is a sextet; stanzas 2,3,4, 5and 6 are couplets.
Rhymes and rhythm: The poem contains normal stressed and unstressed syllables that give rhythmic effects.
Mood/Tone: The poet is eager to get the at least some of these friends. He feels admired.
Type of poem: The poem a historical poem. The poet narrates the history of the four friends namely, knowledge, skill, attitude and wisdom.
Figures of Speech
The poet uses figures of speech to enrich the poem and to allow the readers to learn more. Also, the use of figures of speech helps the researchers to do the critical analyses of the poem.
Metaphor: The poet makes use of metaphor to compare the two things without the comparative words. The examples of metaphor are “Knowledge is good” (line 8), “Skill is fine” (line 10), “Attitude is better”, (line 12) and “Wisdom is the best” (line 14).
Repetition: The poet makes of repetitions to emphasize his messages. Such repetitive words are “Four friends” (lines 1, 16), “And decides…”(lines 9, 11, 13, 16).
Word List and Meanings
Inseparable: That cannot be separated
Crucial: Important
Intimate: Close
Practice Questions
1. Four friends are _____________ (a) 3 (b) 4 (c) 5 (d) 6
2. ‘Skill’ is ________________ (a) better (b) nice (c) good (d) best
3. ‘Wisdom’ is _______________ (a) the best (b) better (c) good (d) nice
4. What was the decision of ‘Attitude’? (a) What to say (b) How to say things (c) How much to say things (d) Whether to say things or not
5. If you cannot host the four friends, what will be the option? (a) Fight (b) Come (c) Call (d) Visit
Conclusion
The poems “procrastination” and “four friends” are discussed to teach the right time to do the right things and the need to acquire proficiency which is a symbolic of four friends. The researchers are allowed to do critical analyses of the poems.
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