Name : Miftah Maryana

NIM : 180611003
Foundation of Literature

Analysis of Poetry “Stanley Meets Mutesa”

Such a time of it they had;

The heat of the day
The chill of the night
And the mosquitoes that followed.
Such was the time and
They bound for a kingdom.

The thin weary line of carriers

With tattered dorty rags to cover their backs;
The battered bulky chests
That kepts on falling off their shaven heads.
Their tempers high and hot,
The fierce sun scorching
With it rose their spirits
With its fall their hopes
As each day sweated their body dry and
Flies clung in clumps to their sweat-scented backs
Such was the march
And the hot season just breaking.

Each day a weary pony dropped

Left for the vultures on the plains;
Each afternoon a human skeleton collapsed;
Left for the Masai on the plains.
But the march trudged on
Its khaki leader in front
He the spirit that inspired
He the light of hope.
Then came the afternoon of a hungry march
A hot and hungry march it was;
The Nile and the Nyanza
Lay like two twins
Azure across the green countryside
The march leapt on chaunting
Like young gazelles to a water-hole.
Hearts beat faster
Loada felt lighter
As cool water lapt their soft, sore feet.
No more burning heat of the day
But song, laughter and dance.

The village looks on behind banana groves,

Children peer behind reed fences;
Such was the welcome
No singing women to chant a welcome
Or drums to greet the white ambassador;
Only a few silent nods from aged faces
And one rumbling drum rolls
To summon Mutesa’s court to parley
For the country was not sure

The gate of reeds is flung open

There is silence
But only a moment’s silence
The tall black king steps forward,
He towers over the thin beard of the white man
Then grabbing his lean white hand
Manages to whisper
“Mtu Mweupe Karibu”
White man you are welcome.
The gate of polished reed closes behind them
And the west is let in.
Literary appreciation of the poem titled Rainbow.
a) Theme:
This poem describes the determination and perseverance that Stanley and his party
experienced while traveling to meet King Mutesa. Then after arriving in the Mutesa’s
Kingdom and its values and party were received coldly but politely.
b) Background/Setting:
The setting is on the winding journey undertaken by Stanley and his party. Then
through the village before finally meet with King Mutesa in a kingdom. This
historical event is set around the 19th century which made David Rubadiri write this
poem in poetic language.
c) Form and Structure:
The poem has 62 lines altogether and is divided into six unequal stanzas. Though this
poem has no rhyme scheme, it has measure rhythmic movement:
The heat of the day
The chill of the night

Their tempers high and hot

The sun fierce and scorching
d) Language and Style:
i. The poet maintains a definitive style: uses a narrative in a form, and the journey
it describes is picturesquely presented using words that evoke the hardship
experience: weary, fierce, scorching, sweated, hungry.
ii. The images are sharp: inclemency of weather, poverty, extreme hardship.
iii. Simile : Lay like two twins
Like young gazelles to a water-hole.
iv. Metaphor : He the spirit that inspired
He the light of hope.
v. Eupomism : Each day a weary pony dropped
Each afternoon a human skeleton collapsed
vi. Alliteration: “heat” / “night” , “battered” / “bulky” , “clung” / “clumps” ,
“two / “twins” , “greet” the “white” , “tattered” / “dirty” , “sore” / “soft” ,
“hungry” / “hyenas” , “behind”/ “banana” .
vii. Repetiion:
The heat of the day
The heat of the night
With it rose their spirits
With its fall their hopes
He the spirit that inspired
He the light of hope.