What message is Achebe giving us in the

poem?
The message that Achebe is giving us in the poem, Vultures, is that good in a
person cannot exist without evil, and conversely, that evil in a person cannot
exist without good i.e. there is no such thing as pure good or pure evil. It is
pertinent that the title of this poem draws us immediately to the image of a
vulture, which is a bird known primarily for its scavenging of decaying
carcasses, but that is also loyal and caring to its mate and offspring. In this
poem, Achebe writes about a Commandant at Bergen-Belsen who has ‘fumes
of human roast clinging rebelliously to his nostrils’, nonetheless ‘will stop at
the wayside sweet-shop and pick up a chocolate for his tender offspring’.
Immediately we see the striking juxtaposition here between evil and good; the
duality which exists in his life.

Achebe conveys his message strongly with the use of powerful language
techniques. Apart from the obvious juxtapositions which occur throughout the
poem (e.g. ‘love’/’evil’, ‘cruel/affectionately’, ‘charnel-house/sweet-shop’),
Achebe uses metaphors to underline his message. In my opinion, the extended
metaphor in this poem is the vultures themselves. They signify the
Commandant at Bergen-Belsen, with his contrasting characteristics; his work
forces him to take no interest in many humans’ lives, but then, while away
from his job, he acts like a kindly father, treating his ‘tender offspring’ to
luxuries that were limited at the time. Vultures are mostly known for their
negative connotations, such as being scavengers and ‘living off the dead’.
Unknown to many, vultures are also incredibly caring and pragmatic creatures.
In the first stanza, focussing on the characteristics of vulturesAnother
technique is alliteration, which features in the phrase ‘broken bones of a dead
tree’. The letter ‘b’ is harsh, hinting at the severe atmosphere surrounding the
vultures.
The vultures, described in such a disparaging, grim fashion, could be construed
as a metaphor for the people responsible for the atrocities in Bergen-Belsen
and in particular the Commandant. It is the longest part of the poem, which is
not a coincidence. The first stanza is a metaphor for the Commandant’s
predominant personality traits and this is why it dominates so much of the
poem’s content. The third stanza, the scene with his child, represents a far
smaller portion of the poem and this, I think, is a metaphor for his spark of
humanity.
The first stanza is considerably larger than the remaining three, taking up
twenty three lines. The other three stanzas are eight, eleven and eleven lines
respectively.
The vultures are really a metaphor for the people who run the concentration
camp. I think the poet is drawing on a vulture’s classic reputation of being vile
scavengers.

The branch is good, the bones are there are no dead branches at the top of the
tree that you can perch on. Our perception of a vulture ugly sad
poignant
The message that Achebe is giving us in the poem, Vultures, is that pure good
and pure evil
The main message is quite frightening because the poet suggests two things –
that even the most horrible people and animals can show love. And that
perhaps this love is the thing that makes them so horrible.
Positive/negative connotations

Another way that Achebe expresses his message is through the use of
personification
What is the message
How is the message conveyed