WEEK ONE

TOPIC: POETRY
Poetry is defined as a literary work of art usually written in verses to express
strong feelings and emotions. It contains rhymes and rhythms.
Poetry can also be seen as emotion and expression of deep feelings
usually written in lines and stanzas.

Forms of poetry
Poems, songs, recitations, hymns, rhymes and nursery rhymes.
A person that writes a poem is called a poet or poetress if she’s a female.

Characteristics of poetry
1. It is written in verses or lines and stanzas.
2. It makes use of imagery.
3. It creates sound.
4. It has rhyme scheme.

Types of poem
Epic poem: it’s a long poem telling us of deeds of a character and written in a
formal style
Lyrical poem: it a poem that expresses strong emotions of love. It can be set to
be music and song. It is in song form.
Dramatic poem: this is a poem that written in form of a drama, it usually involves
characters or character.
Narrative poem: it is a story told in verse. A poem that tells a story, e.g. Clark’s
“Night rain”.
Descriptive poem: this is a poem that describes a thing, a person, a place etc. it
shows the physical build-up of the thing being described. E.g. Wole Soyinka’s
“Abiku”.
WEEK TWO
TOPIC: LITERARY TERMS IN POETRY
Stanzas, rhymes and rhyme scheme.
1. Stanza: this is a collection of verses to form a division or section of a poem.

Types of stanza
i. Couplet: two-line stanza
ii. Tercet: three-line stanza
iii. Quatrain: four-line stanza
iv. Quintet: five-line stanza
v. Sextet: six-line stanza
vi. Septet: seven-line stanza
vii. Octave: eight-line stanza

2. Rhyme: this occurs when there is a repetition of the same sound at the end of
the line of poetry, e.g.
The earth is never dead,
when all the birds are faint with the hot sun
and hide in cooling trees, a voice will run
from hedge to hedge about the new moon mead

Types of Rhymes
i. Alternate rhyme: these are lines of poetry that rhymes alternately.
ii. Masculine rhyme: this is of one stressed syllable. E.g. Match, catch etc.
iii. Feminine rhyme: this is a two-syllable rhyme. E.g.
silver-quiver.
housing-rousing.
iv. Half rhyme: this is a rhyme with similar consonant with different vowels. E.g.
Grained-groaned.

3. Rhyme scheme: this is a pattern generally produced at the end of poetry line.
E.g.
When you are lucky to be there (a)
Think of those left behind (b)
Never be sure you’ll be long there (a)
For your post if no birth right (b)

WEEK THREE
TOPIC: POETIC DEVICES
Simile, metaphor, repetition and personification.
1. Simile: this is a direct comparison between two things of different nature or
class but with a striking similarity, particular aspect by the use of such words
like “as” and “like”. E.g. He looks like his father, Fair as a star, when only one is
shining in the sky.
2. Metaphor: it is similar to a simile except that the indicators “as” and “like” are
not used to show the comparison. The comparison is indirect. E.g. Kayode is
a parrot, He is a lion.
3. Repetition: these are words used commonly in poetry to emphasize a specific
idea being repeated. E.g.
Work work work
Till the rain begins to swim
Work work work
Till the eyes are heavy and deem.
4. Personification: this is a literary device which non-living things are given
human qualities. E.g. Death be not proud, He kicked the bucket, the sun
travels from East to West.
WEEK FOUR
MISUNDERSTANDING. BY CHINUA ACHEBE
My old man had a little saying
he loved and as he neared
his end was prone to relish
more and more. Wherever something
stands, he’d say, there also something
else will stand. Heedless at first
I waved it aside as mere
elderly prattle that you have to bear.
till sharply one day it hit home to me.
that never before, not even
once, did I hear my mother speak
again in their little disputes once
he’d said it. From then began
my long unrest: what was this
thing so unanswerable and why
was it dodged by that
relentless other? My mother
proved no help at all nor did
my father who sole reply was just a solemn smile… Quietly
later of its own will it showed
its face, slowly, to me though
not before they’d long been dead – my
little old man and my mother
 also – and showed me to how
utterly vain my private quest
had been. Flushed by success
I spoke one day in a trifling
row: you see, my darling (to
my wife) where something
stand. I knew, she said; she
pouted her lips like a gun
in my face. She knew, she said,
she’d known all along of that
other woman I was keeping in town
And I fear, my friends,
I am yet to hear
the last of it.
The poem is a narrative poem because it tells a story. The speaker gave
narration of his father and wife. The speaker in this poem was a womanizer
warned by his father about his attitude and try to caution him.
The speaker paid a deaf ear to his father’s warning, and advice thinking
that his words were an old man’s words.
The speaker was caught in an extra-marital affair and that caused quarrel
between him and his wife.
Thus, here comes the title of the poem “misunderstanding” the speaker
requests his action sinful act and his disobedience to his father’s warning and try
to make amend for the better.

Themes
1. Obedience of the elders.
2. Disobedience is not good.
3. Extra marital affair is not good.
WEEK 6
TOPIC: DO IT NOW
Do it now
If you’ve got a job do it
Do it now!
If it’s one you wish were through,
Do it now!
If you’re sure the job’s your own,
Do not hem and ham and groan.
Do it now!
Don’t put off a bit of work,
Do it now!
It doesn’t pay to shrink.
Do it now!
If you want to fill a place
And be useful to the race
just get up and take brace,
Do it now!
Don’t linger by the way.
Do it now!
You’ll lose if you delay,
Do it now!
If the other follow, wait or postpone
Unit its late,
You hit up a faster gait.
 Do it now!

The poem is talking about the need for people to do the right thing at the
right time. The poem does not give room for delay and time wasting or
procrastination.
There is no need postponing what that needs to be done today for
tomorrow because tomorrow may be too late. The statement “Do it now”
appeared nine times in the poem to lay emphasis on the need for people to do
their work at the right time.
The poet encourages that you should do what you love doing once you
know that the job is yours. “Do it now” because when you stand out, you will be a
winner.

Themes
1. Hard work pays: the poet said that it is good for one to work hard and do what
is expected of him or her without delay.
2. Time waits for no one: there is time for everything so do your work now and
not wait till tomorrow, the time wasted cannot be regained.
3. Do not be discouraged: do your work and do not depend on anybody.
Discharge your duties well and do not cheat anyone.

Poetic devices
Metaphor.
Repetition.
Apostrophe.
Alliteration.
Assonance.

WEEK 7
DEATH. BY OIWONA ANDREW
Death like fate, respects no faith
Death like a stubborn child
Respects no parents who chide

Death, sent by the deity as a reaper

Knows men’s time like a time keeper
Unknown to a man, it rings a bell of a known time of passing
Then a man drops dead
And his cup and corpse, people dread

A man is cut off from the sinful world

And can no longer hear or say a word
At death
As an umbrella cord is cut off from the belly
at birth

very hot are the cold hands of death

who dare shake those cold hands?
Death shudders shoulders even to the bones
Who dare remove from the dusts, stone?
The daunting stones that shelter a grave
Who dare, for the death that kills, crave?

Death takes dear ones and then their

Death takes the wicked and then they are weak
Who dare board the plane of death even
Gratis?
The plane that must crash, in spite of practice.
All of us shall die on by one
The rich and the poor
The black and the whites.

Death even this painful day of death when a man enters the tomb
Is more joyful than the day of birth
When a man leaves the womb
Howling as if he is going to die.

Death even this painful day of death

The dead is wrapped in white shroud
A sign of joy and purity
But his mourners wear black and black

Like sympathizers who cry more

Than the bereaved

A believer that is sure of Heaven often asks

What is this death that people dread?
A sure way to Heaven and rest with God.

Enjoying freedom from sin and toil

When the body enters the soil

Don not come to me oh death!

Till the hairs on my head become white
Like a bleached cloth
 Do not come to me oh death!
Till I develop the third leg
The leg that is not natural

Do not come to me, oh death

Till I sell all my goods; my couture
And empty my cloth’s sack
Then my grievers may not wear sackcloth
At my funeral.

The poem “Death” by Oiwona Andrew is a picture on this irresponsible and

permanent event that must happen to man or mortal. In the poem, the poet
personified it and brought out the attributes. The poem is presented as being
harsh, wicked and uncaring but is also a time of transition from one world to
another. The poet also said that death is inevitable.
The poet sees death as impartial taking both young and old Christian and
Muslim even the faith that one professes can’t change what has been
predetermined by God.
Death is seen as a messenger “sent by God, which implies that God orders
death to bring man or people back to their creator.” God knows when one has
finished his mission on earth and then takes him or her home. He knows when
one’s time on earth is over, he knows the time as a time keeper. The time one
dies, is unknown to him, just as a man does not know the coming of the thief, so
also he does not know when he or she will die.
There is a demarcation between the dead and the living. “A man if cut off
from the sinful world.” The land of the living is seen as the sinful world. When one
dies, he is separated from his loved ones as there is no form of communication
that exists between the dead and the living. This liken to the separation of the
child from the mother’s womb as an umbilical cord is cut off from the belly at
birth.
Stanza four is personified as having “cold hands”, which is also very hot, as
it brings grief, sorrow, sadness to the family of the bereave. Who dare shake
those cold hands? It means that nobody can challenge death as it is very
powerful. Death always creates an atmosphere of fear, horror and pain.
Stanza 6 talks about the inevitability of death and nothing that can change
the divine or natural event that must take its place. It means that everybody is
entitled to die, whether rich or poor, black or white.
Stanza 7, the poet declares that the pain of death is only felt by the loved
ones. This is because “when a man enters the tomb, its more joyful than the day
of birth”. This means that the dead is at peace, leaving the loved ones in pains
and sorrow.
The attention of the reader is drawn to the clothing of the death as the
dead is wrapped in white, which is a sign of joy and purity. The dead is seen to be
happy returning home. But the mourners wear black, which symbolizes sorrow.
Death is not feared by a true believer who lives an upright life. This is the
reason why a believer that is upright or sure of heaven often ask, “what is this
death that people dread?” the port wonders why people are afraid of death, which
is a sure way to Heaven, and rest with God.
This means that the believer looks forward to death because he wants to
go to Heaven and death is the entrance to Heaven.
In stanza 10, the poet has realized, death is for sure, he wants to die at and
old age, till the hairs on his head become white.
In stanza 11, the poet still emphasized on dying at the good old age and till
he develops the third leg, that is the walking stick.

The language is quite simple and understanding, though the following words
need to be explained. E.g. deity, umbilical cord, shudders, death, gratis, squad
shroud and couture.
Themes
1. Death is a respecter of no man, death respects no faith, and nobody.
2. The inevitability of death
3. Life is vanity
4. Death should come and it did.

Week 9
Topic: united we stand. By EE Sanyaolu
For away from Nigerian soil,
Away from kin and kin
Unity among tribes, reign supreme
kit and kin we are to each other.

For away from black Africa

Kedu; Eble beun; sannu, become
Strong because same race we are.

Why then disunite

On Nigerian soil tread
Have you not learnt the “united
We stand
Divided we fall?”

The poem is about unity among different ethnic groups in Nigeria. Nigeria is a
nation with different tribes and languages. This differences when understood
should be a blessing to its citizens. Misunderstanding among tribes has made it
impossible for the country to have an indigenous national language.
Disunity among these tribes has caused crises, inter-ethnic diversity and
hatred, that has drawn the country’s development backward.
The poet said that brotherhood is only practiced in the foreign lands, where
Nigerians see themselves as kit and kin, that means as brothers in a foreign land,
but not so in their own land, Nigeria, because charity begins at home; therefore,
unity should be the watchdog of every citizen.
If is seen that it is only in foreign land that Nigerians realize that they are
one body as they forget their differences and become one strong and same race.
The poet used the three major Nigerian languages for his illustration, that
is the Hausa, Igbo and Yoruba, which represents their common greetings. “Kedu,
Enlebeun and Sannu.”
The poet wonders why unity is not fully in practice in our land Nigeria. He is
placing a clarion call on all Nigerians to embrace peace, because “United we
stand, divided we fall.”

Themes
1. Unity brings peace and progress.
2. Charity begins at home.
3. Unity in diversity.