SENIOR THREE LITERATURE CLASS – WORKED OUT SAMPLES-by Sr.

Leonie

Theme: Love

Poem One: Lullaby from the Akhan people from Ghana, West Africa.

Title

The title of the poem is important in helping us to understand the rest of the poem. Lullaby
comes from the English word ‘to lull’ which means to hush up, to calm down, to quiet, to soothe.
A lullaby is a song that is usually used to calm down babies, or to put them to sleep. Lullabies
are often soft, gentle with the hope that they soothe the baby to sleep. And they do. The title is
significant in that the whole poem is a song with all the aspects of song i.e. chorus, refrain,
repetition, musicality and melody.

Subject Matter (Content or what the poem is about)

The poet is about a parent, probably a mother softly singing to her little son. Through the lullaby
she tells him of her love, affection and attachment she has for him. She speaks of someone who
wants to take him away from her – someone who is wealthy and has the capacity to give him a
comfortable life and a better future – but she will not part with him because he belongs to her.

Style Used by the Poet to Communicate to the readers

The poet has used a variety of stylistic devices to bring about meaning in his poem.

 The use of song – a lullaby – which is pleasant to listen to, is soft and gentle with its
strong tone of love which is a central element in the poem.
 The first person singular pronoun “I” in the poem and the possessive case ‘mine’ add
credibility and authenticity to the poem. It is the experience of a mother singing to her
offspring. She is the persona or the speaking voice in the poem who is deeply attached to
her baby. Examples of the first singular pronoun “I” I have you to rear on a torn mat –
but you are mine.
 Refrain is evident in the poem. The phrase ‘but you are mine’ is like a chorus in any
song which is repeated in the case of our poem at least four times. This refrain
emphasizes without doubt the love the mother has for her son; no one whatsoever will
take him from her. The two are inseparable. The aspect of refrain makes the poem
enjoyable and pleasant for the reader making the poem easy to commit to memory.
 Vivid description has been used by the poet to capture the attention and interest of the
reader in that we are made to see small details such as costly mat, camel blanket, torn old
mat. These descriptions help to emphasis and intensify the love the mother has for her
baby. She may have nothing in terms of comfort but she has the most valuable thing to
give to him – her affection and a heart full of love which others who want him may not
be able to give him.
  The language used is very simple and straight forward. She is speaking to a child and so
does not need to use complicated language. The simple language makes the poem clear
and easy to understand. The experience described in the poem is a common experience
which cuts across cultures, borders and continents and is used by all types of people
educated or otherwise – thus the use of simple English.
 The structure of the poem is quite interesting. It is a one stanza poem making the poem
compact and unified which reflects the strong bond of love between mother and child.
They are inseparable. The lines are varied in length. The refrain ‘but you are mine’ is
brief and to the point, compared to the lines that begin with “Someone would like…’
The brevity of the poem makes it easy for the reader to learn it off by heart.
 Contrast is clearly brought out in the poem. The poet contrasts the poverty of the mother
to the wealth of those who would like to have the baby. Contrast heightens and
underlines the love the mother has for her son. She may not have the material benefits to
give to her son, but she can give to him the most valuable one – love.

Themes and Ideas

Themes are what the poet focuses on and the reason for his writing the poem with the
intention of correcting the evils in society.

I. The theme of love is central in the poem. Strong parental love is brought out in the
poem
II. Parental care and concern for children is clearly evident in the poem where the
mother gives time and is present to her offspring.
III. Loyalty in family life is shown by the mother who will not give away her child
despite her poverty.
IV. Poverty versus wealthy.

Tone of the Poem

 There is a tone of love and appreciation. The persona loves and appreciates her son.
 There is a tone of contentment. The mother is content with the gift of a child and will
love and care for him despite her financial constraint – and at any cost.
 The tone is one of gentleness and softness as she sings to her son.
 We sense a tone of anxiety and resentment against those who want to take her child away
from her.

Feelings Evoked

The poem arouses in us feelings of love, appreciation, admiration, joy, compassion, contentment,
inspiration, for the mother. She is an inspiration to us in that it is not material things that really
matter in making and raising a family but love.
Lessons Learnt

 The value of love in family life is important. Parents should give their children parental
love, care, concern and time if they are to grow into all-round adults.
 It is what we are and not what we have that binds family ties together.
 Money and material wealth cannot buy love.

Application or Relevance to Modern Society

Application or relevancy simply means that relationship the poem has to life in our modern
society. What is happening in the text also happens in real life.

 The poem is relevant because many modern parents are not giving their children time and
are leaving them to inanimate things such as the television, the phone, the maids and
many lack that love which they so badly need for their emotional and psychological
growth.

Points of Interest in the Poem

 The title of the poem captures our interest. It is a lullaby, a common song which every
growing up child knows and sings for siblings in the family.
 The language used is simple making the poem easy to read and to memorize.
 The persona, though poor is rich in love for her son.

What I have given you is just a sample and an example to help you in approaching the rest of the
poems you will meet later in the book. Try to work out the poems in our text for practice.