vultures poetry essay

By Chinua Achebe

‘Vultures’ is one of the famous poems of the Nigerian poet Chinua Achebe. It is a dark and somber piece that focuses on the Belsen concentration camp and a commandant who works there.

Chinua Achebe

Nationality: African

His masterpiece is the novel Things Fall Apart.

Poem Analyzed by Lee-James Bovey

Teacher with a B.A. Honors in English Literature with a P.G.C.E.

Chinua Achebe’s ‘Vultures’ is a gritty poem that is hard to read due to the harrowing subject matter . By using several visual and olfactory imagery , Achebe creates a dark and filthy environment in the poem. It depicts a truthful picture of the Belsen concentration camp. The commandant, in the poem, is none other than a representative of a class, who selflessly thinks of his own family even if thousands of families are rotting just around him. The fetid smell of rotting humanity inside him gets featured through the imagery of the vultures.

Explore Vultures

• 2 Structure
• 3 Detailed Analysis
• 4 About Chinua Achebe
• 6 Similar Poetry

‘Vultures’ by Chinua Achebe describes the vultures in such a disparaging and grim fashion that could be construed as a metaphor for the people responsible for the atrocities in Belsen and in particular the “Commandant”.

The first stanza is the longest part of the poem and it is not a coincidence. It is a metaphor for the commandant’s predominant personality traits and this is why it dominates so much of the poem’s content. In the third stanza, the scene with his child represents a far smaller portion of the poem and this is a metaphor for his spark of humanity. The form of this piece is very clever as it creates a grim image, creates a glimmer of hope in the second and third stanzas , and then ends on a dour note emphasizing the futility of the situation.

The poem is written in four stanzas, in free verse with no rhyming pattern. There a few instances where the poet uses slant rhyme and perfect rhyming as well. Achebe mostly uses alliteration and consonance for creating internal rhymings. It contains lots of enjambed lines giving the poem a fast pace , but with a jarring rhythm that mirrors the dark tone of the poem . The first stanza is considerably larger than the other three taking up twenty-one lines that are all very short. The other three stanzas are eight, eleven, and eleven lines long respectively.

Detailed Analysis

In the greyness and drizzle of one despondent dawn unstirred by harbingers (…) in easy range of cold telescopic eyes…

This first stanza of ‘Vultures’ begins with a relentlessly long sentence filled with dark, sullen descriptions. Achebe uses alliteration in the second and third lines: “and drizzle of one despondent/ dawn unstirred by harbingers.” But this is an enjambed line and so doesn’t give the ebb and flow usually associated with alliteration. This helps to emphasize the bleak tone Achebe is trying to achieve.

He uses the description of the vulture’s seating position “perching high on broken/ bones of a dead tree.” It is unclear whether he is describing the tree as being bone-like or if the vulture is actually perched upon a mound of bones.

Achebe then continues to describe the birds themselves and paints a grim image of them, having already described them as harbingers, a word closely associated with the bringing of death; he describes them as having “bashed-in head” and “gross feathers” and later in the final line. He describes them as having “cold telescopic eyes” giving the birds an almost mechanical feel. It suggests they shouldn’t even really be classed as a bird.

He then continues to describe their actions, again this is very grim as they peck at the eye of a corpse. And he further describes the vultures eating the corpse’s bowel. We hope you’re not reading this whilst eating!

Strange indeed how love in other ways so particular (…) even fall asleep – her face turned to the wall!

In this stanza, Achebe skillfully contrasts the “light” of love with the “dark” of death by mentioning that in this darkest of environments, the “charnel-house,”  a storage place for corpses, there is the presence of love. He personifies love itself.

Achebe uses an exclamation point on the phrase “her face turned to the wall” because love can’t stand to look at the atrocities contained within. It may also be a reference to people being lined up against walls before being gunned down by firing squads, but that’s purely speculative.

Stanza Three

…Thus the Commandant at Belsen Camp going home for the day with fumes of (…) waiting at home for Daddy’s return…

The third stanza throws the poem ‘Vultures’ on its head somewhat. It cleverly constructs the character of the “Commandant at Belsen”. His description is not particularly flattering. The commandant’s only physical description includes his “hairy nostrils” but his actions are kind and very human. He brings chocolate home for his child. A kind gesture and not actions one would probably associate with a war criminal.

Achebe makes readers see that even this horrible man has a soft side and that is represented by the description of his interactions with his child. It is almost as if his child represents his “good side” and the “vultures” represent his “bad side”.

Achebe also produces the harrowing image of the smell produced at Belsen Camp. The smell that lingers on the commandant himself being described as “human roast” considering the man smelling this way. Then he hugs his “tender offspring”. This is a very powerful piece of imagery.

Stanza Four

Praise bounteous providence if you will that grants even an ogre (…) lodged the perpetuity of evil.

In the final stanza, Achebe brings the poem to a close, by describing how even the “ogre” that is the commandant has a soft side, which was shown in the preceding stanza. He emphasizes the solace that should be taken in this small mercy “praise bounteous providence ”. His language here is particularly emphatic and evokes fantastic contrasts.

He describes the commandant’s humanity as a “tiny glow worm” which is encapsulated in a “cruel, icy cavern”. Even the word encapsulated isn’t accidental, suggesting that his warmth is trapped. It gives a picture of an evil man that would be rid of that warmth if possible.

This is further emphasized by the lines “the very germ/ of that kindred love.” This is not the voice of the narrator but rather a peek into the psyche of the commandant, showing the narrator’s omniscience. It is chilling to think that the commandant views his softer side as a curse, or a “germ”. Achebe closes this stanza by using the phrase “perpetuity of evil” suggesting that evilness is enduring, everlasting. This leaves the poem on a very bleak note.

About Chinua Achebe

Chinua Achebe was a contemporary Nigerian poet who spent part of his life living in his native Africa and part of it in the United States. He was a highly educated man who is one of Africa’s most famous writers producing not just poetry but novels as well. Achebe dabbled in politics, but left that endeavor behind, allegedly due to frustration with corruption. Chinua Achebe’s poems dealt largely with his own culture, but one of his more famous pieces of poetry was this piece, about Belsen, although even this was tied to his own culture using the imagery of vultures.

The message of this piece is hinted at in the last stanza . Through this poem, Achebe tells readers that even in the cold caverns of someone’s cruel heart, love can exist. This love is compared to a “germ” that not only affects the loved ones but also others around a person, from humanity’s perspective .

Achebe’s ‘Vultures’ is in free-verse . It is not written in any conventional form. The poem consists of four uneven stanzas and the short lines make it fast-paced.

The phrase “Praise bounteous providence ” refers to the act of praising all the good things that the creator has given to humankind.

The title of the poem contains a metaphor . Through the title, Achebe implicitly compares the commandants at Belsen Camp to vultures, for their cruelty and cold-blooded nature.

Bergen-Belsen Camp or Belsen camp is a Nazi concentration camp. It was established as a prisoner of war camp in 1943. Parts of it became a concentration camp. Achebe refers to a commandant working at the Belsen Camp and his ignorance of the fetid smell of “human roast’ around him. This dreary scene presents a true picture of the concentration camp.

Similar Poetry

The following list contains a few poems that similarly showcase the themes and subject matter described in Chinua Achebe’s ironic poem ‘Vultures’ .

• ‘Death Fugue’ by Paul Celan – This poem presents the dying thoughts of a Jewish person who was confined in a concentration camp. Read more Paul Celan poems .
• ‘Never Shall I Forget’ by Elie Wiesel – This poem is a harrowing passage recounting the first night the speaker spent at Birkenau. Explore more Elie Wiesel poems .
• ‘The Survivor’ by Primo Levi – This heart-wrenching poem depicts the poet’s guilt after surviving the holocaust. Read more Primo Levi poems .
• ‘A Poor Christian Looks at the Ghetto’ by Czeslaw Milosz – In this poem, Milosz provides a vivid description of the Warsaw Ghetto demolished by Germans in 1943. Explore more Czeslaw Milosz poems .

You can also read about these haunting holocaust poems and moving death poems .

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why do you think the poet uses sunbreak instead of sunrise and what deeper meaning can associate with the word?

I would say it is undoubtedly because it contains the word break which carries negative connotations.

What images or feeling do the word unstirred and phrase harbingers of sunbreak evoke?

A harbinger is usually a bringer of death or a signaller of it. So having them announce the sunrise is a really interesting juxtaposition. I would suggest that this is done because the sun rising would usually connote light (or goodness) but in this instance, due to the atrocities, not even the sun rising can put a positive spin on the environment.

Feelings about it and why you feel this way

Do you mean what are my feelings on the poem? I think it is brutal and hard-hitting. The imagery used creates a bleakness and there is a speckle of hope by way of the glimpse of humanity, but mostly it just makes me sad and scared.

what does the vulture do in the first line?

The first line doesn’t describe the vulture. However, the first stanza describes the vulture perching.

What did the poet think about the vultures’ behaviour??

The vultures are really a metaphor for the people who run the concentration camp. I think the poet is drawing on vultures classic reputation of being vile scavengers.

How is commandment presented in the poem vultures?

His portrayal is interesting because they show you two sides to him. On one hand, he is the wretch responsible for the atrocities but then the poet presents a kinder side to him, showing how he is a family man.

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Bovey, Lee-James. "Vultures by Chinua Achebe". Poem Analysis , https://poemanalysis.com/chinua-achebe/vultures/ . Accessed 15 July 2024.

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Vultures Summary & Analysis by Chinua Achebe

• Line-by-Line Explanation & Analysis
• Poetic Devices
• Vocabulary & References
• Form, Meter, & Rhyme Scheme
• Line-by-Line Explanations

In Chinua Achebe's "Vultures," a pair of grim birds nuzzling each other after devouring a rotting corpse become a metaphor for the uneasy fact that human beings are equally capable of love and evil. Just as vultures can feast on death and still cuddle, the speaker observes, the man who runs a Nazi death camp might pick up chocolates for his beloved children on the way home; cruelty and tenderness can coexist in the same person. Whether that's cause for hope or despair, the speaker can't quite decide—but despair seems more likely. The poem first appeared in Achebe's 1971 collection Beware Soul Brother, and Other Poems .

• Read the full text of “Vultures”

The Full Text of “Vultures”

“vultures” summary, “vultures” themes.

The Uneasy Coexistence of Evil and Love

Line-by-line explanation & analysis of “vultures”.

In the greyness ... ... to hers.

Lines 13-21

Yesterday they picked ... ... telescopic eyes...

Lines 22-29

Strange ... ... to the wall!

Lines 30-40

...Thus the Commandant ... ... return...

Lines 41-51

Praise bounteous ... ... of evil.

“Vultures” Symbols

The Vultures

• Lines 4-21: “a vulture / perching high on broken / bones of a dead tree / nestled close to his / mate his smooth / bashed-in head, a pebble / on a stem rooted in / a dump of gross / feathers, inclined affectionately / to hers. Yesterday they picked / the eyes of a swollen / corpse in a water-logged / trench and ate the / things in its bowel. Full / gorged they chose their roost / keeping the hollowed remnant / in easy range of cold / telescopic eyes...”

“Vultures” Poetic Devices & Figurative Language

Juxtaposition.

• Lines 7-16: “nestled close to his / mate his smooth / bashed-in head, a pebble / on a stem rooted in / a dump of gross / feathers, inclined affectionately / to hers. Yesterday they picked / the eyes of a swollen / corpse in a water-logged / trench”
• Lines 30-40: “...Thus the Commandant at Belsen / Camp going home for / the day with fumes of / human roast clinging / rebelliously to his hairy / nostrils will stop / at the wayside sweet-shop / and pick up a chocolate / for his tender offspring / waiting at home for Daddy's / return...”
• Lines 43-51: “that grants even an ogre / a tiny glow-worm / tenderness encapsulated / in icy caverns of a cruel / heart or else despair / for in the very germ / of that kindred love is / lodged the perpetuity / of evil.”

Personification

• Lines 22-29: “Strange / indeed how love in other / ways so particular / will pick a corner / in that charnel-house / tidy it and coil up there, perhaps / even fall asleep—her face / turned to the wall!”
• Lines 5-6: “broken / bones of a dead tree”
• Lines 9-12: “a pebble / on a stem rooted in / a dump of gross / feathers”
• Lines 20-21: “cold / telescopic eyes...”
• Lines 43-45: “an ogre / a tiny glow-worm / tenderness”
• Lines 46-47: “icy caverns of a cruel / heart”
• Lines 48-49: “the very germ / of that kindred love”
• Lines 1-4: “the greyness / and drizzle of one despondent / dawn unstirred by harbingers / of sunbreak”
• Lines 8-9: “his smooth / bashed-in head”
• Lines 13-16: “they picked / the eyes of a swollen / corpse in a water-logged / trench”
• Lines 19-21: “the hollowed remnant / in easy range of cold / telescopic eyes...”
• Lines 32-35: “fumes of / human roast clinging / rebelliously to his hairy / nostrils”
• Lines 1-2: “greyness / and”
• Lines 2-3: “despondent / dawn”
• Lines 3-4: “harbingers / of”
• Lines 4-5: “vulture / perching”
• Lines 5-6: “broken / bones”
• Lines 7-8: “his / mate”
• Lines 9-10: “pebble / on”
• Lines 10-11: “in / a”
• Lines 11-12: “gross / feathers”
• Lines 12-13: “affectionately / to”
• Lines 13-14: “picked / the”
• Lines 14-15: “swollen / corpse”
• Lines 15-16: “water-logged / trench”
• Lines 16-17: “the / things”
• Lines 17-18: “Full / gorged”
• Lines 19-20: “remnant / in”
• Lines 20-21: “cold / telescopic”
• Lines 22-23: “Strange / indeed”
• Lines 23-24: “other / ways”
• Lines 25-26: “corner / in”
• Lines 27-28: “perhaps / even”
• Lines 28-29: “face / turned”
• Lines 30-31: “Belsen / Camp”
• Lines 31-32: “for / the”
• Lines 32-33: “of / human”
• Lines 33-34: “clinging / rebelliously”
• Lines 34-35: “hairy / nostrils”
• Lines 35-36: “stop / at”
• Lines 39-40: “Daddy's / return...”
• Lines 41-42: “bounteous / providence”
• Lines 43-44: “ogre / a”
• Lines 44-45: “glow-worm / tenderness”
• Lines 45-46: “encapsulated / in”
• Lines 46-47: “cruel / heart”
• Lines 48-49: “germ / of”
• Lines 49-50: “is / lodged”
• Lines 50-51: “perpetuity / of”

“Vultures” Vocabulary

Select any word below to get its definition in the context of the poem. The words are listed in the order in which they appear in the poem.

• Hollowed remnant
• Charnel-house
• Belsen Camp
• Bounteous providence
• The perpetuity of evil
• (Location in poem: Lines 2-3: “one despondent / dawn”)

Form, Meter, & Rhyme Scheme of “Vultures”

Rhyme scheme, “vultures” speaker, “vultures” setting, literary and historical context of “vultures”, more “vultures” resources, external resources.

A Brief Biography — Learn more about Achebe's life and work via the Poetry Foundation.

Achebe's Legacy — Read an article discussing Achebe's literary reputation and ongoing influence.

The Poem Aloud — Listen to a reading of the poem.

Achebe on African Literature — Listen to Achebe talking about what it means to be an African reader and writer.

An Interview with Achebe — Listen to an interview with Achebe in which he discusses his writing and his time as a radio broadcaster.

Ask LitCharts AI: The answer to your questions

Vultures Lyrics

How to Format Lyrics:

• Type out all lyrics, even repeating song parts like the chorus
• Lyrics should be broken down into individual lines
• Use section headers above different song parts like [Verse], [Chorus], etc.
• Use italics ( <i>lyric</i> ) and bold ( <b>lyric</b> ) to distinguish between different vocalists in the same song part
• If you don’t understand a lyric, use [?]

To learn more, check out our transcription guide or visit our transcribers forum

The poem is an extended metaphor on the nature of evil. It portrays a picture of a concentration camp commander, but begins with an analogy; a description of a pair of vultures who nuzzle ‘affectionately’ together after gorging on a corpse. To human eyes the birds' existence seems gruesome; a reflection of Tennyson’s Nature red in tooth and claw , but the poet highlights the ‘love’ that exists in the otherwise brutal animal world. This compares with the horrors of what humans can do in a concentration camp. The commander, having spent his day supervising the burning of human corpses, is a loving father who buys his children sweets on the way home.

Achebe praises ‘providence’ that even the cruellest of beings can show sparks of love, yet he despairs at the atrocities of which humans are capable. The reader is left with the conundrum; is there a sliver of good within the most evil of people and situations? Does this redeem the evil or, by contrast, deepen it?

Structure The poem comprises four uneven length stanzas. There is no structured rhyme scheme and the free-verse lines vary in length. The loose structure enables the poet to speculate and ask questions to which there are no answers.

Language and Imagery The essence of the poem is the extended metaphor ; evil is represented by repulsive imagery. Descriptions like ‘bashed-in’, ‘swollen corpse’, ‘gross feathers’, ‘charnal house’ , ‘human roast’ create the horrific atmosphere. The opposite, love and goodness, are represented by the ‘glow-worm tenderness’ and especially ‘Daddy’s return’. The juxtaposition and contrast of these opposites give the poem its impact.

Find answers to frequently asked questions about the song and explore its deeper meaning

Genius is the world’s biggest collection of song lyrics and musical knowledge

In the greyness and drizzle of one despondent dawn unstirred by harbingers of sunbreak a vulture perching high on broken bones of a dead tree nestled close to his mate his smooth bashed-in head, a pebble on a stem rooted in a dump of gross feathers, inclined affectionately to hers. Yesterday they picked the eyes of a swollen corpse in a water-logged trench and ate the things in its bowel. Full gorged they chose their roost keeping the hollowed remnant in easy range of cold telescopic eyes… Strange indeed how love in other ways so particular will pick a corner in that charnel-house tidy it and coil up there, perhaps even fall asleep – her face turned to the wall! …Thus the Commandant at Belsen Camp going home for the day with fumes of human roast clinging rebelliously to his hairy nostrils will stop at the wayside sweet-shop and pick up a chocolate for his tender offspring waiting at home for Daddy ’s return… Praise bounteous providence if you will that grants even an ogre a tiny glow-worm tenderness encapsulated in icy caverns of a cruel heart or else despair for in the very germ of that kindred love is lodged the perpetuity of evil.

 Summary of Vultures

Analysis of poetic devices used in “vultures”.

for in the very germ of that kindred love is lodged the perpetuity of evil.

 Analysis of Poetic Devices Used in “Vultures”

Quotes to be used.

Praise bounteous providence if you will that grants even an ogre a tiny glow-worm tenderness encapsulated in icy caverns of a cruel heart.

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Vultures by Chinua Achebe | Summary and Analysis

Critical appreciation of vultures by chinua achebe.

Published by Chinua Achebe in 1971, Vultures is a poem of four uneven stanzas, written in free form. It discusses the elements of love and evil in the world, using a comparison of vultures with the Commandant at Belsen Camp to highlight the link between humans and nature.

Vultures | Summary

The poem starts with a dull, gloomy setting . It is a grey dawn, and the despondence isn’t diffused even by the vultures perched on the branches of a dead tree . There are two of them- presumably mates – nestled close together, and one of them has a pebble on a stem tangled its unkempt feathers. Yesterday, those vultures had found a corpse in a trench , and had picked away its eyes and eaten everything of its bowel. After being full and satisfied, they found a place to rest close by, so that the remnants of the body were still in their line of sight.

After this description, the perspective switches from the vultures to thoughts about the peculiarity of love. It is strange how love, which is otherwise so particular, can still exist in even the eeriest of places- and when it does, it prefers to turn it’s face to the wall rather than to look at the darkness that surrounds it. The third stanza then shifts its focus to the Commandant at Belsen Camp, who at the time is finishing work and going home for the day. He smells like burnt bodies, and stops at the sweet shop on his way home to pick up chocolate for his child, who is eagerly awaiting his return.

Vultures | Analysis

Chinua Achebe is a Nigerian poet and novelist. He is known for crafting his fiction around elements of reality – similar to how, in Vultures, he uses nature and human beings to depict abstract concepts like love, light, darkness, good and evil. This poem uses strong imagery . Achebe also employs extended metaphors and descriptions to portray emotions . His comparisons also assist in painting the scene in the readers’ minds most vividly. Vultures is split into four uneven stanzas, and does not have a specific rhyme scheme. It is written in third-person free form , and the personification of emotions is employed to form a stronger sense of understanding and relatability.

Vultures Poem Analysis, Stanza 1

In the greyness and drizzle of one despondent dawn unstirred by harbingers of sunbreak a vulture perching high on bones of a dead tree nestled close to his mate his smooth bashed-in head, a pebble on a stem rooted in a dump of gross feathers, inclined affectionately to hers. Yesterday they picked the eyes of a swollen corpse in a water-logged trench and ate the things in its bowel. Full gorged they chose their roost keeping the hollowed remnant in easy range of cold telescopic eyes…

Vultures | Poem Analysis, Stanza 2

Strange indeed how love in other ways so particular will pick a corner in that charnel-house tidy it and coil up there, perhaps even fall asleep – her face turned to the wall!  

The vulture is a symbolic element used to set the scene, and now in stanza two , the focus shifts away from the vultures and towards the abstract themes of love. It is interesting to note that Achebe personifies ‘love’ to a certain degree, referring to the emotions as ‘her’ and describing its presence in one’s heart as though it were a person living on the earth- portraying ‘love’ as ‘light’ and ‘death’ as ‘darkness ’, a clever comparison is made through imagery. “ Strange how love will pick a corner in that charnel-house tidy it and coil up there ”-  a charnel-house is a building where corpses and skeletons are kept- it symbolizes lifelessness and destruction. Saying that love will ‘ coil up there’ is hints at the way love can appear even in the most dreadful times and within the most heartless people. The line “ Perhaps even fall asleep – her face turned to the wall!” suggests that though love will remain there, she is so horrified by the atrocities she sees that she prefers to be blind to it. So she remains there, in the dark place, but faces the wall so she does not have to witness anything. The imagery of ‘love’ as a woman persisting even in a place as terrible as a charnel-house, refusing to look at the dead bodies but also refusing to leave, is the perfect depiction of the presence of love in the most awful and unexpected situations.

Vultures Poem Analysis, Stanza 3

…Thus the Commandant at Belsen Camp going home for the day with fumes of human roast clinging rebelliously to his hairy nostrils will stop at the wayside sweet-shop and pick up a chocolate for his tender offspring waiting at home for Daddy’s return…

Vultures Poem Analysis, Stanza 4

Praise bounteous providence if you will that grants even an ogre a tiny glow-worm tenderness encapsulated in icy caverns of a cruel heart or else despair for in the very germ of that kindred love is lodged the perpetuity of evil.

So far, through three stanzas, we have seen and felt the existence of love within the darkness- through nature , through abstract personification , and through human interaction . The affection for the mate was the light in the vulture’s darkness, the ‘woman’ named love was the light in the eerie corpse room, and the “ tender offspring” was the light in the life of the merciless Commandant. In the final stanza, Achebe concludes the poem with a g eneral reflection. He muses these thoughts and wonders whether to be happy or sad about this small presence of love.

He says “e ven an ogre a tiny glow-worm tenderness encapsulated in icy caverns of a cruel heart .” Ogres are known in mythology for feeding on human beings – once again, bringing in the theme of death represented by the vulture, the charnel house and the Commandant. Either for feasting on remains of corpses, containing corpses, or creating corpses , each stanza had a representation of deat h. In the final stanza, it is the ogre, who eats the human alive. The poem discusses that despite being such a terrifying and ruthless creature, it has a miniscule amount of tenderness in its heart. The phrase ‘ icy caverns’ underlines how brutal and loveless the ogre’s heart is. This depiction once more signifies the presence of light in darkness.

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Poems read aloud, beautifully

Amanda Holmes reads Chinua Achebe’s poem “ Vultures .” Have a suggestion for a poem by a (dead) writer? Email us: [email protected]. If we select your entry, you’ll win a copy of a poetry collection edited by David Lehman.

This episode was produced by Stephanie Bastek and features the song “Canvasback” by Chad Crouch.

Amanda Holmes , the author of the novel I Know Where I Am When I’m Falling, is a columnist and poetry editor for the Washington Independent Review of Books .

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Vultures by Chinua Achebe (A Comprehensive Analysis)

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Vultures Poetry Analysis

Subject: English

Age range: 14 - 16

Resource type: Lesson (complete)

Last updated

9 April 2018

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GCSE: Chinua Achebe: Vultures

• English Language
• Poems from Different Cultures
• Chinua Achebe: Vultures

Compare and contrast the poems "Vultures" and "Night of the Scorpion", analysing how they communicate a sense of their cultural background.

Ashleigh Rothwell 10WX Poetry Coursework Vultures and Night of the Scorpion. Task Compare and contrast the poems "Vultures" and "Night of the Scorpion", analysing how they communicate a sense of their cultural background. Vultures I feel that the title "vultures" denotes a sense of scavenging as I view vultures as scavenging birds. As the title is vultures it must be set in a hot country as this is the traditional habitat of this species. My view of vultures is that they are ugly, unpleasant, greedy and savage. The setting is in Nigeria which is a part of Africa where many of these birds are found. At a glance it looks as though it is free verse but as you study it more carefully it actually has four verses each with a different part to play. All the observations; "greyness", "drizzle", "sun-break" and "nestled close" are all found in the first verse. This verse sets the scene for the reader. In the second verse the author is commenting on the observations he has made. He mentions the "charnel house" which is a place where the bones of dead people are placed. This is particularly appropriate because when the vultures have finished with the corpse then all that remains are the bones; picked clean and left to bake in the midday sun. The author also comments on the unusual way that vultures can in one minute be evil with their prey and the next be loving and nestling close

• Word count: 1246
• Level: GCSE
• Subject: English

Chinua Achebe's novel of life in colonial-era Nigeria, "Things Fall Apart".

IB A1 English Chinua Achebe's novel of life in colonial-era Nigeria, "Things Fall Apart" By Jimmy Jackson Chinua Achebe's novel of life in colonial-era Nigeria, Things Fall Apart, contains the character Okonkwo as the protagonist. Okonkwo represents the idea of a successful person; an admired hero even. Characteristics such as bravery, strength, and a desire to succeed are what everyone admires about Okonkwo. His fear of becoming like his father gave him this desire to succeed, and consistently motivated him to progress through life. However, Okonkwo personifies the idea of not just a hero, but a tragic hero. Fear is Okonkwo's main motivation throughout the book. Achebe says, "He was possessed by the fear of his father's contemptible life and shameful death" (Things Fall Apart 18). He was motivated to work hard and succeed by this fear. Even as a young boy, Okonkwo began to work hard at farming as an attempt to become successful and earn respectability. Okonkwo says, "I began to fend for myself at an age when most people still suck at their mothers' breasts. If you give me some yam seeds I shall not fail you." (Things Fall Apart 21). Okonkwo's strong successful tone gives readers the idea that he began to work and persist at an early age. His persistence is exemplified by the fact that the first year of cultivation was ruined by early coming of rains. "[Okonkwo] is

• Word count: 1001

Chinua Achebe's main concern in "Things Fall Apart" is to portray the effect white men have on traditional Ibo society. Discuss how effectively this has been achieved throughout the novel.

Word count: 1782 words James Gilmore English Literature Chinua Achebe's main concern in "Things Fall Apart" is to portray the effect white men have on traditional Ibo society. Discuss how effectively this has been achieved throughout the novel. In Things Fall Apart Chinua Achebe tries to dispel the myth of savage African tribal culture. He does this by creating a complex and sympathetic portrait of a traditional village culture in Africa. Achebe is trying not only to inform the outside world about Ibo cultural traditions, but also to remind his own people of their past and to assert that it had contained much value. All too many Africans ( such as the Christian converts in the second half of the novel) were ready to accept the European judgment that Africa had no history or culture worth considering. Achebe fiercely resents the stereotype of Africa as an undifferentiated "primitive" land, the "heart of darkness," as Conrad calls it. Throughout the novel he shows how African cultures vary among themselves and how they change over time. He shows the reader a well established civilized society with it's own customs and beliefs. One of Achebe's main goals throughout the novel is to show how the colonizing white men erode and destroy a civilization. This post colonialist novel is written through the eyes of the people being colonized. An example of a contrasting post

• Word count: 1793

Examine Achebe's narrative techniques in the novel "Things Fall Apart" - how far do you find it an attractive feature of the book?

Examine Achebe's narrative techniques in the novel - how far do you find it an attractive feature of the book? The language of the novel is simple but dignified. When the characters speak, they use an elevated diction, which is meant to convey the sense of Ibo speech. Achebe has fabricated his novel sound like it is a narration of an Ibo character and has achieved this through the application of short sentences as well as typical Ibo proverbs and images. His short sentences are used straight away and he wastes no time for the reader to become aquainted with the Ibo language and sentence structure. His first sentence has a mere 11 words and goes as follows 'Okonkwo was well known throughout the nine villages and even beyond'. Within these short sentences, Achebe explains an incredible amount of information required to understand the text. Within the first paragraph, we are supplied with an outline of the character of Okonkwo as well as an introduction to the wrestling - an indispensable part of Ibo culture. Achebe desires to make his novel sound 'African' and achieves this in a number of different ways. This allows us insight into the Ibo world and helps us to relate to the novel more. The simple sentences and their basic structure help the book sound like the tone of voice of that of an Ibo man himself. The words are also simplistic and he has made little effort to make

• Word count: 881

"Specifically" Universal

Third Essay Assignment The American University in Cairo Fall 2001 SEMR-200-05 Dr. Clarissa Burt Mufaddal Saifuddin 900 99 2112 "Specifically" Universal No longer is an individual part of a society that is bounded by a tribal fence - where all its inhabitants share the same culture, norms and identity that are inherited unchanged by generation after generation. Values are more difficult to blindly accept since an individual's outlook is no longer confined to the fences of his tribe, and not all the aspects of his specific culture remain consistent with the universal domain he now confronts. In other words - in light of the 21st century individuals are constantly faced with decisions that ask them to either side with tradition or globalization. Girls at War and Other Short Stories by Nigeria's ebullient Achebe, An Egyptian Childhood, by Egyptian thinker Taha Hussein and Un Chien Andalou by surrealist artists Luis Bunel and Salvador Dali are texts that contain culturally specific material but also have a universal appeal. How these texts work as art for a culturally specific audience and how they work for a world audience is largely based on the outlook of the author and reader, in addition to where their outlooks unionize. Nevertheless, one can still attempt to interpret the degree to which these texts are culturally specific or universally appealing through one's own

• Word count: 3534

Vultures and Two Scavengers

Compare the way people are presented in 'Vultures' (page ten) with the ways people are presented in one other poem. 'Vultures' (page 10) and 'Two scavengers in a truck, two beautiful people in a Mercedes' (page 8). 'Two scavengers' and 'Vultures', both focus on the height of the people they use in their poems to presents their ideas. In 'two scavengers', 'standing on the back stoop one on each side hanging on and looking down' seems to contradict the couples roles in society. The reader would expect the garbage men to be presented with a lower status in society. Usually when poets try to show the difference between two people, the person who is seen to have more influences in society, is generally in higher position. This is not the case in 'two scavengers', the poet shows the garbage men higher than, 'the two beautiful people in a Mercedes'. This is a use of irony because the poet has written one thing when he wants to convey the opposite idea. In 'Vultures', the birds are seen to be higher than the body. '...a vulture perching high on broken bone of a dead tree', this is an example of a metaphor. 'Vultures' and 'two scavengers' present the people that feature in the poems, in very different ways. 'Vultures' focuses on the presentation of the, 'Commandant at Belsen camp'. The poet, Chinua Achebe contrasts his job as the Commandant; a person who authorises the murders

• Word count: 666

To what extent do you feel that Achebe intends the reader to be sympathetic towards Okonkwo?

To what extent do you feel that Achebe intends the reader to be sympathetic towards Okonkwo? 'Things Fall Apart' is written in the postcolonial period, but is set before and during the process of colonization. Achebe therefore wants to educate the reader about the civilization that was destroyed. Hence Okonkwo to a great extent represents that civilization; it would be reasonable to suppose that, ultimately, Achebe wants us to sympathise with Okonkwo. I believe that Achebe is trying to give an explanation of what it is like to live in an African society. The story is about a man named Okonkwo who is a member of the Ibo tribe. Achebe is telling the story of Okonkwo from his childhood till his death. Before I read this book I did not have a very good idea of how people lived in Africa, and the ideas I did have about life in traditional African societies turned out to be untrue. Achebe did a very good job of illustrating a traditional African society, and by reading this book I now have a much better idea of what life is like in a non-western society. I think that this was Achebe's goal in writing this book, to educate people about some of the struggles people have and life in traditional African societies. The title 'Things Fall Apart' is a good choice of title for this book because the book presents the destruction of the main protagonist, and of his culture. Throughout

• Word count: 2583

'Dead Man's Path' by Chinua Achebe - A story about the clash of two sets of values.

Opening Worlds 'Dead Man's Path' by Chinua Achebe A story about the clash of two sets of values This story by Chinua Achebe presents the conflict between world-views and value systems. Dead Man's Path is set in Nigeria in 1949. It is on the subject of a man named Michael Obi who is the new, enthusiastic and wholehearted headmaster of an underprivileged and disadvantaged school. This story explores the effects of European customs and beliefs on traditional African culture. Michael Obi is the new headmaster of Ndume Central School. The Mission authorities selected him for the job as they wanted a "young and energetic man" to administer it. Michael is a married twenty-six year old man. His wife, named Nancy, is slightly egotistical but nevertheless very kind and considerate towards her husband: "For a few minutes she became sceptical about the new school, but it was only for a few minutes. Her little personal misfortune could blind her to her husband's happy prospects." Michael is a very passionate person with many ideas that could help transform the school. He believes in the modernisation and transformation of old beliefs. He seems to have been 'infected' by European customs. The word 'infected' is used, as it may have been thought of a bad thing then, in African culture, to believe in modern methods: "In their two years of married life she had become completely infected

• Word count: 877

Do you agree that Achebe shows an "awareness of the human qualities common to all men of all times and places" or do you find the novel only uniquely African and of its time?

Achebe's style has been described as one of "remarkable economy and subtle irony... uniquely and richly African .. revealing Achebe's keen awareness of the human qualities common to all men of all times and places". Do you agree that Achebe shows an "awareness of the human qualities common to all men of all times and places" or do you find the novel only uniquely African and of its time? "Things Fall Apart" by Chinua Achebe is a twentieth-century African tragedy written about the destruction of the African Igbo tribe by 'white men' from the west. The novel focuses on Africa's gradual invasion by white Westerners and the effects of colonisation on specific individuals and groups within the society. The novel has many distinct African features that define the pre-colonial culture of the Igbo tribe. The very beginning of the novel describes an African festival, in which drums and flutes are being used whilst the spectators look on in awe, "The drums beat and the flutes sang and the spectators held their breath." Achebe's use of sensory language, such as the sounds of the instruments, gives the audience a greater sense of shared experience of what it was like to be part of the Igbo tribe. Achebe's style of writing throughout the novel allows the audience to imagine being in the position of characters such as Okonkwo who had their common, traditional beliefs and rituals

• Word count: 2198

How does Achebe's style of writing convey Ibo culture and tradition in chapter five of "Things Fall Apart"?

James Gilmore English literature How does Achebe's style of writing convey Ibo culture and tradition in chapter five of "Things Fall Apart"? This chapter, like the one before it, builds on the increasingly violent nature of Okonkwo, and his repressed emotions that result in hurting those he loves. Beating up his wife for damaging a banana tree is an extreme reaction that does not go unnoticed by others in the village. For the most part the beating is condoned and everything returns to normal by the next day. Domestic violence appears to be a normal occurrence. Fortunately, it is known that Okonkwo, though a great wrestler, is a not a hunter, and hence his aim is terrible. The mention of guns is a first and foreshadows the arrival of Westerners who came after the gun was introduced to Ibo traders. A particular superstition to note in this scene, is when Okonkwo's first wife calls out to Ekwefi. She answers with a question "Is that me?" Ritual had it that no one replied straightaway to his or her name, since it could be an evil spirit calling. This is another reminder that the Ibo culture is a very superstitious and spiritual one. Achebe is a very gifted, descriptive writer who makes good use of metaphors and similes, for example, "It was like the pulsation of it's heart". These help to build imagery and establish a firm overall picture in the readers mind. He also uses

• Word count: 716
• Fewer than 1000 14
• 1000-1999 13
• 2000-2999 3

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‘ The Vultures ’ by David Diop- Meaning, Summary, and Analysis

About david diop and the poem.

David Diop was a French West African Poet whose works are a part of Negritude Literature. Negritude Literature is a collection of literary works which are a voice of the Africans and aim at raising ‘ Black Consciousness ’ among Africa and its communities across the world.

‘ The Vultures ’ is one such poem of his which was written in the background of British colonization of Africa in the late Nineteenth Century. The poet had moved from his country to France when it was written.

The poem ’ The Vultures ’ by David Diop

In those days When civilization kicked us in the face When holy water slapped our cringing brows The vultures built in the shadow of their talons The bloodstained monument of tutelage. In those days There was painful laughter on the metallic hell of the roads And the monotonous rhythm of the paternoster Drowned the howling on the plantations. O the bitter memories of extorted kisses Of promises broken at the point of a gun Of foreigners who did not seem human Who knew all the books but did not know love. But we whose hands fertilize the womb of the earth In spite of your songs of pride In spite of the desolate villages of torn Africa Hope was preserved in us as in a fortress And from the mines of Swaziland to the factories of Europe Spring will be reborn under our bright steps.

Stanza-wise Summary of the Poem ‘ The Vultures ’

In the first stanza of ‘ The Vultures ’, the poet mentions the events that marked the period of British colonization of Africa. ‘ In those days ’ implies that all the accounts explained henceforth are a memory of the past.

He remembers it as a time when the invaders exerted dominance over the natives in the name of ‘ Civilisation ’. The Africans were forced to abandon their religion and convert to Christianity, through the anointment of holy water on their cringing brows i.e baptism.

The natives were forced into physical labor and thus languish on the plantations. But who could hear their cries? All that was heard was the singing of the paternoster or the Lord’s prayer of the Christians, which, to them, was monotonous.

The Africans, on the other hand, were the children of their own soil, who were accustomed to farming and cultivating on their own fertile land.

The Poet concludes the poem by installing hope among the suppressed Africans and promising a renaissance. The British sang songs about the success of their bloody conquest and the villages in Africa were destroyed, emptied, and laid to waste.

Themes in the Poem ‘ The Vultures ’

The central theme.

The main theme discussed here is the Cruelty and Injustice of Colonizati o n . We can observe a detailed explanation of the unfair and selfish nature of invaders and the helplessness and agony of victims.

On the other hand, the phrases drowned the howling on the plantations, bitter memories of extorted kisses, promises broken and songs of pride allude to the indifference shown by colonizers towards natives, and the unethical liberties they took with the common people. The result of colonization can only be destruction, as justified by the phrase desolate villages of torn Africa.

Other themes

Prejudice towards the culture of natives.

‘Prejudice towards the culture of natives ’ is the first theme. Civilization kicked us in the face and who knew all the books are phrases that indicate that colonizers generally believe that they are a higher civilization than the natives, and discredit their culture as unscientific and crude. ‘ To civilize the natives ’ is a popular excuse used by colonizers for besieging any land.

Spread of Christianity by European colonizers

The pride of the british regarding their conquests.

‘ The pride of the British regarding their conquests ’ is another theme. Examples are monument of tutelage and songs of pride , which say that the British perceived the expansion of their empire through colonization as a prospect of victory and glory. They considered that controlling the Africans was a monument built in their respect.

The rustic and agriculture-based lifestyle of the Africans

The next theme is a popular concept in many literatures across the world, that is ‘ Hope ’. The line Hope was preserved in us as in a fortress implies that when placed in a challenging circumstance like colonization, or any challenge in life for that matter.

Hope is the ultimate weapon one could use to not give up and face the enemy. In this particular context, the Africans had hope still thriving within them which helped them to stand up to their oppressors and lay the foundation for a better future.

Similarly, the concluding line of the poem, Spring will be reborn under our bright steps , indicates that when there is spring, there is rebirth and a new future for those who have fallen ( here, the Africans).

Line by Line Interpretation of the Poem ‘ The Vultures ’

The beginning line of the poem, In those days , implies that the subsequent accounts are events that have occurred in the past. Those days are the days when Africa was colonized by the British.

Civilization in the second line refers to the so-called ‘ Superior ’ education and culture of the British, which they used as an excuse to subjugate the natives. Kicked us in the face implies that the Africans were forced to accept their customs and ideologies against their will, abandoning their own beliefs in the process.

The fourth line takes on the subject of the British, referring to them as vultures, on account of their savagery. The sh adow of their ta lons implies that Africa was already within their dark grip.

There they established complete tutelage or control over the natives, which they perceived as a monument or achievement, as said in the fifth line. This conquest of theirs was successful only because of the violence and slaughter of the Africans, and thus, the monument is stained by the natives’ blood. This line marks the end of the first stanza.

The sixth line marks the beginning of the second stanza. Again, we see the phrase In those days used, so hereby the narration of past experiences is continued.

The paternoster in the eighth line refers to the Lord’s prayer of the Christians, which was sung by the British like a rhythm to disperse the ideals of their religion. It felt monotonous to the African ear. The next line continues this sentence.

Bitter memories of extorted kisses in the tenth line imply that the British extorted or forcefully obtained kisses or sexual favors from the native women, which is a bitter memory for the Poet, as he cringes at remembering that agony.

Of foreigners who did not seem human Who knew all the books but did not know love.

The foreigners in the twelfth line of the poem refer to the British, who, after all their merciless and unjust acts, no longer seemed human to the natives, as they had no humane qualities. The next line says that though they knew all the books i.e they were supposedly more knowledgeable than the natives, they did not know love, which, according to the Africans, was the primary quality in any human being.

The next line is directly addressed to the British. Songs of pride indicate the songs sung by them as a tribute to the success and glory of their invasion. The line that follows emphasizes the destruction it had caused; Africa has torn apart due to their warfare and exploitation, and the villages in it were looted and emptied of inhabitants, rendering those places desolate.

The concluding lines of the poem are an attempt by the Poet to inspire hope among the Africans for a better future. They were enslaved and made to work both in the mines of Swaziland ( which is in their own country ) as well as abroad, in the factories of Europe.

Analysis of the Poem ‘ The Vultures ’

‘ The Vultures ’ is a poem that is written in free verse. It has no specific meter pattern or rhyme scheme. The speaker is the Poet himself, who narrates the incidents as if he were in a natural conversation.

It consists of nineteen lines divided into two stanzas, each of an unequal number of lines. The first stanza is five lines, whereas the second one is fourteen lines.

We can observe that the negative accounts mentioned throughout the poem form a foundation for the positive statement in the end. It is indeed a noteworthy transition from the darkness of colonization to the brightness of freedom.

The first stanza immediately establishes a tone of bitterness to the reader, with its violent images of vultures and blood. The mood here is one of destruction and tragedy, as the Africans had fallen prey to the cruelty of the British.

The second stanza also starts with In those days , as if to justify again that the poem is a historical account. The next line begins with there was, indicating that such events had existed and occurred in the midst of British Rule.

The poem takes a new turn from the next line, with the conjunction but . Here the Poet changes the flow of the poem from describing their suffering to the promising renaissance.

In the end, there is a transition from desolation to hope, as the Poet says that despite being colonized by the British, the Africans’ spirit has not faded and will continue to persevere for freedom. The Poet is speaking on behalf of the Africans when the first-person narrative is present.

To conclude, words in Diop’s poetry pierce through the web of the collective unconscious created by Whites. This greed to prosper and selfishness would always hamper the collective growth which is required in the growth of the exploited colonies.

Balance in nature would only be possible if every being flourishes in their gardens simultaneously and not with one fading away for the other.

Poetic Devices

1) The vultures built in the shadow of their talons The bloodstained monument of tutelage .

Here, vultures are used to refer to the British and their tutelage is termed as a monument.

1) When civilization kicked us in the face When holy water slapped our cringing brows Civilization is personified as kicking the Africans, and water is personified as slapping their brows.

1) The vultures built in the shadow of their talons The bloodstained monument of tutelage. 2) And the monotonous rhythm of the paternoster Drowned the howling on the plantations.

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The Vultures

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