“The Song of the Common Man” by Crispin Hauli – Analysis & Summary
THE SONG OF THE COMMON MAN(By CRISPIN HAULI)
They kick me along they do they do
These my playmates no longer playmates- Their actions are fates, my life they decide
No longer am I the same free-born human.
They abuse me
they do time and again
Fellow humans load me with all their bundles- They are my masters, and me a poor ass
To be driven, pushed, kicked and abused.
Guide questions
a) is this poem all about?
The poem (Song of the Common Man) is about an individual towards the fellows who are in power.It is examining the upper class who are mistreating poor, innocent people in the lower class.
b) What kind of the poem is this?
The Song of the Common Man is a free verse. It expresses on the people’s feelings toward their fellows who are in power but they are betraying, oppressing, humiliating and mistreating the poor and weak ones.
c) Who speaks in the poem?
A poet portrayed as oppressed is the one who speaks in the poem. The persona is angry, sad and serious because people who are entrusted to be in power are mistreating, humiliating, oppressing and betraying their fellow Africans who suffer in the massive poor life.
d) From the poem, who area in the upper class?
The persona identifies the brothers, sisters, playmates and other fellow humans (are) in the upper class.
e) Who are sisters, playmates, brothers in this poem?
The poet has used the sisters, playmates, brothers to refer his fellow Africans who are in the upper class. He is referring to all people who are in power and using the position they hold to mistreat their fellow Africans.
f) How many stanzas are there in the poem?
There are four stanzas in this poem.
g) How many verses are there in each stanza?
Each stanza has five verses.
h) What is the mood of the persona?
The mood of the persona in The Song of the Common Man is angry, sad and serious
i) What are the possible themes portrayed in this poem?
-In The Song of the Common Man there are themes portrayed like;
a). Oppression
b). Betrayal
c). Humiliation
d). Injustice
e). Classes
f). Exploitation
j) Examine the figures of speech used in this poem
a). Tautology
b). Metaphor
k) What is the massage of the poem?
The massage we get from this poem is that, enemies in our society are sons,and daughters of our society. Therefore enemies should not necessarily come from out of the society, even the relatives can be enemies.
l) How far is this poem related to what happens in the society today?
The Song of the Common Man is related to what happens in the society because it portrays on issues like Oppression, Betrayal, Humiliation, Injustice, Classes and Exploitation which are happening every day. For instance in our society we have leaders who have betrayed their people, we have also exploitation done by people of the upper class, and we have classes and oppression.
m) What are the possible themes from the poem?
The possible themes in this poem include the classes in the society, misuse of national resources, awareness, humiliation, exploitation, and betrayal.
n) Comment on the language used.
The language used is not complex. The choice of words reflects the anger and defiant tone of the poet. The use of “Drive, push, kick, abuse, masters, and poor ass” reflects the poet’s anger and hatred towards oppressors.
Also the use of “brothers, sisters, playmates, and fellow human” indicates the close relationship.
Moreover, the choice of “masters” and “poor ass” indicate the antagonistic classes.
Figures of speech
- Metaphors÷ refers to comparison of unlike
E.g “Their hands are whips….. ”
“Their mouths are cannons”
“Their actions are fates”
- Repetition Example “they do they do”
- Symbolism g “poor ass” symbolizes unimportant and humiliated person.
Related Post: