Literature | Poem
The Awakening Age
-Ben Okri
Before Reading
a. What do you think people from your
country migrate to another country?
People migrate from our country to
another country for employment and higher education. Some people migrate to another
country for refreshment.
b. Do people from their countries migrate
to your country? Why?
People migrate to a country for different
purposes. Our country is rich in natural resources, cultural heritage, and it
is known as the birthplace of the Lord Buddha and we are proud to have the
highest mountain "Mt. Everest", so people come here to visit these
things and enjoy natural beauties.
About the Poet:
v Ben Okri (b. 15
March 1959) is a Nigerian poet, fiction writer, and essayist,
v He grew up in
London and moved to Nigeria in 1968 with his parents.
v He belongs to the
Urhobos community, a traditional community, located in southern Nigeria in
Delta State having approximately 4 million people. These people follow
traditional occupations of fishing, hunting, farming and palm oil production.
These people believe in dual cosmological systems: the spirit world and the
physical world
v His writings
explore the political violence that he witnessed during the civil war in
Nigeria and treats his family's experience of the civil war.
v (Fought between
Government of Nigeria and the Republic of Biafra, a secessionist state, which
had declared its independence from Nigeria in 1967: Nigeria, led by General
Yakubu Gowon and Biafra led by Lt. Colonel Odumegwu Ojukwu)
About the Poem:
He portrays the hardships of the African
people in "The Awakening Age" and he makes a call for unity, peace
and solidarity among human beings from different parts of the world. This poem
tells a story of how Nigerians have travelled a long path of hunger, poverty,
unemployment, and conflicts (ethnic, religious, political, terrorism,
militancy, electoral etc) that have made them a vulnerable community. The
ethnoreligious violence was because of the persecution of the Igbo community by
Northern Nigeria. The poem tells a story of a people driven by unseen forces, a
hope that connects them together like glue. These people are eager to change
their perception to show that they are more than their challenges and they are
desperate and ready to ascend to new heights propelled by themselves and their
resources.
The Awakening Age
O ye who travel the meridian line,
May the vision of a new world
within you shine.
May eyes that have lived with poverty's
rage,
See through to the glory of the awakening
age.
For we are all richly linked in
hope,
Woven in history, like a mountain
rope.
Together we can ascend to a new
height,
Guided by our heart's clearest
light.
When perceptions are changed
there's much to gain,
A flowering of truth instead of
pain.
There's more to a people than their
poverty;
There's their work, wisdom, and
creativity.
Along the line may our lives rhyme,
To make a loving harvest of space
and time.
Interpretation of the poem
O ye who travel the meridian line,
May the vision of a new world
within you shine.
May eyes that have lived with
poverty's rage,
See through to the glory of the awakening
age.
In the first couplet (a stanza of two
lines of equal length rhyming together) the speaker is addressing the new
people of Nigeria who have suffered a lot because of bloody violence in Nigeria
led by ethnical, religious, geographical, economical reasons, to have a common
vision of a new peaceful and prosperous country. Travelling the Meridian line here
means a transformation of Nigerian people from hardship, poverty, fragmentation
during the civil war into a country of brotherhood and unity. In 1967, the Igbo
community known as Biafra declared the southern territory the independent
Republic of Biafra. The Meridian line in geography means an arbitrary line that
divides the Earth into the Eastern Hemisphere and the Western Hemisphere. In
the poem, it means conflicts and fragmentations that separated Nigerian people
into two halves.
In the second couplet, the poet wishes
that Nigerian people must have a vision of a united country forever and it
shines with the glory of happiness, peace, prosperity and brotherhood. The
awakening age after the war is glorified when all Nigerians renounce rages and
hatred to each other.
For we are all richly linked in hope,
Woven in history, like a mountain rope.
Together we can ascend to a new height,
Guided by our heart's clearest light.
All people must be united with the hope
of nation-building. People had a hope of a successful nation for a long time,
but the prevailing conflicts had been stopping. People were divided into
different sects. This hope is like a mountain rope that can tie people
strongly.
Until and unless people are united, any
nation can't climb up to a new height. They have to be purged from rages,
discriminations, hatred among each other to uplift their nation into affluence.
They must migrate from poverty and fragmentation to peace, prosperity and
brotherhood crossing the line of separation.
When perceptions are changed there's much
to gain,
A flowering of truth instead of pain.
There's more to a people than their
poverty;
There's their work, wisdom, and
creativity.
To get optimum opportunities people have
to change their narrow perception. They experienced hardship, difficulties,
poverty, conflicts, and fragmentations among people in the past. These things
are the causes of the downfall of the country. If these people still don't
understand this fact, the pain remains forever. Poverty and sufferings are
self-invited and only collective efforts use knowledge and creativity along
with the resources, they gain.
Along the line may our lives rhyme,
To make a loving harvest of space and
time.
There will be peace, harmony, brotherhood
in any country if they are all united with the common sense of nationalism.
There must not be any discrimination and fragmentation among people in terms of
ethnicity, culture, religion, politics and economy. When giving up such things,
we can lead our nation towards prosperity. Nigeria is united and people are
aware of their past misfortunes and now they can make a loving harvest.
Glossary:
The meridian line - an
imaginary line that divides the earth into the east and west hemisphere
(Longitude is measured by imaginary lines that run around the Earth vertically
(up and down) and meet at the North and South Poles. The meridian line in the
poem means a line that divides Nigeria into two sects (North and South) which
have caused a bloody war between people living into parts.
Understanding the text
Answer the following questions.
a. Who are the people 'who travel the
meridian line'?
Ans:- In literal
level, people who travel meridian line, means people crossing an
imaginary/arbitrary that divides the Earth into the Eastern and the Western
Hemispheres. According to the poem, people who travel the meridian line means,
Nigerian people who are united after the end of the civil war that divided
Nigeria into two sects: the North and the South.
b. What does the poet mean by 'a new
world'?
Ans:- According
to the poet, ' a new world' means united Nigeria after the self-proclaimed
independence of Biafra (Igbo) surrendered to the Nigerian mainstream government
in 1970. This is a new world in which peace and prosperity flourish after the
barren land changes into fertile soil.
c. How are people connected to each
other?
Ans:- People are
connected to each other with the hope of a rise to a new height: a prosperous
nation, guided by the clearest light of heart.
d. What can we gain after our perceptions
are changed?
Ans:- When our
perception is changed we can gain lots of things. We get rid of pain and
poverty through our common work, wisdom and creativity through utilizing
available resources.
e. How are we benefited by new people?
Ans:- New people,
after renouncing all sorts of discriminations, rages, waves of anger, and
hatred to each other, are benefited of a loving harvest of space and time.
United Nigeria and awaken people after experiencing pains and sufferings are
certain to make Nigeria a prosperous nation.
f. Describe the rhyme scheme of this
sonnet?
Ans:- Sonnet is a fixed
form of the poem having fourteen lines. Initially, this form was developed in
Italy by an Italian poet Petrarch. He divided the poem into two parts: an
octave (the first eight lines) and a sestet (the second six lines). Later the
form travelled to different countries. William Shakespeare wrote sonnets that
divided fourteen lines into three quatrains and a couplet. The rhyme of
Shakespearean sonnets is aabb, ccdd, eeff, and gg. Ben Okri wrote this sonnet
having seven couplets with the rhyme scheme of aa, bb, cc, dd, ee, ff, and
gg.
Reference to the context
a. What does the poet mean by 'the
awakening age'?
Ans:- "The Awakening Age" which
serves the title of the poem is used in the last section of the fourth line in
the second couplet. According to the poet "The Awakening Age" means
the period after the Nigerian Civil War (1976-1970), a bloody war between the
Government of Nigeria (North) and the so-called independence of Biafra (South)
caused by ethnoreligious violence and inti-Igbo movement in Nigeria. People
suffered a lot due to the war and they understood the role of unity, work,
wisdom and creativity to make Nigeria a prosperous nation. They also understood
the root causes of their suffering are ethnical and religious fragmentations
among the people.
b. Why, in your view, have these people
'lived with poverty's rage'?
Ans:- These people 'lived with poverty's
rage' because they didn't know there was more than their poverty. They were not
aware that ethnic and religious conflicts among the Nigerian people were the
root causes of their poverty. Instead of harmony and coherence, these people
were fighting with each other in the name of ethnicity, culture, religion,
political ideology.
c. Why does the poet appeal for
solidarity among the people?
Ans:- The poet appeals for solidarity
among the people to let the vision of a new world come true. Only union people
can uplift any nation to a new height in which people get peace and richness.
The country is rich in natural resources however people were suffered from
poverty; it is because of fragmentations among people.
d. Does the poet present migration in a
positive light? Why? Why not?
Ans:- The poet, in the poem "The
Awakening Age" talks about migration, but this is not the physical
migration of people from one place to another. It is the migration of their
situation, which is known as awakening. It is a shift of their souls from
darkness to light, from poverty to richness, from fragmentation to union, from
rigid ethnic and religious dogmas to secularism. He has presented migration in
a positive light because it has made people aware of the miserable condition
and has united them.
e. Nepal is also known for its economy as
well as education migrants. Have you noticed any change in the perceptions and
behaviours of these migrants when they return home from abroad?
Ans:- About 3 million Nepalese have been
living abroad earning foreign currencies and more than 0.3 million Nepalese are
studying abroad. Each year many people return to their homes after completion
of their abroad study and job. In the case of abroad study, many students try
to settle there for better living and opportunities. However, those, who return
back Nepal, are found to be changed in their perception and behaviour. Most of
the people go to developed countries for education and employment. When these
people stay there, they learn different things which have contributed to the
development of their nations. They learn education system, employment system,
learn new technologies and when they return back Nepal they want to apply to
our country. After higher education in foreign countries, some people try to
run educational institutions following foreign systems; some people try to run
some business applying the techniques and knowledge they got there. It is
obvious that we can see different changes in their perceptions and behaviours
after they return back. They know how to utilize their education and money for
self-development as well as the development of the nation.
f. Relate the rhyme scheme of this sonnet
to the kind of life idealized by the poet.
Ans:- The poem
"The Awakening Age" is a sonnet, which is a genre of the poem written
in fixed form having fourteen lines. Though it was originally developed in
Italy, different poets and poetesses around the world follow this form of
poetry with slight modification. Petrarch wrote sonnets having two stanzas:
octave and sestet, similarly Shakespeare wrote sonnets having three quatrains
and a couple. This sonnet by Ben Okri is written in seven couplets. The rhyme
scheme of this sonnet is aa, bb, cc, dd, ee, ff, gg, and hh. These different
pair rhymes show the unity in diversity. Each pair is unique and important and
this contributes to the harmony and melody of the whole poem. There is no
fragmentation in each pair of rhymes. By this rhyme scheme, the poet idealizes
peace and harmony among the Nigerian people. He wants to have an end to any
kind of conflicts among Nigerian people to lead the nation to peace and
prosperity. The multi-racial, multi-religious and multicultural country must
like a beautiful garden with varieties of flowers.
Reference beyond the text
Write an essay on 'The Impacts of
Migration on Nepali Society'.
Moving of people from one place to
another is called migration, which can be within a country or between
countries. It is permanent, temporary or seasonal. There are different reasons
for migration such as better employment opportunities, higher education,
social, political or religion. Migration has both positive and negative
effects.
Migration impacts the destination and
origin location. In the destination, migrants do the menial jobs which local
people don't want to do. This fills skills gaps and boosts the local economy as
well as increases revenue to the country from where people migrate. But
migration increases pressure in the public services to that place because of
overcrowding. There exist language and cultural barriers. It also creates
population growth and pollution. There is much more pressure on natural
resources etc. It has impacted not only the place of destination but also the
place of origin. It reduces the unemployment problem, less press on natural
resources. When they return back to their countries, they bring new skills and
knowledge. It helps to increase revenue. But there are many negative impacts.
Skilled and educate people to spend productive age on foreign land. There is
family separation.
Despite some positive impacts, migration
has much more negative impacts. The most important thing is a youth drop their
sweet in a foreign land for less amount of money. Instead of developing their
own country, they labour hard in a foreign land and they don't get any output
except few wages. Family happiness is spoiled because young people leave their
motherland leaving their family members in miserable conditions. Some people
don't want to get back their own land, which reduces skilled manpower.
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