Loading....

JAMB UTME - Literature In English - 1999

Question 1 Report

This question is based on selected poems from R. Johnson and D. Ker et al (eds.): New Poetry from Africa : Wole Soyinka (ed.): Poems of Black Africa; K.E. Senanu and T. Vincent (eds.): A selection of African Poetry and E.W.Parker (ed.): A Pageant of Longer Poems.

Okigbo's 'Hurrah for Thunder'is a prophetic poem because it

Answer Details
Okigbo's 'Hurrah for Thunder' is a prophetic poem because it correctly predicts the end of those who abuse power. The poem describes a society where corrupt leaders and those in positions of power are brought down by natural forces, symbolized by thunder. Okigbo's use of imagery, such as "the gods [who] have rejected the sacrifice" and "the deserted homesteads," suggests that this is a society that has lost touch with its spiritual and moral values. The poem's prophetic tone predicts that these abuses of power will ultimately lead to the downfall of those in positions of authority, and that justice will be served. This message is particularly relevant in the context of post-colonial Africa, where many countries struggled with corruption and abuses of power in the decades following their independence.