The Awakening Age (Poems)
Ben Okri
Summary
The poem
"The Awakening Age" by Ben Okri is a poem of hope. Here in this poem,
the poet has wished for all the miserable Nigerians who had been fragmented due
to the devastating civil war that lasted for three crucial years. Here in
this poem, the poet is wishing for their well-being after the outbreak of civil
peace, a time for all to enter a new world of the awakening age.
The poet
wishes for all these miserable and fragmented Nigerian people that they may
have a vision of a new world, a world of hope, prosperity, unity, truth, wisdom
and creativity. He also wishes for them that they may experience the glory of
the awakening age beyond their poverty rage. Here, by the awakening age, he
refers to the age of enlightenment where there is peace, prosperity,
liberation, joy, unity and harmony among people.
The poet has
presented a suitable new world in the awakening age for all of them. He makes a
call for all the Nigerians' hope to move further. For him, Nigerians are quite
rich in their hopes and these hopes have connected them firmly from history.
Next, he makes a call for their unity as well as solidarity to reach a new
height of prosperity with positivity in their hearts. He also makes a call for
their change in perceptions with truthfulness in a new world to gain much in
their lives away from problems and pains. He talks about the new world of the
awakening age where all these people have a chance to get jobs, wisdom and
creativity beyond their poverty. In this state, their life will be joyous and
they will be able to gain better in the time and space of the new world.
Understanding the text
Answer the
following questions.
a. Who are the people ‘who travel
the meridian line’?
The people who travel the meridian line are Nigerians who are grouped after a
long civil war. These people are suffering from hunger, poverty, unemployment
and other facets of their life due to fragments.
b. What does the poet mean by ‘a new
world’?
The poet means by a ‘new world’ to the emergence of peace in Nigeria. He
implies the power of hope, unity, truth, wealth, knowledge, creativity and
refers to unified Nigeria by his beautiful words
c. How are people connected?
People are connected through the strong bond of hope and optimism derived from
history. They have believed in their dreams and want to gain the new height of
unity and prosperity. The connection is due to strong dedication towards
optimism.
d. What can we gain after our
perceptions are changed?
We can gain very different benefits and fields of view after our perceptions
are changed. We may get opportunity and honesty from our troubles. We may gain
harmony, belief, love, integrity, wealth, creativity, wisdom and vision by
changing our perspectives. The change of perception brings the potentiality of
changing views from negative to positive and positive to negative
aspects.
e. How are we benefited by new
people?
We are benefited by new people in a variety of ways. Our bond and unity with
them help us to reach new heights, explore new visions and conduct new
missions. We can get happiness, harmony, integrity, knowledge, sincerity,
discipline, creativity from new people and use them to make a flourishing
nation.
f. Describe the rhyme scheme of this
sonnet.
In the poem, there are seven separate couplets with each of two lines. This
sonnet’s rhyme scheme is sonorous. It provides a rhythmic tone, and each stanza
has a rhyming couplet. This sonnet’s rhyme scheme is AA BB CC DD EE FF GG.
Reference to the context
a. What does the poet mean by ‘the
awakening age’?
As the word
glorifies itself, ‘the awakening age’ refers to the period when Africans
realize and become conscious about their situation as well as the time to
create their new world. They realize that this is the time of peace, harmony,
integrity, liberty, happiness, prosperity, unity and creativity amongst the
people. They strongly believe that their new world will arrive after Nigeria’s
brutal civil war.
b. Why, in your view, have these
people ‘lived with poverty’s rage’?
In my view, these people have ‘lived
with poverty’s rage because since a long time before history Africans are being
exploited by the Americans and Europeans. They did a long injustice to the
people of Africa and exploited natural resources. Also meanwhile, due to
lengthy war in African countries, the political stability was almost
negligible. As a result of instability, a few strong people gained control of
the authority. This further resulted in an imbalance in the distribution of
natural resources and wealth.
The people of Africa were beyond knowledge and light. They didn’t even know
that life exists out of poverty. They were also preoccupied with various
internal problems like civil war, discrimination, religion, culture, ethnicity,
philosophy and so on which neglected the suffering of ordinary Nigerians. Thus
the poverty’s rage had been all their life.
c. Why does the poet appeal for
solidarity among the people?
The poet
appeals for solidarity among the people to make a reality out of their hope to
form a new world for them. He wishes for all Nigeria’s unfortunate and poor
people to reach the new height of unity, prosperity, hope, truth, wisdom,
liberty and creativity. He strongly believes that solidarity only and only
amongst them can help them to overcome challenges and sufferings.
d. Does the poet present migration
in a positive light? Why? Why not?
Yes, the
poet presents migration in a positive light as it helps the people to change
their perceptions. Mostly the migrants are of the working-age population.
Migration helps people to raise their height of acceptance and helps to grow
their condition to the new state from the past one.
In the poem
also, the poet wishes for them to be unified, smart, prosperous and creative in
the new age of awakening and appeals for solidarity to create a new world. Most
of us have seen that migrants bring skill with them. Some bring capital and
some bring creativity. They try to craft their ideas, knowledge and learning in
recipient countries. They also wish to be innovative and contribute.
e. Nepal is also known for its
economic as well as educational migrants. Have you noticed any change in the
perceptions and behaviors of these migrants when they return home from abroad?
Yes, Nepal
is known for its economic and educational migrants. The data each year people
pursue abroad for education and employment. Certainly, I have noticed many
changes in the perceptions and behaviors of these migrants when they return
home. I have noticed the change in their attitude and way of thinking. As a
person opens in a wide space from the narrow door, he experiences many things,
explores many heights, learns, thinks, crafts and thus the way of thinking and
way of seeing the world is certainly changed. Every worker or student brings
their gained knowledge and tries to use it in their homeland. If either it is
capital gain or a degree they try to craft from them. They gain financial
literacy and learn to invest and keep the hope of changing traditional thoughts
and parameters that limits the exploration. These are the different perceptions
that I have seen of people returning from abroad in my community.
f. Relate the rhyme scheme of this
sonnet to the kind of life idealized by the poet.
The rhyme
scheme of this sonnet is sonorous and is of AA BB CC DD EE FF GG. It can be
said that it is the poetry of optimism and hope. The poet is trying to show the
idealized existence of Africans, especially Nigerians, in the new world of
awakening with the assistance of the poem’s rhyme pattern. All of the lines and
rhyming phrases after couplets are linked with the lives of Nigerians and their
ideal way of life. This includes realization, hope and solidarity. He also
wishes for wisdom, liberty, knowledge and joy. His excellent rhyming scheme
synchronizes with the ideal existence of Nigerians in the world of the
awakening age.
Reference beyond the context
Write an essay on 'The Impacts of
Migration on Nepali Society'.
Answer:
The
Impacts of Migration on Nepali Society
Scientific
and policy disputes in Nepal center on the impact of emigration on the
country's economy. An ever-growing number of people are moving to Terai and
plain areas to better or safeguard their livelihoods.
A variety of
causes, such as educational purposes, enjoyment, poverty, and tragedy, might
lead people to leave their homes. Migrating people in the central hills of
Nepal have a variety of effects on the people who stay, their livelihoods and
the way they manage land.
In addition,
it has a favorable effect on people's lives. People's quality of life improves
as a result of migration. It improves people's social lives by exposing them to
a new culture, traditions, and languages, which fosters a greater sense of
community. Economic development in the area is boosted by the emigration of
highly trained employees.
On the other hand, Increases in population have a negative impact on existing social institutions; an increase in demand for goods and services; the displacement of citizens from rural and urban occupations; a decrease in the sanitary environment; and an increase in pollution in urban areas as a result of migrant populations. greater reliance on remittances; inefficient use of natural resources, such as farmland; wasteful spending; and so on.