About the Poet Chinua Achebe
Chinua Achebe (1930 – 2013) was a Nigerian poet and writer. His first novel Things Fall Apart often considered his best, is the most widely read book in modern African literature. He won the Man Booker International Prize in 2007. In 1962 he attended an executive conference of African writers in English at the Makerere University College in Kampala, Uganda. He met with important literary figures from around the continent and the world, including Nobel poet Wole Soyinka and US poet-author Langston Hughes. I can write poetry, he said, something short, intense more in keeping with my mood ... All this is creating in the context of our struggle. One of his most famous poems was Refugee Mother and Child who spoke to the suffering and loss that surrounded him.
About The poem Vultures
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.
In second 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 personify love itself.
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.
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.
Thematic study of Poem Vultures
Nazism:
Nazism, also spelled Naziism, in full National Socialism, German Nationalsozialismus, totalitarian movement led by Hitler as head of the Nazi party in Germany. In its intense Nationalism mass appeal, and dictatorial rule, Nazism shared many elements with Italian facism. However, Nazism was far more extreme both in its ideas and in its practice. In almost every respect it was an anti-intellectual and atheoretical movement, emphasizing the will of the charsimastic dictator as the sole source of inspiration of a people and a nation, as well as a vision of annihilation of all enemies of the Aryan Volk as the one and only goal of Nazi policy.
in the poem the concept of Nazism can be seen in the third stanza This section is introduced and concluded with ellipses, as if to suggest that the train of thought that the speaker was following (about the vultures loving each other, and the surprising occurrence of love in the most unlikely places) has now led him to another example of this same phenomenon – the Nazi Commandant at the Belsen concentration camp.
Vulture As Metaphor
Human have very scary, or dangerous bird etc concept in mind. Poet tells that in poem vultures eat humans after it's dead and that's the part of their lives. But man are killing humans as the part of their job. So in real sense humans are more harmful or merciless then birds. So here vulture is used as metaphor. Vultures are far better then humans. Because humans can do anything for money or as a part of job.
Ecology:
vultures are known as part of nature. they are also help human in the ecology. Vultures are often overlooked as lowly scavengers. However, they are a key component to maintaining healthy ecosystems. Because of their role as nature’s garbage disposers, vultures are able to keep the environment clean and free of contagious diseases. These birds have an extremely corrosive stomach acid that allows them to consume rotting animal corpses. These scavenged leftovers are often infected with anthrax, botulinum toxins, rabies, and hog cholera that would otherwise kill other scavengers. By ridding the ground of dead animals, vultures prevent diseases from spreading to humans and animals.
The work of vultures is what is often referred to as ecosystem services, and this example from Spain illustrates the benefit the people receive from these birds, often without even realising.
Humanism
In first stanza appearance of Vulture is described that it's ugly looking bird.Eating in ugly way. vultures cruelty that is sitting on the branch of dead tree and having eye on dead body.
In next lines poet shows the cruelty of commandant. That they kill the Jews and keep them in charnel house. Animals are not cruel they does things as the part of their system but humans heart are cruel because they have ability to think to go on the path of good or evil. But they choose to be evil it's their choice.
Ego v/s Eco
As we can see in today's time that humans are damaging the nature for satisfaction of their ego. humans are threat to nature. when the animals are better then the humans they are helps the environment and because of the animals Ecology system can be balanced. which is already harmed by humans.
Vulture v/s Humans
Vultures are harmless, despite the chilling role they play in stories and myths. They dine mostly on dead animals and have no incentive to attack humans. In fact, vultures are beneficial for people because they are extremely efficient at removing human and animal waste from our towns, villages and roads.
when the humans are destroy the nature for their needs. they are not even think about environment they are disturbing the ecology system. humans are harming the nature by doing some action.
Conclusion
The ending/conclusion of the poem is ambiguous/two sided. On one hand, Achebe praises God and providence that even the cruellest of creatures can show love. On the other hand, these creatures show love for their families only and continue to commit cruel acts towards others.
Thematic study of poem you laughed, laughed and laughed
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