Ask AI on The Internet
Question: critically discuss and analyze the situation, tone, theme, emotional attitude, structure of the following poem by Mazisi Kunene (1930 - 2006) Title: They are also children of the earth Cursed shall be the one whose passage in this world Evades humaneness, engenders greed and hoarding Cursed is he wallowing alone in caskets of wealth and Counting rosary beads of accumulated cars To be human is to humbly cherish the sweat of your toil In measured style of decency and appreciation To be human is to consider the plight of the needy As they also are children of the earth Yes, men and women of this blessed land
Situation: This poem articulates a strong critique of socio-economic disparity, specifically targeting those with greed and possession of vast wealth. The poet places the reader in a scenario where the earth is inhabited by different kinds of individuals - the rich who hoard wealth and the poor who are in dire need. Tone: The tone in this poem is stern, commanding, and slightly bitter. It showcases the poet's intense feelings of disapproval towards the accumulation of extreme wealth in the presence of poverty. Kunene's tone depicts his displeasure with inequality and his call for human compassion. Theme: The primary themes in this poem are wealth disparity, humaneness, condemnation of greed, and the call for empathy. The poet uses these themes to express the behaviors he considers moral and those he considers immoral. Emotional Attitude: There's a firm emotional attitude of resentment and bitterness evident in this piece towards those who hoard wealth while others suffer lack. It also manifests a deep longing for equality and compassion for the less fortunate. Structure: The poem does not follow traditional or standard poetic structures such as consistent rhyme scheme or rhythm. It's more of a free-versed poem, thereby allowing the poet's scorn towards greed and his appeal for empathy to come across more powerfully and directly. All in all, Kunene, in this poem, is amplifying his call for humanity to pay heed to the sufferings of the poor and needy. He does this by invoking powerful imagery (counting rosary beads of accumulated cars) and poignant reminders (they also are children of the earth), suggesting a sort of moral interconnectedness between humans and the world we inhabit.
A new large language model has been made available since this question was asked.
To generate an updated answer from the new model, click the button below.
Think your answer is better than the AI's? Post it below.
Other Most Relevant Posts:
Question Tags
If you want your question answered by an AI, click here.
Post your own comment: