Poetic Analysis of Doip’s Vanity – SS1 Literature-in-English Lesson Note (Second Term)

Themes and poetic techniques in the poem

1. Abandonment of traditional ways or values: The poem comments on the tendency of African educated elites and other Westernized Africans to abandon African wisdom, values and general traditional ways of life because many of these people have led Africans to believe that African ways of life are primitive and barbaric.

2. Wisdom of the ancestors is invaluable: The poem presents ancestors as a reservoir of sound teaching and wisdom, which are sufficient to guide their offspring through the challenges of life.

3. Warning to renegades: The entire poem can be seen as a warning to renegades. The poem warns those who have chosen not to listen to the voice of the elders, the voice of wisdom and voice of the ancestors.

4. Pain and misery.

5. The reality of human suffering and predicaments.

Poetic techniques

1. Rhetorical question: This device is used in lines 5, 8, 10, 11, 14 and 30.

2. Humour/sarcasm: There is a certain humour or sarcastic tone to the poet’s reference to ‘largemouths’, ‘sad voice’, ‘beggars’ etc.

3. Synecdoche: Examples of this device are ‘ears’, ‘eyes’ ‘hearts’ as used in the poem.

4. Simile: Examples of simile can be seen in line 13: “which grows in us like a tumour”.

5. Metaphor: This is used in line four. Black Africa is seen as beggars.

6. Enjambment: Most of the lines in the poem run into one another.