POEM: DEVELOPMENT, By Kundi Faraja: TRANSLATED & ANALYSED USEFUL POEMS

 

DEVELOPMENT

By Kundi Faraja       

 

A man of the people	Mtu wa watu
Enters his office	Huingia ofisini kwake
to sit on the throne	Kukaa kwenye kiti cha enzi
of Party and State,	Cha chama na nchi
His stick of power	fimbo yake ya madaraka
Across the table.	Juu ya meza

 

He looks into the files	Huangalia kwenye mafaili
To see the demands	Kuona mahitaji
Of the millions of people	Ya mamilioni ya watu
Who for years since Uhuru	Ambao kwa miaka tangu Uhuru
Have just managed to survive	Angalau wameweza kuishi
They ring out one message	Wame andika ujumbe mmoja
Man of the people	Mtu wa watu
You have always been telling us	Umekua ukituanbia
What we need…	Tunacho taka…
Health centres,	Vituo vya afya,
More schools,	Shule Zaidi,
Clean water,	Maji safi,
Better transport facilities,	Miundombinu bora ya usafili
Better living conditions.	Hali bora za maisha

 

Do you plead incapable	Unakiri kutoweza
To bring about development?	Kuleta maendeleo?

 

I declare running	Ninakiri kukimbia
Better than walking	Ni bora kukiko kutembea
For a young and poor country;	Kwa Taia dogo na masikini;
I plead fighting underdevelopment	Ninakiri kupinga kudumaa kwa maendeleo
Tougher than fighting	Kugumu Kuliko Kupigana na
A wounded buffalo	Nyati aliye jeruhiwa
With a pocket knife;	Kwa kisu cha mfukoni;
I plead underdevelopment	Ninakiri kudumaa kwa maendeleo ni
Stronger than the blows of the sea	Kugumu kuliko mipasuko ya bahari
When the hurricane is at its height.	Wakati kimbunga kinaposhika hatamu,

 

I plead fighting underdevelopment	Ninakiri kipinga kudumaa kwa maendeleo
Tougher than combating colonialism;	Kugumu kuliko kupambana na ukoloni
I see that it’s more difficult	Ninaona kwamba ni vigumu sana
To maintain peace	Kulinda Amani

 

I plead the cry	Ninakiri kilio
Of the nation	Cha taifa
More painful than the yell	Kinauma kuliko yowe
Of a woman	La mwanamke
As her husband dies in sickness;	Wakati mumewake amekufa kwa maradhi;
It’s more painful than the screams	Inauma sana kuliko mayowe
Of a man	Ya mtu
Dying in agony	Anaekufa kwenye chumba cha mateso
In the coils of the greatest python	Katika koili za chatu mkubwa
Found in the African forest.	Anaepatikana kwenye misitu ya Afrika

 

How is development	Ni kwa namna gani maendeleo
To be brought brother	Yataletwea ndugu
When the people to whom	Wakati watu ambao
We have entrusted power	Tumewapa madaraka
Are corrupt?	Wanakula rushwa?

 

I plead the stomachs	Ninakiri matumbo
Of the privileged few	Ya wachache walio pendelewa
Greater than the Rift-Valley;	Ni makubwa kuliko bonde la ufa;
They cannot be satisfied	Hawawezi kushiba
With a normal share.	Kwa mgao wa kawaida.

 

I plead the thirst	Ninakiri kiu
Of the minority	Cha wachache
Greater than that of the Sahara;	Kikubwa kuliko cha Sahara;
No rain can quench it.	Hakuna mvua iwezayo kukikata

 

I reckon the minority	Ninahesabu wachache
More sensitive to egoism	Wanapendelea sana ubinafsi
Than to National Development;	Kuliko kwa maendeleo ya taifa;
Nothing that is not theirs	Hakuna kisicho chao
Is of any interest.	Chenye faida yoyote

 

Their response to egoism,	Muitikio wao kwa ubinafsi
Is faster than camera film to light	Ni waharaka kuliko kumulika kwa filamu ya kamera
But as slow as tropism	Lakini ni wataratibu kama tropism
To nation-building.	Kwa ujenzi wa taifa

 

The majority plead	Wengi wanakiri
Exploited,	Kunyonywa,
Cheated,	Kudanganywa,
Disregarded,	Kupuuzwa,
But, brother,	Lakini, ndugu,
How is development to come?	Ni kwa namna gani maendeleo yatakuja?

 

 

INTRODUCTION

The poem is written by Kundi Faraja, which criticises the concept of development as taken by post-colonial African leaders. While it’s true that the development agenda dominated many political platforms and economic policies of pre-independence era, the bourgeoisie class that replaced their colonial predecessors have turned it to be only a nightmare to the common people. What we have now are high levels of corruption, oppression, exploitation, selfishness (egoism), classes, lies and social political and economic marginalization.

 

THEMATIC ANALYSIS.

1)   SELFISHNESS (EGOISM)

The poem shows that leaders are thinking in terms of me, myself and I. The lower class has remained spectators of the game while high class misuses the national resources at the expenses of the lower. The poem criticises the hypocritical behaviour of most leaders who think of themselves  (being the minority) while the majority whose efforts are wasted are disregarded. The national resources are not distributed equally anymore. Their selfish tendencies are expressed by the poet in these terms.

“I reckon the minority

More sensitive to egoism

Than to national development

Nothing that is not theirs

 Is of any interest.”

 

2)   CORRUPTION

Corruption is inducement (as of a public official) by improper means (as bribery) to violate duty (as by committing a felony). The poet comes to a point when he shows there is no way a country whose leaders have invested in corruption can develop. No way! He says

“How is development

To be brought brother

When the people to whom

We have entrusted power

Are corrupt?”

 

3)      CLASSES AND MARGINALIZATION.

The poet uses strong metaphorical comparisons to bring the message home. While the minority (whom he calls privileged few) enjoy the national cake, the majority have been marginalized and disregarded, where he said;                   “I plead the stomachs

Of the privileged few

Greater than the rift valley

They cannot be satisfied

With a normal share.”

 

4)      EXPLOITATION

Exploitation is an act that of victimizes someone (treats them unfairly). In the poem, the poet show the majority are exploited by their leaders. As he said;

“The majority plead

Exploited.”

 

5)      POOR SOCIAL SERVICES AND DISILLUSIONMENT

The poem show how the majority have surprised from their leader, today the same leaders who promised to help the common people to improve their ways of life in their free countries, have betrayed their cause. It shows that, social services for the poor have remained as poor as before. Today the masses are disillusioned and they ask.

“Man of the people

You have always been telling us

What we need

Health centres

More schools

Clean water

Better transport facilities

Better living conditions”

This however, is not what turned out to be. The millions of people still live in the same lifestyle they lived before independence. To them, independence is but a change of colour from white colonialists to black colonialists.

 

6)      AWARENESS

The kind of awareness portrayed in the poem is that which the marginalized class have towards the ruling class. The minority seems to be aware of everything that is taking place. Because of this sense of awareness they ring out one message demanding for their right. As the persona said;

The majority plead

Exploited,

Cheated,

Disregarded,

But, brother,

How is development to come?

 

7)      IRRESPONSIBILITY.

This is a state whereby leaders are not thinking enough about the effects of what they do or not showing a feeling of responsibility. In this poem leaders are irresponsible. They are no longer concerned about the welfare of their people but they are caught up in the same evil lifestyle of their colonial masters. The majority has been left in the periphery while the minority is enjoying the national cake. That’s why the majority class is asking?

“Do you plead incapable

To bring about development?”

 

8)      BUILDING THE FUTURE/STRUGGLE FOR CHANGE

The persona proposes several changes that have to be taken by poor nations if they need to realize sustainable development. Changes cannot be brought if the majority sits and waits for their time. He shows for instance that development cannot be brought by corrupt leaders. The implication is that they should change the ruling system. But also he declares running better than walking for poor nations. People must work harder than they are doing currently to fight for development.

“I declare running

Better than walking

For a young and poor country;

I plead fighting underdevelopment

Tougher than fighting

A wounded buffalo”

 

GUIDING QUESTION (NECTA 2013)

a)      What is the poem about?

The poem is about development. It criticises the concept of development as taken by post-colonial leaders and how they have failed to bring about sustainable development and hopes to the majority due to corruption, exploitation, and selfishness. As the persona said

“How is development

To be brought brother

When the people to whom

We have entrusted power

Are corrupt”

 

b)      What is the tone and mood in this poem?

The persona is unhappy and disappointed because of what is taking place in the society. Thus creates a disappointed and hatred mood towards the ruling class since the majority were exploited, cheated, disregarded as the persona said; “The majority plead

Exploited,

Cheated,

Disregarded,

But, brother,

How is development to come?”

 

c)      How many stanzas are there?

There are 12 stanzas of unequal length and uneven number of verses. Each stanza is dependent in providing meaning, such that the third stanza is about “disillusionment” and the fourth is about “struggle for change”

 

d)      Show the relevance of the themes portrayed in this poem to your society.

As for real the poem has succeeded to pinpoint the reality of most African countries. While those who fought for independence sleep on the same earth they slept before independence, those who have fallen into things throw themselves into soft beds and exchange cars as though they were clothes.

In our country Tanzania for example it can be seen from the way ministers and other high government officials misuse the public funds for their benefit. Corrupt leaders are signing bogus contracts that benefit them not the masses at large. The minority are exploiting the majority. They will never be seen attending public hospitals because they know how worse the condition is. Their option is in most cases going to India or other developed countries with executive health services. 

Not to speak of the schools. The condition is worse in public schools so their children attend the seminaries, international and private schools.

 

e)      Who is the persona in this poem? How do you know?

The persona is a citizen from low class. The poet shows that the persona is not one of those leaders because he is casting his complaints against the leaders who betrayed the majority, as he says

“You have always been telling us

What we need…

Health centres,

More schools,

Clean water,

Better transport facilities,

Better living conditions.

 

Do you plead incapable

To bring about development?”

 

f)       What type of the poem is this poem?

It is a modern/free verse poem. Specifically a didactic poem as it gives instruction to the citizens what they can do to reach sustainable development as he said

“I declare running better than walking…”

 

g)      What is the message that is carried by this poem?

The Messages is an information conveyed in the poem. This poem has several message as follows;

(i)        If the leaders are not careful with national development one day the majority might stage a revolution.

(ii)      Awareness is an important tool in so far as the liberation of the oppressed is concerned.

(iii)    Corrupt leaders are an obstacle to national development.

(iv)     Bringing about development is not a simple task or a cheap commodity. It needs determination, dedication and focus.

(v)       Exploitation and misuse of public resources for private gain are also an obstacle to development.

(vi)     Selfishness is not good if we need to bring about sustainable development.

(vii)   The leaders should fulfil their promises to the majority when they get power.

 

h)      How many verses are in this poem?

A verse is a single line in a poem. The poem has ……….verses (count them)

i)        Comment on the language use in this poem.

The language is very simple and straightforward and it helps the reader to get the themes easily. The choice of words is also perfect they have a direct connection with the themes. E.g. the majority plead/exploited/ cheated/disregarded

 

 

FUGURES OF SPEECH

There are several figures of speech in the poem as follows.

a)      Barbarism; It is the use of more than one language in a literary work. This is English  poem but poet used Swahili word  uhuru in it, where he said; “Who for years since uhuru”

 

b)      Parallelism; It is the use of the same sentence structure in the consecutive verses in the verse. The poet used parallelism to decorate his art where he said;               “Health centres

       Adj     N

More schools

  Adj     N

Clean water

   Adj     N

Better transport facilities

           Adj              N

Better living conditions”

         Adj          N

c)      Rhetorical question; it is a statement formulated as a question but that is not supposed to be answered. Poet used Rhetorical question several time where he said;

(i)       “Do you plead incapable to bring about development?”

(ii)     “..When the people to whom we have entrusted power are corrupt?”

(iii)    “How is development to come?”

 

d)      Hyperbole; it is the exaggeration of the fact. Poet used hyperbole to stress how majority suffer and how minority enjoy the cake of the nation. It was evidenced when he said;

(i)       “I plead the stomachs of the privileged few greater than the rift valley.”

(ii)     “I plead the thirst of the minority greater than that of the Sahara.”

 

e)      Simile; it is the comparison between two dissimilar things by using conjunction. Poet used simile to show how their leader are not responsible in bringing the national development.  Simile was used when persona said; “But as slow as tropism to nation-building”

 

f)       Imagery; it is the presentation of vivid description. In this poem there are several images which the reader can imagine of in terms of;

(i)    Visual image- this is an image of sight e.g.

ü “Greater than the Rift-Valley;”

ü “Camera film to light,”

ü “Coils of the greatest python”

ü “Stronger than the blows of the sea”

ü “When the hurricane is at its height.”

(ii)     Organic image -this is image of feeling

ü “Dying in agony”

ü “More painful than the yell”

(iii)    Audio image – this is an image of sound

ü “The yell of a woman”

ü “I plead the cry of the nation”

ü “the screams of a man”

(iv)   Kinetic image -this is an image of motion.

ü “Is faster than camera film”

ü “But as slow as tropism”

ü “I declare running”

ü “Better than walking”

 

j)       Is the poem relevant to Tanzania today?

The poem is relevant because it has successfully depicted the problems that are facing our country today thus becoming obstacles to development. These include. Corruption, classes, selfishness, irresponsibility, marginalization, poor social services etc.

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