Typical Ib A1 Hl English Exam Question Essay Example

relational and personal complications between her and others affected by colonial culture, p’Bitek’s approach seems genuine and individualistic. Using Lawino as the protagonist conveys a uniquely African perspective on western ways, enabling p’Bitek to cast a critical eye on western culture through the lens of an unaffected and indigenous African. This technique enables p'Bitek to turn the tables on western culture by portraying it as indecorous and barbaric using similar methods of disparagement that westerners deploy in their own critiques of African cultures.

The epic poem extensively employs similes to illustrate the behavior of Africans like Ocol who attempt to adopt Western customs and reject their true traditions, resembling vulgar and unsightly animals and objects. To defend East-African culture and criticize the enforced values of Western culture from a native's perspective, p'Bitek used Lawino as an instrument and portrayed her disapproval of Clementine, the second wife of Ocol who is also influenced by colonial education, by saying that Clementine "smears black shoe polish" in her hair resulting in a peculiar smell compared to rats near a fireplace. Poets frequently use persona's voice in poetry to approach a particular issue from a distinct viewpoint, as p'Bitek did with Lawino. On the other hand, narrative voices are used in Robert Browning's poems which are apparent in The Bishop Orders his Tomb at Saint Praxed's Church where the persona is the central focus in a dramatic monologue.

Throughout the poem, the bishop's character is depicted in unflattering ways that reveal his unchristian qualities. The poem is a satire that highlights the corrupt personalities that can exist among individuals who hold respectable and high-ranking positions in society. The bishop's irony is

evident in the first line as he cites Ecclesiastes' "Vanity" while being excessively materialistic. Browning's poem focuses on the bishop's obsession with securing a tomb made of the finest stones and materials as a display of his vain, vindictive, and spiteful nature towards other clergymen like Gandolf who have taken his desired resting place or "niche" in the southern corner of the church. The bishop's bitter and unforgiving nature is further magnified with his sarcastic comments about Gandolf "gracing his carrion" with the niche. His begrudging temperament is highlighted with contemptuous and obsessive comments about Gandolf throughout the poem.

The bishop's personality includes inappropriate behavior for a clergyman, such as neglecting repentance for his sins on his death bed because he believes he will go to heaven. He even orders his sons to use peach-blossom marble for the columns of his tomb, boasting that he has earned such grandeur. The fact that he had sons reveals that he did not lead a life of celibacy, and he even reminisces about his attractive wife. He instructs his sons to depict a lewd scene on his frieze. These traits expose the bishop's materialism and vanity, as he focuses on securing earthly riches instead of spiritual devotion in his final moments. He believes that even if he does not receive his elaborate tomb, Gandolf will still envy him because of how beautiful his mistress was.

In Self's the Man by Philip Larkin, the use of the narrative voice of the persona differs from previous poems. The persona's identity is not explicitly stated, but there are many indications that they imitate a brash lower middle-class man who shares Philip

Larkin's views on relationships, love, parentage, and marriage. The poem's structure and colloquial diction contribute to its novice-like appearance, in contrast to Philip Larkin's established poet status as an Oxford English literature graduate. The first line uses a romantic exclamation that seems out of place in the content of the poem. The diction is crude, and in the third stanza, the word "supper" could be replaced with a more eloquent "dinner" to better match the half-rhyme with "paper" in the next line. Commonplace colloquialisms like "the kiddies clobber," "playing his own game," and "sending a van" appear throughout.

The AABB pattern is used for the rhyme scheme, but it results in many strained and awkward lines throughout the poem. Enjambments are not genuine. Nicholas Marsh, a critic, mentions the clumsiness of some lines such as "Planning to have a read at the evening paper" and "the money he gets for wasting his life on work". These lines lack poetic sound devices and beauty, including consonance, assonance, and alliteration. This reinforces the idea that the speaker in the poem is not Philip Larkin but a brash lower middle-class man.

The structure of the poem serves to reveal the character of the persona. The lengthy, meandering lines of the first four stanzas, coupled with the delayed appearance of the second full stop, stand in contrast to the shorter and more concise composition of the following four stanzas. This contrast suggests that while the persona is feverishly justifying his intentional bachelor's life at the outset, he becomes more composed and self-assured in the latter half of the poem. Furthermore, this change may indicate that he initially feels

guilty about his perceived selfishness in comparison to his married friend Arnold. However, once he establishes that Arnold married for his own sake, which could be interpreted as a response to lust or sexual tension with his wife, the persona begins to relax. Ultimately, Larkin writes that the persona is in a privileged position because he knows his limits and doesn't require assistance to overcome them.

The poem suggests that the persona's friend, Arnold, had a nervous breakdown or midlife crisis and was admitted to a psychiatric ward, while the persona remained mentally healthy. The last line of the poem, "Or I suppose I can," contradicts this conclusion and shows the persona's indecisiveness about whether he may also require hospitalization. Despite this, the poem effectively displays Philip Larkin's mastery of colloquialisms. While comparing the opinions expressed in the poem with Larkin's much-criticized personal views, several analogies are apparent. For instance, the persona's cynical attitude towards women is shown through his belief that Arnold's wife takes his hard-earned income as a perk, despite her use of the money on their children and household necessities. Despite this disagreement, the persona in "Self’s the Man" still maintains that it is not the husband's duty to provide for these things and dismisses the children's goods as "kiddies' clobber," which seems wasteful and superficial.

In This be the Verse, Philip Larkin expresses misogynistic views on women and belittles serious relationships as well as cynical opinions about parenthood. The poem also reveals nuances of Larkin's personality through the use of crass lines such as "Oh no one can deny/ That Arnold is less selfish than I", conveying his sarcasm. These lines

highlight the naivety of frequently dispersing such remarks without giving thought to their truthfulness. Additionally, the persona in Self's the Man may seem slightly envious of his friend Arnold, as they fervently compare themselves.

It seems possible that Arnold in Larkin's poem is a representation of his friend Kingsley Amis, who, like Arnold, was a husband and father. Larkin's view on love being an illusion and sex being reality, expressed by Nicholas Marsh, may have made the situation frustrating for Larkin. The fact that Larkin chose to convey the issue through a humorous lower-middle-class male persona lightens the severity of the situation while still delving into serious undertones. Many poets use identified personas to make their poem relatable or to positively or negatively characterize a type of person holding views expressed in the poem - examples include Song of Lawino.

The utilization of recognized narrative voices serves to humanize poetry, particularly when addressing issues that are relevant to most people. This approach differs from using metaphors and other literary devices without a distinct persona, as exemplified in The Bishop Order his Tomb at Saint Praxed’s Church.