BIRDSHOOTING SEASON BY OLIVE SENIOR

The men are making preparation for hunting. Men ignore their wives and give all their attention to their
guns. This means that the guns get all the love and care. The role of the wives is mainly to prepare food
for the men to carry. The women are working hard in terms of preparing food for the men and also to
help them in their preparations; they get no rest or peace. The house turns macho. A macho is a person
who shows aggressive pride in one's masculinity. “the men drink white rum neat” symbolizes a machi
achievement as a sport of birdshooting. The children are shivering because of the chills of the early
morning, horror at the sport, etc.

Literary devices

1. Personification

Lines 16-17: “little girls whispering: fly birds fly.”

These lines reflect a sense of freedom. The girls wish that the birds escape. This also indicates a freedom
on the part of women in this macho patriarchal society.

2. Metaphor

“make marriages with their guns”

The men are showing love and care for their guns, instead of their wives, while they make preparation for
hunting; men ignore their wives and give all their attention to their guns. The weapons are fussed over
and treasured.

AFRICAN THUNDERSTORM BY DAVID RUBADIRI

The poem describes a typical African thunderstorm, with all its intensity. In African society, rain is a
blessing; everything loves the approach of rain, not just children. It is good for the crops and the animals,
as it increases the harvest. However, when we read this poem, we don’t get the feeling that the author is
happy; he concentrates on telling us about the damage that the rain and wind do.

This poem also expresses colonial domination. From ex book.

Literary devices

1. Simile

Line 5: “like a plague of locusts”

Locusts are certain species of short-horned grasshoppers. These insects are usually solitary, but under
certain circumstances, become more abundant and change their behaviour and habits, becoming
gregarious (moving in a flock). Locust is never a good thing, at least for the crops. It calls attention
because the poet uses this simile while referring to the wind that brings rain, a good thing. This
comparison describes the threatening appearance of the clouds and also the destruction that they will
lead to.
 2. Repetition

Lines 14 and 25: “trees bend to let it pass”

This describes the effect that the wind has on things. By repeating these lines, emphasis is being placed
on the destructive nature of the storm.,