The poem appears to say there is no difference between the primordial transatlantic slave trade and colonialism; that slavery is slavery no matter what name one calls it or embellishments one gives it. It is an outright depiction of a slavery movement that shook the continent of Africa vigorously.
The poem, as a lyric, treats the question of beauty, addressing someone not directly mentioned to make "the beauty field" count. This suggests the visible beautiful appearance of the addressee.
Apostrophe. I guess you must have heard of the word, “apostrophe”. In class. From your teacher. From your colleagues. Through textbooks. What do you notice about it?
Then, news comes to Sidi that her pictures have been published in some glossy magazines sent from Lagos. The publication of her pictures gives her a sense of self-importance. She considers herself important than Lakunle, an ordinary school teacher; and Baroka, the old village head. She says of Baroka in comparison to herself in her newly acquired status: “I am the twinkle of a Jewel but he is the hind-quarters of a lion!”. She considers herself superior to Baroka whose goaty picture is placed alongside the picture of the village latrine.
(2) Live deeply, fully. Be fearless. Be like the tortoise – grow a hard shell to protect your strong heart. Be like the eagle – soar above your pain and carry the banner and the wonder of our lives to the farthest corners of the world.
The grieved lands of Africa. In the infamous sensation. Of the stunning perfume of the Flower. Crushed in the forest. By the wickedness of iron and fire. The grieved lands.
Literature is like a big elephant felt by six blind men. Each one described the elephant by the part he touched. Like that big elephant, the word “literature” is open to several interpretations and in fact, polysemous.
A first time read of How The Leopard Got His Claws would probably inform its reader of a deep-seated literary meaning. The text is more than just a children's literature. It tells a story, historical, dressed in the elegance of fable. How The Leopard Got His Claws is a political allegory and on par with George Orwell's well-read novella, Animal Farm. The story it tells, its background and the contextual situation reveal this much.
