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Advice
To yourself
Friend, be true
You farm a hundred yams
And tell us it is two hundred
Alright
After eating a hundred yams
You will eat a hundred lies.
— Niyi Osundare
“Advice” by Niyi Osundare is a witty seven-line poem that draws largely from a Yoruba proverb about self-deception. The poem advises the reader to be honest with themselves. It says that they should desist from exaggerating personal achievements.
The poem uses the Yoruba analogy of someone who farms 100 yams but claims to have harvested 200 to show us that dishonesty will always backfire. Because after enjoying the real benefits, the person will be left with nothing but lies to rely on. Apparently, the poem teaches that there are negative consequences for self-deceit
Reference
Team, LP. (2025). Poem: “Advice” by Niyi Osundare. Literature PADI. https://www.literaturepadi.com.ng/2025/05/30/poem-advice-by-niyi-osundare/ (Accessed on September 15, 2025 at 04:16)
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