Figures of Speech in “An African Thunderstorm” by David Rubadiri

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The diction of “An African Thunderstorm” is simple and concrete. It is drawn largely from everyday African experience and arranged in a way that produces intense emotional and visual impact. Stylistically, the poem’s free verse form and short, broken lines contribute significantly to its impact. Single-word lines such as “Turning,” “Whirling,” and “Madly” create a jerky rhythm that mirrors the storm’s sudden movements and instability. Enjambment and frequent line breaks quicken the pace and convey confusion and panic in the village scenes. Examined below are the figures of speech in “An African Thunderstorm.”

Simile

A simile is a figure of speech in which one thing is compared to another using “like” or “as” in order to make a description more vivid. Rubadiri uses similes extensively to describe the storm in frightening terms.

When the storm is compared to “a plague of locusts” (l. 6), the simile emphasises its destructive and overwhelming force. It suggests widespread devastation, as locusts are known for consuming everything in their path.

The storm is also compared to “a madman chasing nothing” (l. 9). This simile highlights the storm’s wild, uncontrollable, and irrational movement, suggesting that it acts without restraint or purpose.

The poet further presents the gathering clouds as “dark sinister wings” (l. 13). Through this comparison, the clouds are portrayed as threatening and ominous, as though a dangerous predator is hovering over the land.

Similarly, when “clothes wave like tattered flags” (l. 27), the simile symbolises disorder, defeat, and the breakdown of social dignity in the village, reinforcing the chaos caused by the storm.

Personification

Personification is a figure of speech in which human qualities or actions are attributed to non-human or inanimate objects. In the poem, natural elements are repeatedly given human attributes to make the storm appear alive and aggressive.

There is, for example, the expression “clouds come hurrying” (l. 2), which suggests purposeful movement, as though the clouds are rushing with intent. This personification conveys urgency and aggression in the storm’s approach.

Personification also manifests in the line “pregnant clouds / ride stately on its back” (ll. 10–11). This expression presents the clouds as dignified beings carrying a heavy burden, suggesting authority and inevitability in their movement.

In “the wind whistles by” (l. 14), the wind is given the human ability to make sound deliberately, reinforcing its active and commanding presence. Trees are also portrayed as conscious entities yielding respectfully before a powerful force, as “trees bend to let it pass” (l. 15), suggesting submission to overwhelming power.

Hyperbole

Hyperbole is a deliberate exaggeration used to emphasise intensity or effect. In the poem, the poet heightens the storm’s violence through exaggeration.

Words such as “madly” (l. 24) and phrases like “whirling / Tossing up things on its tail” (ll. 7–8) overstate the storm’s movement in order to stress the extreme chaos and confusion it creates. These exaggerated expressions make the storm appear overwhelmingly violent and uncontrollable.

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Imagery

Imagery is the use of descriptive language that appeals to the senses—sight, sound, smell, touch, or taste—in order to create vivid mental pictures for the reader. In “An African Thunderstorm,” the poet employs rich sensory imagery to make the storm immediate and realistic.

Visual imagery is evident in expressions such as “jaggered blinding flashes” (l. 30) and “dark sinister wings” (l. 13), which enable the reader to picture the violent lightning and the threatening mass of clouds hanging over the village.

Auditory imagery appears in words like “whistles” (l. 14) and the phrase “rumble, tremble, and crack” (l. 31), which reproduce the loud, frightening sounds of the storm and heighten the sense of terror.

The line “the smell of fired smoke” (l. 32) appeals to the sense of smell and suggests burning, destruction, and discomfort.

Together, these forms of imagery immerse the reader fully in the storm’s atmosphere, making the experience vivid, intense, and emotionally overwhelming.

Onomatopoeia

Onomatopoeia is a figure of speech in which words imitate or resemble the sounds they describe. In the poem, onomatopoeia is used in the phrase “rumble, tremble, and crack” (l. 31) to echo the actual sounds of thunder. The harsh, explosive quality of these words reinforces the storm’s power and violence, allowing the reader to almost hear the thunder as it breaks over the village.

Repetition

Repetition is the deliberate reuse of words, phrases, or lines in a poem to emphasise ideas and create rhythm. In the poem, it manifests in the repeated line “And trees bend to let it pass” (ll. 15, 26), which appears in both stanzas. This repetition emphasises the storm’s overwhelming dominance and suggests submission, as both nature and human life are forced to yield before its power. At the same time, the repeated line creates rhythmic unity by linking the natural events of the first stanza with the human experience of the second.

Symbolism

Symbolism is the use of an object, event, or image to represent a deeper idea beyond its literal meaning. David Rubadiri uses the thunderstorm as a central symbol. Literally, it represents a violent natural event, but symbolically it stands for the sudden disruption of communal life and the arrival of an overwhelming external force. The storm’s abrupt movement “from the west” (l. 1) and its invasive, destructive motion reinforce this interpretation. By extension, the storm can be read as a symbol of colonial intrusion or socio-political upheaval, which entered African societies abruptly and unsettled established cultural and social structures.

Similarly, the image “trees bend to let it pass” (ll. 15, 26) symbolises forced submission. Just as the trees have no choice but to yield to the storm’s power, African communities were compelled to submit to forces beyond their control. The repetition of this line strengthens the idea that submission is unavoidable in the face of overwhelming power.

Alliteration

Alliteration is the repetition of the same initial consonant sound in closely connected words. In the poem, alliteration contributes to rhythm and reinforces movement and intensity. Examples include “whirling wind” (l. 19), where the repetition of the /w/ sound mimics the continuous motion of the storm, and “babies clinging on their backs” (l. 21), where the repetition of the /b/ sound emphasises physical closeness and dependence.

Irony

Irony occurs when there is a contrast between expectation and reality. Situational irony, in particular, manifests in the poem. This is evident in the line “screams of delighted children” (l. 17). Ordinarily, a thunderstorm is a dangerous and destructive event. One would expect people to respond to it with trepidation. On the contrary, the village children respond innocently with excitement because of their lack of awareness of the impending danger.

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Enjambment

Enjambment occurs when a line of poetry runs on to the next line without a pause or punctuation at the end. Rubadiri makes frequent use of enjambment, as seen in “From the west / Clouds come hurrying with the wind” (ll. 1–2). The thought flows directly from one line into the next. It mirrors the continuous, unstoppable nature of the storm as it approaches and strikes the village.

Assonance

Assonance is the repetition of similar vowel sounds in nearby words to create rhythm and musical effect. It is evident in the expression “the din of the whirling wind” (l. 19). The repetition of the short vowel sound in “din” and “wind” contributes to the poem’s musical quality and helps convey the overwhelming noise and turbulence of the storm.

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