Summary
In the poem "The Awakening Age," the poet Ben Okri depicts the struggles of African people and offers a demand for unity, peace, and solidarity among human beings from all over the world. This poem depicts how Nigerians have suffered a long history of starvation, poverty, unemployment, and conflicts (ethnic, religious, political, terrorism, militancy, electoral, and so on) that have rendered them a vulnerable community. Northern Nigeria has been oppressing the Igho group, which has resulted in ethnoreligious conflict. The poem depicts the narrative of a people whose optimism binds them together like glue, even though they are led by invisible powers.
The speaker is trying to address the new people of Nigeria, who have suffered greatly as a result of Nigeria's horrific bloodshed caused by ethnic, religious, geographical, and economic factors, and encouraging them to share a unified vision of a new, peaceful, and successful country in the first couplet. In geography, a meridian line is an imaginary line that divides the Earth into two hemispheres. It refers to the tensions and divisions that divided Nigerians into two halves in the poetry. Travelling the Meridian line here signifies the change of Nigerians from struggle, poverty, and fragmentation during the civil war to a land of peace and harmony.
The poet asks for the Nigerian people to have a dream of a unified country that glows with the splendour of joy, harmony, prosperity, and unity in the second couplet. After the conflict, when all Nigerians have given up their anger and hate for one another, the awakening age is celebrated.
The speaker says in the third couplet that all people must be united in the aim of nation-building. For a long time, people had hoped for a prosperous nation, but the ongoing conflicts had prevented it. People were segregated into many sects. This hope is like a strong mountain rope that binds people together.
In the fourth couplet, the speaker states that no nation can reach new heights until its people are unified. To bring their nation into prosperity, they must be freed of conflicts, inequalities, and negativity among themselves. They must cross the barrier to go from poverty and division to peace, prosperity, and unity.
The poet emphasizes in the fifth couplet that individuals must adjust their restricted viewpoint to acquire the best prospects. In the past, they had to deal with adversity, challenges, poverty, wars, and social division. These are the factors that have contributed to the country's decline. If these individuals continue to ignore this truth, the suffering will continue indefinitely.
The poet clarifies in the sixth couplet that poverty and misery are self-invited and that only collaborative efforts using wisdom and creativity, as well as the resources gained, can reduce them.
Understanding the text
Answer the following questions.
a. Who are the people 'who travel the meridian line'?
Ans. All mankind are the people who travel the meridian line.
b. What does the poet mean by 'a new world'?
Ans. The new world refers to the world of equality where the eyes of the people must observe the pain and suffering of poverty.
c. How are people connected to each other?
Ans. People are connected to each other through a sense of hope that one day they will ascend to a new height.
d. What can we gain after our perceptions are changed?
Ans. We can gain an awakening age or the age of enlightenment after our perceptions are changed. Or Truth and clarity can be gained after the perceptions are changed.
e. How are we benefited by new people?
Ans. We are benefited from new people from their work, wisdom, and reality.
f. Describe the rhyme scheme of this sonnet.
Ans. The rhyme scheme of this somet is depicted as pleasant, enjoyable, and wonderful.
Reference to the context
a. What does the poet mean by 'the awakening age'?
Ans. By the Awakening age,' the poet means the traditional phase of people from undergoing lots of difficulties and hardships towards the awakened and enlightened state. For this, the whole world requires unity to live happily and peacefully. Such unity helps for the flowering of truth in the world.
b. Why, in your view, have these people 'lived with poverty's rage'?
Ans. The poet wrote the poem "The Awakening age" by portraying the sufferings and hardships of the African negroes and by appealing for unity and solidarity among the people of the whole world. In my view, these people didn't have enough opportunities, resources, freedom, and education for empowerment and to rise above the poverty rate. To raise from the poverty rage the help whole world is necessary.
c. Why does the poet appeal for solidarity among the people?
Ans. The poet appeals for solidarity among the people because solidarity and strong unity is the only solution where every human being race around the world can live peacefully and happily. Such unity among the people helps to rise above poverty. After gaining awakening as the flowering of the truth is possible.
d. Does the poet present migration in a positive light? Why? Why not?
Ans. Yes, the poet presents migration in a positive light because, in this poem, he describes how migration can help people to eliminate poverty and how new opportunities, resources, environment, freedom, and education can make a person magnificent.
e. Nepal is also known for its economic as well as educational migrants. Have you noticed any change in the perceptions and behaviors of these migrants when they return home from abroad?
Ans. Yes, I have noticed many changes in the perceptions and behavior of migrants when they return home from abroad. The first change in the perception is about how the education system is different here and abroad. We, Nepalese people, are a bit back in economical aspects compared to many northern and European countries. Also, the teaching and learning perception is there is more practical but we are the periphery of theoretical learning. Although theoretical education is very important increasing for the knowledge and basic framework/concept for practical work in life, practical learning makes a person more practical and social. Which is the difference in perceptions in Nepal and other countries (abroad). So, such a technique can be introduced by the person who has studied abroad.
f. Relate the rhyme scheme of this sonnet to the kind of life idealized by the poet.
Ans. From this sonnet, rhyme is depicted as a pleasant, enjoyable, and wonderful like which people will have after they enter into new world awakening from their hardship and difficulties. In this poem, the poet indirectly introduces the issue of racial discrimination. Along with this, he also introduces the necessity of unity and harmony among the people of the whole world mainly to develop the entire human race.
