Poetry Analysis

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ABIKU BY J. P. Clark

Original Poetry

Translation

ABIKU BY J. P. Clark

Coming and going these many seasons,

Coming and going these several seasons,

Stay out on the big tree,

Do stay out on the baobab tree,

Follow your spirit friends wherever you want

Follow where you please your kindred spirits

If staying inside isn't enough for you.

If indoors is not enough for you.

Yes, the roof leaks

True, it leaks through the thatch

When the floods overflow,

When floods brim the banks,

And bats and owls

And the bats and the owls

Often come in at night through the roof edges,

Often tear in at night through the eaves,

And during the dry season, the bamboo walls

And at harmattan, the bamboo walls

Are ready to catch fire

Are ready tinder for the fire

That dries the fresh fish on the rack.

That dries the fresh fish up on the rack.

Still, it's been a healthy place

Still, it’s been the healthy stock

For many people, and will be for more

To several fingers, to many more will be

Who reach for the sun.

Who reach to the sun.

Don't stand at the door anymore

No longer then bestride the threshold

But come in and stay

But step in and stay

For good. We know the scars

For good. We know the knife scars

Running down your back and front

Serrating down your back and front

Like a swordfish's beak,

Like beak of the sword-fish,

And your ears, marked

And both your ears, notched

As a servant to this house,

As a bondsman to this house,

Are all signs of your first visits.

Are all relics of your first comings.

So come in, come in and stay

Then step in, step in and stay

For her body is tired,

Tired, her milk going bad

Tired, her milk going sour

Where many more mouths bring joy.

Where many more mouths gladden the heart.

Explanation

The poem 'Abiku' by J. P. Clark addresses the concept of an 'Abiku,' a spirit child in Yoruba belief who dies and is reborn repeatedly. The speaker implores the Abiku to stay and embrace life rather than constantly returning to the spirit realm. The poem uses vivid imagery to describe the harsh living conditions, such as leaking roofs and vulnerable bamboo walls, yet emphasizes the resilience and continuity of life. The speaker acknowledges the marks and scars on the Abiku, symbolizing past struggles and the hope for permanence. The poem reflects on the exhaustion of the mother, whose body is tired from nurturing a child who may not stay. Through this, Clark captures the cyclical nature of life and death, the longing for stability, and the cultural significance of the Abiku phenomenon in African societies. The poem is rich with symbolism and cultural references, highlighting the tension between the spiritual and physical worlds.

Word Dictionary11

Word	In English	Plain (English)	Pron.
Abiku	spirit child	a child believed to die and be reborn repeatedly	Ah-bee-koo
baobab	a large tree	a type of large tree found in Africa	Bay-oh-bab
harmattan	dry season	a dry and dusty season in West Africa	Har-ma-tan
thatch	straw roof	roof made of straw or similar materials	Thatch
tinder	easily flammable	something that catches fire easily	Tin-der
serrating	cutting with a saw-like edge	having a jagged edge	Ser-ray-ting
bondsman	servant	a person bound to service without wages	Bonds-man
kindred	related	having a similar nature or character	Kin-dred
notched	marked with cuts	having small cuts or indentations	Notched
threshold	entrance	the point of entering or beginning	Thresh-hold
sour	gone bad	having an unpleasant taste or smell	Sour

Poet & Context

PoetJohn Pepper Clark

Era20th Century

John Pepper Clark-Bekederemo (6 April 1935 – 13 October 2020) was a Nigerian poet and playwright. He was a prominent figure in African literature, known for his works that explore themes of identity, culture, and the human condition.

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WhenPublished in the mid-20th century

WhyThe poem 'Abiku' draws on the Yoruba belief in spirit children who die and are reborn repeatedly. It reflects on themes of life, death, and the struggle for permanence, capturing the cultural and existential challenges faced in African societies.

FormFree verse

Themes & More

Themes

Life and DeathCultural BeliefsResilienceMotherhood

Literary devices

Imagery: Vivid descriptions of the environment and conditions.Symbolism: The Abiku represents the cycle of life and death.Metaphor: Scars compared to swordfish beak, symbolizing past struggles.Personification: The house and its elements are given human-like qualities.