Analysis of Niyi Osundare's Akintunde, come home using Expressive criticism

 

 "Akintunde, come home" is one of the many poems written by Niyi Osundare. Niyi Osundare is a Marxist and a political critic. He is an African by origins and by heart and this is portrayed in most of his poems including this very one as the poet's persona, "Akintunde" is a Yoruba name which means, "An hero has come again".

From the title, we can sense an underlying plea in the poet in telling "Akintunde" to come home. The clause "come home" depicts that Akintunde must have left home to probably explore and then later engage in struggles - political struggles as we were later made to know in the poem.

The poem begins with an adage of undeniably African origin. It is a rhetorical question which invariably points out the discipline, control and restrain exercised by African parents over their children. "Small mouth" as used in the poem could be symbolic of status, age, size, etc. which does not matter in African society when it comes to instilling discipline in their children.

 In the second stanza , the poet addresses Akintunde, telling him to come home. The Poet in this stanza begins a description of where Akintunde has been told to leave. Here, it is shown as a "land where life is a race" ( stanza two, line three). This is a metaphorical statement as life is compared to a race without the use of "like"  and "as" which equally shows competition in the land and is later proven when the poem continues stating that "the strong tramples the weak". Here, we can say that the "weak" is symbolic of the masses who are weak, powerless and unable to defend themselves while the strong are those in power. As it is, we could say that it is a competition between those in power (the strong) and the masses (the weak) with the masses being trampled on due to their helplessness and powerlessness, thereby creating an image of inequality and political dominance. The description does not end there as it is said that the "strong dashes for the fluttering fragments of stolen trophies" (lines 7-9). Fluttering here is symbolic for things that are not permanent as they move back and forth  while "stolen  trophies" is significant for glory that is owned by all but used by one who is less worthy and deserving of it. This image conjured here is a classic political situation where stolen trophies could be seen as various government offices and posts which the strong dashes for, even though they know that it is not a permanent one (fluttered) and they are less worthy of it (stolen) as can be seen in various electoral malpractices.

Niyi Osundare continues in the symbolic description of the land, telling Akintunde to come away from "bubbles which melt like wax before a raging blaze" (lines 10 - 12). Niyi paints a picture of a land which raises temporary hope (bubbles) and is therefore squashed when a political or economic struggle and misconduct happens ( raging blaze). Please note the use of simile "like" in line 11.

The third stanza begins with the Poet telling Akintunde to come home. The image of the land continues with the use of metaphor as we are told that "money is a God, appeased with a daily toll of skulls " (lines 14 - 15). It's easy for us to deduce that money is revered not like a god but is actually a god in the land!!! It is even appeased which is the borrowing of one of the important characteristics of African culture - SACRIFICE. But then money, like a god, is appeased with tolls of skulls. Niyi Osundare was supposedly trying to say that as important as money is, people have to be killed for the rich to gain more of it. He continued in his poem, asking Akintunde to come home before "the sword you wield turns around to claim your neck " Well, we could say that this advice was given to Akintunde in regard to the political struggle of the 1990s, when Niyi Osundare was a political critic. The above lines suggests that the power Akintunde wielded was not a permanent one and the "sword" as used in the poem could be symbolic of  a coup d'etat. However, the same way  a person uses a coup d'etat to come into power, so will he be removed from power via a coup d'etat.

The Fourth stanza begins with the repetition of "come home". With the image conjured by Niyi Osundare, I must say that there really is a need for the repetition. A metaphorical statement follows with saying that we all cannot be the iroko. This "iroko" is a mighty tree that towers over other plants, showing dominance. We are to note the use of personification in the next line. In this stanza, Niyi has shifted his attention from the land to people. He uses the scenario in the forest to explain that not everyone can be in dominance ( imperious boughs) while the lower forest which is symbolic of those who have no power or money dies of a sunless death. Since the iroko is huge, firm and broad, it covers all little trees, sparing them no sunlight which makes the little trees dies. "Sun" as used in the poem can mean benefits, happiness or profit. He told Akintunde to come away from the "fold of sun stealers". While the iroko are mighty men in dominance, they steal the happiness, benefits and profit of the masses but the masses have little or no say and therefore dies unhappy and unproductive.

Niyi Akintunde in the fifth stanza now tells us what the "home" looks like. He makes us to understand that the home "walls are mud" which shows uncivilization and poverty and " meatless meals quiet the howling stomach". Though there is no meat in their meals, no one complains but is rather contented. The masses have really embraced this life poverty. The consequent lines are  further attestations to the political flaws as Niyi Osundare points out that while politicians makes promises during campaigns, it is never fulfilled but are rather kept in "noisy bellies of belching parliament". Belching parliament refers to those who have stolen enough money and are filled but still have "noisy bellies" - though they are filled, they still hunger for more. 

In the sixth stanza, Niyi Osundare urges Akintunde to come home and makes use of the endearment "son" to make him feel loved, assured, safe and welcome to the home. Niyi continues that through their thatched roof ( pls note thatched roof again denoting poverty and uncivilization), "devouring deluge of looming clouds" can be seen. This is trying to spell danger as uncontentment, political dominance, greed, inequality, etc. is bound to bring great danger.

The poem is again ended with a proverb. Although the poet uses a sexual scene, oral sex to be precise. I think what he was trying to say is that even though He might not be man enough. Due to the fact that he's poor (this can be detected through the condition of his house), He's still a Father, Husband, and the Head of the house and that's enough for them to heed his words.. A small mouth (in the first stanza) and a small Penis (The last stanza)  stands as a *symbol* of his condition.

This poem is actually a free verse poem. And imagery is strongly employed to make the reader have better understanding of the situation at hand. In order to create a strong image, Niyi Osundare made vast use of personification, simile and metaphor and apostrophe. Repetition is also used to create emphasis. We could say that he kept on repeating come home so that even an erring Akintunde would understand the emergence and come home quickly.  Symbolism is another literary device used in the Poem.