The poem that wins the heart of the judges for this week is written by Abass Sani. He is a 200 level student of English, Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto.
TON ON MY HEAD – By Abass Sani
At the first light
When I began the journey
I Pleaded the master
To spear my eyes
The heart wants not
Jerked up for the task
A bunch of pitiless task
None will sacrifice for me
I fall and rise again,
To reap the success
The sun roasts my skin
Blinded by the day’s light
To get to my destination
My heart begs for ease
But, I plead to it
I turn around the globe
To catch a helper
But, darkness filled the eyes
Mommy, I want you
Daddy, grab my palms
This is my mission
I am soaked in my sweat
I’ll lift my burden alone
And crawl to my destination
To be crowned the king tomorrow
GENERAL ANALYSIS
The young poet, Abass Sani has clearly shown through his choice of words in the poem, the problems and pressures he undergoes as an undergraduate student. The poem “Ton on my Head” profoundly expresses the feeling of the poet towards life.
The poet, in the poem tells us how he goes through stress on daily basis and from time to time. Being a struggling mind, he describes the tasks he encounters as “a bunch of pitiless task”, which “none will sacrifice for” him. “I fall and rise again,” he says, stating how affected he is by the struggle of life.
There’s no sweet they say without sweat. In stanza 3, the poet mentions the fact that the “sun roasts my skin.” He reveals how blinded he is by the sparkling daylight which waylays him to get to the final destination on time.
When one is far away from home and things tend to be hard, one feels homesick. That is exactly what has happened to the poet where he says: “I turn around the globe/ To catch a helper/ But, darkness filled the eyes/ Mommy, I want you/ Daddy, grab my palms.”
Optimistically, despite the stress and struggle of the poet, he still hopes positively that he’ll lift his burden alone. “And crawl to my destination to be crowned the king tomorrow,” he remarks.
THEMATIC CONCERNS
The major dominant themes of this poem are the themes of “struggle for success” and “optimism”. Despite the fact that the poet fails in many ways, he still hopes that one day he shall be successful.
LANGUAGE AND STYLISTICS
The poem, though, with simple diction is filled with figurative expressions that form a clear imagery in the minds of the readers. Some of the figures of speech employed by poet are: Metaphor, personification, hyperbole, simile, flash-forward and etc.
Meanwhile, the tone of the poem is optimistic while the mood is sad and thoughtful.