Class 12 English Lesson 11: Poem: The Awakening Age by Ben Okri Literature Section

 

Lesson 4 The Poem: The Awakening Age by Ben Okri

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About the poet

 

The Nigerian poet, fiction writer and essayist Ben Okri (b. 1949) spent his early childhood in London. He is awarded the prize called ‘Man Booker’ for his novel ‘The Famished Road’. His wirings mostly reflect the Nigerian civil war that is experienced by his family. He quotes, ‘Everyone has different reality so we need a different language for different perceptions.’ A prolific poet and story teller, Okri, like in his other works, portrays the hardships of the African people in “The Awakening Age”.

Theme of the Poem

The Awakening Age portrays the hardships of the African people. In addition, the poem makes a call for unity, peace and solidarity among human beings from different parts of the world. The awakening age represents the age with the new picture, style and education of African people.

Summary of the poem

The poem "the awakening age" by Ben Okri is a poem of hope. Here in this poem, the poet has wished for all the miserable Nigerians who had been fragmented due to the devastating civil war that lasted for three crucial years. The speaker wishes African inhabitants may have the vision of a new world, a world of hope, prosperity, unity, truth, wisdom and creativity. He wishes for all Nigerians who travel the meridian line i.e. who had been divided into fragmentations of the south and the north due to the devastating civil war, may have the shining vision of a new peaceful world within them after the outbreak of civil peace in the nation. These people have travelled a long path of hunger, poverty, unemployment and other aspects of their lives during their survival in fragmentations.

The speaker in the second stanza also wishes for them that they may experience the glory of the awakening age. According to him, those Nigerian eyes who had seen extreme poverty and famine may get the chance to see fine conditions through the glory of the awakening age (the age of African people's recognition, realization, or coming into awareness of their condition, and the beginning of their new world). This age is the age of enlightenment where there is peace, prosperity, liberation, joy, unity and harmony among people. In the third stanza, the speaker talks about hope and its connection with the Nigerian people. According to him, Nigerians are quite hopeful people. All Nigerians are richly linked in hopes. Their hopes were woven into history ie at a time of critical fragmented life. Their hopes are still quite strong like the mountain rope that can unite all the Nigerians into one in their new peaceful world. According to him, hope is the one among Nigerians that can connect them like a mountain rope. 

In the fourth stanza, he talks about the unity of the Nigerian people. According to him, Nigerians' unity can lead them towards a height of perfection and prosperity.  He suggests to all the Nigerians including himself that if we are united, we can reach a new height. We must be united to thrive in our lives. If we are guided by our heart's clearest light (positivity), we can reach this height. We must be away from the concept of rage, hatred and discrimination. Being united, we can ascend towards our prosperity. In the fifth stanza, he talks about the necessity of changed perception (truth) for all. According to him, we must be away from the narrow perception at first. This will be the perfect way to gain much. If we are broad in our perception, we can get a flowering of truth instead of pain. Our life will move on the way of truth without any trouble. Thus, the way of perception must be changed. In the sixth stanza, he talks about hopeful conditions regarding Nigerians' lives. In this condition, people will be in a fine state away from their poverty range. They will have prosperity, jobs, wisdom and creativity. They will get more in this condition. This is the condition that is the blend of vision of the new world, realization, hope, positivity, changed perception etc.

In the final stanza, he talks about the joyous lives of all in different places no matter the south or the north. According to him, the lives of the people will be joyous. They will have peace and harmony. The outcome will be so loving in space and time. People's lives in the new world will be so pleasant and full of rhymes.

Understanding the Text: Answer the following questions.

a.      Who are the people ‘who travel the meridian line’?

The people 'who travel the meridian line' are those Nigerian people who have been divided into two sects the south and the north due to the devastating civil war. These people have travelled a long path of hunger, poverty, unemployment and other aspects of their lives during their survival in fragmentations.

b.     What does the poet mean by a new world? 

The poet by 'a new world' means a fine world which is a world of hope, prosperity, unity, truth, wisdom and creativity. This is the world of united Nigeria that people have experienced after the outbreak of civil peace in Nigeria.

c.      How are people connected?

People are connected with hope from history. They are quite strong in their hopes. Due to this firm hope, they can rise to a new height of a prosperous and united nation with positivity and wisdom.

d.     What can we gain after our perceptions are changed? 

We can gain varieties of things after our perceptions are changed. Through changed perceptions, we can gain truthfulness away from problems and pains. When our perceptions are changed, we will be able to gain unity, truth, prosperity, work, wisdom and creativity. 

e.      How are we benefited by new people? 

We are benefited from new people by their support in various aspects. Our unity with them leads us towards a prosperous state. They support us to reach a new height where there is positivity in our hearts, truthfulness in our perceptions, work, wisdom and creativity.

f.       Describe the rhyme scheme of this sonnet.

There are altogether seven different stanzas that contain fourteen lines. Every stanza has two lines (couplet). The rhyme scheme of this sonnet is so simple and sonorous which has provided a rhythmic tone. Every stanza has a rhyming couplet. For example, AA BB CC DD EE FF and GG. 

 

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Click for Reference to Context: https://limbuchandrabahadur.blogspot.com/2025/06/class-12-english-lesson-11-poem_9.html