(a). With reference to the Poem selected Discuss the central issues conveyed in a poem, (b).Make a critical analysis of both literary and poetic features employed in a poem towards achieving the intended objectives

INTRODUCTION

(a). The central issues in poem is all about the main topic of discussion, the central issue is always themes in a particular poem. Therefore, Themes refers to the main subject of something such as a book, speech, art exhibition or discussion. Macmillan, (2007).Or

Themes; refers to the central meaning or dominant ideas in a literary work. Meyer, M.(1995). A theme it is important not to mistake the theme for actual subject of the work.

Generally, themes are points that are central to a story which can often be summed in a single word for example love, sacrifices, betrayal. A theme may be exemplified by the action, utterances, or thought of a character. By using a poem of DOUBLE BEATING by Richard Mabala to discuss different central issues portrayed in this poem.

The issue of torture; refers t to the situation of hurting a person deliberately in a very cruel way especially as a punishment or in order to make them say something. Macmillan, (2007).In DOUBLE BEATING a poet discusses the issue of torture when a husband mistreats his wife though beating her with no big reason. This is evidenced when a persona says

                                  Today my husband beat me

                                   Beat me till the blood spurted.

                                       (stanza 2, verses 2 and 3)

This situation shows husband treats his wife in a cruel way. A poet tries to reveal this in order to send a message to some people in the street uses to torture their wives. This is not good to be inherent to the society.

The issue of betrayal; betrayal refers to act of going against the agreement. Hornby (2010).In the BOUBLE BEATING a poet shows the issue of betrayal though the Government, Government betrays people by not paying their money on the agreed time as the result people lives in a difficult situation because they have no money for their survival. This is evidenced when persona says

                                     Come again next week.

                                      (stanza 6, last verse)

The Government keeps on promising people for their money despite of their agreement, that their money will be provided after three months to come. This situation is not good because it prevents people’s development. The Government should implement their promises in order to promote socio-political development in the society.

The issue of poverty; poverty refers to a situation in which someone does not have enough money to pay for their basic needs. Macmillan, (2007). Generally poverty hinder people even to afford his or her basic needs like food, shelter and clothes. In  DOUBLE BEATING  a poet tries to discuss the poverty situation though the family of husband and his wife, this is evidenced when persona says

                                      Three months of hiding the children from school

                                       Because my daughter’s skirt

                                        Is now too short

                                        To cover her budding  youth.

                                          ( stanza 3, verses 11, 12, 13, and 14.)

This shows that parents has no ability even to buy new school uniform for their children. The poet discusses this poverty situation because even in our societies poverty is enemy of development so poet wants people to fight against poverty in order to promote socio-political development.

The issue of conflict; conflict refers to angry disagreement between people or groups. Macmillan (2007).The misunderstanding between people is un inevitable in the society because there is no society without conflict it can be social, political, or economic conflict. In DOUBLE BEATING a poet discusses this issue of conflict differently for example

 Internal conflict. This is when a person anathematizes himself or herself about a certain issue which is disappointed him or her. In DOUBLE BEATING, the poet shows internal or personal conflict through wife who is in dilemma about who to bream herself, her husband or the government. This is evidenced after a person says

                                                I only asked,

                                                I was so foolish,

                                                I failed to see the tell tale bitter lines.

                                                ( stanza 4 verses 7, 8, and 9).

This show that, a wife is complaining for herself that she failed to cope with environment thus why her husband beats her. This is also common in our societies because people anathematizing themselves about their weaknesses.

Intra-personal conflict. This is when two or more people are in misunderstanding  following their socio-political or economic differentiation. In DOUBLE BEATING poet shows the different conflicts like a conflict between wife and her husband, conflict between husband and the Government. For instance the Government has in conflict with husband following the delay of their money which was promised three months before. This is evidenced when persona says                                   

                                     Come again next week.

                                      (stanza 6, last verse).

This influenced them to inter into conflict in the sense that, they were promised for their money to be given after three months to come but yet no money and keep on promising.

The issue of revenge; refers to something that you do to hurt or punish someone because they have hurt you or someone else. Macmillan (2007).The action of inflicting hurt or harm to someone for an injury or wrong suffered at their hand. In DOUBLE BEATING, the poet discusses the issue of revenge though Husband to his Wife. The husband harms his wife after being inflicted by the Government about coffee money which was promised for long time. This is evidenced after persona says

                                        When the hummer pounds the nail

                                         And the nail bites

                                          Into the wood

                                         (stanza 7, verses 4, 5, and 6).

Wife asks this question to neighbors that when the Government mistreats husband and husband inflicts his wife?, this is common in many societies in Tanzanian, the poet wants people to change.

The issue of disappointment; refers to the feeling of being unhappy because something that you hoped for or expected did not happen, or because someone or something is not a good as expected. Macmillan (2007).In DOUBLE BEATING, the poet reveals the issue of disappointment through the Husband who is expected to get his money from the Government after three months and finally the promise became promise less after the Government keep on promising to come next week. This is evidenced when persona says                                    

                                     Come again next week.

                                      (stanza 6, last verse)

The issue of ignorance; refers to the lack of knowledge or fact about situation or a particular subject. Macmillan (2007). In DOUBLE BEATING, the poet reveals the issue of ignorance through Wife who is ignorant about the causative agent of their conflict. This is evidenced when persona says

                            Who is wood to blame?

                              (stanza 1, verse 8)

Wood is symbolically presented to mean Wife, thus why wife is ignorant about who to blame whether her Husband or The Government. Even in our societies people are ignorant about why they are living in poverty situation with no solution.

The issue of tolerance; the altitude of someone who is willing to accept someone else’s belief, way of life, without criticizing them even if they disagree with them. Macmillan (2007).In DOUBLE BEATING, the poet discusses the issue of tolerance through all citizen presented by Husband for their coffee money, this is evidenced when a persona says

                              Haven’t we all waited?

                              Three months to be paid.

                              ( in stanza 3, verses 6 and 7).

The poet shows this because even in our societies people are so tolerant to their Government despite of their promises during the campaign to the citizen but still nothing to happen.

The issue of exploitation; refers to unfair treatment of someone, or the use of a situation in a way that is wrong in order to get some benefit for yourself. Macmillan (2007).In DOUBLE BEATING, the poet discusses the issue of exploitation done by the Government to citizens. The Government collects all crops to the citizen and determines the price of crops. So citizen are exploited by low price but also their money are not given on time, this is for the aim of defending Government interest. It is evidenced when persona says

                               Haven’t we all waited?

                              Three months to be paid

                              Three months of faltering hope

                              And money spent in dreams.

                              ( stanza 3, verses 6, 7, 15 and 16).

The poet discusses this because in our societies exploitation is common for example rich exploit poor as the result poverty being order of the day in our societies. So poet wants people to be out of exploitation.

(b) Literary techniques and poetic features.

Enjambment: The phenomenon whereby one line of poetry carries over into the next line without any punctuation whatever. Bennett &Royle ( 2004).This is happened in almost all lines, evidenced after a persona says

                            When the hummer pound the nail

                              (stanza 1, verse 4)

There is no any punctuation mark in this verse; this is always used to create a question to the readers about which mark should be put there to have meaningful verse.

Figure of speech or figurative language:

 This is usually defined in negative terms that is to say, as non-literal language. Figurative language involves the entire field of what is known as rhetoric and includes, for example, metaphor, simile, hyperbole, anthropomorphism, Bennett & Royle (2004).In DOUBLE BEATING, the poet uses different figures of speech as follows

(a) The use of symbolism; refers to a figure of speech used to stand for something else. In DOUBLE BEATING, the poet uses different words to stand for other things. For example the words like wood stands for Wife, Nail stands for Husband, and Hummer stands for Government. This is evidenced after persons to say

                                         When the hummer pounds the nail

                                         And the nail bites

                                          Into the wood

                                         (stanza 7, verses 4, 5, and 6).

Wife asks this question to neighbors that when the Government mistreats Husband and Husband inflicts his Wife?

(b) The use of hyperbole; refers to a figure of speech which is used to make a fact exaggeration. Murthy (1998). In DOUBLE BEATING, the poet used hyperbolic statement in order to take attention to the readers. This is when persona says                                

                                   Today my husband beat me

                                   Beat me till the blood spurted.

                                       (stanza 2, verses 2 and 3)

The blood spurted, means she loses a lot of blood. This used to show how seriousness is about a particular situation.

(c) The use of imagery; refers to a figure of speech used to create mental picture into the mind of the reader. Murthy (1998). In DOUBLE BEATING, the poet uses to create mental pictures after using some words; this is evidenced after persona says                                   

                                   Today my husband beat me

                                   Beat me till the blood spurted.

                                       (stanza 2, verses 2 and 3)

This creates the image of painful into the mind of the reader especially when someone is beaten. Its implication range all the way from mental picture which it is sometimes claimed are experienced by the readers of the poem to the totality of components that makes up a poem.

 (d) The use of personification; is a figure of speech which is used to belief that inanimate, lifeless object and abstract ideas are living being. Murthy (1998). Non human to perform like human being. In DOUBLE BEATING, the poet shows this when persona says                                             

                                         When the hummer pounds the nail

                                         And the nail bites

                                          Into the wood

                                         (stanza 7, verses 4, 5, and 6).

Hummer and nail are given power to perform like human being because, the Hummer has no ability to pound the nail but human has ability to take hummer and to pound the nail into the wood.

A rhetorical question:

Is a sentence in a grammatical form of a question which is not asked in order to request information or to invite a reply, but to achieve a greater expressive force than a direct assertion. Abrams, M.H,(1999).The poet uses to ask question in which its answers are already known. In DOUBLE BEATING, the poet evidenced this after persona says

                           Who is the wood to blame?

                          ( last stanza and the last verse)

This question its answers are already known that the Government has to be blamed because it is not responsible to take care for citizens. This is always used to measure the level of understanding between readers of a work of art.

Paradox

A statement that initially appears to be contradictory but then, on closer inspection, turns out to make sense that underlies the statement. Abrams, M.H,(1999).In DOUBLE BEATING, the poet uses the sentence that contradicts the reader. This is evidenced when persona says

                                  I failed to see the tell tale bitter lines

                                     ( stanza 4, verse 8).

This verse contradicts the readers to understand the standing point of wife, paradox is used because it arrests a reader’s attention by its seemingly stubborn refusal to make sense.

 Alliteration

The recurrence of an initial consonantal sound in words that come close together in a line. Maruka, O.(2005). Also Alliteration can be defined as the repetition of the same consonant sound in a sequence of words, usually at the beginning of a word or stressed syllable. Abrams, M.H,(1999).In DOUBLE BEATING, the poet used this technique especially when persona says

                                  I failed to see the tell tale bitter lines

                                     (stanza 4, verse 8).

The words tell and tale is of the same consonant sound. This technique is used for emphatic reason and to create beauty of literary work.

Generally, poetry as a genre of literature uses poems to perform various roles to the audiences or readers like; to educate people, to criticize, to entertain people, and to develop language skills, since poetry is economical in language use.  

                                              

REFERENCES

Abrams, M.H.(1999);A Glossary of literary terms. 7^th Ed. Massaschusetts02210:                Earl Mcpeek.

Hornby, A.S(2010)Oxford Advanced Leaner’s Dictionary of Current English. 8^th Ed. New                 York: Oxford University Press.

Macmillan, English Dictionary for Advanced learners. 2^nd Ed. Oxford Ox4 3pp: Macmillan                Publishers Limited.

Meyer, M (1995)Thinking and writing about Literature. Boston: St. Martin’s press,Inc.

Miruka, O.(2005). Encounter With Oral Literature, Kenya: East African Educational Publishers                    Ltd.

Murthy, D.J.(1998).Contemporary English Grammar, New Delhi-2:Book Palace.

Selected Poem. (1996)Rev- Ed.  Dar es Salaam: Tanzania Institute of Education (TIE).