2. Chinua Achebe was born in
1931 in Nigeria.
His writings deal with the
discrimination & social injustice
faced by Africans in the 20th
century.
He addresses the evil in
humans that creates a lack of
respect & consideration for one
another.
3. Chinua Achebe is a Nigerian writer who
would probably be familiar with the sight of
vultures.
Vultures are scavenging birds, feeding on
the remains of a dead animal.
This is the image that he explores in the first
section of his poem entitled 'Vultures'
4. In the greyness
and drizzle of one despondent
dawn unstirred by harbinger
Of sunbreak a vulture
perching high on broken
bone of a dead tree
nestled close to his
mate his smooth
bashed-in head, a pebble
on a stem rooted in
a dump of gross
feathers, inclined affectionately
to hers. Yesterday they picked
the eyes of a swollen
corpse in a water-logged
trench and ate the
things in its bowel. Full
gorged they chose their roost
keeping the hollowed remnant
in easy range of cold
telescopic eyes…
Light rain
cloudiness
Unhappy and gloomy
messengers
rest
Left over
satisfied
Dead body
Alliteration highlights
how unwelcoming and
isolated the morning is.
A striking
Metaphor, making the
animal sound
unattractive.
Lots of
negative
adjectives
creates
images lacking
of life and
warmth.
5. Strange
indeed how love in other
ways so particular
will pick a corner
in that charnel-house
tidy it and coil up there, perhaps
even fall asleep – her face
turned to the wall!
Where dead
bodies and bones
are placed.
Praises that these horrid
beings can actually
show love.
This poem is primarily about how
Love can foster evil. Because no
one can truly be evil if they are
loved, then love keeps them alive.
Extended metaphor
throughout stanza
suggests love as
changeable and able to
perpetuate evil.
Personification of
love as a woman and
conjures up images of
a snake.
6. …Thus the Commandment at Belsen
Camp going home for
the day with fumes of
human roast clinging
rebelliously to his hairy
nostrils will stop
at the wayside sweet-shop
and pick up a chocolate
for his tender offspring
waiting at home for Daddy’s
return…
Praise bounteous
providence if you will
that grants even an ogre
a tiny glow-worm
tenderness encapsulated
in icy caverns of a cruel
heart or else despair
for in the very germ
of that kindred love is
lodged the perpetuity
of evil.
WWII Nazi
concentration camp
Similar description to
vultures feathers
The goodness of God
Monster
Does the poem leave you hopeful that every
person has some good in them, or depressed that
love can ‘allow’ such evil to continue?
This poem questions a culture which can produce a truly evil man who sill feels love and
affection for his family, and ultimately asks does love perpetuate evil?
This evil man is loved by and feels love for his son.
His evil actions elsewhere are justified to him.
hopeless
