Compare the ways in which poets present their ideas and attitudes in

Compare the ways in which poets present their ideas and attitudes in

Vultures and Limbo.

· Limbo

In this poem, Edward Kamau Brathwaite uses the game Limbo and limbo

dancing to represent his memories of the slave trade. The poet uses

the limbo stick to describe the action of the slaves: the stick is

lowered towards the ground - the slaves are being forced down into the

holds of the ship, becoming more down trodden as their lives are taken

away.

Also Limbo can be seen as a 'child hell' for un-baptised Catholics,

the slaves on the ship feel as though they're in hell.

Dancing beneath the limbo stick is used in representation of the

slaves actually aboard the ship. Many slaves would die and a

combination of luck, chance and determination decided who would

survive, just as it is touch-and-go whether or not the limbo dancer

will make it under the stick without touching it.

The poet also uses the stick as a source of comparison: the whip used

to beat the slaves and the stick used to beat the drum, as the slaves

rowed themselves further towards life imprisonment. Finally, when the

slaves reach the shore and they climb up out of the darkness, in

chains, are criminals (which is ironic as it is the slaves as it is

the slavers who are evil and unjust), the stick is being raised and

the game 'won'. There is a constant reference to the words 'dark' and

'darkness' (e.g. 'the long dark night', 'the darkness is over me',

'the dark still steady' etc.) throughout the poem and this puts

emphasis on the mood the poet is trying to re-create.

Overall the poet's memories are saddening but not with anger. They are

written in first person singular, as if by the slave but also as if we

were the slave - seeing through t...

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...e. Limbo although written for chanting/singing, can be similar to

Vultures at the tempo they are read at. Limbo is quite basic in its

english and uses many short sharp words, whereas Vultures is written

using long complicated words all the way through. I believe both poems

are based on the treatment of humans and human feeling, but I think

Vultures takes the theme a step futher by looking at love/hate and

good/evil.

I believe Vultures to be the more interesting and involving poem as it

questions your opinions and beliefs. Limbo I feel is quite boring as

it is not really a challenging, or very enthralling read.

I think that Chinua Achebe has more hope for man even though there are

many failings, whereas Edward Brathwaite although he does finish on

the happier note of the slaves reaching a new home, does not seem to

posses any belief in the good of man.