SUMMARY

Ben Okri, the poet, depicts the struggles of Africans and calls for peace, unity, and solidarity among people from all over the world in the poem "The Awakening Age." This poem shows how hunger, poverty, unemployment, and ethnic, religious, political, terrorism, militancy, electoral, and other conflicts have made Nigerians a vulnerable community over time. The Igho people have been oppressed by northern Nigeria, which has led to ethno-religious conflict. Even though they are led by unseen forces, the people of the poem tell the story of how optimism holds them together like glue.

The speaker is attempting to address the new individuals of Nigeria, who have endured extraordinarily because of Nigeria's terrible slaughter brought about by ethnic, strict, geological, and monetary factors, and empowering them to share a brought together vision of a new, serene, and effective country in the primary stanza. An imaginary line that divides the Earth into two hemispheres is known as a meridian line in geography. In the poetry, it refers to the tensions and divisions that split Nigerians in half. The transformation of Nigerians from a land of struggle, poverty, and division during the civil war to one of peace and harmony is symbolized by traveling this Meridian line.

In the second stanza, the poet asks the Nigerian people to dream of a united nation that shines with joy, harmony, prosperity, and unity. The awakening age is celebrated after the conflict, when all Nigerians have stopped being enraged and hateful to one another.

In the third stanza, the speaker declares that the goal of nation-building must unite all people. People had hoped for a prosperous nation for a long time, but the ongoing conflicts prevented it. Numerous sects were used to divide people. This hope brings people together like a sturdy mountain rope.

The speaker asserts in the fourth stanza that no nation can reach new heights until its citizens are united. They must be free of conflicts, inequalities, and negativity within themselves, if they are to bring prosperity to their nation. To move from poverty and division to peace, prosperity, and unity, they must cross the barrier.

In the fifth stanza, the poet emphasizes that individuals must alter their narrow perspective in order to acquire the best prospects. They were confronted with difficulties, challenges, poverty, wars, and social division in the past. The country's decline can be attributed to these factors. The suffering will continue indefinitely if these individuals continue to ignore this fact.

In the sixth stanza, the poet makes it clear that poverty and misery are self-inflicted and can only be reduced through collaborative efforts that utilize wisdom, creativity, and acquired resources.

In the seventh stanza, the speaker adds that any nation will have peace, harmony, and brotherhood if everyone shares a sense of nationalism. There must be no racial, cultural, religious, political, or economic division among individuals. We can lead our country to success by surrendering things like this. The people of Nigeria are united and aware of their previous sorrows, allowing them to enjoy the benefits of love now.

UNDERSTANDING THE TEXT

ANSWER THE QUESTIONS BELOW.

a. Who are the "travelers of the meridian line?"

The Nigerians "who travel the meridian line" are divided into two groups as a result of the bloody civil war: both the north and south. These individuals have endured hunger, poverty, unemployment, and other aspects of life throughout their fragmented existence.

b. What does "a new world" mean to the poet?

When the poet says, "a new world," he is describing a beautiful world that is full of hope, wealth, unity, truth, knowledge, and creativity.

c. How are people connected with one another?

People are linked to one another by a sense of optimism, prosperity, unity, and knowledge.

d. What might we acquire after our perceptions are changed?

There are a number of advantages we can enjoy once our perceptions are altered. By altering our perceptions, we can gain honesty away from difficulties and suffering. By altering our perceptions, we can gain harmony, integrity, wealth, work, wisdom, and creativity.

e. In what ways do new people help us?

We benefit from new people in numerous ways because our solidarity with them propels us toward a prosperous nation. They help us achieve a higher level of inner happiness, sincerity in our opinions, work, knowledge, and creativity.

f. Describe the sonnet's rhyme scheme.

The poem has fourteen lines in total, seven separate couplets (stanzas of two lines).The rhyme scheme of this sonnet is straightforward and sonorous, providing a rhythmic tone, and each stanza contains a couplet that rhymes. AA BB CC DD EE FF GG is the rhyme scheme.

REFERENCE TO THE CONTEXT

a. What does the artist mean by 'the awakening age'?

The term "awakening age" refers to the time when Africans began to understand, comprehend, or become aware of their circumstances and the development of their new world. This is the age of enlightenment, following Nigeria's brutal civil war, when people live in peace, prosperity, liberty, happiness, unity, and harmony.

b. Why, in your opinion, have these individuals "lived with the rage of poverty"?

I believe that Africans were exploited by Europeans during the colonial era for the purpose of extracting natural resources, and as a result, these individuals have "lived with poverty's rage." On the other hand, countries in Africa were involved in a prolonged civil war. There was a disparity in how the wealth of the nation was distributed as a result of the ascendancy of a few powerful individuals over authority. People of ordinary means are unaware that life was not all about poverty. They neglected the plight of ordinary Nigerians and were more preoccupied with internal issues like religion, culture, political philosophy, ethnicity, and so on.

c. Why does the poet urge people to stand together?

The poet urges people to work together to realize their dream of a better world. He hopes that the unfortunate citizens of Nigeria will all reach new heights of prosperity, hope, unity, truth, wisdom, and creativity. He believes that people's solidarity can only assist them in overcoming their difficulties.

d. Is migration portrayed positively by the poet? Why? Why not?

Yes, the poet portrays migration in a positive light because it raises the number of people of working age. Through awakening, migration aids in their transition from one level to another. In a new age of awakening, the poet wishes for them to be united, prosperous, honest, intelligent, and creative without suffering. Migrants bring skills to the countries they are moving to and help build human capital there. Additionally, they encourage the development of cutting-edge technology.

e. Nepal is also well-known for the educational and economic migrants. When these migrants return home from abroad, do you observe any shifts in their perspectives or actions?

Yes, there seems to be huge change in their perspective and action. They start speaking for their rights, they start utilizing their skills on productive sectors as soon as they return. Some of them search for jobs while other try to get self-employed. There are numerous people who have made a difference to the Nepalese economy from their work such as Mahabir Pun, Sanduk Ruit, Anil Kesari Shah and many others who employed their foreign training for Nepal. Nonetheless, there are also people who have suffered a lot by trying to use their skills learned abroad in Nepal due to various reasons and again move abroad because they cannot sustain their life in Nepal due to unfavorable conditions. Nevertheless, they start thinking and acting differently after they return home from abroad.

f. Draw parallels between the poet's idealized way of life and the rhyme scheme of this sonnet.

The poem is optimistic, and the rhyme scheme is AA BB CC DD EE FF and GG. This rhyming scheme is usually used in hymns and prayers. That is to say, this rhyming scheme delivers a positive music that while reading encourages the reader to follow the path the poet has suggested in the poem by spreading positivity and insight.

REFERENCE BEYOND THE TEXT

a. Write an essay on "The Impacts of Migration on Nepali Society" with references outside of the text.

Migration is a process of moving from one place to another in search of food, shelter, clothes, better opportunity and security. There are four kinds of migration; emigration, immigration, internal migration and external migration. Internal migration is defined as movement within a state, country, or continent. Moving to a different state, nation, or continent is an example of external migration. Emigration is the act of leaving one nation to live in another. Moving to a new nation is referred to as immigration. There are both advantages and disadvantages of migration.

Looking at the advantages, migration can be beneficial because people get access to better opportunities and get chance to learn about new culture, tradition and language. Similarly for the society, they can experience increase in economic activities. That is to say, when people migrate they want to move away from the opportunities they are getting or that are not sufficient for them. This encourages people to find more sustainable ways for livelihood which further encourage them to create new ways of living and opportunities for themselves. In addition, they get an opportunity to learn the language, culture and tradition of other communities which make them more welcoming and co-existing. Similarly, societies where they migrate experience a boost in economy as the youths who migrate contribute their knowledge and skills to the society; thereby incrementing the place’s overall economic activity.

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However, there can be disadvantages too. The foremost disadvantage is uneven distribution of population. Normally, people migrate from less privileged areas to developed ones. This creates a boost in population creating pollution, huge competition on available jobs and resources, crime and housing problems. Migration can leave rural areas and undeveloped areas undeveloped for years because of the lack of working and educated population.

In conclusion, migration has both good sides and bad such as increase in skilled youths, exchange of culture, crime, pollution, and lack of accommodations. However, managing migration through certain government policy can always make it more beneficial than harmful.