Vultures

GlossaryDespondent – hopeless, unhappyHarbingers – forerunners, omens, warningsGorged – stuffed fullRemnant – remains, leftoverCharnel-house – slaughterhouseBelsen – a notorious concentration campBounteous – plentiful, overflowingProvidence – fate, destinyEncapsulated – summed up, contained inKindred – relative, familyPerpetuity – eternity, time without end

• Vultures

Def: A person or thing (bird) that preys greedily and ruthlessly on others, especially the helpless

Vultures

Chinua Achebe was born in the Igbo (or Ibo) region of Nigeria.

In 1967, Nigeria’s Eastern region declared itself the independent Republic of Biafra. A war ensued and the Nigerian army starved the rebels into submission. During this time, Achebe worked for the Biafran government.

Vultures

In 1971, after the war ended, he published a book of poetry. He divided the book into two sections, ‘Poems About War’ and ‘Poems Not About War’.

Vultures is from the second section which deals with the aftermath of war – the title of this section is at least partly ironic.

What happens in the poem?

• The poem introduces us to the vultures and their unpleasant diet; in spite of this, they appear to care for each other. From this Achebe goes on to note how even the worst of human beings show some touches of humanity - the concentration camp commandant, having spent the day burning human corpses, buys chocolate for his “tender offspring” (child or children). This leads to an unclear conclusion:

Concentration camps

• These camps were set up for the sole purpose of eliminating the Jews.

• The two most infamous camps were in Poland and were called Auschwitz and Belsen

Vultures

This poem explores the nature of evil.

Even ugly, scavenging vultures show love for one another.

Love can found in the strangest places.

Vultures

Achebe takes the example of the Commandant at Belsen – perhaps someone most people would see as one of the most evil people ever.

He shows how even this evil, cruel man showed love for his daughter and was loved by her.

Vultures

He then invites us to:

Either be grateful that even in the most evil places there is a tiny amount of love or tenderness

Or

Despair that this is true because it is this bit of love or tenderness that keeps evil going.

Vultures

Pause here to read and discuss the poem before moving on to the

next set of tasks.

Vultures

Reread lines 1 to 20.

Which words do you think make the vultures’ world seem ugly and unpleasant?

Which words suggest death – an idea that runs through the poem?

Vultures

Personification is a poetic technique where non-living things are made to sound like humans.

Achebe personifies love. Which human qualities does he give to love?What is he trying to say about love, do you think?

Vultures

How is the Commandant made to sound ugly and unfeeling, like the vultures?

How is the changing focus of the poem reflected in its layout?

Vultures

How would you sum up Achebe’s message in this poem?

What do you think he is saying about the world in which we live?