the state visit by niyi osundare summary

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An interview with Nigerian poet Niyi Osundare

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Corruption and Social Protest in Niyi Osundare's The State Visit

The major focus of Nigerian dramatists after independence is the gross failure of the leaders despite several attempts at governance (military and democratic), leaving the people disillusioned with matters of social and political conduct. These failures therefore continually impose a didactic objective on dramatic works to perform a societal function of changing the status quo, in addition to its aesthetics function of entertainment. Corruption is a trend in developing nations and a germane issue in post-independence Nigeria. Literature, being the mirror of the society especially as it affects the oppressed and less privileged citizenry, is takes another scrupulous look at the issue of Politics and corruption, examining socio-political misdeeds of elected and selected leaders who are meant to serve the citizenry. This research establishes the extent to which the playwright Niyi Osundare is committed to preaching the evil of Politicians and the effect of corruption on the economy and propagating social protest as a veritable tool to end bad leadership.

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Corruption is one of the numerous problems that besieged most African nations immediately after their independence and is still eating deep into their systems. In Nigeria, the economic, socio-political and religious sectors are in disarray. Corruption is increasing and is at the edge of turning into a norm. It has reached the extent of undermining development and economic prosperity that more than 75% of the people are living in abject poverty. Politicians devoid of integrity, patriotism and commitment lead but blow the whistle on their efforts in the fight against corruption. Many writers have expressed the menace of corruption in their works. This paper explores playwrights’ critical responses to the fight against corruption in Nigeria and aims at providing solutions by highlighting the severe punishments to be meted on citizens guilty of corruption. It also aims at unfolding qualities expected of the citizens for a meaningful fight of corruption.

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The social and politico-economic growth of a nation is largely dependent on the credibility of her leadership. No organisation, group or association has ever achieved economic, social and cultural growth without being engineered by person(s) who form a permanent leadership caucus. In the world at large, judging from the antediluvian era up till now, there had not been a period of leadership perfection. In Nigeria, the centrifugal force of indecisiveness and perverted judgement has taken over as a modus of leading the masses against the original setting of the constitution. Therefore, this study aims to add voice to the existing voices advocating for adequate restructuring of Nigerian federal leadership in order to ameliorate her economic instability that led the nation into economic recession. The researchers zero in the study on Alex Asigbo’s The Reign of Pascal Amusu and Emeka Nwabueze’s A Parliament of Vulture which serve as literary templates in divulging and disparaging the bad...

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Theatre over the years has proven to be a vital medium of social mobilization and change due to its communication impact in the society. Overtime, creative artists, especially those in the theatre have found theatrical products vis-à-vis dance, music, poetry and drama inevitable as well as viable weapons in insurrection, re-shaping and creating norms in the society. In fact artists have used their arts to pass across revolutionary messages to the rulers and the ruled as well. This they do via the power of language. This paper submits that theatre has made it very easy for artists, most importantly the playwrights to boldly stand out in the crowd to watch, speak and “prophesy” change with their “weapon” without fear or favour. To these “few”- literary artists, freedom from oppression and draconian rule do not come easily. Sometimes sacrifice is required and paid by the “few” even with their blood.

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African countries have consistently been involved in civil unrest, political instability, threats of secession, selection instead of election as well as rigging of elections, sit tight leaders and many more malaise. Despite the fact that Africa is blessed with enough human, material and natural resources, yet most of these resources have been grossly mismanaged or fretted away by her leaders who have refused to rise above board. The aim of the research is to portray the efforts of our dramatists in exposing the machinations of our leaders in their quest to retain power and acquire wealth to the detriment of the masses. The objectives of the study is to expose some these devices and enlighten the public on the schemes of their leaders and politicians who pretend to be serving the public whilein the real sense are enriching themselves while impoverishing the masses as well as to expose the different ways in which these heinous crime against the people are perpetrated. The research ado...

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Book Review | Niyi Osundare: A Literary Biography | Kọ́lá Túbọ̀ṣún

by Ainehi Edoro

October 09, 2017

One day, when he was a child, Níyì Ọ̀ṣúndáre’s father called him into the living room to present a gift he had brought for him from Lagos. In Ìkẹ́rẹ́ Èkìtì at this time in pre-independence Nigeria, much of what now defines “enlightenment” was limited to big cities and not generally accessible to all parts of the country.

What his father had bought for his son demanding this intimate interaction in his living room, however, was not a nifty gadget or an electronic device. It was a pen.

“I have brought this for you to use when you have advanced in your education,” the father said. “I do not know how to use it, but I know its power. I use the hoe to scratch the earth for a living; but you will use this pen as your own tool. The way I see the world today, the future belongs to those who are able to scribble black things on a white surface.”

And with that, a book, and the trajectory of the enchanted life of one of Africa’s most prominent published poets began. The book is Niyi Osundare: A Literary Biography written by Sule E. Egya, a poet and literary scholar. The event referenced in the first chapter of the book was necessary to ground the reader in the time and situation of Professor Ọ̀ṣúndáre’s early beginnings, and also in the historical foregrounding of pre-independence Nigeria, Ìkẹ̀rẹ́ Èkìtì in particular, and the poet’s own peculiar upbringing.

Professor Níyì Ọ̀ṣúndáre is today one of Africa’s most recognizable writers, whose life and work bestride decades of creative output in poetry, drama, literary scholarship, and teaching. His is known as the “people’s poet” (defined as one whose work was found to be more accessible as contrasted with the Nigerian poets of earlier generation, Sóyínká, Okigbo, etc, who were deemed to be more obscurantist) has endured, and earned him a niche in the second generation of Nigerian writers as a distinct and delightful voice. He was educated at the University of Ìbàdàn for his bachelors, the University of Leeds for his master’s and York University, Canada, for his Ph.D. He was the Head of the Department of English at the University of Ìbàdàn from 1993 to 1997 and a professor of English at the University of New Orleans since 1997.

When I first met him in the flesh as a student in the Faculty of Arts in the University of Ìbàdàn in the early 2000, his occasional presence as a visiting professor always brought color and excitement to the environment. His reputation as one of the most recognizable members of the faculty had preceded him. He taught a third-year level course in poetry at the Department of English, but not as a full-time member of staff, though I didn’t know that at the time. He came in during the summer and disappeared for the rest of the term. This scarcity further elevated the value of the class he taught and had qualified students scrambling to attend. When I was in my second year and I learnt that it was going to be his final year of teaching in the university, I started attending his classes, even though I wasn’t qualified to earn credits for my work. It was to the professor’s credit and unconventional nature that he never kicked me out.

The biography better situates the reason for his presence on campus during these times in appropriate context. He had transferred from the university to New Orleans in 1997 due to a personal family emergency he discussed further in a recent interview . But he came around to teach every year in Ibadan because of his commitment to the students and to the institution. At close range, he confirmed that commitment, occasionally bringing other writers from around the country to speak with the students. His unconventional nature was evident when, one day when the classroom didn’t feel conducive enough to learn because of heat, he took the class out to a spot in the faculty quadrangle, under the open skies.

Those who have known or read or learnt from this writer and poet and have wondered why there hasn’t been any detailed or comprehensive account of his life, either by the poet himself or by anyone close to him, will no longer have to. As a writer known mostly for his poetry, penning an autobiography might have come across as incongruous with an image of a modest and usually self-effacing man whose passion lay in his work and not in personal aggrandisement (Egya reports that Ọ̀ṣúndáre turned down the Commissioner for Education position from his state government in 1988 and a honorary chieftaincy title from his home town a year later). But in the hands of a competent third-person narrator, in a work of careful and diligent scholarship, we have a comprehensive entry point into the life of the poet, his early influences and affiliations, family life, his published work, criticism of his work, and other notable events in his life.

It turns out that, along with having earned a place as one of the continent’s most enduring poetic voices, Níyì Ọ̀ṣúndáre has also lived an enchated life. “Farmer-born, peasant-bred” is one of the most recognizable descriptors he has used to describe his life. But that says little of the journey he has taken from humble beginnings as a child of Ọ̀ṣun in the forties to become the winner of the NOMA Award for Publishing, the Nigerian National Merit Award for Academic Excellence, the Commonwealth Poetry Prize, and other numerous honours across the world. From being one of the first graduates from his hometown to attend a university, he became a professor of English at the University of Ìbàdàn (in 1989) and an important social commentator who used satire through poetry to address contemporary issues.

His caustic tongue was eventually to prove problematic for the powers that be. After receiving a Commonwealth Poetry Prize in the UK, he was targeted for murder, likely by the Nigerian military regime. One evening in January 1987, while he was walking around the university premises with a friend, he was attacked by unknown men who, having at first confused as to what dangerous weapon to attack him with, settled on an axe with which they hacked his head. He lived to tell the tale, though with a concussion that took months in the hospital to heal. As one whose primary medium of artistic interface with his world is poetry, his response came in the form of a poetry collection Moonsongs (1988), described as “a product of intense therapeutic concentration” and has became one of his most critically praised work, feted for its “inward poetic journey” and “level of technical excellence”.

Another notable brush with death he would face came in 2005 when he was trapped for days in the attic of his own house when the Hurricane Katrina swept through New Orleans. He had taken a job at the University of New Orleans after leaving the University of Ìbàdàn. And due to some scheduling issues, he found himself trapped at home alone with his wife when the levee broke and Lake Pontchartrain poured out its contents, swallowing up the city and displacing its inhabitants. The account, detailed in Chapter 8, takes the reader suspensefully through the horrors and aftermath of the hurricane. The poet-professor had become homeless and faceless, with no identification, job, or housing. He lived in tents and shelters, relying on the goodwill of strangers and a traumatized country.

One of the biggest gaps in contemporary narratives of first and second generation writers from Nigeria – especially those who have spent years living and working abroad – is the full accounting of their lives away from home. Except in a few cases (see: America Their America , You Must Set Forth At Dawn , Never Look an American in the Eye , and Buchi Emecheta), the perception has taken hold that the sojourn of these writers in the new world have been anything but eventful. But how could this be? Could a country as rich and culturally diverse as America (and other Western countries where they have taken residence) be unstimulating for creative contact? Unlikely. What seems a better explanation is that many writers had simply sealed up their “escape” with a bow of silence, keeping only the distant homeland in the center of their creative ferment. In this work, Egya pull up the curtain, gently revealing what is, expectedly, a human tale of triumph. The experience of surviving a hurricane as powerful as Katrina seemed, at the end of his telling, as terrifying as one might expect. But Osundare went through it, and lived to pay homage in his later collection A City Without People: Katrina Poems (2011).

One benefit of reading nonfiction is the pleasure of a casual dive into fascinating historical events with the assurance of veracity and depth. This is where the strength of this narrative is most evident. Who was Ọ̀ṣúndáre as a child? What kind of events influenced him to follow the path that led him here as one of the continent’s most visible, most anthologized, and respected poetic voice? What other things about his personal or professional life are relevant enough to be documented for those interested in learning about him? In this work, the balance is properly weighted, featuring an academic exercise that carefully curates and situates the writer’s work, influences, and criticisms, as guides in a respectful stroll through other consequential events around his life. As Prof Oyèníyì Okùnoyè says in the blurb, Sule Egya “brings the skills of the storyteller and the scholar to bear on his recreation of the Ọ̀súndáre’s story.”. It is a work of literary criticism of Ọ̀ṣúndáre’s literary ouvre, primarily, against the background of the events that influenced them.

There will be a perception, from those who do not share the love and admiration that the author and many of his readers have for the accomplished poet, that the biographer became too deferential at times to be an unbiased raconteur. A sentence like “he is the quintessential man who cannot keep silent in the face of tyranny”(298) will come across as almost an obsequious oversimplification. The life and work of Níyì Ọ̀ṣúndáre speak for themselves as a testament to diligence, integrity, hard work, artistic competence, and political consciousness. But he was never known primarily as a human rights activist.

Still, this very important attempt at putting Ọ̀ṣúndáre’s story at the disposal of readers is a worthwhile effort, situating him in context of the Nigerian socio-political landscape and within world literature. In ten chapters and 334 pages, Egya has discharged that intention well, perhaps even more notably for its (relative) timeliness. The poet turned seventy earlier this year, still wielding the gift of a literal and figurative pen, still as acerbic, still as charming, and still as sublime, from many years ago.

[Buy  Niyi Osundare: A Literary Biography written by Sule E. Egya HERE .]

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Post image via suedie.wordpress.com

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About the Author:

• book review
• kola tubosun
• niyi osundare
• Sule E. Egya

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The State Visit

By niyi osundare.

A recently published play from the prolific Nigerian poet, dramatist and literary critic, which testifies to the author's commitment to socially relevant art and artistic activism for which he is justifiably renowned.

The play tells the story of Yankeland, an imaginary African country, where the country's natural and donated wealth is in the hands of a few corrupt rulers in cahoots with the American military. The powerful prey on the exploited masses, whilst upholding a facade of god-fearing morality. The play is written in the style of street theatre and produces a biting and dramatic satire on political authoritarianism and ignorance, which the author holds responsible for the backwardness of many African countries. The play does however show that such oppression is being challenged; and that the natural inclination of human beings is towards resistance and solidarity, for which Osundare's characters demonstrate great capacity.

The courage, unambiguous criticism and optimism in the future are reflected in the performance history of the play itself, which was first staged at the Arts Theatre at the University of Ibadan in 1997, during the time of one of Nigeria's most repressive military dictatorships.

About the Author

Niyi Osundare

Poet, dramatist, critic, essayist, and media columnist, Niyi Osundare has authored over ten volumes of poetry, two books of selected poems, four plays, a book of essays, and numerous articles on literature, language, culture, and society. He regards his calling as a writer and his profession as a teacher as essentially complementary.

He was educated on three continents: B.A. (Honours) from the University of Ibadan, Nigeria, M.A. from the University of Leeds in England, and Ph.D. from York University, Toronto, Canada. The wide and varied exposure accruing from this has proved very useful for his writing and teaching careers. Born in Nigeria, one of the most linguistically and culturally heterogeneous countries in the world, he learnt early in life the complexities and challenges of diversity.

He began his teaching career at the University of Ibadan in 1974 and rose to the position of full professor there in 1989. From 1993 to 1997, he was the chair of its Department of English. He was a Fulbright scholar at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1990 to 1991, and in 1991/92, an associate professor of English at the University of New Orleans, where he returned as full professor in 1997, and was selected university research professor in 2001. His areas of specialization are African literature, literature of the African diaspora, literary stylistics, sociolinguistics, and creative writing

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The State Visit

Niyi osundare.

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Book Details

• Publisher : Kraft Books
• Publish Date : Sep 5th, 2000
• Language : English
• Dimensions : 8.03in - 4.99in - 0.19in - 0.19lb
• EAN : 9789780390587
• Categories : • African • European - English, Irish, Scottish, Welsh

The Leader And The Led By Niyi Osundare: Poem & Summary

"The Leader And The Led" by Niyi Osundare is one African Poetry the WAEC body selected for Literature students for 2021-2025. In this blog post, we will help students to provide some insights into the work of art, including the poem, introduction, summary, and about the poet.

The Leader And The Led Introduction

"The Leader and the Led" is a poem by Nigerian poet Niyi Osundare. The poem is a commentary on the relationship between leaders and the led. It describes the role of leaders in society and how they ought to guide and inspire the people they lead. 

The poem also explores how leaders can sometimes fail to live up to their responsibilities and how this can lead to the suffering of the people they lead. 

The poem also touches on the theme of power and how it is used and abused by those in positions of authority. It is a thought-provoking work that delves into the complex dynamics of leadership and the responsibilities that come with it.

The poem serves as a call to action for leaders to be accountable for their actions and to work for the betterment of their people.

Poem: The Leader And The Led

The Lion stakes his claim To the leadership of the pack

But the Antelopes remember The ferocious pounce of his paws

The hyena says the crown is made for him But the Impalas shudder at his lethal appetite

The Giraffe craves a place in the front But his eyes are too far from the ground

When the Zebra says it’s his right to lead The pack points to the duplicity of his stripes

The Elephant trudges into the power tussle But its colleagues dread his trampling feet

The Warthog is too ugly The rhino too riotous

And the pack thrashes around Like a snake without a head

“Our need calls for a hybrid of habits”, Proclaims the Forest Sage,

“A little bit of a Lion A little bit of a Lamb

Tough like a tiger, compassionate like a doe Transparent like a river, mysterious like a lake

A leader who knows how to follow Followers mindful of their right to lead”

RECOMMENDED: JAMB Recommended Textbooks for 2022 (All Subjects for UTME Exam)

The leader and the led summary.

In the poem "The Leader and the Led" by Niyi Osundare, the speaker presents a commentary on leadership and the qualities a leader should possess. The poem begins by describing various animals, such as the Lion, Antelope, Hyena, Giraffe, Zebra, Elephant, Warthog, and Rhino, who all stake their claim to the leadership of the pack.

However, each animal is criticized for various shortcomings; for example, the Lion is remembered for its ferocious pounce, the Hyena is criticized for its lethal appetite, and the Elephant is dreaded for its trampling feet.

As the poem progresses, the speaker presents the idea that the pack of animals is in search of a leader, but none of the individual animals is suitable. The speaker then introduces the idea of a "hybrid of habits," a leader who possesses a combination of qualities that are both strong and compassionate, transparent yet mysterious, and able to lead while also knowing how to follow.

The speaker concludes by suggesting that the pack needs a leader who can balance both toughness and compassion and that followers should also be mindful of their ability to lead.

Overall, the poem is a commentary on the importance of having a leader who possesses a balance of qualities and not someone who is too extreme in any one direction.

The poem also suggests that followers have a responsibility to be aware of their leadership potential and mindful of the qualities they want in a leader.

Themes Of The Poem

1. leadership.

"Leadership" is one of the main themes of the poem "The Leader and the Led" by Niyi Osundare. The poem uses different animals, such as lions, antelopes, hyenas, and zebras, to represent different types of leaders and their characteristics.

The poem highlights that leadership is not solely based on physical strength or power, but also on a leader's ability to be compassionate, transparent, and mysterious. It also suggests that a good leader should possess a balance of traits and not just one dominant trait.

The poem also implies that a leader should know how to follow and the followers should be mindful of their right to lead.

2. Followership

The poet explores the theme of "followership" through the idea that true leadership is not just about the qualities and characteristics of the leader, but also about the qualities and characteristics of the followers. The poem presents a variety of animals, such as lions, antelopes, hyenas, giraffes, zebras, elephants, warthogs, and rhinos, each of which represents a different type of leader or potential leader.

However, the poem also highlights the importance of the followers in determining which leader is best suited to lead the pack. The poem suggests that true leadership is a balance between the leader's strengths and the followers' needs, and that a leader who knows how to follow is just as important as a leader who knows how to lead.

The "Forest Sage" in the poem speaks of the need for a leader who is a "hybrid of habits" and that a leader who knows how to follow is just as important as a leader who knows how to lead, this theme of followership is central to the poem.

"Balance" is a theme in the poem "The Leader and the Led" by Niyi Osundare. This theme is evident in the way the poem presents the idea that a leader should possess a balance of qualities that are typically seen as opposites.

The poem suggests that a leader should be a "hybrid of habits," possessing both "tough" and "compassionate" traits, and being both "transparent" and "mysterious" at the same time.

The poem also suggests that a leader should be able to "follow" as well as lead. The poet emphasizes the theme of balance through the use of animal imagery throughout the poem, with different animals representing different qualities. By depicting a variety of animals with different strengths and weaknesses, the poem illustrates that the ideal leader is one who is able to balance these qualities.

About The Poet - Niyi Osundare

Niyi Osundare is a Nigerian poet, playwright, and literary critic. He was born on April 20, 1947, in Ikere-Ekiti, Nigeria. He is one of the most prominent poets in contemporary Nigeria and one of the leading voices in African poetry.

Osundare received his primary education in Ikere-Ekiti, and later attended the University of Ibadan, where he earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in English. He received a Master of Arts degree from the University of Ife (now Obafemi Awolowo University) and a Doctor of Philosophy degree from the University of Ibadan.

Osundare began his career as a teacher and lecturer, teaching at various institutions, including the University of Lagos and the University of Ibadan. He is a professor of English at the University of New Orleans.

Osundare is a prolific writer, and his work spans several genres, including poetry, drama, and literary criticism. His poetry is known for its strong social and political commentary, often addressing issues such as poverty, corruption, and human rights. He is known for his use of traditional African imagery and oral forms in his poetry and was honoured with several awards and honours.

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Comments, Page 1/3

Amazing peom

Interesting poem

thanks so for this really enjoyed it ????

Am so excited ,thank u sir

Thanks for this ❤️❤️

Thank u for ur output sir

God bless u sir I really enjoyed the poem The poem is so educative

Nice one. Thank u sir

God bless you sir i rearlly learnt a lot, may God grant you more knowledge sir

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A novelist, poet and lecturer at Akwa Ibom State University. He has a PhD in African literature from the University of Ibadan, Nigeria.

A Brief Study of Niyi Osundare’s ‘The Leader and the Led’

Biodata of the Author : Niyi Osundare was born in 1947 in Ikere-Ekiti, in Western Nigeria. He is a well-known African writer who has many collections of poems and plays. He has taught at the University of Ibadan and at the University of New Orleans.

Background to the Poem : Niyi Osundare’s ‘Leader and the Led’ is written against the background of the subsisting leadership lacuna on the African continent.

Subject Matter, Structure and Organisation of the Poem : The subject matter of the poem is the failure of leadership in Africa and the search for ideal leadership in Africa. The poem is organised in 12 stanzas of 2 lines each. The poem is written in free verse and makes use of run-on-lines or enjambment.

Summary of the Poem : ‘The Leader and the Led’ is an allegorical poem. Hence, it can be understood at two levels of meaning. The poem makes use of animal characters to illustrate human conditions. The poem dramatises a situation where different animals vie for leadership positions, but are judged by other animals to be unqualified because of certain negative attributes that they possess. For instance, the Lion is seen to be ‘ferocious’ in his dealings with other animals. In other words, the Lion’s anger and oppressive tendencies disqualify him from being an ideal leader. Other animals who aspire to the leadership of the jungle are the Hyena, the Giraffe, the Zebra, the Elephant, the Warthog and the Rhino. Each of these aspirants is seen to have one or two negative attributes that disqualify them from being leaders.

 In other words, they have their excesses and these do not make for the ideal leadership that the animals are glamouring for. For instance, the Hyena’s ‘lethal appetite’ is what detracts from his leadership abilities. The Giraffe is seen to be high up there, which means that he might not be in tune with the real experiences of the masses. The Zebra is seen not to be an honest and straightforward person. The elephant is feared for its gigantic feet which could easily crush the lesser creatures. The Warthog has an ugly character while the Rhino is seen to be too violent to be a good leader.

In the ninth stanza, it is revealed that a good leader is one who has ‘a hybrid of habits’. This is further explained in the next stanza: ‘A little bit of a Lion/A little bit of a Lamb’. This means that leaders should have dynamic, unpredictable but virtuous qualities. Again, the poem implies that leaders should acknowledge the fact that they derive their value from the followers, as it is the followers that enthrone leaders.

A Stanza-by-stanza Analysis : It should be borne in mind that in this poem, each of the animal characters depicted represents human beings and their character attributes. These attributes are implicated in leadership qualities. The poet mostly presents the undesirable leadership traits of the animals at first before going on to state the ideal leadership attributes towards the end of the poem.

The first and the second stanzas of the poem read: ‘The Lion stakes his claim/To the leadership of the pack/. . . But the Antelopes remember/The ferocious pounce of his paws’. The Lion is culturally and naturally predisposed to lead. He is the King of the jungle, thus he sees himself as a born leader – ‘stakes his claim’. Indeed, the Lion has natural leadership qualities; strength, courage, speed and alertness, among many other qualities. However, there is something that detracts from the Lion’s sterling leadership attributes. This is noted by the Lion’s victims, the antelopes, who remember how the lion normally brutalises them.

In the Lion’s relationship with the antelopes, the Lion is the powerful, while the Antelopes are the followers and the weak. The Antelopes are the electorate while the Lion is the candidate presenting himself to be elected. What the quoted verse implies is that while the Lion has all the natural qualities of a leader, his oppression of the weak and the powerless disqualifies him, as this character flaw makes him a dictator. Note the alliteration in the expression ‘pounce of his paws’ found in the repetition of the voiceless bilabial plosive /p/.

Another animal that comes forward to be king is the Hyena, who also lays a natural claim to the throne. The Hyena is second only to the Lion in courage and strength. Unfortunately, he also has the same faults as the Lion. His victims are the impalas, who are used to the Hyena’s brutality. Both the Lion and the Hyena feed on their victims. In human terms, there exists a metaphoric cannibalism between the leaders and the followers in society. In the poem, it is reported that the impalas know the Hyena to have ‘lethal appetite’ – an expression that speaks of the way the Hyena devours his victims.  The word ‘shudder’ constitutes kinetic imagery as it dramatises the fear that the impalas have for the Hyena, their oppressor.

The fourth stanza reads: ‘The Giraffe craves a place in the front/But his eyes are too far from the ground’. In the stanza, it is seen that what disqualifies the Giraffe from being a leader is his extreme height, which is used to infer his not being in touch with the people and the realities of their lives. The Giraffe character is used to decry class stratification in leadership whereby the leaders see themselves as belonging to the upper class which predisposes them to look down on their subjects who mostly belong to the lower class. Once these leaders get into political offices, they do not know how to touch the lives of the common people because they do not even know the needs of these common people. There is an instance of synecdoche in the expression ‘. . . his eyes are too far from the ground’, whereby ‘eyes’ refers to the Giraffe and his selfish gaze and self-isolating character. The ground is where the common people live, but the Giraffe is too pompous to get down to the level of the followers to relate with them.

The fifth stanza reads: ‘When the Zebra says it’s his right to lead/The pack points to the duplicity of his stripes’. Every citizen has a right to vie for election into political offices, and this is what the Zebra claims. However, the Zebra has a character problem following from his natural stripes which is seen as deceptive and deceitful in nature, whereas leadership demands such qualities as transparency, honesty and fair dealing. There is alliteration in the expression ‘pack points’, where ‘pack’ refers to a group of animals.

The sixth stanza reads: ‘The Elephant trudges into the power tussle/But its colleagues dread his tramping feet’. The Elephant relies on his might and mighty body to qualify him for the leadership position in the political contest. Thus, the Elephant is among those who believe that it is mostly the appearance that makes a leader, and that leaders are supposed to look a certain way in order to be considered for their role. Apart from this faulty assumption, the Elephant also has another problem; those he works with know his oppressive tendencies; he tramples on his subordinates.

The seventh and eighth stanzas read: ‘The Warthog is too ugly/The Rhino too riotous. . . And the pack thrashes around/Like a snake without a head’. The ugliness of the Warthog is not only literal, but most importantly, it is also figurative, as it speaks of character or moral ugliness, which is the bane of good leadership. Note the alliteration in the line ‘The Rhino too riotous’. The line speaks of the troublesome nature of the Rhino, which is what detracts from his leadership attributes. A leader should be a man of peace though not a coward.

It is sad that all the candidates are disqualified because of the weakness in their moral constitution. Left without a good leader, the animal kingdom cannot make any meaningful progress as animals ‘thrash around/Like a snake without a head’. The imagery deployed here is striking because it emphaises the importance of sound leadership to the development of any society. Another thing worth noting about Osundare’s ‘The Leader and the Led’ is that it is a didactic poem that teaches us that leadership is nothing but character.

In the ninth stanza, the Forest Sage, possibly an intellectual, discerns the leadership needs of the people in the following words: ‘Our need calls for a hybrid of habits’. This statement, which is rich in alliteration, accentuates the importance of having personalities with dynamic attributes as leaders, not the ones earlier described who are mostly stock characters with unidirectional and predictable character traits. The Sage goes on to describe the nature of the dynamic traits required for an African leader in stanza ten: ‘A little bit of a Lion/A little bit of a Lamb’. Lion and Lamb signify ferociousness and gentleness, respectively, which should be found in a leader. The ferocious trait is used to attack the external enemies while the gentleness is deployed when dealing with the weak and defenceless members of society.

In the penultimate stanza, these dynamic leadership qualities are poetically explained thus: ‘Tough like a tiger, compassionate like a doe/Transparent like a river, mysterious like a lake’. These lines are antithetical in structure and are used to exemplify how a leader could and should manage polar qualities to drive society forward. A leader should at once be tough and compassionate, meaning that he should know when to be tough and when to be gentle. A leader should be truthful, honest and transparent without necessarily being stupid and predictable, especially where the security and other sensitive matters of State are involved. The dominant tropes in this stanza are caesura, antithesis and simile. Caesura, for instance, is seen in the pause in the form of a comma after ‘tiger’ and ‘river’ in the first and second lines of the stanza, respectively.

The final stanza reads: ‘A leader who knows how to follow/Followers mindful of their right to lead’. This stanza sums up the leadership requirements for the Africa of the 21st century. It clearly justifies the need for servant-leadership, as well as active and proactive followership. There is need for leaders to be well-acquainted with the lives of the followers and it is also important for the followers to take the effective leadership of their communities into their hands.

Themes, Language and Style : Among the themes raised in the work are poor leadership, leadership qualities and the search for the ideal leadership in Africa. The poem is rich in imagery and symbolism. The expression ‘crown’ is a symbol for leadership. Kinesthetic imagery is conveyed in words like ‘pounce’, ‘shudder’, and ‘trudges’. The use of allegory is a dominant device in the poem. Another important device deployed in the poem is dialogue. The poem is written in couplets such that one line or stanza makes a proposition and the other line or stanza counters it. The poem makes use of other devices like simile, metaphor, personification, alliteration, repetition, caesura and antithesis. Simile is seen in expressions such as ‘Tough like a tiger’ and ‘Like a snake without a head’. Most of the animals mentioned in the poem are personified through the use of the third person pronoun ‘his’, initial capitalisation of their names and through the use of human actions to describe their deeds. The poem is rich in repetends like the repetition of the word ‘lead’ in stanzas 5 and 12.

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A recently published play from the prolific Nigerian poet, dramatist and literary critic, which testifies to the author's commitment to socially relevant art and artistic activism for which he is justifiably renowned. The play tells the story of Y...

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The State Visit Paperback – September 5, 2000

• Print length 67 pages
• Language English
• Publisher Kraft Books Ltd
• Publication date September 5, 2000
• Dimensions 5 x 0.25 x 7.75 inches
• ISBN-10 9780390588
• ISBN-13 978-9780390587
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• Publisher ‏ : ‎ Kraft Books Ltd (September 5, 2000)
• Language ‏ : ‎ English
• Paperback ‏ : ‎ 67 pages
• ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 9780390588
• ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-9780390587
• Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 2.53 ounces
• Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5 x 0.25 x 7.75 inches
• #937 in African Dramas & Plays

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The state visit

By niyi osundare.

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“The Leader and the Led” by Niyi Osundare: A Poetic Exploration and Summary

Modified On Oct 17, 2023

“The Leader and the Led” is a compelling poem by Niyi Osundare, a renowned Nigerian poet and professor. In this article, we delve into an analysis and summary of the poem, unraveling its themes, literary devices, and deeper meaning.

PAGE CONTENTS

The Leader And The Led Introduction

“The Leader and the Led” is a poem by Nigerian poet Niyi Osundare. The poem is a commentary on the relationship between leaders and the led. It describes the role of leaders in society and how they ought to guide and inspire the people they lead.

The poem also explores how leaders can sometimes fail to live up to their responsibilities and how this can lead to the suffering of the people they lead.

The poem also touches on the theme of power and how it is used and abused by those in positions of authority. It is a thought-provoking work that delves into the complex dynamics of leadership and the responsibilities that come with it.

The poem serves as a call to action for leaders to be accountable for their actions and to work for the betterment of their people.

Poem: The Leader And The Led

The Lion stakes his claim To the leadership of the pack

But the Antelopes remember The ferocious pounce of his paws

The hyena says the crown is made for him But the Impalas shudder at his lethal appetite

The Giraffe craves a place in the front But his eyes are too far from the ground

When the Zebra says it’s his right to lead The pack points to the duplicity of his stripes

The Elephant trudges into the power tussle But its colleagues dread his trampling feet

The Warthog is too ugly The rhino too riotous

And the pack thrashes around Like a snake without a head

“Our need calls for a hybrid of habits”, Proclaims the Forest Sage,

“A little bit of a Lion A little bit of a Lamb

Tough like a tiger, compassionate like a doe Transparent like a river, mysterious like a lake

A leader who knows how to follow Followers mindful of their right to lead”

The Leader And The Led Summary

In the poem “The Leader and the Led” by Niyi Osundare, the speaker presents a commentary on leadership and the qualities a leader should possess. The poem begins by describing various animals, such as the Lion, Antelope, Hyena, Giraffe, Zebra, Elephant, Warthog, and Rhino, who all stake their claim to the leadership of the pack.

However, each animal is criticized for various shortcomings; for example, the Lion is remembered for its ferocious pounce, the Hyena is criticized for its lethal appetite, and the Elephant is dreaded for its trampling feet.

As the poem progresses, the speaker presents the idea that the pack of animals is in search of a leader, but none of the individual animals is suitable. The speaker then introduces the idea of a “hybrid of habits,” a leader who possesses a combination of qualities that are both strong and compassionate, transparent yet mysterious, and able to lead while also knowing how to follow.

The speaker concludes by suggesting that the pack needs a leader who can balance both toughness and compassion and that followers should also be mindful of their ability to lead.

Overall, the poem is a commentary on the importance of having a leader who possesses a balance of qualities and not someone who is too extreme in any one direction.

The poem also suggests that followers have a responsibility to be aware of their leadership potential and mindful of the qualities they want in a leader.

Themes Of The Poem

1.  leadership.

“Leadership” is one of the main themes of the poem “The Leader and the Led” by Niyi Osundare. The poem uses different animals, such as lions, antelopes, hyenas, and zebras, to represent different types of leaders and their characteristics.

The poem highlights that leadership is not solely based on physical strength or power, but also on a leader’s ability to be compassionate, transparent, and mysterious. It also suggests that a good leader should possess a balance of traits and not just one dominant trait.

The poem also implies that a leader should know how to follow and the followers should be mindful of their right to lead.

2.  Followership

The poet explores the theme of “followership” through the idea that true leadership is not just about the qualities and characteristics of the leader, but also about the qualities and characteristics of the followers. The poem presents a variety of animals, such as lions, antelopes, hyenas, giraffes, zebras, elephants, warthogs, and rhinos, each of which represents a different type of leader or potential leader.

However, the poem also highlights the importance of the followers in determining which leader is best suited to lead the pack. The poem suggests that true leadership is a balance between the leader’s strengths and the followers’ needs, and that a leader who knows how to follow is just as important as a leader who knows how to lead.

The “Forest Sage” in the poem speaks of the need for a leader who is a “hybrid of habits” and that a leader who knows how to follow is just as important as a leader who knows how to lead, this theme of followership is central to the poem.

“Balance” is a theme in the poem “The Leader and the Led” by Niyi Osundare. This theme is evident in the way the poem presents the idea that a leader should possess a balance of qualities that are typically seen as opposites.

The poem suggests that a leader should be a “hybrid of habits,” possessing both “tough” and “compassionate” traits, and being both “transparent” and “mysterious” at the same time.

The poem also suggests that a leader should be able to “follow” as well as lead. The poet emphasizes the theme of balance through the use of animal imagery throughout the poem, with different animals representing different qualities. By depicting a variety of animals with different strengths and weaknesses, the poem illustrates that the ideal leader is one who is able to balance these qualities.

About The Poet – Niyi Osundare

Niyi Osundare is a Nigerian poet, playwright, and literary critic. He was born on April 20, 1947, in Ikere-Ekiti, Nigeria. He is one of the most prominent poets in contemporary Nigeria and one of the leading voices in African poetry.

Osundare received his primary education in Ikere-Ekiti, and later attended the University of Ibadan, where he earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in English. He received a Master of Arts degree from the University of Ife (now Obafemi Awolowo University) and a Doctor of Philosophy degree from the University of Ibadan.

Osundare began his career as a teacher and lecturer, teaching at various institutions, including the University of Lagos and the University of Ibadan. He is a professor of English at the University of New Orleans.

Osundare is a prolific writer, and his work spans several genres, including poetry, drama, and literary criticism. His poetry is known for its strong social and political commentary, often addressing issues such as poverty, corruption, and human rights. He is known for his use of traditional African imagery and oral forms in his poetry and was honoured with several awards and honours.

The poem emphasizes that effective leadership is about fostering an environment where the led can thrive and feel secure. It suggests that a successful leader is one who is respected and trusted, yet not to the point where dependence or over-reliance occurs. The leader’s departure should not elicit sorrow but instead signify a job well done, indicating a sense of achievement and self-sufficiency in the led.

Overall, “The Leader and the Led” reflects on the delicate balance of power and influence, underscoring the importance of effective leadership that empowers and encourages growth without stifling the independence and potential of those being led.

About Anate Deborah

I'm a graduate of English and Literary Studies who is ambitious and purpose-driven. I love sharing helpful guides.

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