AGOVERNMENTDRI

VERONHI
SRETI
REMENTBYCHI
BUI
KEONU

Manyy ear sonwheel s

Inf ait
hf ulser vi
cet ohi sfatherland
Todayr et ir
eshehome
Andacel ebrati
onhehol ds
Manyy ear shashepummel edhi sboozythroat
Inobedi encet odut yr ulesandr egulati
ons
Today ,he’ l
lgohomeaf reeman
Eligiblef orhiscount ry’
sser vi
ces
“Comef riends, r
ejoicewi t
hme
Ishal lboozeandzoom my selfhome
Awayf rom dut yrules
Comecel ebratemyf reedom”
“Ear l
yt odut yt omor rowhol dsnot ,
Thi rty
-fivey earsoff aithfulserv i
ces
I’
llboozet osleepawaymysuf feri
ngs
Mor ejoyt osendhi m home
Abr andnewcari nhi sname
Anappr eciativ
esy mbol
Forundent edt hi
rtyy earsofser vi
cet ofat
herl
and

“Comef r
iends,andrej
oicemor
e,
Joyti
llnomor ejoyt
ojoy
Todayfreesandmakesmeaki ng
Mypat i
encerewarded.”

Andso,heboozedandboozed
Cel
ebrati
ngthecel ebrati
onofhisretir
ement
Fr
om fait
hfulservi
cet ofather
land
Hebattl
edwi t
hhi sbot t
lebooze
Onhiswayhomeonwheel s,
Boozeboozedhi sv i
sionandclearjudgment
Heboomedhi sbr andnewcar
Anditsenthim home
Homet orestinpeace.

Backgr
ound
Theincur si
onofcol onial
i
sm br ingsalongwithitamaj orshifti
nthemeansofl i
veli
hood
ofmanyAf ri
cans.Ther ewasagener alshif
tfrom f
ar mingandot heragri
cultural
acti
viti
est opaidempl oyment ,especi
all
yinthecivi
l servi
ce.ManyAf ri
canswer e
empl oyedasdr iv
ersandcl erksf ort
hewhi t
emanEv enaf teri
ndependence, this
si
tuat i
oncont i
nued.Theexci tementwi thwhichmanypeopl erushertocivi
lser vi
cejobs
i
sgr eetedwi thalotofdisappoi ntmentasitwasdiscov eredthatthejobswer enotas
l
ucrat i
veast heywer eassumedt obe.Thegener alservit
udeusuallyassociatedwi t
hthe
l
ifeofci v
ilservi
ce,especial
lyasi tconcernsthelowr ankingoffi
cersli
kedriversand
cooksaccount sfora
diff
erentper cept i
onsomehol daboutsuchj obs.Thehi ghlyr egulatedl i
feofpeopl ein
theciv i
lser viceisoneoft hemaj orreasonsmanyempl oyeesl ookf or
war dtot heir
reti
rementwi thsomesenseofexci t
ement .OnuKi ngsleyChi buike’spoem i sa
comment aryont hedr udger yoft heev er y
dayl if
eoft heav er ageNi ger i
ancivilservant.
Whi l
esomeci vilservantsi nNi geriamaybeaccusedoff orger yofbi rthcerti
ficateto
extendt heirst ayi ntheof f
ice, t
hepoet i
cper sonai nt hi
spar ticularpoem wel comeshi s
reti
rementf rom t heci vi
l servicewi thcel ebrations, amar koff reedom f rom thedai l
ytoil
ofdut y.Thepoetappear st ot akeadi fferentper ceptionoft heci v
ilservicefrom an
organizat i
ont hatisfill
edwi t
hmanyr edundantst affmember st oapl aceoft rueser vi
ce
andf aithfulnesst othenat ion, Thepoet icper sonai ssaidt ohav erender edmanyy ear
s
ofmer i
toriousser vi
cest ohi sf atherland.
Theot heri mpor tantaspectt hatf ormst hebackgr oundt othi spoem i st hedr i
nk-and-
driveattitudeofmanyNi geri
anr oaduser s.Whi leonecaneasi lyidentifywitht hi
s
celebration, thedi sastrousendoft hepoet icper sonahi ghlightsamaj orcauseofr oad
crashes, notonl yinNi ger i
awher ethewr i
terisfrom but ,also, i
nmanypar tsoft hewor l
d.
Onu, therefor e,givest hispoem auni v ersalappeal byusingt heseseemi ngl
yunr elated
cir
cumst ancest obeam al i
ghtont henar rowgapbet weencel ebrationandcal amity.

Set
ti
ng
Thepoem i sev i
dentl
ysetinapost -coloni
al Afri
cancountry,mostprobabl
yNi geri
a,
wher egovernmentbecomesamaj orsour ceofempl oyment.Thepoorornon- existent
faci
lit
iestocheckdr unkdri
versinNi geri
aandmanyAf ri
cancountr
iesalsoaccount sf or
thefrequentcarcrashesont heroads.Howev er
,withtheuniver
salappealofthispoem,
thi
spoem canr eal
lybelocatedanywher e.Thi sisbecauseinmanypar tsofthewor l
d,
reti
rementfrom publicser
viceisusual l
yat hingofjoy,especial
l
ywhensuchser vice
endsmer it
oriously
.

Subj
ectMat
ter
/Summar
y
Thepoem r efl
ect sont hetot
ali
tyoftheli
feofagovernmentdriverwhohasputi nmany
yearsofserv i
cet ohiscountryandreti
reswit
houtablemish.Theot herpartofthepoem
i
sl i
nkedtot hedisastrousendoft hegovernmentdr
iverwhodiesdr ivi
ngasar esultof
highconsumpt i
onofal cohol
.Thepoetweav esthei
ncidentofcelebrationi
ntothis
unfort
unatedi sastertoemphasizethedangerofdri
nk-and-dr
iveculture.
Li
nes1-
4
Thesel
inescl
earl
yint
roducethepoet
icper
sonaasadri
verwhohasdevotedalotof
year
stotheserv
iceofhisfat
herl
and,
andnowholdsacel
ebrat
ionashereti
rest
hisver
y
day.

Li
nes5-
8
Int
hisst anza,t
henarr
atorexpl
ainsthatt
hroughoutthepersona’
sserv
icet
ohisnat
ion
hehasr estrai
nedhimsel
ffrom dri
nki
nginobediencetotherulesandr
egul
ati
onsofthe
ser
vice.Todayi s,
however,
goingtobediffer
entbecausehei snowafreeman.

1
Li
nes9-
16
Thepersonacallsonf ri
endsandassociat
estocomeandcelebratewi
thhi
m, astoday
markshisfreedom.Hedoesn’ tneedtowakeupv er
yearl
yagaintogotowork,aft
er35
year
soff ai
thfulser
vice.Hedeclar
esthathewill
dri
nkenoughsothathewil
lsleepand
for
gethissuffer
ing.Todayis,i
ndeed,adaythathehasl
ongawai t
ed

Li
nes17-
20
Theper
sonaisalsogi
venabrandnewcarasawayofappr
eci
ati
nghi
sdut
if
uland
unbl
emishedyear
sofserv
ice.

Li
nes21-
24
I
ntheseli
nes,thepoet
icpersonaagai
nbeckonsonfri
endsandwell-
wisher
storej
oice
wi
thhim astodaymarkshisdayofrewar
dandf r
eedom becauseheisnowakinginhis
pr
ivat
ekingdom

Li
nes25-
28
Theper
sonanowbegi
nst
odr
inki
ncel
ebr
ati
onofhi
slongy
ear
sinser
vice.

Li
nes29-
33
Astheper
sonadr
iveshomeinhisbrandnewcarontheverydayofhisret
ir
ement
al
readydr
unk,
hecannotseever
yclearl
y.Asar
esultofhi
spoorvisi
on,hecrasheshi
s
newcaranddi
esi
nstantl
y.

1.Thedangerofdr
ink-
and-
dri
vecul
tur
e
Oneoft hedomi nantt hemat i
cpreoccupat ionsoft hepoem i sthedangeri nher enti n
dri
vingwhendr unk.Whi lemanycul turesandsoci etiesuseal coholicdr inkst ocel ebrate
peri
odsofachi ev ement ,bereavementandf esti
vit
ies, alcohol consumpt ioni sal soav ery
danger oust hi ngt hatsendspeopl etot heirearlygrav es, especi al
lywhenbehi ndwheel s.
Thepoetusest hest or yoft hegovernmentdr i
vertomaket hepoi ntv erycl early .Theday
thegov ernmentdr i
verisr etir
ingappear stobeoneoft hehappi estmoment sofhi sli
fe.
Instanzat hr ee, f orinstancehebeckonsonhi sfri
endsandwel l-wisher s,‘comef ri
ends,
rej
oicewi t
hme? .Thi sopeni nvi
tat
ionsuggest sanunmi tigatedshowofj oyand
happinesst hathi sdayoff reedom hascome.Het hi
nkst hatt heonl ywayofcel ebrating
hisfreedom, orany
eventfort hatmat ter,i
st hroughex cessiveconsumpt ionofal cohol .Inhi sunr est rained
exci
tement , hej umpsi ntohi snewcart odr ivehomeaf t
erbei ngt hor oughl ydr unk.
Unfortunat ely, thisbr i
ngsabouthi sunt imel yend.Thr ought hispoet i
cr eflection, itis
obvioust hatal cohol makespeopl ehav epoorv isi
onwhi l
edr ivi
ng, thusmaki ngt hem
havewr ongj udgment ,ast hepoem st atesi nli
nes29- 30, Onhi swayonwheel s,/Booze
boozedhi sv isionandcl earj udgment.’Iti
sobv i
oust hatdr i
v i
ngr equi reshi gh
concent rati
on, whi l
eawr ongsenseofj udgmentwhi ledr ivi
ngcanl eadt oacal ami tous
end.Ther ef ore, al cohol consumpt i
onwhendr i
vingisv erydanger ous.
2.Rewar
dformer
it
ori
ousser
vice

2
Anot heri mpor tantthemei nt hi spoem i st hatt hereisrewar dforamer it
oriousser vi
ce.
Despi tetheper sona’sgr udgesaboutt hedr udgeryofciv i
lservice,heremai ns
discipli
nedt illthedayofhi sr eti
rement , ast heper sonanot esint hesecondst anzathat
manyy earshashepummel edhi sboozyt hroat/Inobediencet odut yrulesand
regulations.Thepoet i
cper sonar estrict shi mselftothedemandsofhi sjob.Heshuns
thet empt ationsofper sonal pleasur e,subj ectshimselft oat horoughsel f-
discipl
ine,
therebyf ocusi ngst ri
ctlyonhi sof ficial dutiesandwor kingf ait
hfull
yinser vi
cet ohis
fatherlandf ort hirt
y-fi
vey ear s.Asar esul tofhi soutstandingper formancei nhi splaceof
wor k,hei srewar dedwi thabr andnewcaras‘ anappr eciati
v esymbol ’(l
ine19) .The
poet ,t
her efore, bri
ngst ot hef oretheneed
fordi l
i
gencei nser vice,withel oquentev idencet hatsuchhar dwor khardlygoes
unnot i
ced, notev enifonei sadr iver.
3.Thej
oyofr
eti
rementf
rom publ
icser
vice
Thepoem al sounder scoresthej oyandsenseoff ulf
il
mentt hatcomeswi t
hone’ s
reti
rementf rom act i
veser vi
ce.Theci vi
l serv
icest r
uctur egivest hepoeti
cper sonaa
feeli
ngofser v
itude,henceheseest hedayofhi sr eti
rementasadayofl iberati
on.
Accor dingthepoem, ‘
Today ,he’
ll gohomeaf r
eeman’ (L.7).Hehasendur edthehighl
y
regulatedlif
eint hecivilservi
cef oral ongt imeandi snowr eadyt ocel
ebratehi s
freedom.Hewi llnolongerbesubj ectedt overyst r
ictrulesandr egulat
ionsoncehe
reti
res.Hewoul dnotneedt owakeupv eryearlytowor k,hewi l
lhavehisownt i
met o
himsel fandwi l
l managehi stimeasi tsuitshisconv enience.Itisasar esultofthis
excitementt ocel ebr
atehi sli
berationf rom thedr udgeryofci vilserv
icethatthepersona
i
nv it
esf ri
endsandwel l
-wisherst ocomeandcel ebrate
wi t
hhi m.
St
ruct
ure
Thepoem hast hir
ty -
threelines, div
idedint
osev enstanzasofi r
regularl
engths.The
poem isnarrati
veinnat ureandcanbebr okendowni ntothreemaj orparts.Thefir
st
stanzaintr
oducest hepoet i
cper sonaasagov er
nmentdr i
verofsomanyy earswhoi s
settocelebrat
ehisr eti
rement .Thesecondst anzagivesthebackgr oundoft hepersona
assomeonewhokeepst her ulesandr egulati
onsoftheestablishmentwher ehewor ks.
Thet hi
rdstanzagradual l
yintroducesust othesigni
fi
canceofandt hehigh
expectati
onsforthecel ebrationofhi sreti
rement.Thisi
ssust ainedinstanzasfourand
fi
ve.Thelasttwost anzasgi veaccountoft hecatastr
ophicturnofev ent
sast he
personadiesinaf atalautomobi leacci
dentduet ohisdrunkenness.

LanguageandSt
yle
Thelanguageofthepoem isver
ysi
mpl eandaccessibl
e.Thepoetusesanar
rati
vest
yle
togi
veadet ai
ledaccountoft
hepersona’
sli
fe.Healsomakesuseofsomesl angy
expr
essionsli
keboozeandboozyrepeatedl
y.

Mood/
Tone
Thebeginningofthepoem present
saveryhappymood, fi
l
ledwit
hexcitementand
ful
fi
lment.Thepersonafeel
smuchf ul
fi
ll
edafterspendi
ngthi
rt
y-f
iveyearsi
npubl i
c
ser
vice.Heisveryexci
tedaboutthi
scelebr
ati
onandt hi
srunsfr
om thefir
ststanzato

3
thefi
fthst
anza.Thelasttwostanzasare,
however,
fil
l
edwi t
hthemoodofpi t
yand
shock.Thereaderisver
yshockedatthesuddenturnofdeath,
from poi
ntofmer
ri
ment
tothatofdi
sastrousendofthepersona’
sli
fe.

I
mager
y
Theimager yinthi spoem issimpl eandv i
vid.Itmakest het hemat i
cpreoccupat
ionver
y
di
rectandunder standable.Thev eryfi
rstli
ne,forinstance,givesthepictur
eofthe
persona’sprofessionwi th“manyy earsonwheel ’
.‘Boozythr oat’
inli
nefivegi
vesan
i
mageoft asteorwhati softenreferr
edt oasgust atoryimage, whichgivesusthe
pi
ctureoft heper sona’sstrongappetiteforalcohol.Inli
net hir
ty-one,weseeanother
i
mage, ‘heboomedhi sbrandnewcar ’
.Thisimagei susedtov i
vi
dlydescri
bethe
di
sastrousendoft hepersonaandhi snewcar .

1.Met aphor :pummel edhi sboozyt hroat’(2.5)

2.Inv ersion: ‘
Todayr etir
eshehome’ (
1.3)‘
.cel ebr at i
onhehol ds’ (1.4)
3.Repet ition: “
booze’ isrepeat edi nlines10, 15,26,28, and30, *fat
herl and’(l
ines2and20)
*dut yr ules’
(lines6and11) , ‘f
aithful ser vice’(l
ines14and27) ,Joyt illnomor ej oyt ojoy*(line22) .The
repet i
tion
oft heseexpr essi ons, i
naddi ti
ont oemphasi zi
ngthei deasandmessagei nherenti nthem,
alsoaddst o
ther hythmi cal qual i
tyoft hepoem.
Al li
terat i
on:
.f aithful servi
cet ohi sfat her l
and’ (1.2),
…hehome’ (
I.3) ,
..hehol ds’(1.4) ,
‘
r ulesandr egulat i
ons’ (I.6) ,
‘
…hi m home’ (I
.17)bat tledwi thhisbot t
lebooze’ (
I.28) ,“wayhomeon
wheel s’ (1.29) ,‘
boomedhi sbr and’.Theseexpr essionscl earlyaddt ot hemusi cali
tyoft he
poem.
4.Onomat opoei a: Thepoetusessomewor dsthatsuggestt heirmeani ngs.Wor dsl i
ke
“booz y’ (1.5),
‘
booze’ (1.10) ,‘zoom’ (1.10) ,‘boomed’ (
2.31).Whi l
et hewor dsenhancet hesoundqual it
y
oft hepoem,
someoft hem al sohel pt opl acet henar r
ativ
eini t
sappr opriatecont ext.Forinst ance,the
wor d“ booze’
ref l
ect st hesoci al cont extofdr i
nking.
5.Sy naest hesia:‘undent edt hirty-f
iveyears’(I
.20)
6.Assonance: ..dut yr ul
es’ (1. 6),‘boozeandzoom’ (
L.10)
7.Per soni fi
cation: *todayf reesandmakesmeaki ng’ (
1.23)
8.Euphemi sm:“ Andi tsenthi m home’ (
I.32),‘
Homet or estinpeace’ (1.33)
Irony :Oneoft hemostexpl i
citpoet icdev i
cesempl oyedi nt hispoem i si r
ony.Iti svery
i
r onict hat
theper sona’ shopeandaspi rat i
ont oli
veaf reemani sdashedont hev erydayhei s
cel ebrat ingthis

4
l
iber
ation.I
tisevenmor eironi
cwhent hepersonai
sresponsibleforhi
sowndeath.
Moment sof
cel
ebrati
onhav ebroughthim adisastr
ousend.Thi
sisav erygoodexampleofsit
uati
onal
i
rony.Hehas
workedandl abour
edunderr est
ri
ctingcondi
ti
onssuccessfull
yforawholethi
rt
y-f
ivey
ears
butcannot
manageadayofhi sfreedom.

5
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