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Vultures Chinua Achebe. Chinua Achebe. Chinua Achebe was born in Nigeria, West Africa in 1931. His father was a missionary and he was brought up as a Christian.
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Vultures Chinua Achebe
Chinua Achebe Chinua Achebe was born in Nigeria, West Africa in 1931. His father was a missionary and he was brought up as a Christian. In the late 1960s, during the war between Nigeria and Biafra, he and his wife and children were almost killed when their home was bombed. The war ended in 1970 when the Biafran population had been starved into defeat. Achebe wrote about his experiences of war in the 1971 collection Beware, Soul Brother where Vultures first appeared.
Faces of War in the 2oth Century Children starved in the Nigeria - BiafranWar Although Achebe was born in Nigeria he worked for the government of Biafra and witnessed the terrible things that happened to the Biafran population by the Nigerians during the war. Published only a year after Biafra had lost the conflict, Vultures reflects on the cruel and murderous deeds ‘ordinary’ people commit during war. Belsen concentration camp
Brainstorm what you know about Vultures. Use a spider diagram to help you organise your ideas. Vultures appearance Where they live How they live Where you have read about or seen them Things you associate with them
Images of Vultures Consider the description of the vultures in the first section. Find quotes to show that the birds appear disgusting and horrible but can still be loving.
Read the description of the Nazi Commandant in section two. Note down the contrasting imagery used. Section Two
Remember what we said about Chinua Achebe’s experiences of war? Re-read lines 1 – 21. How do the actions of the vultures compare to the way people can behave in a war?
Contrast Evil Picked the eyes Swollen corpse Good Tender offspring Bounteous providence Many images in the poem contrast, emphasising the contrast between good and evil. Find examples of each and add them to the columns below.
Imagery Think about the words the poet uses. Copy down the chart below. Make notes on what the poet’s words suggest to you.
Poetic Techniques TechniqueDefinition Metaphor The use of the same sound at the start of words Alliteration A figure of speech not meant literally OnomatopoeiaThe attribution of human qualities to an object PersonificationA word which imitates the sound it represents Match the technique with the correct definition.
Poetic Techniques Think about the poetic techniques discussed on the last slide. Copy down the chart below. Find examples in the poem and write down the effect created.
Check Understanding Using the notes you have made so far answer this question: Explain how Chinua Achebe uses language to comment on the inhumanity of war in ‘Vultures’.
Useful Stuff Vultures short films: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sbdkp35A8Wc http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oi4UaW3Swlw&feature=related http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q4838GG528U&feature=related BBC Bitesize Poems From Other Cultures: http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/gcsebitesize/english/poemscult/acheberev2.shtml
More Useful Stuff Annotated PPT version of Vultures http://web.wheelerslane.bham.sch.uk/files/Vultures_0.ppt A copy of Vultures with notes & questions http://www.mrsbaltsas.org/Brit%20Lit/African_American_History_Month/Vultures_%20Chinua%20Achebe_Assignments.pdf