WAEC Literature in English 2022 Theory — Question 18

Model answer

Points to develop: i. Relation to theme; ii. Profile of characters; iii. The claim to the right to lead by different animals; iv. The consequence of lack of good leadership; v. The desirable leadership qualities. Leadership is a problem in Africa. The political arena is saturated with different people posing as leaders while in reality they lack the required qualities to lead the people. The poem is a satirical piece on the problem of leadership in Africa. The poet uses metaphor and allegory to comment on the problem of leadership in Africa. This is evident in the animal characters in the poem. The poem presents animal characters whose attributes or qualities reflect those of the leaders they represent. These animal characters include the lion who 'stakes his claim to the leadership of the pack', the hyena, the elephant, the giraffe, the zebra, the warthog and the rhino who possess one quality or the other. However, these animal characters represent certain flaws in African leaders. The lion, like the hyena, claims 'the crown' as the rightful one who is supposed to lead his followers in the animal kingdom but both the antelope and impala are afraid of the lion's 'ferocious pounce of his paws' and his 'lethal appetite'. This is in reference to leaders who are brutish and dictatorial. The giraffe craves a place in the front but 'his eyes are too far from the ground'. This implies that he may be out of touch with the realities of the lives of the other animals. If a leader's attention is not focused on the people he leads, obviously, he cannot be a good leader. The zebra has black and white stripes which suggest 'duplicity'. This depicts deception and unpredictability in his character. Here, the reference is pointed to African leaders who cannot be trusted by the citizenry because they do not do what they preach. The elephant has 'trampling feet' so his weight could put other animals to great disadvantage. The warthog is described as 'too ugly'. This shows that leadership is not about physical beauty or good looks, but honesty. The rhino is characterized in the poem as 'too riotous'. This shows that if a leader is the riotous type, there will always be trouble, confusion and the absence of peace. The poet shows in the poem that the consequence of lack of good leadership is that 'the pack' is unsettled as it 'thrashes around'. This refers to the followers and also points attention to the fact that without a leader, they are like 'a snake without a head'. This shows lack of direction. The poet highlights the desirable leadership qualities using the character of the Forest Sage in the poem. The Forest Sage, who represents the voice of wisdom and experience, declares to others: 'Our need calls for a hybrid of habits', that is, a healthy balance of attributes. A leader should manifest a balance of 'a little bit of a lion' and 'little bit of a lamb'. This means that a leader should be as strong or brave as a lion and at the same time be humble and kind like a lamb. Also, a leader is expected to possess the balance of 'tough like a tiger' and 'compassionate like a doe'. He or she should be 'mysterious like a lake' and 'transparent like a river'. This suggests that a balance of character and application of wisdom in peculiar situations is required of a good leader.