Reading and Summary of Night by Wole Soyinka. Lesson Note
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
This SS2 Literature lesson note covers Reading and Summary of Night by Wole Soyinka. for First Term, Week 3.
Lesson Note
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
At the end of the lesson, students should be able to:
1. Identify the poet and his work, Night.
2. Explain the meaning and central idea of the poem.
3. Give a summary of the poem.
4. Identify the major themes in the poem.
5. Explain some important poetic devices used in the poem.
6. State the message of the poem.
NIGHT BY WOLE SOYINKA
Your hand is heavy, Night, upon my brow.
I bear no heart mercuric like the clouds,
to dare.
Exacerbation from your subtle plough.
Woman as a clam, on the sea's cresent.
I saw your jealous eye quench the sea's
Flouorescence, dance on the pulse incessant
Of the waves. And I stood, drained
Submitting like the sands, blood and brine
Coursing to the roots. Night, you rained
Serrated shadows through dank leaves
Till, bathed in warm suffusion of your dappled cells
Sensations pained me, faceless, silent as night thieves.
Hide me now, when night children haunt the earth
I must hear none! These misted cells will yet
Undo me; naked, unbidden, at Night's muted birth.
INTRODUCTION
Poetry often uses ordinary experiences to express deeper human feelings and ideas. In Night, Wole Soyinka presents the night as a powerful experience that brings out different emotions and thoughts.
The poem explores the poet's relationship with night and presents it as both beautiful and frightening.
ABOUT THE POET
Wole Soyinka is a renowned Nigerian poet, playwright, novelist and essayist. He was born in Abeokuta, Nigeria, in 1934. His works often deal with human experiences, African society, freedom, politics, culture and nature. Soyinka is widely recognised as one of Africa's most important literary figures.
ABOUT THE POEM
Night is a poem in which Wole Soyinka presents his personal experience and perception of the night. The poet does not present night simply as a period of darkness.
Instead, he gives it human qualities and presents it as a powerful presence that can be mysterious, beautiful, threatening and overwhelming. The poem shows the poet's struggle to understand and relate to the power of night.
MEANING OF THE TITLE
The title “Night” refers to the period of darkness between evening and morning. However, in the poem, night has a deeper meaning.
It represents mystery, darkness, fear and an overwhelming force of nature. Soyinka treats night almost like a living being with which the speaker interacts.
SUMMARY OF THE POEM
The poem begins with the speaker presenting his encounter with night. Night is portrayed as a powerful presence rather than merely an absence of sunlight. As the poem develops, the speaker describes the different feelings produced by night. There is an element of beauty and mystery, but there is also fear and uncertainty.
The poet personifies night and gives it human characteristics. This makes the night appear active and capable of affecting the speaker. The speaker attempts to approach and understand night, but he discovers that it possesses a power greater than ordinary human control.
The darkness of night creates a sense of mystery. Things that appear clear during the day become uncertain in the darkness. This makes the speaker conscious of the limitations of human beings. The poem therefore becomes more than a description of nighttime. It is an exploration of man's relationship with nature and with forces that are beyond his control.
THEMES IN THE POEM
A. The Power of Nature: One of the major themes is the power of nature. Night is presented as a force capable of overwhelming human beings. The poem reminds us that nature has powers that humans cannot completely control.
B. Fear and Uncertainty: Darkness often creates fear because people cannot clearly see what surrounds them. The poet uses the night to express feelings of uncertainty and apprehension.
C. Mystery: Night is associated with mystery because darkness hides things from human sight. The poem shows how the unknown can create curiosity as well as fear.
D. Man's Relationship with Nature: The poem explores the relationship between human beings and the natural world. The speaker's interaction with night shows that human beings are part of nature but cannot completely dominate it.
E. Beauty of Nature: Although night can be frightening, it also possesses beauty and mystery. The poet's descriptions show that darkness is not presented as entirely negative.
CONTENT ANALYSIS
The poem can be understood through the speaker's encounter with night. At first, the speaker observes night as a natural phenomenon. However, he gradually presents it as something with a personality and power of its own.
Soyinka's use of personification makes the night appear almost human. The speaker's attitude towards it changes between attraction, curiosity and fear. The poem therefore combines description, imagination and reflection to communicate the poet's experience.
POETIC DEVICES
A. Personification: Night is given human qualities and is treated as though it can act and respond.
Effect: It makes night appear alive and powerful.
B. Metaphor: The poet uses metaphorical expressions to give deeper meaning to the night.
Effect: It helps the reader understand night beyond its literal meaning.
C. Imagery: The poem contains images associated with darkness, nature and the nighttime environment.
Effect: It helps readers form mental pictures of the scenes being described.
D. Symbolism: Night can symbolise darkness, mystery, fear and the unknown.
E. Contrast: The poet contrasts different qualities associated with night, such as beauty and fear.
Effect: It shows the complex nature of the poet's experience.
F. Repetition: Certain words and ideas are repeated to emphasise important feelings and ideas.
G. Allusion: The poet makes references that may connect the experience of night with wider human or cultural ideas.
MESSAGE OF THE POEM
The poem teaches that human beings do not have complete control over nature. It also shows that things we fear may possess beauty and mystery when we look at them from another perspective.
The poem encourages readers to recognise the power of nature and the limitations of human beings.
SUMMARY
Night by Wole Soyinka presents night as a powerful and almost living force. Through personification, imagery, metaphor and symbolism, the poet explores the beauty, mystery and frightening nature of darkness.
The poem also examines man's relationship with nature and reminds us that there are forces beyond human control.
Evaluation
OBJECTIVE QUESTIONS
1. Who is the poet of Night?
(a) Gabriel Okara
(b) Wole Soyinka
(c) Chinua Achebe
(d) J.P. Clark
2. The major subject of the poem is ______
(a) war
(b) night
(c) marriage
(d) education
3. In the poem, night is presented as ______
(a) completely harmless
(b) a powerful presence
(c) a human being
(d) a place
4. The giving of human qualities tonight is an example of ______
(a) irony
(b) personification
(c) rhyme
(d) pun
5. One major theme of the poem is the ______ of nature
(a) weakness
(b) power
(c) disappearance
(d) destruction
6. Darkness in the poem is associated with ______
(a) certainty
(b) mystery
(c) celebration
(d) wealth
7. The poem explores man's relationship with ______
(a) technology
(b) nature
(c) politics
(d) education
8. The use of descriptive language that appeals to the senses is known as ______
(a) imagery
(b) irony
(c) satire
(d) climax
9. Night can symbolise ______ in the poem
(a) mystery and fear
(b) wealth and success
(c) education and progress
(d) friendship and love
10. One important lesson from the poem is that human beings ______
(a) control all forces of nature
(b) cannot completely control nature
(c) should avoid nature
(d) should fear daylight
THEORY QUESTIONS
1. Discuss the poet's presentation of night in the poem.
2. Explain three major themes in Night.
3. Mention and explain three poetic devices used in the poem.