An Ode to Leadership in Ghana

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• Kwabonku 13 years ago

  Nice but difficult words to understand. Can someone break it down for me?

  Nice but difficult words to understand. Can someone break it down for me?

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• Paa Kwesi Mintah 13 years ago

  Ah there goes my cousin. I'm trying to drink his first poem of the year only to find it with some indigestible impurities.
  
  Cousin Atta, you're no doubt a poet who can churn out verses ad nauseam.
  
  However you need to tig ...
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  Ah there goes my cousin. I'm trying to drink his first poem of the year only to find it with some indigestible impurities.
  
  Cousin Atta, you're no doubt a poet who can churn out verses ad nauseam.
  
  However you need to tighten your verses up and polish your poetry. I am sure you hastily wrote this but please allow me to point out something to you.
  
  I'm not going to talk about rhyme or meter because those aren't the point here. The issue has to do with your first verse.
  
  Your first line establishes a theme, "Leadership". The lines following the first line are descriptive and should explain or reinforce the idea in the first line.
  
  Thus you have your first line: "Leadership".
  
  Second Line: "Some find it rude and crude" (You've made a bold claim here that needs support and not contrast)
  
  Third Line: "Despite its exterior dazzling form of pomp and glory" (So far you've NOT given an explanation of why people see Leadership as being crude. The second line merely states the nature and style of leadership that's wrapped in razzle dazzle exterior pomp.)
  
  Where is the "Reason" that explains why people find leadership to be crude and rude? That reason should've been stated in your second line. However you don't offer that explanation but tell about razzle dazzle exterior pomp.
  
  Also your use of the word "Despite" in the second line assumes it is universally expected for "leadership" to wrap itself up in pomp and circumstance. That is a false proposition anyway.
  
  Then comes your puzzling fourth line:
  "Expecially leadership in the nude"
  
  What do you mean by "Leadership in the nude" Is this contrasting leaderhip in velvet cape, mace and mitre amid regimented protocol? If that is what you mean then it's a complete contrast to your second line, where people abhor the exterior glitter of leadership yet despise its stark nakedness.
  
  If by "Leadership in the nude" you mean leadership that's empty of any substantive direction etc then that is inconsequential to the second and third lines. This is because no explanation has been given so far about your statement in the second line.
  
  So here goes the plan:
  
  First line "Leadership"
  
  Second Line: "Statement about people's reaction to Leadership"
  
  Third Line " EXPLANATION to reinforce the proposition in second line"
  
  Fourth Line: "Additional information about some aspects of leadership
  
  I've intentionally laid out a logical flow of how your verses can make sense and not contrast preceding lines.
  
  Poetry is more than throwing words about. They need to make sense and follow some logical flow.
  
  A true poet always has some interesting lines without repetition. No true poet will write as you did as follows:
  
  "Tomorrow, yes tomorrow beckons"
  
  Had you worn you creative cap, that line could've been:
  
  "Tomorrow, another day beckons"
  
  Anyway, this year I promise to critically look at your articles and poems and eat them like chocolate. If they're bad, you'll see them dissected and nailed to this page for all to see your failed attempt at hype.
  
  And you know I love you too much not to be critical.
  
  Greetings of the highest order from forehead to waist, Salute, whaaaam bam.
  "

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• Kwesi Sakyi 13 years ago

  Hi Cousin, your salute DHLed to me. Leadership in the nude means impoverished leadership. Sorry I gave you a puzzle to unravel with your superior cro magnum occipita, cerebrum and cerebelum. What is poetry for but to scramble ...
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  Hi Cousin, your salute DHLed to me. Leadership in the nude means impoverished leadership. Sorry I gave you a puzzle to unravel with your superior cro magnum occipita, cerebrum and cerebelum. What is poetry for but to scramble some undiscerning brains.

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• OTCHERE DARKO 13 years ago

  Different people understand or interpret poetry differently. You don't have to dissect a poem line by line or verse by verse.
  
  Kwesi Atta Sakyi may be an amateur poet, like many people who post poems at this site or forum, ...
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  Different people understand or interpret poetry differently. You don't have to dissect a poem line by line or verse by verse.
  
  Kwesi Atta Sakyi may be an amateur poet, like many people who post poems at this site or forum, but he always succeeds to paint a general picture of what his poem is about or saying.
  
  I took ['Uncle'] Kofi Atta's poem in its entirety and I understood him vividly. You could argue that the poem is in essence 'satirical' [in its 'roving' poetic journey].

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• Okofo Dartey Samuel 13 years ago

  Your critical review is appreciative but I must say a true poet is also true to their style and emotions as they write. And whatever diction and form they choose to convey their stream of thought must not be crucified. A depa ...
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  Your critical review is appreciative but I must say a true poet is also true to their style and emotions as they write. And whatever diction and form they choose to convey their stream of thought must not be crucified. A departure from your poetic grace and flair breeds staleness. Let the poet be for that is the reason there are critics and reviewers.

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• OTCHERE DARKO 13 years ago

  I have read the two comments preceding mine. I can understand their quest for explanation.
  
  NDCs will be wondering whether the poem is singing their glory; and NPPs will also wonder whether the poet is weeping with them.
  
  ...
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  I have read the two comments preceding mine. I can understand their quest for explanation.
  
  NDCs will be wondering whether the poem is singing their glory; and NPPs will also wonder whether the poet is weeping with them.
  
  Poets succeed when their readers find it hard to understand them. After poetry is a language meant for those who speak it.
  
  Well done, Kwesi Atta Sakyi. Well done !!!

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• Kwesi Atta Sakyi 13 years ago

  That is ingenious of you, Otchere Darko, for unravelling my motive and devious scheme of hunting with the hounds and running with the hares. It was a strategem and subterfuge. I give you high marks.

  That is ingenious of you, Otchere Darko, for unravelling my motive and devious scheme of hunting with the hounds and running with the hares. It was a strategem and subterfuge. I give you high marks.

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• Kwesi Atta Sakyi 13 years ago

  Crude leadership is rude to people, as it insults them and calls opponents names. This is nakedness or ineptitude of an unstatemanly leader who blindly adores accolades of partisan supporters, and does not cut a dignified fat ...
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  Crude leadership is rude to people, as it insults them and calls opponents names. This is nakedness or ineptitude of an unstatemanly leader who blindly adores accolades of partisan supporters, and does not cut a dignified father of all figure. onlookers are intrigued by sloganeering which brings no value addition to GDP, Save that choruses are bereft of ideas.

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• Kwesi Atta Sakyi 13 years ago

  Crude leadership is rude to people, as it insults them and calls opponents names. This is nakedness or ineptitude of an unstatemanly leader who blindly adores accolades of partisan supporters, and does not cut a dignified fat ...
  read full comment

  Crude leadership is rude to people, as it insults them and calls opponents names. This is nakedness or ineptitude of an unstatemanly leader who blindly adores accolades of partisan supporters, and does not cut a dignified father of all figure. onlookers are intrigued by sloganeering which brings no value addition to GDP, Save that choruses are bereft of ideas.

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• Dick 13 years ago

  I struggled a bit also but the conclusion l deduced was similar to that of Mr Darko, abet I will not say weeping with the NPP but encouraging sympathy to them.

  I struggled a bit also but the conclusion l deduced was similar to that of Mr Darko, abet I will not say weeping with the NPP but encouraging sympathy to them.

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• asante 13 years ago

  i never like poems, but i think i like this one. so interesting

  i never like poems, but i think i like this one. so interesting

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• AUGUSTINE 13 years ago

  Nice one, Kwesi, poetically speaking. I'm just seeing this. A good one there, congrats, bro, even though I wouldn't have mentioned Nana's full name, but hey, like William Wordsworth the father of Romanticism(along with Willia ...
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  Nice one, Kwesi, poetically speaking. I'm just seeing this. A good one there, congrats, bro, even though I wouldn't have mentioned Nana's full name, but hey, like William Wordsworth the father of Romanticism(along with William Byron Shelley,John Keats and others)said: "poetry is the spontaneous overflow of powerful feelings recollected in moments of tranquility". When I wrote 'ODE FOR SIKAMAN' last week, that was how I felt, and I believe you must feel relieved after writing this. Congrats and God bless.
  - Shakespearo

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