A Second Olympus by Anonymous

Read the poem below and attempt the practice questions given at the bottom.

From the rostrum they declaimed
On martyrs and men of high ideals
When they sent out
Benevolent despots to an unwilling race
Straining at the yoke.
Bull dozers trampling on virgin ground
In blatant violation.
They trampled down all that was strange,
And filled the void.
With half digested alien thoughts;
They left a trail of red.
Whenever their feet had passed
Oh, they did themselves fine.
And strutted about the place,
Self-proclaimed demi-gods
From counterfeit Olympus
One day they hurled down thunderbolts
On a toiling race of the earthworms.
They might have rained down pebbles.
To pelt the brats to death
But that was beneath them
They kept up the illusion
That they were fighting foes.
Killing in the name of high ideals.
At the inquest they told the world
The worms were becoming pests.

Moreover they said?
They did not like wriggling things
Strange prejudice for gods.

Practice Questions and Answers

a) What is the poem about?
The poem is about colonialism and the evils associated with it e.g. Oppression / racial prejudice etc. The poet ridicules colonialism and depicts it as an evil through which the colonized go through untold suffering.

b) Giving a relevant explanation, identify the persona in the poem.
The persona is an observer. Reports the happenings depicted in the poem. they declaimed … they trampled down all that was strange…

c) Whom do you think the persona refers to as ‘they’? Explain.
– “They” refers to the colonialists / oppressors. Benevolent despots to an unwilling race, They trampled down all that was strange., Self proclaimed demi-gods.

d) What is the attitude of the poet towards ‘they’ in the poem?
– The poet is:

1. contemptuous
2. despising
3. critical
4. disapproving
5. scornful towards ‘they’ – the colonialists. Uses expressions that show disapproval e.g. self proclaimed demi-gods. From counterfeit Olympus

e) Identify and illustrate any two themes evident in the poem.

1. Colonialism – Benevolent despots to an unwilling race.
2. Oppression – trampled, enslaved, yoke, bulldozed.
3. Prejudice – trampled down all that was strange., – And filled the void., With half digested alien thoughts.

f) What is the dominant style that the poet has used to deliver the message in the poem? Cite one illustration and explain its effectiveness.
 Metaphor

1. The rostrum – high moral ground assumed by the colonizers from which they look down upon the victims of their oppression.
2. Straining the yoke – suffering of the victims of colonialism as a result of hard labour / economic exploitation etc.
3. Half digested alien thoughts – foreign cultural values little understood by the locals.
4. A trail of red – heavy full on human life suffered by victims of oppression.
5. Self proclaimed demi-gods – colonizers who regards themselves superior to those they colonize.
6. Toiling race of earthworms – the hapless victims of colonization.

g) Describe the character trait displayed by ‘they’ in the poem.
 Cruel / unfeeling / brutal

1. They left a trail of red
2. They might have rained down pebbles. To pelt the brats to death.
3. Killing in the name of high ideals.

 Despising / contemptuous / prejudiced

1. From the rostrum they declaimed
2. They trampled down all that was strange
3. They did not like wriggling things.

h) Explain the meaning of the following lines as used in the passage.

1. They trampled down all that was strange.
2. And filled the void.
3. With half digested alien thoughts.

1. the locals did not fully understand.
2. and replaced/changed
3. not properly understood and foreign