Beware Soul Brother

This poem is written in free verse; there is no set meter or specific syllabic line count. While the poem does have a good balance of iambs (a metrical foot with one unstressed syllable followed by one stressed syllable) and anapests (a metrical foot with two unstressed syllables followed by a stressed syllable), it does not follow a specific metrical pattern. Instead, the poem focuses on alliteration and diction to achieve its poetic qualities. Achebe often repeats the same sound twice in a row to give lines and phrases rhythmic qualities. This is apparent in descriptions like “tooth / and talon” (Lines 20-21) and “hard-headed / men of departed dance” (Lines 27-28). This pattern repeats in many other places of the poem, especially when Achebe is using detailed images.

The use of elevated diction is also of note. Achebe uses unique words like “surfeit” (Line 6), “dirge” (Line 10), “ascension” (Line 12), “soporific” (Line 13), “entrails” (Line 17), and “patrimony” (Line 37) for their rhythmic qualities within the lines and to add a layer of sophistication to the text itself, thus providing another way to tear down the traditional notion that the colonized person is “uncivilized.