Beware Soul Brother

“Answer” by Chinua Achebe (1971)

This poem declares a recovery of identity in the face of the plundered artifacts and culture of Achebe’s people. The poem uses an extended metaphor to describe the feeling of recapturing one’s culture and identity from those who would use it as something to marvel at like a piece of art. Achebe uses literary devices in this poem that are similar to “Beware Soul Brother,” such as repetition, evocative imagery, and a juxtaposition between traditional and Western images.

“Butterfly” by Chinua Achebe (1998)

This poem describes the meeting of a butterfly and a car. The poem uses juxtaposition to show how the soft, light world of nature intersects with the harsh, heavy, and violent world of man. The poem reflects a keen understanding of the qualities of nature that the modern world and its focus on commodification destroys. The symbol of materialism, a speeding car, brings destruction upon something innocent like a butterfly. This echoes how industrial conquest, travel, and technology has led to the exploitation and destruction of the natural world in many places that have become the targets of Western capitalist expansion.