Every Stone That turns analysis: Thomas Sukutai Bvuma

Analysis of the poem SURVIVORS

The title ‘Survivors’ refers to the comrades who returned from the war, those who did not die during the liberation struggle but also participated in the war.

The persona is among other survivors. The first stanza brings out the persona and other survivors bragging about being able to beat nature, danger, man and machine. They are living heroes and spinners of legends. They are proud and excited to have survived the gruelling liberation struggle.

The second stanza is a rhetorical question that asks for careful reflection whether the survivors were the toughest or the brightest or the smartest (most intelligent) of the lot that went to war. Interestingly, both survivors and those who perished were intelligent. Fate just chose survivors and those who would die.

The third stanza is a rhetorical question again. It asks if those who did not witness independence day on 18 April were the Bazooka shells or the canon fodder. The truth however, after careful reflection is that both sets of the liberation fighters are heroes. The dead sacrificed their lives for independence and the survivors also contributed immensely to the freedom of the country.

The fourth stanza is a rhetorical question again that poses the intriguing question-the real Heroes, are they not the dead? Again after careful reflection, one realizes that both the dead and the survivors are heroes. Both sacrificed in one way or the other. The dead paid with their lives but the survivors lost their time, limbs and families so both are heroes. The poem triggers the debate of whether the real heroes are the dead or the living (the survivors).

The fifth and last stanza asks rhetorically again whether the dead should be because they were dedicated and were spared the whispers and curses that claw the backs of the survivors. The last stanza seems to insinuate or suggest that the survivors are often targets of harsh criticism (curses and whispers that are negative) probably suggesting they were cowards or traitors. So in a way the dead are better off than the survivors.

The poem basically explores the idea of sacrifice by both the dead and the survivors. The poet does this using the poetic devices of juxtaposition that places the dead and the survivors side by side and uses rhetorical questions to interrogate the question of who are the real heroes, the dead comrades or the surviving comrades.