Question 10
Explain the poet’s attitude to African traditional culture in “Vanity”.
Observation
A good number of candidates attempted this question. Many of them spoke generally of the African traditional culture without making reference to the poem.
The required answers should include:
- The positive view of traditional culture represented by the ancestors.
- The alienation that has ensued through the wilful neglect of ancestral guidance.
- The consequence of the wilful neglect.
- The placing of blame on the people themselves for their situation.
- The people’s ineffective cry for sympathy.