KUSI'S LITERARY CLASS: {FIGURES OF SPEECH IN POETRY} Work In Progress!

PERSONIFICATION

"Mr. Asiamah?"
"Yes, Kofi?"
Kofi widens his already large eyes and puts his humble hands together, "Please Sir," he says, "-in order for me to properly present this next poem, and, in fact, the next two poems, you have to be temporarily relieved of your duties. Please Sir, do you accept my euphemism?"

"Team A wants to sack me?"

"Temporarily, Sir," Kofi says.

Mr. Asiamah laughs in mild disbelief, "Who will be the teacher?" he asks his student still a bit confused.

"I will be you, Sir. Its just a little acting," Kofi replies. The light of understanding finally shines in the teachers eyes as he astutely regards the very anxious faces of Kusi, Kojo and Kate. Clearing his throat noisily, Mr. Asiamah says, "I see!" Then he retreats to the confines of his seat behind his table and says to Kofi, "-in that case, I appreciate your euphemism! Please proceed!"

Sacked but not disengaged, the teacher studies his 'A' team like a hawk watching it's prey, his right hand in a tight fist gripping his red pen and hovering over his record sheet, his left hand fingering his chin thoughtfully.

Kofi then dons a long white coat, holds a dreadfully thick looking cane in his right hand and wears a comically large pair of spectacles. In his left hand, are all Kusi's notes for his role. With a quick wink at Kusi, Kojo, and Kate, he faces their class,

"Good afternoon, class!!!"

The giggling class responds,
"Good afternoon, Mr. Asiamah!!!"

"Quickly now! Bring out your notebooks! Write every word I dictate, no mistake! Are you ready?"

"Yes, Mr. Asiamah!!!"
The sound of drawers being pulled open, closed shut, and sounds of pages turning, pens snapping open, can be heard, even as Kofi struts all round the classroom, moving in-between rows, his thick, dreadful cane tap tapping, his spectacles askew, his little big voice droning away as he reads every word from Kusi's three note sheets...

"Personification! This is the figure of speech in which, an inanimate object or similar abstraction, is endowed with human qualities or abilities. For example:

1. Ahh, William! We are weary of the weather, said the sunflower, shining with dew.

The poem we will study now, is called, 'The Problem,' and it is written by Therie Essien in her book of poems called, The Secret Opera House.

Have you written that down? Okay, I will read the poem so you can listen first, then, I will dictate it, so you can also write it down. Ready?"

"Yes, Mr. Asiamah!!!"

Mr. Asiamah chuckles...

†***†***†****†***†***†

THE PROBLEM

It stares at me, it just stares

I stare right back

In fact, I glare

How dare you come here?

To harass me

To embarrass me

It laughs at me, it just laughs

I laugh right back

I'm strong like that

Ready to fight for what's right

No corner is too tight

I will not retreat

I will not surrender

I will not let you in

Or let you sleep over

I'm going to pound you into the ground

Speak up, now!

What do you think you are?

†***†***†****†***†***†

***REVIEW***

"Well, class!" Kofi says, "Can you tell me, what you think it is?"

The class cheerfully replies, "It is The Problem!!!"

"Excellent!" Kofi says, now pausing in front of their real teachers table, "All of you get one hundred percent!" Kofi dares to announce, before hurrying past Mr. Asiamah's table, to continue on his class tour, "Keep writing every bit of word I say, down in your notes, please!" he commands.

Kofi is still the teacher, still dictating, still looking directly into Kusi's notes, "This poem employs the figure of speech called personification, but it also uses the Apostrophe! An apostrophe is the act, that is, in writing, of addressing any abstraction or personification that is not physically present, its an example of a rhetorical trope. Example:

1. Oh, death, be not proud
2. Ingratitude! Thou marble hearted friend

"Now quickly, without much ado, we move on to the next figure of speech!"