The leader and the led Poem by Niyi Osundare
The leader and the led
The Lion stakes his claim
To the leadership of the pack
But the Antelopes remember
The ferocious pounce of his paws
The hyena says the crown is made for him
But the Impalas shudder at his lethal appetite
The Giraffe craves a place in the front
But his eyes are too far from the ground
When the Zebra says it's his right to lead
The pack points to the duplicity of his stripes
The Elephant trudges into the power tussle
But its colleagues dread his trampling feet
The warthog is too ugly
The rhino too riotous
And the pack thrashes around
Like a snake without a head
"Our need calls for a hybrid of habits",
Proclaims the Forest Sage,
"A little bit of a Lion
A little bit of a Lamb
Tough like a tiger, compassionate like a doe
Transparent like a river, mysterious like a lake
A leader who knows how to follow
Followers mindful of their right to lead"
This poem is about leadership, power tussle and different limitations and shortcomings of those who vie for leadership positions, especially in the eyes of those they lead/wish to lead. No matter how suitable a person thinks he is for a position, there are inherent shortcomings in us as individuals that inhibit our abilities to find complete trust in the people we lead/aspire to lead.
The Giraffe craves a place in the front But his eyes are too far from the ground
Igúnugún pledged to bear the leadership sacrifice but Àgbọ̀nrín remembered his pecks on a brother's carcass. Igúnugún- Vulture Àgbọ̀nrín- Deer
Write comment.explain what is meant by our needs call for a hybrids of habits
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3/26/2023 6:59:39 PM # 1.0.0.1112
What are the figures of speech used in the poem