CLASS NOTE: POETRY – IDENTIFYING LANGUAGE IN "HEAVY TONGUES"

Subject: Literature-in-English Class: JSS 1 Topic: Identifying Language and Literary Devices in Heavy Tongues by Oiwona Andrew Theme: Cultural Identity and the Power of Language

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1. INTRODUCTION: THE SHOE THAT DOESN'T FIT

Imagine you are preparing for a long journey. You are given a pair of shoes that look very shiny and expensive, but they are two sizes too small. As you start walking, your feet begin to ache. Every step is a struggle. You want to run, but you can only limp. Eventually, your feet feel heavy, like they are made of lead.

This is exactly how the poet, Oiwona Andrew, feels about speaking a language that is not his "Mother Tongue." In Nigeria, many of us speak languages like Igbo, Yoruba, Hausa, Idoma, or Efik at home. These are the languages of our hearts. However, in school and business, we use English. While English is important, Oiwona Andrew argues that for many people, speaking a foreign language can feel "heavy." It feels like those tight shoes—it limits how we express our true selves.

In this lesson, we will explore the "tools" (language and literary devices) the poet uses to show us this struggle.

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2. COMPREHENSIVE CORE CONCEPTS

To understand poetry, we must look beyond the literal meaning of words. Poets use specialized language to create pictures in our minds and feelings in our hearts.

A. Understanding the Context (The "Why" behind the poem)

Heavy Tongues is a poem about Cultural Identity. In Nigeria, our history includes a period of colonization where English became the official language. Because of this, many people feel a "tug-of-war" between their native culture and the Western culture. The poet uses the physical sensation of "heaviness" to describe a mental struggle. When he speaks of a "heavy tongue," he is talking about the difficulty of being yourself when you are forced to use someone else’s words.

B. Literary Devices: The Poet's Toolbox

Literary devices are techniques writers use to express ideas clearly and beautifully. Here are the three main devices Andrew uses in Heavy Tongues:

1. Metaphor (Direct Comparison) A metaphor is a figure of speech that describes an object or action in a way that isn’t literally true but helps explain an idea or make a comparison.

• Analysis of the Title: The title, Heavy Tongues, is a powerful metaphor. A human tongue weighs very little. However, the poet calls it "heavy" to compare the difficulty of speaking English to the weight of a heavy object.
• Example: If you say "Life is a roller coaster," you don't mean life is a machine at an amusement park; you mean life has many ups and downs. Similarly, "Heavy Tongues" means speech that is difficult, burdened, and lacks freedom.

2. Personification (Human Qualities to Non-Humans) Personification happens when a poet gives human traits—like emotions, desires, or physical actions—to inanimate objects or abstract ideas.

• In the Poem: The poet treats "Language" or "Words" as if they are living things that can be stubborn, can "trip" us up, or can "refuse" to obey.
• Why it matters: By personifying the language, the poet makes it feel like a "stranger" or an "enemy" he is wrestling with. It turns a simple conversation into a dramatic battle.

3. Imagery (Creating Mental Pictures) Imagery is the use of vivid, descriptive language to appeal to our five senses (sight, sound, smell, taste, and touch). Oiwona Andrew specifically uses Kinesthetic Imagery, which is imagery related to movement and physical sensations.

• The Sensation: He describes words "twisting" in the mouth or a tongue "stuttering."
• The Effect: This allows the reader to feel the physical discomfort of the speaker. You can almost see the person’s face contorted as they try to pronounce "thick," "alien" syllables.

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3. DICTION: THE CHOICE OF WORDS

Diction simply means "word choice." A poet does not choose words by accident. They choose words that create a specific Mood (the feeling the reader gets).

In Heavy Tongues, the diction is:

1. Labored and Exhausted: The poet uses words like struggle, burden, thick, foreign, and clumsy. These words make the reader feel tired, reflecting the speaker's exhaustion.
2. Contrastive (Opposites): The poet often contrasts "Home" words with "Foreign" words.
   • Mother Tongue: Described as natural, light, and flowing.
   • English/Foreign Language: Described as metallic, hard, and stony.

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4. KEY POINTS FOR STUDY

• The Conflict: The poem highlights the clash between the Indigenous Language (the language of the ancestors) and the Colonial Language (English).
• Loss of Identity: The poet suggests that when we cannot speak our native language fluently, we lose a piece of our history and our "soul."
• Language as a Mask: The poet implies that speaking a foreign language is like wearing a mask that doesn't fit your face properly.

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5. ENGAGING CLASS ACTIVITIES

Activity 1: The "Word Weight" Hunt (Individual)

• Task: Read the poem silently. Draw a line down the middle of a page in your notebook. On the left side, list 5 words the poet uses to describe "heaviness" or "difficulty." On the right side, write why you think the poet chose that word.
• Example: Word: "Stumble" -> Reason: It shows that the speaker is like a child learning to walk; he is not confident in this language.

Activity 2: The Translation Challenge (Group Work)

• Task: Get into groups of four. Take a popular proverb from your local language (e.g., Yoruba: "Ilowo lowo l’on m’eni m’eniyan").
• Step 1: Translate it literally into English.
• Step 2: Discuss: Does it sound "heavy" or "weird" in English? Does it lose the "sweetness" it had in your local dialect?
• Step 3: Relate this to the poem. This "weirdness" is what Oiwona Andrew calls a "Heavy Tongue."

Activity 3: Performance Poetry (Experiential)

• Task: Prepare a "Mood Reading." Read the first stanza of the poem in a voice that sounds tired and weighed down. Read the parts about the "Mother Tongue" in a voice that sounds happy and free. Notice how the language of the poem changes your physical voice.

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6. ASSESSMENT QUESTIONS

1. Define Metaphor and explain how the title Heavy Tongues serves as one.
2. The poet describes words as "climbing" or "tripping." Which literary device is being used here?
3. How does the poet’s choice of diction help you understand his feelings toward the English language?
4. In your own words, explain the main theme of the poem.
5. Short Essay (100 words): Describe a time you felt "heavy-tongued" (e.g., trying to speak a language you aren't fluent in, or trying to explain a deep feeling). How does your experience relate to Oiwona Andrew’s poem?

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7. DETAILED SUMMARY

In this lesson, we have explored the heart of Oiwona Andrew’s poetry. We have learned that:

• Poetry is a vehicle for identity: Heavy Tongues is not just about words; it is about the struggle to remain connected to one's roots in a modern, colonized world.
• Language is physical: Through the use of Kinesthetic Imagery, the poet makes the mental struggle of language feel like a physical weight.
• Tools of the Trade: We identified Metaphors (comparing language to weight), Personification (making language a living actor), and Diction (choosing "heavy" words) as the primary ways the poet communicates his message.

The Big Idea: Your language is your power. When we lose our ability to speak our "Mother Tongues," our expression becomes "heavy" because we are trying to fit our large, beautiful cultures into a language that wasn't built for them.

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Independent Study Task: Find the poem The Piano and the Drum by Gabriel Okara. Write down three ways it is similar to Heavy Tongues in the way it talks about "New" vs. "Old" cultures.