Poetic Devices | The Leader And The Led

Topic Content:

1.    Contrast:

The Loin 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 front
But his eyes are too far from the ground

The Elephant trudges into the power tussle
But its colleagues dread his trampling feet.

The poet makes effective use of contrast to make ineffective the animals’ desire to lead the pack. The use of “But” in the above examples contrasts the ideas in the couplets as it reveals a weakness in the character of the animal who aspires to lead the pack.

2.    Simile:

“And the pack thrashes around
Like a snake without a head”.

Through the use of simile, the poet compares the leaderless situation of the animals to a snake without a head. The effect is that without a leader, the pack exist without any sense of direction and does not make progress.

3.    Metaphor: 

The power tussle among the animals is metaphorical 

Examples, “pounce of the paws”, “lethal