Analysis of the poem "Eat Me" By: -

Click here the read the poem itself: Eat me

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Patience Agbabi, a poet highly recognized for her ability to interweave performance and literature, portrays a macabre relationship in her poem "Eat Me". Just by reading the title, it can be deduced that there is an imperative element to this poem, since the title itself is a command.

Being a next generation poet, Agbabi sticks to her conventional style of writing thus adapting the style of dub poetry. The poem follows a reggae-like rhythm throughout with a very conversational tone while the prime motive being to overtly convey a political and social message.  However, Agbabi has slightly manipulated this form since she starts the poem by giving the reader the wrong idea. We are lead to believe that the voice of the poem is happy and content with what she has since her birthday is being celebrated. This shows that she in the company of people who care for her. However, this idea gradually develops and changes - perhaps depicting the naivety of the voice: her realizations for the true intents of her lover unfold as the reader progresses throughout the poem.

Agbabi has used symbolism to a certain extent to portray the horrid nature of the antagonist. "a candle for each stone in weight" - a candle on a birthday cake typically represents the age of the person but this man believes that the worth of her weight is much greater than how old she is. It is also worth noting that the sentences of the poems are very constrained this showing that her movement and thoughts are very limited and puts the reader in a claustrophobic state. This sin't just a representation of physical claustrophobia, but also stresses on the mental and physiological constraint stress, self-affiliation, and insecurity.

Vivid imagery is used throughout the poem by making use of adjectives and verbs. Her physique and movement are described by words such as "wobble" and "judder" - words that are much for befitting to inanimate objects such as jelly. It could be argued that her humanity is stolen from her simply because of her size. Also, Agbabi constantly used repetition. It could be argued that this is to enhance the effect of the general dub poem so it can sound better when sung (or performed) but on the other hand, repetition of phrases such as "too fat" also imply the excess of something. Again, a hint towards the physical size of the voice. Alliteration is also used to enhance this effect. The phrase "called chubby cuddly" creates a "ch ch ch" effect which is onomatopoetic to the sound of water sloshing in a large jug and water is fluid, it cannot escape like gasses, thus showing how trapped she is albeit being able to move.

There seems to be a shift in dynamics in stanza 9. Throughout the poem, the purported antagonist had an imperative voice but at this point she says "...he whispered" perhaps showing fake control. Men in control tend not to whisper their commands and when this man was quite literally drowned in his lust and dazed by how surreal the present is, he revealed his true self. There is a sinister end: "nothing else left in the house to eat". the man hooked her on the habit of eating and now despite anything she tries, she will have to eat. And the only thing in sight is his body. Agbabi tries to show the reader that we pay for the damage we leave behind even long after our deaths.

To learn more about anthropological and sociological concepts, read about The Prisoners Dilemma

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Why life is fair - theory of proportionality By: -

On a particularly grim day, when its humid and rainy outside, you may lay back on you recliner sofa with a cup of coffee and wonder: "How does life compensate? For the family in Africa that thrives on under a dollar a day and the average suburban American who lives for the day he can retire and live off the fatta his lan' (pensions)". Or you might not wonder this. You might mull over the chances of a zombie apocalypse occurring. Or why Nutella and bananas taste so good together. I happened to have contemplated the very former idea.

Civilizations over the eons have been in a continuous pursuit to find an answer for this rather paradoxical notion. Because not only does it remain a dawning unanswered question; the very concept questions the basis and morality of a capitalist world - a world tailored by and for the primitive homosapien. A world with classes and divisions. A world with a clear distinction between the shepherd and his sheep. So when we are struck with ideas about equitableness and legitimacy of life itself, we have but not an option. We need to solve it, and if there is no solution: formulate one on evidence that is present. Because there is no way that life since its genesis is entirely unfair in such a matter, because if it is then I, a man with a computer and WiFi, will always be at fault. At fault for being born on the upper end of the spectrum whereas a lowly man in a third world country will also be at fault for being born at the other extreme of the spectrum. 

If something isn't perfect, it is imperfect. The subjects of the matter avoid it from reaching perfection and so therefore everyone involved is imperfect and to blame. In the spectrum of life, we are the subjects and we are to blame. That whole idea, however tacit it may be, doesn't sit well in our heads. 

There must be an explanation, and explanations are what we have composed:

The conceptualization of a life after death. Surely if one doesn't receive their fair share of livelihood in this world, then there must be an entire life that compensates for them. This idea ties in closely with the ideals of Religion - Do right and  live a life of eternal bliss. And this, for civilizations and the common man was enough. Religion answers every ambiguous doubt that exists in an even more ambiguous manner - the irrational logic. But because of all the trust and faith we invest into it, everything else is overridden: 86% of the worlds population follows a religion. 86% of the population finds peace and justification in this for the way life runs. 

This, however, generates a paradox within a paradox. There are over hundreds of religions all over the world. Which ones idea of "good" will grant the promised post-earthian-life utopia? And if one happens to be on the lower quartile of quality of life and follow the "wrong religion", then how is the universe fair to him/her? There is a flaw in the logic and flaws must be rectified.

Here is what I've come up with, a theory formulated after reading books on philosophy and morality of life. The theory of proportionality:

The premise of this concept is: 3/3 can be simplified to 1/1 despite having more content and substance.

Now, picture yourself in a sub-saharan village, waking up to the roaring heat of the sun. Hardly is it "roaring" because it's the same sun you've been waking up to for the past 26 years. You leave your house to hunt and provide for your family along with some of your mates. You make vulgar jokes; have witty conversations; talk about current events, all while holding a rifle. A mundane job. You've been doing this for years. 

A friend comes over and brings a fresh fruit basket from the city. A surge of adrenaline rushes through your veins and dopamine is released in your brain. You are exhilarated that you and your family can feed on this luxury, if only for a while. 

However, you are still burdened by looming and ever-present problems like providing the next meal for your family, spending more time with your children, and hoping to achieve self-actualization.

Rate this life as 2/2.

Now, substitute these scenarios with those an average American might experience. Instead of hunting for food, you go to your office and type away at the computer everyday, make jokes with your colleagues, and try to get through the day. A mundane job. 

For your birthday, your parents or friends get you an iPhone and, yes, you are thrilled.

The problems of everyday life, however, are a constant burden: your student loans, debts, and desire to one day start a family. 

Rate this life as 3/3. 

The point that I'm trying to get through is that the man in Africa feels and experiences the same happiness when when something that, in proportion, has equal value to him as an iPhone does to a middle-class American, happens to him. And the same concept can be applied to all other aspects of his life. 

Both of their lifestyles can be simplified to 1/1 = 1. We live the same lives. But there isn't a universal spectrum of livelihood, even considering there to be one is a bizarre idea. Instead, we are categorized into the our own little compasses - mutually exclusive to the rest.. Thinking about it this way proves to us that life is fair. Good and bad happens to everybody, both in equal and relative proportions. Feeling sorry for middle-class people in the Asian sub-continent because they don't have iPhones is irrational because they, themselves, might find the notion of an expensive phone impractical. Their joy might lie in something else. 

Different spectrums.

The only underlying factor amongst all of this is our sentiments. All else is different but equal.

Picture of the year - Nothing to do with Religion. By: -

 

A place that is amongst the most visited on Earth, yet ~ 1/4 of the worlds population is restricted from entering its bounds. A place where millions of people dressed in nothing but white towels stand in straight lines and face this simplistic black structure. A place dotted with specks of black and white yet it radiates vibrancy, A place like and unlike so many other places. Ladies and gents, Lo! The Makkah of the Muslim.

But what I see in this picture is beyond the scope of Religion or any of its entities.

The third tallest building in the world hovers in the air behind the solid façade of structure erected eons upon eons ago by the hands of Abraham. The old juxtaposed with the new. Where the latter merely facilitates the former. The past being the stronghold, linking itself with the present and what to come in the future.

Above the entire frame of the picture hovers time; a constant in the making. It is like the π in the equation of the circumference or the k in Hooke’s law. Despite the frantic nature of man, which can be seen in the bottom of the picture, time keeps moving.

In addition to expressing the oxymoronic themes of past and present, time and ignorance thereof, depth of simple complications and over complication of simplistic things, this picture is also an exquisite portrayal of beauty and perception. Unlike other pieces of art, and yes I dare call it so, the beauty of this piece doesn’t demand a certain perception or analysis. It radiates beauty and harmony therefore inviting understanding and perception. And regardless of how you perceive its connotations, the picture in itself remains a masterpiece.

 

“A picture is a secret about a secret, the more it tells you the less you know.”