essay on love cycle by chinua achebe

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Brief Notes on Love Cycle a Poem by Chinua Achebe

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Love Cycle by Chinua Achebe: Poem and Analysis

General introduction.

The Poem

Love cycle by chinua achebe.

At dawn slowly

the Sun withdraws his

long misty arms of

embrace. Happy lovers

whose exertions leave

no aftertaste nor slush of love's combustion; Earth perfumed in dewdrop

fragrance wakes

to whispers of

soft-eyed light....

will wear out his temper plowing the vast acres of heaven and take it out on her in burning darts of anger.

Long accustomed to such caprice she waits patiently for evening when thoughts of another night will restore his mellowness and her power

The title, "Love Cycle," immediately suggests a recurring pattern or series of events related to love, indicating that the poem will likely explore the repetitive nature of love's highs and lows.

1. Cyclical Nature of Love: The poem portrays love as a cyclical process, moving from moments of harmony and affection to periods of conflict and tension. This theme is evident in the contrast between the peaceful dawn and the tumultuous evening, highlighting the recurring nature of love's challenges and resolutions.

2. Endurance and Resilience: Through the portrayal of the female character's patient endurance of her partner's temper, the poem underscores the theme of resilience in love. Despite facing anger and caprice, the woman remains steadfast, suggesting that enduring love requires resilience and patience.

3. Power Dynamics in Relationships: The poem touches on the power dynamics within relationships, particularly in the context of conflict resolution. The woman's ability to restore her partner's "mellowness" with the promise of another night suggests a certain degree of power and influence she holds over him.

4. Nature's Reflection of Emotions: Achebe uses nature imagery, such as the Sun's "long misty arms" and the Earth perfumed in dewdrop fragrance, to reflect the emotions and dynamics within the relationship. This theme suggests a deep connection between human emotions and the natural world.

5. Transient Nature of Emotions: The poem explores the fleeting nature of emotions, particularly anger and affection, within a relationship. The Sun's temper and the subsequent restoration of mellowness symbolize the transient nature of human emotions, suggesting that conflicts are often followed by reconciliation.

Literary Devices

1. Personification: The Sun is personified as withdrawing his "long misty arms of embrace," creating a vivid image of the dawn and implying a sense of intimacy between nature and the lovers.

2. Metaphor: The comparison of the Sun's temper to plowing the vast acres of heaven and taking it out on her in burning darts of anger is a metaphor that vividly depicts the destructive nature of the Sun's anger.

3. Imagery: Achebe employs vivid imagery throughout the poem, such as "Earth perfumed in dewdrop fragrance" and "whispers of soft-eyed light," to evoke sensory experiences and create a rich, atmospheric setting.

4. Symbolism: The Sun and the Earth can be seen as symbolic representations of the male and female characters in the poem, respectively, highlighting the interplay between these natural elements as a reflection of the relationship dynamics.

5. Irony: The irony of the woman patiently waiting for evening, knowing that it will bring a restoration of her partner's mellowness, adds depth to the poem by highlighting the complexities of love and human behavior.

6. Alliteration: The repetition of the "s" sound in "soft-eyed light" creates a soft, soothing effect that complements the peaceful imagery of the dawn, enhancing the overall mood of the poem.

Language and Mood:

The language in "Love Cycle" is evocative and rich in imagery, creating a tranquil mood in the opening lines that gradually transitions to a more tense and conflicted atmosphere. The use of descriptive language, such as "Earth perfumed in dewdrop fragrance" and "burning darts of anger," enhances the emotional depth of the poem and contributes to its overall mood of contemplation and introspection.

Chinua Achebe, a renowned Nigerian author, often explored themes related to African identity, culture, and human relationships in his works. "Love Cycle" can be interpreted as a reflection of Achebe's observations on the complexities of love and the enduring nature of relationships, themes that are prevalent in much of his writing.

Conclusion:

"Love Cycle" by Chinua Achebe is a poignant exploration of the cyclical nature of love, highlighting themes of endurance, resilience, power dynamics, and the transient nature of emotions within a relationship. Through vivid imagery and literary devices, Achebe crafts a nuanced portrayal of love's complexities, inviting readers to contemplate the ebbs and flows of human emotions and relationships.

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Search this blog, “love cycle” - chinua achebe.

At dawn slowly

the sun withdraws his

long misty arms of

embrace. Happy lovers

whose exertions leave

no aftertaste nor slush

of love’s combustion; Earth

perfumed in dewdrop

fragrance wakes

to whispers of

soft-eyed light…

will wear out his temper

ploughing the vast acres

of heaven and take it

out of her in burning

darts of anger. Long

accustomed to such caprice

she waits patiently

for evening when thoughts

of another night will

restore his mellowness

and her power

1. dawn – sunrise

2. embrace – hug/hold in arms

3. exertions – efforts

4. no aftertaste nor slush – no memory left by an event/experience

5. combustion – burning (here warmth of love)

6. soft-eyed light – refers to the early morning

7. wear out – tired of losing his temperament

8. caprice - a sudden change of mood

9. restore - bring back

mellowness – relaxed and pleasant

“Love Cycle”, a poem by Nigerian poet Chinua Achebe, focusses on the power of nature while relating it to human life. It explores the interaction between two natural entities - the sun(an angry male) and the earth(a tolerant female). The poem personifies the sun and the Earth and uses them as a metaphor for a couple.

The sun leaves from the Earth at dawn like a lover who has just said goodbye. The Earth is left with a “dewdrop fragrance” and wakes up to the soft light. Later, the sun gets angry from working in the sky and displaces it on the Earth. The Earth is used to the caprice and waits patiently for the evening when the sun calms down.

The earth’s endurance of the sun’s scorching rays is compared to a woman’s tolerance for her husband’s “darts of anger”. The sun's anger represents the conflict that can happen in a relationship. The Earth's patience represents the power of love to overcome challenges.

Earth tolerates the harshness of the sun during the day. At night, sunlight becomes gentle through the reflective surface of the moon. This subdued nature of the sun gives Earth free reign over her partner. Earth tolerates the sun for these moments of freedom and relief. The cyclic phenomena of sunrise, sunset, and Earth’s reaction to it indirectly implies that love is a cycle.