THE SOURCE

 THE SOURCE

What a free man the soul is!

No resume,

Curriculum vitae, 

No pay, 

... doesn't resume, 

No closing, and no retirement from service. 

What a chain a man is bound!

 No freedom,

 No rest, 

...on fate, 

No kingdom

To agree, to do, that's his bond. 

From where comes a man's unnegotiated freedom? 

To some-

 From God, 

From god's. 

To some- 

...work, endless efforts put into his farm. 

I know not much, but a little. 

A minute

A bit.

The bit

The minute

Is the much I know, not little 

Frankly, sincerely, to me, it's Almighty God 

The father

Our Lord

The paver

The Omni-every and all-knowing God.

SUBJECT MATTER/SUMMARY/CONTENT ANALYSIS 

E. L. Teddy’s poem "The Source" traces back to the origin of man, pointing to his sovereignty in the original plans of God for man as a fellow created in God’s image and likeness. The motivation to write this piece emanated from the poet’s perception of the concept of man in the modern world. He saw man as a being who, having lost the glory of the haven he was created in, must work himself to the grave unless he chooses not to live. This applies to every class of human status; even the so-called fat-cats and aristocrats are not exempt.

Today, man yearns for that lost freedom, and though they may find it, it may never be as it was in the original plan. Some will never find it at all, because they seek the living among the dead.

Stanza 1 (Lines 1–6)

In this stanza, the speaker begins with an exclamation: “What a free man the soul is.” This refers to the freedom man had at creation, in the Garden of Eden. He points out that, in the original plan, man was not supposed to write or submit résumés or CVs to be considered for a job, or to earn a living. He was not meant to depend on salary or pay, to go on leave and resume again, all for survival, only to retire from service(death). But man has now attached all of these burdens to his soul.

Stanza 2 (Lines 7–12)

Again, an exclamation begins the second stanza: “What a chain a man is bound!” The poet sees life and its worries as a chain that binds a man, confining him to a claustrophobic cycle: being born, going to school, getting a job, and working oneself to death. No freedom, no rest, on fate(Whatever life decides), no kingdom, as such, man cannot be the king. And then, how far he can go depends on his employers. And if he must win their love, he must learn to agree and to do.

Stanza 3 (Lines 13–18)

There is a rhetorical question in stanza 3. The poetic persona, having seen all these things, asks: “From where comes a man’s unnegotiated freedom?”, the freedom that is not decided by another, the freedom not tied to how many hours one can work or how much one is paid.

The speaker goes further to say that this depends largely on man’s perception, which is reflected in the repeated statements: “To whom?” Some believe that true freedom can be found in God. To some, in gods. To others, freedom is found in hard work and effort, strength put into farm labor, into business, into one’s toil, and that is just what they believe. The poet’s approach in this stanza is adapted to subject man to thoughts aimed at regaining his lost glory.

Stanza 4 (Lines 19–24)

In this stanza, the poet admits that he does not know much about what is in a man’s heart. What he does know, however little, is that people have different perceptions, and that this little knowledge is enough to help him relate well with people.

Stanza 5 (Lines 25–30)

“Frankly, sincerely, to me, it’s the Almighty God”. This clearly defines the poet’s stand, declaring that God is the source of unnegotiated freedom.

FORM AND STRUCTURE

This poem is structured in five stanzas of six lines each, with a rhyme scheme of A–B–C–C–D–A and a well-measured rhythmic pattern. All first and last lines of every stanza contain seven words each, while the second and fifth lines of every stanza contain two words each.

SETTING

The poem is geographically set in Africa(Nigeria, to be precise), even though it addresses a global matter. This means its setting does not have to be restricted to Africa alone.

THEME

This poem has three outstanding themes.

Lost Glory: which is seen in stanza one, where the poetic persona presents a clear abstract picture of how man was originally meant to live.

Suffering: This is made evident in stanza two, where man is shown to be buried in suffering as a result of his own actions.

Hope: Even though this hope may not necessarily be a bed of roses.

LANGUAGE AND STYLE

 Diction: The language and choice of words used in the poem are very simple and easy for anyone to understand.

POETIC DEVICES

Allusion

Stanza 1 as a whole is an allusion to creation, pointing to how man was originally given everything he ever needed.

Stanza 2 alludes to the present state of man after the great disobedience in Genesis 2:3.

Repetition

“No” in Stanzas 1 and 2

“What if” in Stanza 1 line 1, and Stanza 2 line 1

“From” in Stanza 3, lines 1, 3, and 4

“Our” in stanza 5, lines 3 and 4

Rhetorical Question

This is found in line 1 of Stanza 3: “From where comes a man’s unnegotiated freedom?”

Symbolism

"Retirement" (Death) in Stanza 1, line 6

" Farm"(Job/Work) in Stanza 3, line 6

Enjambment

This is found in Stanza 4 from line 4, which reads:

“The bit, the minute, is the much I know, not little.”

It should also be noted that this group of words contradicts itself, creating an oxymoron:

Knowing “minute” and “much” at the same time.

MESSAGES CONVEYED

1. Man knows no rest.

2. Whatever you think gives you peace becomes your freedom.

3. Because you have failed before does not mean hope is gone.

4. Change what you can change, and leave what you cannot.

5. To me, true peace and freedom are found only in God through His Son Jesus Christ.

What's your view about this poem, the subject matter, and the concept of God as the true source of peace/freedom? Please read, comment, share, and don't forget to subscribe for more.

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