Images and their effect in the poem Guerilla Promise by Mvula yaNangolo The poem under review is written when Namibia was at war with the white South African government. The poet used personifications, metaphors as well as similes as a vehicle to give the words of the soldier (Guerilla promise) opponent , hence the title itself is imagery, and this essay is going to deliberate on the three imagery mentioned above.

1. Images and their effect in the poem Guerilla Promise (Mvula yaNangolo)
ANALYSIS BY HENOK N SHIHEPO
Imagery refers to the use figurative language to map or represent objects, actions and ideas in
a way that it appeals to human’s physical senses (Thorne, 2006). Meaning that, imagery
makes use of certain words that create visual representation of ideas in one’s mind. The poem
under review is written when Namibia was at war with the white South African government.
The poet used personifications, metaphors as well as similes as a vehicle to give the words of
the soldier (Guerilla promise) opponent , hence the title itself is imagery, and this essay is
going to deliberate on the three imagery mentioned above.
Simpson (1972) defined personification as “A figure of speech in which a thing, an idea or an
animal is given human attributes”. Meaning that, this is when non-human objects are
portrayed in a way that you can feel like they have the ability to act like human beings. In
essence, the poet used the word guerilla (a type of warfare ideology) with the word promise
which is an action known for human beings just to tell the narrators audience about the type
of soldier he is. Another use of personification is evident in the first stanza, line one when the
narrator said “like escaping newborn sunray” here the poet is giving the sunray the character
of been given birth to, instantly. Hence the narrator (Guerilla) is trying to show the opponent
that he is coming to him slowly, but surely, just like one who is running away from
something that can be dangerous (sunray), but very weak, immature and defenseless
(newborn).
The poet also used metaphors. Metaphor is refers to a figure of speech that makes an implicit
implication, or hidden comparison between two things that are unrelated, but which share
some common characteristics (McRae, 1998). In other words, it is a resemblance of two
contradictory or different objects that is made based on a single or some common
characteristics. yaNanangolo used lot of metaphors for the narrator (soldier/ Guerilla) to
reach out to his opponent like in the third stanza in the last two lines “I’m the soldier for this
realm. I’m a poisoned arrow” here the narrator is revealing his position in the territory that
he is a fighter (soldier) and the powerful and influential one (poisoned). The poet is further
using the metaphors through the narrator in the first three line of the last stanza “I’m a string-
bow1. I’m a sharpened spear2. I’m a sword”. we see how the metaphors are used to by the
poet for the narrator to fully introduce himself or give his words (promise) to his opponent
thus, he said he is connected or not alone (string-bow), and he is trained for war (sharpened
spear), and that he can kill and destroy (sword) these metaphors are used to give the final
promise that the soldier is around, hidden or covered waiting for the right time to act or fight
as appears in the last two lines of the last stanza “waiting in my sheath. “Only for your
death”.
References
Simpson, L. (Ed.). (1972). Introduction to Poetry. New York: St. Martin’s
Press.
Thorne, S. (2006). Mastering Poetry. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan.
YaNangolo, M. (1991). Thought from Exile. Windhoek: Longman Namibia.