ARISE, NIGERIAN YOUTHS
Nigerian youths, stand up and be counted.
Nigerian youths, your time is now, so stand up and be counted.
You are the hope of your generation; the candle is now in your hand; let it shine for your country.
Stand up and give hope to many of your countrymen and women who hopelessness is the only thing they see when they look at the horizon.
There is still hope for all, and you, Nigeria youth is the hope.
There is still light at the end of the tunnel.
The despair and the losses of yesterday must now give way to the hard work of today.
For today, each and every one of you will carry the mantle of your nation to a better place.
Nigerian youths, your time is now, so stand up and be counted.
You are the hope of your generation; the candle is now in your hand; let it shine for your country.
Stand up and give hope to many of your countrymen and women who hopelessness is the only thing they see when they look at the horizon.
There is still hope for all, and you, Nigeria youth is the hope.
There is still light at the end of the tunnel.
The despair and the losses of yesterday must now give way to the hard work of today.
For today, each and every one of you will carry the mantle of your nation to a better place.
Yes, the ball is now in your court, and you must move it.
Rise, rise, I say, be brave and move out of the belly of the beast.
Defeated mindset, you must now discard.
Wipe away all your tears and pain, for it is the dawn of a new day in your nation.
You are the future of your nation, as all can attest to.
So as the successors of your fatherland, rise up from your broken shell and be counted.
Somehow, you have weathered and witnessed a broken and divided nation.
Rise and pick up the pieces of this broken nation and simply put it together again.
Do not relent on the effort you started a while ago, for your job and duty to your nation are unfinished.
Rise, rise, I say, be brave and move out of the belly of the beast.
Defeated mindset, you must now discard.
Wipe away all your tears and pain, for it is the dawn of a new day in your nation.
You are the future of your nation, as all can attest to.
So as the successors of your fatherland, rise up from your broken shell and be counted.
Somehow, you have weathered and witnessed a broken and divided nation.
Rise and pick up the pieces of this broken nation and simply put it together again.
Do not relent on the effort you started a while ago, for your job and duty to your nation are unfinished.
Yes, youths of Nigeria, put aside your differences and unite with a purpose in your mind.
Strive to form a new and a better union for your nation.
A new nation that will be committed to all tribes, persons, and religions.
Lift up your gaze, look not upon the things that divides your fatherland, but look upon the thing that unite you.
Close the culture of tribalism, greed, and corruption, and put the future of your nation above all the self-interest that has plagued your nation.
Put down your arms, reach out and grab the hands of your brothers and sisters from every tribe and religion and bring peace and unity to your land again.
Strive to form a new and a better union for your nation.
A new nation that will be committed to all tribes, persons, and religions.
Lift up your gaze, look not upon the things that divides your fatherland, but look upon the thing that unite you.
Close the culture of tribalism, greed, and corruption, and put the future of your nation above all the self-interest that has plagued your nation.
Put down your arms, reach out and grab the hands of your brothers and sisters from every tribe and religion and bring peace and unity to your land again.
In the means of your mourning for your fatherland, let hope be the armor you carry.
Together you shall win the battle that has been raging in your land for a long time for a better tomorrow.
A new dawn has come, youths of Nigeria.
Arise, be brave and push away the ills of yesterday and embrace the better future that lies on your horizon.
So, stand up and be counted, for you are the future that you sort in your nation.
Pick up the mantles today, and together join hands to shine the light for your countrymen and women.
Together you shall win the battle that has been raging in your land for a long time for a better tomorrow.
A new dawn has come, youths of Nigeria.
Arise, be brave and push away the ills of yesterday and embrace the better future that lies on your horizon.
So, stand up and be counted, for you are the future that you sort in your nation.
Pick up the mantles today, and together join hands to shine the light for your countrymen and women.
Analysis and Review of the poem by Okoro Amarachi Anastasia
A fascinating long narrative poem written by Maggie offoha, that centered on the youth. This a poem of four stanzas written with no rhyme scheme. The theme of the poem focus on inspiring Nigeria youth to take and action and do the needful to save their corruption. The poem made it clear that there is need to change in Nigeria and that change lies in hands of the youths. The poem gave Nigeria a purpose, and that purpose is to modify their nation. So, there should put aside their differences and unites for the sake of nation that needs saving and build a better future for their generation.
The tone of the poets is appealing to the conscious of the readers and at the same it is provoking to call for an action. The poem call for the brave young citizen to take a bold step and seek for a change, encouraging their is hope at last. The narrative of the poem is simple and narrative. Though there are use of metaphor and idiomatic expression in the poem. Also, the poem promote a sense of unity in stanza three remove any cultural barriers or tribalism among themselves. The poem also acknowledge youth as a source of hope to others and countrymen and they should fix whatever that is broken in a country. This beautiful appeal to the youth to stand as light of the nation, giving them a great sense of responsibility to prepare for worse as they hope for a better future.
Some poetic devices employed in the poem are:
Repetition: repetition of phrases like “youths of Nigeria”, “Rise”, “Nigeria Youth”, “fatherland”, “hope”, etc. are seen in the poem.
Idioms/ proverb: “the ball is now in your court” (seen in two) “There is still light at the end of the tunnel.” (seen in stanza one)
Metaphor: “hope be the armor you carry” (seen in stanza four), “You are the future of your nation” (seen in stanza two). “Nigeria youth is the hope” (seen in stanza one)
Personification: “A new dawn has come…” (seen in stanza four), “A new nation that will be committed to all tribes, persons, and religions” (seen stanza three).