YOUTH OF THE NATION
There are many ways you see us
Innocent, Fast
Intelligent, Motivatiors
Talented, special
Trouble-Makers, Clowns
Free-minded, Thinkers
Peacemakers, Lawyers of the present
Whatever you call us
We are the youth.
We have gone through the worst
Of the world
Some of you have never
Have imagined to happen
Of the world
Some of you have never
Have imagined to happen
We have been encouraged
To become the best of the future
To be Lawyers, Secretaries
Builders, Engineers
Doctors, Writers
Journalists, Teachers
Spokesmen, Soldiers
Singers, Actors
For we have the future in our hands
To become the best of the future
To be Lawyers, Secretaries
Builders, Engineers
Doctors, Writers
Journalists, Teachers
Spokesmen, Soldiers
Singers, Actors
For we have the future in our hands
We have been tempted with
Drugs, Cigarettes, Drinking
Things that will destroy your life
Some of us are trapped
But other are wiser
Choosing to say
‘No. I will do no such a thing’
Others have not been so fortunate
Their life's have been
Crushed by people
Who have jealousy, hate
This movement has such a name
As bullying, depression and anxiety
So many name it is called by
But they will lead to the same thing
If no one speaks up and says
‘no more’.
If no one says this
What will it lead to, you ask
Death, suicide
Their life's have been
Crushed by people
Who have jealousy, hate
This movement has such a name
As bullying, depression and anxiety
So many name it is called by
But they will lead to the same thing
If no one speaks up and says
‘no more’.
If no one says this
What will it lead to, you ask
Death, suicide
We also have such a thing
Called friendship
We laugh, we talk
We hang out together
We tell each other our secrets
We share stories
We tell them our problems
For they understand
And we thank them for that
Called friendship
We laugh, we talk
We hang out together
We tell each other our secrets
We share stories
We tell them our problems
For they understand
And we thank them for that
As young people
We have gone through the
Worst to things
Either it means fitting in
Or finding someone to trust
Or making new friends
Or telling your best friend your biggest secret
We always are strong
Because we are the youth of the nations
We have gone through the
Worst to things
Either it means fitting in
Or finding someone to trust
Or making new friends
Or telling your best friend your biggest secret
We always are strong
Because we are the youth of the nations
As John Green had said.
‘Those awful things are survivable
Because we are as indestructible
As we believe ourselves to be’.
‘Those awful things are survivable
Because we are as indestructible
As we believe ourselves to be’.
Now you see just a hint
Of how our lives are
Through our eyes
Just to tell you
We are many
We are only young
We are
The youth of the Nation.
Of how our lives are
Through our eyes
Just to tell you
We are many
We are only young
We are
The youth of the Nation.
Analysis and Review of the poem by Okoro Amarachi Anastasia.
A long poem written by Vanessa V. about the youths. The ideas and expectations that surrounds being a youth, their becoming and their significant to the world. This is a poem of nine stanza, written is simple and yet comprehensive form. The intent of the speaker is to enlighten it's audience on youthful life, the perception of the world about them. The tone of the poet sounds like a storyteller, an advocate and change makers.
The theme of the poem explores the interest of the youth, the perception of the world about the struggles/ the temptation that face them being youths, friendship among them, their strengths to survival, their beliefs in themselves. What the world only see is the surface and not the depth of who they truly are and what the youth of this generation pass through.
The first stanza simply express the societal view about / thoughts/ lens through which they see them, showing an acceptance of whatever youths are tag to be. The tone of the speaker changed in the second stanza while trying informing the readers about what they go through in life as youth, though, stanza three suggest that they should be the best of the future, stating the career and passion to be choose.
The next stanza talked about the moral/habitual temptation that they faces. Some overcome while others yield to it. The fifth stanza emphasize on the truth that life is unfair which makes some youth to be unfortunate. It opens the wounds of the youths, the pain, the anxiety, depression, fear, etc they faced which can lead to death and the need to speak up. Stanza six open another light that shine on ‘the bond friendship’ and it benefits, the mutual understanding and the appreciation that seen in it.
Stanza seven laments the ominous things you deals with in silence, their choice, peer pressure yet they remain strong. The speaker quote John Green in stanza right to support the notion that they are stronger and indestructible. Finally the speaker ended the poem, in an appealing tone that tells the reader that.
Some of the poetic device use in the poem includes;
Repetition: repetition of the word like youths, Nation, Young, We, Or, etc
Enjambment: there are occurrences of enjambment in the poem, some of them is in stanza two, four, five and nine.
Hyperbole/ allegory: it is seen in stanza three ‘For we have the future in our hands’.