Vultures Poem by Chinua Achebe
This blogpost is a part of Thinking Activity on Vultures Poem by Chinua Achebe assign by Megha Ma'am, Department of English, Maharaja Krishnakumarsinhji Bhavnagar University.
Chinua Achebe
Chinua Achebe (1930–2013) was a Nigerian writer, poet, and professor, best known for his novel Things Fall Apart (1958), which explores the impact of colonialism on African society. He is regarded as the father of modern African literature.
Key Works:
- Things Fall Apart (1958) – A novel about colonialism’s effects on Igbo culture.
- No Longer at Ease (1960) – A sequel exploring identity struggles.
- Arrow of God (1964) – A novel on tradition vs. colonial rule.
- A Man of the People (1966) – A satire on corruption in post-colonial Africa.
- Anthills of the Savannah (1987) – A novel about dictatorship and power.
- Vultures – A poem reflecting on human cruelty.
Introduction to the Poem Vultures
Chinua Achebe’s poem Vultures is a thought-provoking exploration of the coexistence of love and evil, using powerful imagery and symbolism. The poem draws a parallel between the scavenger nature of vultures and the cruelty of human beings, particularly referencing the Nazi commandant at Belsen concentration camp. Achebe presents a paradoxical perspective on the nature of love, showing how tenderness can exist even within the most brutal beings. The poem challenges readers to reflect on the unsettling relationship between affection and inhumanity, ultimately leaving them with two contrasting emotions—hope that even the cruelest beings are capable of love, or despair that love does not necessarily prevent evil from thriving. Written in free verse, Vultures employs vivid descriptions, personification, and contrast to convey its disturbing yet profound message about human nature.
Background of the Poem
Vultures is written by Chinua Achebe, a Nigerian writer known for his critical exploration of colonialism, postcolonial identity, and human nature. The poem reflects the poet’s observations on the duality of good and evil in human beings, using the scavenger bird—the vulture—as a metaphor for cruelty and survival.
The poem was inspired by the Nigerian Civil War (1967–1970), which deeply impacted Achebe, witnessing extreme violence and suffering. However, it also references the atrocities committed during World War II, specifically at Belsen concentration camp, where thousands of Jews were killed under the supervision of Nazi commandants.
Achebe critiques how love and cruelty coexist in nature and in human beings. The poem highlights the unsettling reality that even the most heartless individuals—like the Nazi commandant—can display tenderness in their personal lives, just as vultures, known for their grim scavenging habits, can show affection to their mates.
Structure and Form
- The poem is written in free verse, meaning it has no specific rhyme scheme or meter.
- It consists of four sections, each focusing on different themes:
- Section 1 – Describes vultures and their paradoxical nature.
- Section 2 – Explores the presence of love even in dark places.
- Section 3 – Draws a comparison between vultures and the Nazi commandant.
- Section 4 – Concludes with two interpretations: hope or despair.
- The poem uses enjambment (lines flowing into each other without punctuation), which creates a continuous and uneasy rhythm.
- Ellipsis (…) is used to leave thoughts open-ended, forcing readers to reflect on the themes.
- Vultures = Cruelty and death, but also natural survival.
- Charnel-house = A world filled with death and suffering.
- Glow-worm in icy caverns = A small warmth of love in a heartless world.
What is the connection between The Nazis and Vultures? Illustrate your answer with the help of Chinua Achebe’s Vulture.
Chinua Achebe’s poem Vultures presents a powerful metaphor that draws a connection between the Nazi commandant at Belsen concentration camp and vultures, highlighting the disturbing coexistence of love and cruelty in both nature and human beings. The poem explores the paradox of how beings capable of tenderness can also commit acts of extreme brutality. By comparing vultures—scavenger birds that feed on decaying flesh—with the Nazi commandant who supervises the mass execution of Jews, Achebe forces the reader to confront the unsettling reality that kindness and evil can exist within the same entity.
Vultures as a Symbol of Brutality and Affection
In the first section of the poem, Achebe describes vultures perched on the “bones of a dead tree,” an image that immediately evokes death and decay. Vultures are often seen as ugly, ruthless birds that scavenge on corpses, yet the poet also shows them expressing affection: “nestled close to his mate,” with their heads inclined toward each other. This juxtaposition is disturbing because it suggests that even creatures associated with death can experience love and companionship. However, this love does not redeem their nature as scavengers. They have just gorged on a bloated corpse and, despite being full, they continue to keep their “cold telescopic eyes” on the remains, ready to consume what little is left.
The description of the vultures' eyes as "cold" and "telescopic" transforms them into mechanical, unfeeling creatures, much like a sniper aiming through a gun scope. This detail is significant because it foreshadows the comparison to the Nazi commandant, whose cruelty is similarly precise, systematic, and detached from emotion.
The Nazi Commandant: A Human Vulture
In the third section of the poem, Achebe introduces the Nazi commandant at the Belsen concentration camp, who is portrayed as a parallel figure to the vultures. He, too, is surrounded by death, supervising the extermination of thousands of Jews in gas chambers. The poet describes the “fumes of human roast clinging rebelliously to his hairy nostrils,” emphasizing the horror of the scene—the commandant has been so deeply involved in genocide that the stench of burning human bodies lingers on him.
Yet, despite his role in orchestrating mass murder, the commandant is also depicted as a loving father. On his way home, he stops at a roadside shop to buy chocolates for his “tender offspring.” This contrast is deeply unsettling because it reveals that the commandant, like the vultures, is capable of love and care in his personal life while simultaneously committing horrific crimes. Achebe suggests that evil is not always committed by monsters without emotion—rather, it is often carried out by ordinary people who compartmentalize their actions.
Thematic Connection: The Duality of Good and Evil
Achebe’s comparison between the vultures and the Nazi commandant underscores one of the central themes of the poem: the disturbing coexistence of love and cruelty. Both the vultures and the commandant demonstrate an ability to nurture and care, yet this does not absolve them of their horrific actions. This paradox forces the reader to consider whether the existence of tenderness within an otherwise cruel being offers any hope for redemption or merely reinforces the permanence of evil.
By using vultures as a metaphor for the Nazi commandant, Achebe highlights the inescapable nature of violence and the unsettling reality that cruelty is often intertwined with affection. The commandant, despite being capable of love, ultimately chooses to carry out genocide. Similarly, vultures, despite their moments of tenderness, remain scavengers that feed on the dead. This connection challenges the reader to question the nature of morality—does the presence of love in a cruel being make them less evil, or does it only make their actions more horrifying?
Conclusion
In the final stanza, Achebe presents two perspectives on this paradox. One interpretation suggests that we should be grateful for the small glimmer of goodness (“a tiny glow-worm tenderness”) even in the hearts of the cruelest beings. However, the second, more pessimistic interpretation suggests that this capacity for love does not prevent evil but rather ensures its perpetuity. The fact that even the worst individuals can feel affection does not stop them from committing atrocities. Instead, it serves as a reminder that cruelty is deeply ingrained in human nature, making true moral purity an impossibility.
Thus, the connection between the Nazis and vultures in Vultures serves as a haunting metaphor for the moral contradictions within humanity. Through this disturbing comparison, Achebe forces us to confront the uncomfortable truth that love and evil can exist within the same being, and that the presence of affection does not necessarily mean the absence of cruelty.
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