Write a detailed analysis of poem ' Vulture '.

 Hello viewers 👋!

 I am Kavita Chauhan a student in MA sem- 4 in department of English MKBU Bhavnagar.

Thinking Activity:

This blog is a part of thinking activity task of African literature unit 4 poem - Vulture.

- assigned by megha trivedi ma'am.

An Analysis of Chinua Achebe’s Vultures: The Connection Between Nazis and Vultures

• Introduction: 

Chinua Achebe, a renowned Nigerian writer, is best known for his influential novels such as Things Fall Apart, but his poetry also offers profound insights into human nature, history, and morality. His poem Vultures is a striking meditation on the coexistence of love and cruelty, using the imagery of scavenger birds and historical references to Nazi atrocities to explore the unsettling duality of human nature. The poem forces the reader to confront a disturbing question: can tenderness exist within a heart capable of immense brutality?

In this analysis, we will examine how Achebe draws a connection between vultures and the Nazis, illustrating his message with references to the poem’s imagery, symbolism, and historical context.

•Chinua Achebe: The Poet

Chinua Achebe (1930–2013) was a Nigerian novelist, poet, and critic who played a pivotal role in African literature. His works often critique colonialism, explore postcolonial struggles, and examine the complexities of human morality. Achebe’s writing is known for its deep engagement with African history, culture, and politics. His poetry, like his prose, is marked by sharp observations on power, oppression, and the contradictions of human behavior.

In Vultures, Achebe masterfully employs metaphor and imagery to explore the paradox of evil and compassion coexisting within individuals, a theme that resonates deeply with historical and contemporary issues.

• Connection Between Nazis and Vultures in Achebe’s Vultures:

1. Vultures as a Symbol of Moral Paradox

The poem opens with an unsettling description of vultures—a species associated with death and decay—displaying a moment of tenderness. The male vulture, despite its grotesque appearance, nestles affectionately against its mate after feasting on a corpse. Achebe presents this paradox to illustrate the disturbing coexistence of love and cruelty in nature.

The imagery of vultures picking at the remains of the dead emphasizes their predatory nature, yet their ability to show affection challenges the reader’s perception of absolute morality. This paradox is later mirrored in the behavior of the Nazi officer, suggesting that even the most monstrous beings are capable of human emotions.

2. The Nazi Commandant: A Human Vulture

Achebe draws a direct parallel between the vultures and a Nazi officer—specifically, the Commandant of Belsen concentration camp, a site of immense human suffering during the Holocaust. The poem describes how this officer, after overseeing mass executions, returns home to his family, stopping on the way to buy chocolates for his child.

This image is deeply unsettling because it suggests that immense cruelty can exist alongside ordinary, even tender, human behavior. Just as vultures devour the dead but can still express affection, the Nazi officer participates in genocide but remains a loving father. Achebe forces the reader to confront this moral contradiction: can love and evil truly coexist within the same heart?

3. The Banality of Evil and Moral Ambiguity

The reference to the Nazi Commandant aligns with Hannah Arendt’s concept of the “banality of evil,” which argues that great atrocities are often committed not by inhuman monsters but by ordinary people who see their actions as routine (Arendt, Eichmann in Jerusalem, 1963). Achebe’s portrayal of the officer highlights this unsettling truth—evil is not always loud or dramatic; sometimes, it is mundane and carried out by those who simultaneously lead normal, affectionate lives.

By linking the Nazi officer to vultures, Achebe suggests that just as scavengers operate by instinct, so too can human beings commit acts of cruelty without deep moral reflection. This raises a chilling question: is evil a conscious choice, or is it embedded within human nature like an instinct?

4. Hope or Despair? The Unanswered Question

The poem’s concluding lines leave the reader in a state of moral uncertainty. Achebe presents two possible interpretations:

• One could praise “bounteous providence” for allowing even the cruelest individuals a small “glow-worm tenderness” within their hearts. This suggests that love, no matter how small, can still exist even in those who commit horrific acts.
• Alternatively, one could “despair” because within that very spark of kindness lies the perpetuation of evil. If cruelty and compassion can coexist, then the presence of love does not necessarily prevent atrocity—it may, in fact, allow it to continue.

Achebe refuses to offer a simple answer, leaving the reader to grapple with the complexity of human morality.

• Conclusion

Chinua Achebe’s Vultures is a haunting exploration of the coexistence of love and brutality, using the imagery of scavenger birds and a Nazi officer to force the reader to confront the unsettling duality of human nature. By drawing a connection between vultures and the Nazis, Achebe challenges the notion that morality is absolute. Instead, he presents a world where tenderness and cruelty can exist within the same being, raising profound questions about the nature of evil.

The poem serves as a powerful critique of historical atrocities, colonial oppression, and the moral contradictions that define human existence. Achebe’s message remains relevant today, reminding us that the capacity for good and evil often resides within the same heart—and that recognizing this reality is crucial for understanding history, power, and justice.

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•Reference:

• Achebe, Chinua. Vultures. In Collected Poems, 2004.