You Are Lost By ISAAC MRUMA Selected Poems by Tanzania Institute of Education
A Tanzanian poet and journalist.
You Are Lost By ISAAC MRUMA
To you dada.
it’s the days that matter, for we are unable to chat in the language we had.
When I look at you and see my pay-slip in your eyes,
I feel empty and sapped.
Your glance, sister, is to me the measure
of the heat of the dough in my pocket.
Never are passions cool, to you I am now a tool,
and all my wage is now the fare: I ride on your throbbing kisses.
It is you I accuse, because your love is lost, and you only touch me
with the tenderness that asks where my wallet is.
It is to you dada,
that my pen tears the pad,
For I only see your love focussed on my purse, with your passions chasing my bank account
GUIDING QUESTIONS:
Qn 1. What is the poem all about?
Answ: The poem is about a man complaining about a certain girl (dada) who seems to be involved in commercial sex. She is not having a true love as she makes love for money.
Qn 2. Who is the person speaking in this poem? (Persona).
Answ: The person speaking in this poem is a man with self-awareness and disgusted with dada’s behaviour of prostitution.
Qn 3. To whom does the persona talk to? (Audience).
Answ: The persona talks to Dada (sister) who involves herself in commercial sex. The Dada seems to be very fond of money that is why she decides to sell her body.
Qn 4. Does dada in this poem have a true love to the persona?
Answ: No, Dada does not have a true love to the persona, she only loves him because of his money.
Qn 5. Does the persona like dada’s behaviour?
Answ: No, the persona does not like dada’s behaviour that is why he discourages the commercial sex.
Qn 6. What is the tone of the poem?
Answ: The tone of the poem is very sad and unhappy due to the fact that dada has been considering him as a sap (stupid person) and as a source of income.
Qn 7. What is the setting of the poem?
Answ: The setting of the poem can be any country in the world particularly African countries in urban areas where commercial sex (prostitution) is conducted to a greater extent.
Qn 8. Comment on the various uses of figures of speech and musical devices.
Answ: Figures of speech
(a) Personification – “…the tenderness that asks…”
“…your passions chasing my bank account”
(b) Metaphor- “to you I am now a tool,”
In the above quotation, the persona compares himself with a tool; this shows how the persona is used by dada as a means of income.
(c) Barbarism.
This is a word or expression formed from elements of different languages.
For example the statement “To you dada.” is formed from English and Swahili words.
Musical devices
-Rhymes E.g.- The word cool rhymes with tool.
Qn 9. What are the themes found in this poem?
Answ: The themes found in this poem are Prostitution, hypocrisy, awareness, exploitation, poverty and position of women in society.
(i) Prostitution.
This is simply the act of having sex for money. In this poem, dada is shown to have no true love as she engages in commercial sex. She only loves the persona because of money. This is shown in the poem when the persona complains.
“For I only see your love focussed on my purse…,”
(ii) Hypocrisy.
The dada in this poem is represented as hypocrite, she only loves the persona because of his money and when it happens that the persona is bankrupt, the love ceases between them. The following quotation proves dada’s hypocrisy in the poem:
“…and you only touch me
with the tenderness that asks where my wallet is.”
(iii) Awareness.
This is another theme found in this poem. The persona is aware that dada does not have a true love to him, he knows quite well that dada is using him as a tool that is why he is no longer interested in her. This is seen in the poem when the persona says:
“It is you I accuse, because your love is lost,”
(iv) Poverty.
This is also discussed in this poem, dada is shown engaging in commercial sex due to poverty. She sells her body so as to get money which could help her to meet her basic needs. Prostitution is a bad practice which speeds up the spread of Hiv/Aids therefore it should be discouraged with all our efforts.
(v) Position of women in society.
This is another theme represented in this poem. A woman in this poem is shown as a tool of entertainment. For example dada engages in commercial sex so as to fulfill men’s sexual desires. She is used by men to entertain them by making love with them and pay her some money to meet the basic needs.