This question is based on selected poems from Wole Soyinka (ed.) poems of Black Africa, E.K. Senanu and T. Vincent (eds.) Selection of African poetry and E....

This question is based on selected poems from Wole Soyinka (ed.) poems of Black Africa, E.K. Senanu and T. Vincent (eds.) Selection of African poetry and E.W. Parker (ed.) A Pageant of Longer Poems.

'...And your MP with a shining head and triple chin Will mourn your fate in a supplementary question at Question Time'.

These lines in the context of Richard Ntiru's 'The Pauper', portray the MP as being

Answer Details

In Richard Ntiru's poem 'The Pauper', the lines "And your MP with a shining head and triple chin will mourn your fate in a supplementary question at Question Time" portray the MP as hypocritical. The poet is suggesting that the MP, who is supposed to represent the interests of the people, will only pay lip service to the plight of the poor. The MP's show of sympathy is not genuine, as he is more concerned with his own image than with making any real change. The use of the word "shining" to describe the MP's head suggests that he is more concerned with his appearance than with the suffering of his constituents. The phrase "supplementary question at Question Time" implies that the MP's concern is merely performative and limited to the confines of the parliamentary session. Thus, the lines suggest that the MP is not truly sympathetic to the plight of the poor and is instead hypocritical in his show of concern.