Not My Business by Niyi Osundare - AQA English Launguage A Paper 2

Hi,
I've read Not my Business and cannot seem to understand what it is about! I've tried Universal Teacher, but it seems a bit vague. Anyone help please?
Thanks.

Reply 1

stacy_j91

Well, I would say that it is about a young man who is witnessing events yet has a rather ignorant attitude towards it as it is not his 'business'. It could be that maybe the Government is taking people away for some reason or another but this is rather ambiguous, as the people who take others away are called 'they'.

The repetition of the part 'what business of mine is it...' could show how the speaker of the poem is worried and feels the need to keep reassuring himself that he should not get involved.

However, at the end of the poem the 'jeep' was 'waiting' for him on the 'bewildered lawn' and he too was taken away. This could imply the fact of karma: what goes around comes around!

That's my general overview :smile:

May not be right!

Reply 2

Pink_Chocolate xx

As Stacy said it is to do with him having an ignorant attitude towards it thinking if he doesn't think its his business he'll be fine. It is about innocent people being persecuted, and the last stanza shows the title is ambigious as its clear it's everybody's business.. About the yam he doesnt care about what's happening as long as he has his food..

Reply 3

starcarton

Osundare is commenting on the corruption of government in many African states, but mainly on the dangers of selfishness in society where when we only look out for ourselves were are ultimately resigned to a tragic fate - the 'belly of the jeep' if I remember rightly. It appears that Osundare is implying that only when we stand up as a united front can we overcome the evil in society.

btw great poen, although love after love (?) was defo the best

Reply 4

Pink_Chocolate xx

^^ I dont understand love after love and thats very likely to come up

Reply 5

stacy_j91

I really do think you don't have to 'understand' it in too much depth, just try and come up with a personal response.

And add in bits e.g. 'feast on your life' is a metaphor to show that life should be enjoyed and celebrated

Reply 6

Pink_Chocolate xx

Hmm ok I'll read over it..hope to get some responses in the thread I just made..thanks :smile:

Reply 7

Vaza

Thanks for the help guys. Just had a brainwave over it now while reading your posts, i think I understand it better than any of the poems now lol.

Reply 8

TheZodiacPhantom

A simple google search , copy and pasted:

NOT MY BUSINESS
by Niyi Osundare

Hailing from Nigeria, Osundare finds an outlet in his poem 'Not my Business' to express his views of the actions taken by repressive regimes such as the one that exists in his own country.
The first three stanzas of this four-stanza poem are identical in structure. The first four lines of each describe how acquaintances of the narrator disappeared in either brutal or mysterious circumstances. In the first stanza, Akanni is beaten and pushed inside a jeep; Osundare uses personification to create this image, describing how the victim was 'stuffed ... down the belly' of the jeep. The final three lines of this stanza, which are completely identical to those of the following two stanzas, convey the reaction of the narrator to this sudden, shocking event. Using the metaphor 'So long they don't take the yam / From my savouring mouth?' he considers that it is none of his business. As long as it doesn't affect him directly, why should he care?
The second stanza recounts how 'they' took Danladi away 'to a lengthy absence'. He was taken during the night: not just taken, but dragged out in an episode that woke everyone in the house. Osundare uses the word 'booted' to convey the aggression here. Stanza three is somewhat less violent but equally chilling, showing that women were not spared from similar treatment. Chinwe was sacked from her job without any explanation or warning. The second and third stanzas are concluded in the same way as the first: the narrator is still adamant that he doesn't have to bother about such events, as long as 'they' leave him alone.
The fourth and final stanza, however, is in stark contrast to the first three. The narrator is sitting down to eat his yam when a knock comes on the door. He describes his reaction in no uncertain terms: 'A knock on the door froze my hungry hand.' The jeep is waiting for him this time, and he again uses personification to project his feelings onto his lawn, describing it as 'bewildered'. The ominous tone of the final line describing the jeep 'Waiting, waiting in its usual silence' is perhaps even more chilling than the contrasting account of the brutality of the events of the first two stanzas.
The fact the Osundare uses first names to recount what happened to Akanni, Danladi and Chinwe shows that these were either members of his family, housemates or close friends. It is striking that the events took place at different times of day: morning in the first stanza, night in the second, no specified time but presumably morning in the third, and evening in the fourth. This makes us feel that these people would always have to be on the alert and could be arrested or lose their job at any moment. Yet, seeing what happened to those close to him and knowing that it could happen at any time, the narrator did not initially seem to think that he was in any danger. The irony of course is in the title, 'Not my Business', since the jeep eventually came for the narrator himself.
Osundare here conveys the idea that people can disappear or lose their jobs for no apparent reason in places such as Nigeria. He expresses his concern that people may not care that this is happening, as long as they can carry on with their own lives as normal. Yet it can happen to anyone. Observers of such a situation need to care about such injustice and take action to prevent oppression.

Hope that helped. :smile:

Reply 9

anime_milkshakex

This is a very old chat