“Vultures” Introduction

• Read the full text of “Vultures”

“Vultures” Summary

“Vultures” Themes

• 

  The Uneasy Coexistence of Evil and Love

  Where this theme appears in the poem:

  • Lines 1-51

Line-by-Line Explanation & Analysis of “Vultures”

• Lines 1-13

  In the greyness ...
  ... to hers.

  

  

  

  

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• Lines 13-21

  Yesterday they picked ...
  ... telescopic eyes...

  

  

  

  

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• Lines 22-29

  Strange ...
  ... to the wall!

  

  

  

  

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• Lines 30-40

  ...Thus the Commandant ...
  ... return...

  

  

  

  

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• Lines 41-51

  Praise bounteous ...
  ... of evil.

  

  

  

  

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“Vultures” Symbols

• 

  The Vultures

  Where this symbol appears in the poem:

  • Lines 4-21: “a vulture / perching high on broken / bones of a dead tree / nestled close to his / mate his smooth / bashed-in head, a pebble / on a stem rooted in / a dump of gross / feathers, inclined affectionately / to hers. Yesterday they picked / the eyes of a swollen / corpse in a water-logged / trench and ate the / things in its bowel. Full / gorged they chose their roost / keeping the hollowed remnant / in easy range of cold / telescopic eyes...”

“Vultures” Poetic Devices & Figurative Language

• Juxtaposition

  

  

  

  

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  Where juxtaposition appears in the poem:

  • Lines 7-16: “nestled close to his / mate his smooth / bashed-in head, a pebble / on a stem rooted in / a dump of gross / feathers, inclined affectionately / to hers. Yesterday they picked / the eyes of a swollen / corpse in a water-logged / trench”
  • Lines 30-40: “...Thus the Commandant at Belsen / Camp going home for / the day with fumes of / human roast clinging / rebelliously to his hairy / nostrils will stop / at the wayside sweet-shop / and pick up a chocolate / for his tender offspring / waiting at home for Daddy's / return...”
  • Lines 43-51: “that grants even an ogre / a tiny glow-worm / tenderness encapsulated / in icy caverns of a cruel / heart or else despair / for in the very germ / of that kindred love is / lodged the perpetuity / of evil.”

• Personification

  

  

  

  

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  Where personification appears in the poem:

  • Lines 22-29: “Strange / indeed how love in other / ways so particular / will pick a corner / in that charnel-house / tidy it and coil up there, perhaps / even fall asleep—her face / turned to the wall!”

• Metaphor

  

  

  

  

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  Where metaphor appears in the poem:

  • Lines 5-6: “broken / bones of a dead tree”
  • Lines 9-12: “a pebble / on a stem rooted in / a dump of gross / feathers”
  • Lines 20-21: “cold / telescopic eyes...”
  • Lines 43-45: “an ogre / a tiny glow-worm / tenderness”
  • Lines 46-47: “icy caverns of a cruel / heart”
  • Lines 48-49: “the very germ / of that kindred love”

• Imagery

  

  

  

  

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  Where imagery appears in the poem:

  • Lines 1-4: “the greyness / and drizzle of one despondent / dawn unstirred by harbingers / of sunbreak”
  • Lines 8-9: “his smooth / bashed-in head”
  • Lines 13-16: “they picked / the eyes of a swollen / corpse in a water-logged / trench”
  • Lines 19-21: “the hollowed remnant / in easy range of cold / telescopic eyes...”
  • Lines 32-35: “fumes of / human roast clinging / rebelliously to his hairy / nostrils”
  • Lines 46-47: “icy caverns of a cruel / heart”

• Enjambment

  

  

  

  

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  Where enjambment appears in the poem:

  • Lines 1-2: “greyness / and”
  • Lines 2-3: “despondent / dawn”
  • Lines 3-4: “harbingers / of”
  • Lines 4-5: “vulture / perching”
  • Lines 5-6: “broken / bones”
  • Lines 7-8: “his / mate”
  • Lines 9-10: “pebble / on”
  • Lines 10-11: “in / a”
  • Lines 11-12: “gross / feathers”
  • Lines 12-13: “affectionately / to”
  • Lines 13-14: “picked / the”
  • Lines 14-15: “swollen / corpse”
  • Lines 15-16: “water-logged / trench”
  • Lines 16-17: “the / things”
  • Lines 17-18: “Full / gorged”
  • Lines 19-20: “remnant / in”
  • Lines 20-21: “cold / telescopic”
  • Lines 22-23: “Strange / indeed”
  • Lines 23-24: “other / ways”
  • Lines 25-26: “corner / in”
  • Lines 27-28: “perhaps / even”
  • Lines 28-29: “face / turned”
  • Lines 30-31: “Belsen / Camp”
  • Lines 31-32: “for / the”
  • Lines 32-33: “of / human”
  • Lines 33-34: “clinging / rebelliously”
  • Lines 34-35: “hairy / nostrils”
  • Lines 35-36: “stop / at”
  • Lines 39-40: “Daddy's / return...”
  • Lines 41-42: “bounteous / providence”
  • Lines 43-44: “ogre / a”
  • Lines 44-45: “glow-worm / tenderness”
  • Lines 45-46: “encapsulated / in”
  • Lines 46-47: “cruel / heart”
  • Lines 48-49: “germ / of”
  • Lines 49-50: “is / lodged”
  • Lines 50-51: “perpetuity / of”

“Vultures” Vocabulary

Select any word below to get its definition in the context of the poem. The words are listed in the order in which they appear in the poem.

• Despondent
• Unstirred
• Harbingers
• Gorged
• Hollowed remnant
• Charnel-house
• Belsen Camp
• Bounteous providence
• Germ
• Lodged
• The perpetuity of evil

• (Location in poem: Lines 2-3: “one despondent / dawn”)

Form, Meter, & Rhyme Scheme of “Vultures”

• Form

• Meter

• Rhyme Scheme

“Vultures” Speaker

“Vultures” Setting

Literary and Historical Context of “Vultures”

More “Vultures” Resources

• External Resources

  • A Brief Biography — Learn more about Achebe's life and work via the Poetry Foundation.

  • Achebe's Legacy — Read an article discussing Achebe's literary reputation and ongoing influence.

  • The Poem Aloud — Listen to a reading of the poem.

  • Achebe on African Literature — Listen to Achebe talking about what it means to be an African reader and writer.

  • An Interview with Achebe — Listen to an interview with Achebe in which he discusses his writing and his time as a radio broadcaster.