Read the following lines from Onu Chibuike's prescribed African poem *Government Driver on His Retirement*:
"Today he retires he sings
He rolls out the drums he celebrates
...
Come friends and rejoice with me"
Which of the following best describes the tragic irony underlying the protagonist's celebration in the poem?
- His jubilant celebration and heavy drinking lead directly to a fatal car crash on the very day he gains his freedom.Answer
- BHis long years of government service were completely unrecognized and unrewarded by his employer.
- CHe experiences immediate regret over retiring and desperately wishes to return to his daily driving routine.
- DHis friends abandon him and refuse to join in his long-awaited retirement celebration.
Answer
His jubilant celebration and heavy drinking lead directly to a fatal car crash on the very day he gains his freedom.
In Onu Chibuike's poem, situational irony occurs because the driver's ecstatic celebration of surviving thirty years of strict road rules directly leads to his death when he drives while intoxicated. His long-awaited freedom is immediately cut short by his own celebratory indulgence.
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Key Concept
Thematic Analysis and Situational Irony in Prescribed African Poetry