By Elimu Assistant Team 
Read the poem below and then answer the questions that follow
A SECOND OLYMPUS
From the rostrum they declaimed
On martyrs and men of high ideals,
When they sent out
Benevolent despots to an unwilling race
Straining at the yoke.
Bull dozers trampling on virgin ground
In blatant violation.
They trampled down all that was strange,
And filled the void
With half-digested alien thoughts;
They left a trail of red
Wherever their feet had passed.
Oh, they did themselves fine,
And strutted about the place,
Self-proclaimed demi-gods
From counterfeit Olympus.
One day they hurled down thunderbolts
On a toiling race of the earthworms.
They might have rained down pebbles
To pelt the brats to death—
But that was beneath them.
They kept up the illusion
That they were fighting foes,
Killing in the name of high ideals.
At the inquest they told the world
The worms were becoming pests.
Moreover, they said
They did not like wriggling things—
Strange prejudice for gods.
Questions
- (a) What is the poem about? (3mks)
- (b) Giving a relevant explanation, identify the persona in the poem. (2mks)
- (c) Whom do you think the persona refers to as ‘they’? Explain. (2mks)
- (d) What is the attitude of the poet towards ‘they’ in the poem? (2mks)
- (e) Identify and illustrate any two themes evident in the poem. (4mks)
- (f) What is the dominant style that the poet has used to deliver the message in the poem? Cite one illustration and explain its effectiveness. (3mks)
- (g) Describe the character trait displayed by ‘they’ in the poem. (2mks)
- (h) Explain the meaning of the following lines as used in the passage. (2mks)
- (i) They trampled down all that was strange.
- (ii) And filled the void.
- (iii) With half-digested alien thoughts.
