Raider of the Treasure Trove Questions and Answers
Question 1: Comment on the theme of Rage in the poem “Raider of the Treasure Trove.”
Rage: This is the subject matter of the poem and at the same time one of the themes of the poem. It is a violent uncontrolled anger.
The poet describes it as the chief destroyer of human virtue and also a thief that steals away good morals from somebody. It spreads bad omen on every scene and causes calamity.
The poet says that our purpose on earth is to spread good omen anywhere we are and be good to everybody that comes our way, but rage is the chief destroyer of this feat. It spreads bad omen all about and puts the person into shame.
He continues by saying that rage manifests in human beings as a result of the way they think and react to things. Rage takes good morals away from someone; the person misbehaves and he is put to shame.
It steals away the attitude of kindness and liveliness. The person would then be unstable and would not be able to compose himself especially while under stress. It spreads bad omen everywhere and can be calamitous.
The poet concludes that if we can avoid “Rage,” heaven on earth would be our destination. He then says he would be showing love to the people to live a pleasurable life on earth.
Question 2: Identify the poetic devices used in the poem.
These are the poetic devices used in the poem:
Rhetorical Question: This is an expression in the form of a question and requires no answer. We can see these in lines;
1- But what can be worthy of your life?
3- The reason you are here? Always strive
17- Its sole cause? Your perception of storms
21- Rage sets sail. Can ruin lag far behind?
Metaphor: The title of the poem is metaphorical, “Rage,” the subject matter is referred to as the “Raider of the treasure trove. We can also see this in lines;
11- No! Rob you of your life, Rage is chief.
13- Laughter, sweetness and light, Rage is thief.
14- Enemy of Equanimity
15- Rage spreads toxic fumes on every scene.
17- – Its sole cause? Your perception of storm
22- I’ll fling roses wherever I berth.
Alliteration: This is a figure of sound. It is the repetition of a consonant sound at the beginning of two or more words in a line of a poem. Alliteration is used in lines;
1- But what can be worthy of your life?
2- What dearer than the gems of your dreams.
4- To fly flags of joy, and, sail up streams
5- Powered by the breeze of love, your course
9- Of things which would blot out that brief
11- No! Rob you of your life, Rage is chief.
12- Rage drags rags after you. Of charity,
13- Laughter, sweetness and light, Rage is thief.
15- Rage spreads toxic fumes on every scene
17- Its sole cause? Your perception of storms
19- There are neither snakes, deviants nor norms
20-As you think, so you feel. Watch your mind
21- Rage sets sail. Can ruin lag far behind?
22- I’ll fling roses wherever I berth.
Assonance: This is the repetition of a vowel sound in a line of a poem. This is used in lines;
12- – Rage drags rags after you. Of charity,
16- In essence, Rage spells calamity.
Personification: This is giving the attributes of a living thing to the non-living things. In line 16, “Rage spells calamity,” the attribute of a living thing has been given to “Rage.
Question 3: Give a vivid account of the poem, “Raider of the Treasure Trove.”
The first stanza opens with a rhetorical question,
“But what can be worthy of your life?”
Here, the poet is trying to explain to us the things that can make our lives worthwhile, meaningful and significant. According to the poem, these things are more important than the most precious things we have in mind.
“What dearer than the gems of your dreams:”
The poet explains further that it is the reason we are on earth. That wherever we are, we should endeavor to fly the flag of joy, spread love to the people around us.
As well as possible, we should have feelings for those in one problem or the other with the intention to alleviate or solve their problems completely. We should also strive to extend the hands of friendship to the people around us wherever we are.
“To fly flags of joy, and, sail up streams
Powered by the breeze of love, your course
Chartered in the ink of compassion.
And, fling roses wherever you pause”
The poet concludes that, if we are able to achieve these, we shall be living on the earth as if we are in heaven.
“Heaven-on-earth your destination.”
In the second stanza, the poet identifies one major impediment to achieving those behaviours that could lead someone to “heaven-on-earth.”
It can even rob someone of his or her life. He identifies “Rage” as the major thing that can debar achieving the feat. “Rage” is referred to as the “Raider of the treasure trove” in the poem.
“Of things which would blot out that brief
Or, breach your sails with arrows unseen:
No! Rob you of your life, Rage is chief.”
He explains further that “Rage” takes good virtue away from somebody and puts somebody into shame.
“Rage drags rags after you.”
It steals away the attitude of kindness and liveliness. The person would then be unstable and would not be able to compose himself especially while under stress. It spreads bad omen everywhere and can be calamitous.
In the third stanza, the poet pinpoints the main cause of “rage”. That is, what can easily push someone to uncontrolled violent anger.
He says that there are no definite rules of avoiding “rage” other than the way we react to challenges or any violent agitation, the way you take it, the way you react.
“As you think, so you feel.”
He advises that we watch the way we react to something because “rage” can ruin and send someone backward.
The last stanza expresses the mind of the poet on the topic. He says that he would show love and extend hands of friendship wherever he is. By doing these, his destination is “heaven-on-earth.”
“I’ll fling roses wherever I berth.
My destination is Heaven-on-earth.”
Question 4: What are the themes of the poem “Raider of the Treasure Trove?”
Moral Virtue: This is the conformity of behaviour or thought with the strictures of morality; good moral conduct. The critical study of this poem shows that it is didactic in nature.
It stresses a lot on the worth of somebody’s life to live the life of “Heaven-on-earth.” The poet talks about this in the first stanza that one should always be joyful, spread love and be compassionate.
“To fly flags of joy, and, sail up streams
Powered by the breeze of love, your course
Chartered in the ink of compassion.
And, fling roses wherever you pause.”
Immorality: In the second stanza, the poet condemns immorality when he explains what can hinder someone from having good morals or achieving “Heaven-on-earth” as a destination.
He identifies “Rage” as the major immoral behaviour that chases away good morals from somebody and replaces it with vices and spreads calamity.
“No! Rob you of your life, Rage is chief.
Rage drags rags after you. Of charity,
Laughter, sweetness and light, Rage is thief.
Enemy of Equanimity,
Rage spreads toxic fumes on every scene.
In essence, Rage spells calamity.”
Rage: This is the subject matter of the poem and it is a violent uncontrolled anger. The poet describes it as the chief destroyer of human virtue and also a thief that steals away good morals from somebody. It spreads bad omen on every scene and causes calamity.
Thought: The poet identifies the main cause of rage in human beings in the third stanza. He identifies our thoughts as a major cause of rage in human beings; the way we think and respond to challenges or problems confronting us.
The way we react to these challenges matter most because we feel the way we think.
“As you think, so you feel.”
He advises that we should be mindful of the way we think in our minds whenever we have any challenge so as not to allow “Rage” in our lives.
Reward of Virtue: Everything as its own reward, including “Rage” that spells calamity. The reward of good behaviour is also stressed in the poem in the first and the last stanza.
He advises in the first stanza that people should always live in joy, spread love and be compassionate.
In the end “Heaven-on-earth is the person’s destination. Also, in the last stanza, the poet chooses the path of virtue wherever he is and says that “Heaven-on-earth is his destination.
“I’ll fling roses wherever I berth.
My destination is Heaven-on-earth.”
Question 5: Comment on the use of rhetorical questions in “Raider of the Treasure Trove.”
Rhetorical question is a Literary device whereby an expression is presented in the form of a question and requires no answer. The poet makes use of it in the poem to express his feelings about “Rage,” the title of the poem.
The poem opens with a rhetorical question
“But what can be worthy of your life?”
He is trying to tell us here our purpose on earth. He continues;
“The reason you are here?”
He explains that where on earth to show love to the people around us; spread good omen anywhere we are. That if we are able to do this, heaven on earth is our destination.
Another rhetorical question is,
“Its sole cause?”
The poet explains the root cause of rage here. He says that rage comes onto us based on our perception of things; the way we take things when something happens.
In the same stanza:
“Rage sets sail. Can ruin lag far behind?”
This means that rage is destructive; it can ruin someone into the background. It spreads bad omen everywhere when the person involved misbehaves.