The Themes of The Dining Table

Theme of The Dining Table

Below are the major themes in the dining table

1. War and destructiveness

The theme of war and destructiveness in the poem is the grim experience of death and pain out of gun battles, it is a feast in which the major meal is made up of gun wonds, pepper and scorpions, it is war that empties " the play ground" of children toys and make unnecessary road blocks

2 Violence and bloodbath

The theme of violence and bloodbath, this is what the entire poem is all about it is the havest of blood and aguish and flames of war, the speaker speak of "desert togues" licking the vegetable blood , it is peppery blood "strong enough to push scorpions/up our head" (line 5-6)

3 sufferinng occasioned by war

The theme of sufferinng occasioned by war , Much about war is suffering. the dinner itself is a dier of suffering war brings with it desert tongues, pepper, and scorpions. The main suffering is gathering as if they are about to dine only to be feasted on "gun wounds". The island made reference to is an island of suffering for the combatants but a real feast/ leisure arena fior the "gurrillas" and the crocodies whic bask in the comfort of walking and surfing respectively

4 Child Soldiers

The theme of Child soldiers The manner the poets brings in the fact that child soldier are also part of the 'diner' is to say "children from Alphabeta with empty palm dine/with us (line12-13) , Alphabeta probably a metapor for primary shoolig is abandoned by childern who proceed to the area of the dining, they come with sparks of bitterness in their eyes and "silence in their voice" (line 14). The playground has no children's toy any longer since the children themselves have gone to war. The central theme that runs throughout the poem is the brutality or horror of war. This theme is portrayed by words like “gun wounds” and “blood”. Themes of the dining table