Analysis of ‘The Huntsman’ by Edward Lowbury

"The Huntsman" has been composed by the modern English the seat of the king. Kagwa’s hasty actions sharply contrasted
poet Edward Lowbury. It is based on an African folklore which with the slow and thoughtful actions of the king. That shows
explains the uncertainty of human life. The poem is an the characteristics of king which depict the difference
evidence of imaginative richness and psychological insight of between a hunter and a king.
the poet. It is also full of suspense mystery and supernatural.  
The poet tells us the mysterious story of a famous hunter
Kagwa, who was fond of talking. The king called out his guards:
‘Two of you now go with him
Deep-End Analysis And find this talking skull;
But if his tale is a lie
And the skull speaks no word,
Kagwa hunted the lion, This Kagwa himself must die’
Through bush and forest went his spear.  
One day he found the skull of a man King’s reactions to the gothic story of Kagwa is in a way
And said to it, ‘How did you come here?’ responsible as well as rude. It shows the wrath of a king if
The skull opened its mouth and said, wrongly provoked. King might have taken the words of Kagwa
‘Talking brought me here.’ as an insult or he might have been looking for an opportunity
to get rid of a possible threat to his throne as Kagwa is
Symbol: lion – bravery, skull – death famous as a capable warrior after killing a lion. However, this
personification: skull opened its mouth, went his spear is a lesson for anyone to think before actions.
Supernatural element: Skull speaks.  
kinesthetic imagery: skull opened mouth They rode into the forest;
Humor: Kagwa trying to converse with a skull and skull replies For days and nights they found nothing.
ballad: narrative poem, based on a story, usually about a At last they saw the skull; Kagwa
tragic story. Said to it, “How did you come here?”
Language: Simple day to day language, suggesting the simple The skull said nothing. Kagwa implored,
lifestyle of tribal people But the skull said nothing.
   
Kagwa killing a lion with a spear shows the physical and Suspense: the searching of the skull and skull being silent
mental capability of Kagwa as a hunter. However, him evokes suspense.
conversing with the skull generates an opposite picture about  
Kagwa as the reader expects a hunter to be more serious When the skull gives no reply, Kagwa implores (begs) the skull
than to be humorous. Use of definite article ‘the’ in the title knowing the fate of him if he cannot prove his story. The long
and before ‘skull’ suggests that this is based on a familiar journey and the silence of the skull heightens the suspense of
story to the reader. The last line of the stanza is loaded with the scene. The reader might ask himself: ‘Gosh!, what will
meanings which arouse suspense in the mind of the reader. happen to Kagwa now?’
Unfortunately, Kagwa could not understand the depth of this  
line. The guards said, ‘Kneel down.’
  They killed him with sword and spear.
Kagwa hurried home; Then the skull opened its mouth;
Went to the king’s chair and spoke: ‘Huntsman, how did you come here?’
‘In the forest I found a talking skull.’ And the dead man answered,
The king was silent. Then he said slowly, ‘Talking brought me here.’
‘Never since I was born of my mother  
Have I seen or heard of a skull which spoke.’ humour: the question of the skull and the answer of Kagwa
  evoke humour.
inversion: Shows the slow speech of the king by using  
selective words. The end reveals the moral of the story. It was late for Kagwa
antithesis: shows the difference between the actions of to understand the meaning of the golden word spoken by the
Kagwa and the King. skull when they met first. It is advisable for a person to
conversations: story telling feature. understand what he speaks and to whom he speak and he
  should be responsible for what he speaks. Kagwa’s
Kagwa hurrying to the king may further exposes the predicament shows the reader the ill effects of speaking to a
characterization of him. He may have expected something wrong person with unconfirmed information. He could have
like a praise or reward from the king. The use of words ‘king’s questioned further from the skull and discuss the matter with
chair’ instead of throne may be the actual way of addressing a person with better intellectual capacity before conveying
the message which is beyond his level of explanation.
Describe A Critical Summary Of The Poem, The Huntsman, By Edward Lowbury.

Answer 1:

"The Huntsman" has been composed by the modern English poet Edward Lowbury. It is based on an African folklore which
explains the uncertainty of human life. The poem is an evidence of imaginative richness and psychological insight of the poet. It is
also full of suspense mystery and supernatural. The poet tells us the mysterious story of a famous hunter Kagwa, who was fond of
talking.

He lost his life due to talking needlessly. Kagwa used to hunt loin in the forest. One day when he was wandering in the forest he
came across the skull of a dead man. Kagwa was surprised to see that skull and asked what had brought it there. The skull opened
its mouth and told that talking had brought it there. But he failed to understand the meaning of these words.

Kagwa was a simple fellow and could not conceal this unusual discovery. Immediately, he went to the king and told him this
unbelievable incident. The king suspected the truth of his story but sent two guards with him. He instructed them if his story
proved false the hunter must be put to death. They explore the forest for many days and nights. At last they found the skull. The
hunter asked it the same question again but the skull remained silent. Kagwa requested the skull gain and again to speak and save
his life but the skull did not answer. The king's men promptly killed the hunter there and punished him for his talkative tongue. At
that moment the skull opened its mouth and asked Kagwa how he had come there. The dead man answered "Talking brought me
here'.

The general atmosphere of the poem is gloomy and fearful. The presence of a talking skull and the killing of the hunter terrify us.
The message in the poem is that one should be very careful when talking to others and especially to men of authority.

Answer 2:
"The Huntsman" by Edward Lowbury is based on a Kenyan folktale which advice us to think before we speak.

Kagwa a brave hunter in his tribe found a talking skull.When he asked the cause for what happened to the skull and it replied
talking brought me here Kagwa was unable to discover the bitter truth behind it.

Kagwa hurried to meet his king to report his meeting with the skull to the king. He might have had a wife, a family but he went to
see the king fist. Kagwa even though loyal enough to report the unusual to his king was foolish to do it. The king however was
doubtful whether to believe it or not. Finally he sent 2 guards with Kagwa to check the accuracy of this information. After weeks
and weeks of search when they met the skull it spoke no word.Under the orders of their king Kagwa was killed by the guards. Then
the skull opened its mouth to ask how Kagwa ended here. The dead Kagwa replied that talking brought him here.

The poem is humorous as the skull repeats Kagwa's words in the end.

It also says "SPEECH IS SILVER, SILENCE IS GOLD".

Once a hunt man  .one day he searching prey. He was walking here and there,But he could not find any prey.He was very
upset,Suddenly he saw a skull. He reached there and asked to skull,Why did you came here.The skull reply the answer.My talking
brought me here,But the hunt man could not understand this.He reached the village and go to king palace,And said to his king he
saw a talking skull.The king said to the hunt man.He never saw before a talking skull.The king said to his boday gards go with him
and brought here the talking skull,If not found then kill this man. They reached in the forest and starting a talking skull.They all
searching here and there .But they could not fond any talking skull.The huntman was very afrid because the soilder kill the
huntman from the order of the King.Suddenly he saw a skull they all reached there and the huntman asked to the skull, Why did
you came here.The skull did not replying any answer.So,The soildder kill the hunt man,And go back to the palace.After them the
skull asked to the dead man why did you came here .The dead man reply the answer my talking brought me here.