I'M WINNING BY MARGARET N MUNGAI

GENRE: POETRY
TITLE: I'M WINNING
WRITER: MARGARET N MUNGAI, KENYA
REVIEWER: OMADANG YOWASI, UGANDA

Some people's victory may seem unimportant and vague to the rest, but the individual person celebrating such a victory knows the worth of it. This usually takes the course in which such is achieved. It may seem to be an everyday thing to you, but is it for the rest too? Eating meat at lunch for rural peasant's children calls for a celebration and it's thus regarded as victory of the day, but what do children from well-off families think about it? It's something they're used to! Do they know what it takes to put meat on the table? No! And this is what children of poor parents celebrate.

Margaret Mungai writes this classic of a poem basing it on a subject most people think "is meant to be". Finishing a day and seeing a new one being ushered in by dawn is what most humans think is "by default!"

How many people go to bed feeling well only to fall terribly sick or even die in the night? The persona created by Margaret celebrates her "win" for seeing a new day. It seems the persona didn't go to bed well enough and her waking up to a new day is seen as victory.

The poet makes use of symbolism in the poem to convey her message.

//against this dark cloud// //fog//

Are all cases of symbols used in the poem to show distractions which would hinder the persona from seeing a new day. These may mean severe sickness, worries and the general situation around the persona.

There's also good use of figurative language. For words like sunset and sunrise.
A little more imagery would have captured the poem more beautifully but it still has a classic feel about it.