The most dominant poetic device used in Okara's 'Panio and Drums' is_______

Step 1: Analyze the question

The question asks for the dominant poetic device in Gabriel Okara's poem "Piano and Drums". (The title is "Piano", not "Panio".) We need the device that runs through the whole poem, not one that appears once or twice.

Step 2: The concept

Symbolism is when an object, sound or image stands for a larger idea. The poem is built on this device.

Step 3: Working through the poem

The poem is about cultural conflict, the clash between African tradition and Western influence.

• Drums symbolize African tradition, heritage, nature, and the speaker's primal roots. They are described through images of the "jungle," "blood" and "river" ("wailing" and "drumming" like a mother's call).
• Piano symbolizes Western culture and education: it is complex, refined, "complex" and "clear-stringed," and brings "tear-tormented" confusion.
• The speaker's inner struggle shows the identity crisis of a person caught between the two worlds.

Now check the other options:

• A. Metaphor: There are some metaphors and similes, but they serve the larger symbols.
• C. Pathetic fallacy: This gives human emotions to nature or weather, and it is not the poem's main device.
• D. Analogy: The poem is not a point-by-point comparison to explain an idea.

The whole poem rests on the two contrasting symbols, so the dominant device is symbolism.

Step 4: Answer

B. Symbolism

Tip

For poems about culture, identity or conflict, ask yourself: "Do the main objects stand for bigger ideas?" If yes, symbolism is usually the dominant device. Remember the pairing: Drums = Africa, Piano = the West.