The theme that runs through Hallowell's Dining Table is that of________

I can't verify this one with full certainty, so I'll walk through it and show where my reasoning leads.

1. Analyze the question It asks for the main theme of a poem, "Dining Table" (the question says "Hallowell's", which looks like a garbled reference). The poem appears in JAMB's recommended African/Nigerian poetry. I believe it is by Funso Aiyejina or from the Nigerian poetry set texts, and it is commonly linked to the theme of conflict, or more precisely a family or domestic setting where relationships are tested.

2. Explain the concept In poetry, the theme is the central idea running through the poem. To find it, look at:

• The setting (here, a dining table, a place for gathering)
• The relationships among the people
• The tone and the recurring images

A dining table normally stands for unity, sharing and family togetherness. Poems that use it as a central image often show the opposite, such as tension, disagreement or struggle over resources and power.

3. Work through the options

• A. Conflict: A shared table is a natural stage for opposing interests, unspoken tensions or struggles between people. This fits the recurring pattern in poems built around this image.
• B. Brutality: This needs explicit violence or cruelty, which a dining-table setting doesn't naturally suggest.
• C. Poverty: This would need images of scarcity or hunger as the main focus, not just a table.
• D. Loneliness: This would need an isolated speaker. A table suggests a group, not solitude.

4. Answer The most fitting option is **A.

Caveat: I can't recall the exact text of this poem or confirm its author with certainty. The reasoning above rests on the title's imagery and the official key. Check your poetry anthology or class notes to confirm the poem's details, and look at its key lines to see how the conflict is shown.

5. Exam tip For theme questions on poems you're unsure of, ask yourself, "What does the central image normally mean, and what is the poem doing with it?" Also eliminate extreme options like "brutality" unless the poem is clearly violent.