Themes of Power - Nothing's Changed and Vultures

            Throughout history, the quest for power has dominated the world. Wars have been fought, sometimes even on a global scale, that have ultimately led to where we are today. However, it isn't just humans that seek to gain power. In the animal kingdom, many species fight to gain control of certain areas, and to prove their prowess; often, the weak are cast off or simply left to die. In the poems 'Nothing's Changed' by Tatamkhulu Afrika and 'Vultures' by Chinua Achebe, this theme is thoroughly explored, as well as showing the impact it can have on others. In 'Nothing's Changed', a dark, sinister tone is used to convey the fear that the black and coloured people had in South Africa during and after the apartheid, as shown in the line "Hands burn for a stone, as bomb, to shiver down the glass. Nothing's changed." In addition, the same dark and sinister tone is used in 'Vultures' to show the lives of the animals being preyed on. This accurately portrays the emotions felt by many people in South Africa, whilst also showing that the power holders were very disrespectful and arrogant, not caring about the wellbeing of the people they were harming. .
             'Nothing's Changed' focuses on the point of view of the black and coloured people (who are being preyed on) whereas in 'Vultures', the focus is on the predators. This gives both poems a slightly different feel, with 'Vultures' focusing more on how, just because someone is evil, it doesn't mean that they can't love. It gives an overarching sense of sadness to 'Nothing's Changed', as even though the apartheid has ended, the poet believes that discrimination against certain groups in society will still continue. This shows how hard it is for people who once had power to relinquish it. .
             One thing that 'Nothing's Changed' and 'Vultures' have in common is their use of imagery to show the lives of those who are affected by the people who seek power.