Your thoughts on Things Fall Apart
What did you enjoy about the novel?
What did you find difficult about reading the novel and doing the
notes?
What do you think was Achebe’s overall purpose for writing it?
ALLUSION
TO UNDERSTAND THE SIGNIFICANCE OF
THE ALLUSION TO YEAT ’S POEM IN
ACHEBE’S THINGS FALL APART
Learning Intention
To understand the significance of the allusion to Yeat’s poem in
Achebe’s Things Fall Apart
 I can define the term allusion in my own words.
 I can discuss the significance of the allusion to Yeat’s poem, in particular how
it relates to African independence.
 I can use allusion in my own creative work based on the themes from Things
Fall Apart.
APK – Powerwrite
Turning and turning in the widening gyre
The falcon cannot hear the falconer;
Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold;
Mere anarchy is loosed upon the world.
W. B. Yeats, “The Second Coming”
The Last Judgment by Michelangelo (1541) in the Sistine Chapel,
Rome.
Allusion
Allusion is a brief and indirect reference to a person, place, thing or idea of historical, cultural,
literary or political significance.
It does not describe in detail the person or thing to which it refers. It is just a passing comment
and the writer expects the reader to possess enough knowledge to spot the allusion and grasp
its importance in a text.
Learning Intention
To understand the significance of the allusion to Yeat’s poem in
Achebe’s Things Fall Apart
 I can define the term allusion in my own words.
 I can discuss the significance of the allusion to Yeat’s poem, in particular how
it relates to African independence.
 I can use allusion in my own creative work based on the themes from Things
Fall Apart.
Epigraph
The quote in the epigraph sets the scene for the entire text.
The phrase “Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold” evokes a
sense of futility and despair.
Achebe wrote his novel “against the backdrop of unfettered
optimism on the one hand, and looming despair on the other.”
(Extract from the Introduction by Biyi Bandele”
How is this optimism and despair captured in
the text title and epigraph?
Critically Read
'Things fall apart': the apocalyptic appeal of WB Yeats's The Second Coming
(Dorian Lynskey, July 2020)
1.
Circle key words
2.
Underline key ideas
3.
Annotate with a focus on how this might relate back to Achebe’s novel Things Fall Apart
Discuss your annotations with your A/B partner and expand on your ideas.
Learning Intention
To understand the significance of the allusion to Yeat’s poem in
Achebe’s Things Fall Apart
 I can define the term allusion in my own words.
 I can discuss the significance of the allusion to Yeat’s poem, in particular how
it relates to African independence.
 I can use allusion in my own creative work based on the themes from Things
Fall Apart.
Creative Writing
Drawing on the poem by Yeats and Things Fall Apart write a
short piece about your experience of 2020 and covid.
Tips for writing creatively:
1:3 ratio – for every line of action, write three lines of
description
Draw on the language and the devices in the poem
Extend your metaphors
Use allusion or symbolism to convey meaning in implicit
ways
Learning Intention
To understand the significance of the allusion to Yeat’s poem in
Achebe’s Things Fall Apart
 I can define the term allusion in my own words.
 I can discuss the significance of the allusion to Yeat’s poem, in particular how
it relates to African independence.
 I can use allusion in my own creative work based on the themes from Things
Fall Apart.
ALLUSION
TO UNDERSTAND THE SIGNIFICANCE OF
THE ALLUSION TO YEAT ’S POEM IN
ACHEBE’S THINGS FALL APART