Form and Structure
The poem is written in free verse, meaning it does not follow a regular meter or rhyme scheme. Each stanza is a short block of lines (mostly four or five lines long) separated by blank lines, giving the poem a conversational, unstructured flow. For example, the first stanza runs five lines without rhyme, and subsequent stanzas also vary in length. This lack of strict form reflects the speaker’s fractured state of mind – there is no neat, predictable structure, just a steady release of internal monologue.
Because it is free verse, the poet relies on natural speech rhythms rather than a set meter. This allows Lakhpin to use line breaks for emphasis or pause – for instance, the line “But all I see is just me and I.” stands alone on a line, highlighting the split between the self (“I”) and ego (“me”) in the speaker’s mind. Enjambment (continuing a sentence across a line break) appears occasionally, but mostly each line tends to end at a natural pause or punctuation. The overall structure – short, irregular stanzas with repeated phrasing – gives the poem a lyric, almost spoken-word feel, fitting Lakhpin’s background in performance and spoken poetry.
Diction and Language
Lakhpin’s diction is direct and colloquial, largely employing common, modern English words to convey complex emotions. The speaker repeatedly uses first-person pronouns (“I”, “me”, “my”), underlining how personal and internal the subject matter is. Many lines start with the negative “No matter how…”, emphasizing frustration and futility. For example, lines like “No matter how hard I try to change / My personality never ceases to haunt me” use everyday words (“try”, “personality”, “haunt”) to express despair in simple terms. Emotional adjectives and intensifiers – “deepest sorrows”, “darkest days”, “forlorn loser”, “lone man” – appear throughout, giving the poem a heavy, mournful flavor.
The diction is not overly flowery or abstract; instead Lakhpin often speaks plainly (“Sometimes I forget who I am”, “I chase dreams like everyone does”). Yet he does introduce striking imagery (“deepest sorrows”, “innermost battlefield”) that borders on metaphor. Some phrases are unusual or regional (for example, “A good berk of the decades”), which may be idiomatic or personal in meaning, adding a unique voice. The overall effect of the language is intimate and confessional: it feels as though we are inside the speaker’s head, sharing his private thoughts and anxieties.
Poetic Devices and Imagery
Lakhpin employs several key poetic devices to enhance the emotional impact:
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Repetition/Anaphora: The poem repeatedly uses the phrase “No matter how…” at the start of several lines (e.g. “No matter how hard I try…”, “No matter how determined I try…”, “No matter how bothersome I get…”, “No matter how deep I behold…”). This is an example of anaphora – the deliberate repetition of words at the beginnings of successive lines – which adds emphasis and a rhythmic drive to the poem. Each time the speaker says “No matter how…”, it underscores the inevitability of his pain and the futility he feels, reinforcing the poem’s bleak mood.
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Metaphor and Imagery: The poem is rich in metaphorical language. The speaker describes his mind and struggle as a “war” and an “innermost battlefield”. This figurative comparison suggests internal conflict, even though no literal war is happening. Such metaphors turn abstract feelings into concrete images – for example, “my mind has become a fit to society” (a jarring phrase suggesting discomfort in fitting in) and “I’m in a war that nobody else realizes”. The title itself, “Cage Of All Time”, implies a metaphorical cage – the idea that the speaker feels trapped in time or in his own mind, even though the poem never literally mentions a cage. Visual and emotional imagery abounds: “deepest sorrows,” “darkest days,” “solitude,” “load,” “tears,” etc. These concrete images appeal to the reader’s senses and emotions (what [BookishBay] calls imagery, language that appeals to the senses) and create a strong atmosphere of despair and isolation.
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Parallelism and Antithesis: Some lines use parallel grammatical structure or contrasting ideas. For example, in the lines
“That I’m a forlorn loser for life / That I’m a genius in our inner life”,
the parallel phrasing (“That I’m… / That I’m…”) highlights the stark contrast between how the speaker views himself externally versus internally. These lines form a paradox – calling himself both a “loser” and a “genius” – which deepens the sense of confusion about identity. -
Tone-setting language: Short, blunt statements like “Same place and same tears.” and “Then abruptly die with no trace.” serve as refrain-like endings that hammer home the hopeless tone. There’s also hyperbole or exaggeration (“forlorn loser for life”, “deserve nothing but starve”) to express the extremity of his feelings.
In summary, Lakhpin’s use of poetic devices – especially repetition (anaphora), metaphor, and stark imagery – works together to convey the speaker’s inner turmoil. As [BookishBay] notes, free verse like this “opens space for inventive use of figurative language and enjambment”, which Lakhpin exploits to powerful effect. The cumulative imagery of darkness, war, and starvation paints a vivid emotional picture of a mind in crisis.
Speaker and Tone
The poem’s speaker is a first-person narrator who expresses intimate doubts and pains. We can safely interpret the speaker as Lakhpin himself or an autobiographical persona, since the poet has said the poem is a true story reflecting his personality and beliefs. The opening line, “Sometimes I forget who I am”, immediately establishes the speaker’s confusion about identity. Throughout the poem, “I” and “me” dominate, indicating the speaker is speaking to himself or to an invisible audience, but always from a personal perspective.
The tone is desperate and reflective. There is a sense of resigned sorrow in lines like “I will get nowhere anyway / That I deserve nothing but starve”. At the same time, there are moments of anger or frustration – e.g., “I’m in a war that nobody else realizes”, suggesting isolation: no one else understands his battle. The repetition of negative statements (“forlorn loser”, “no clue who to showcase”) gives a brutally honest, confessional tone. Yet the speaker also hints at self-aware irony (calling himself “a genius in our inner life”), indicating a complex, multifaceted emotional stance.
In literary terms, this is characteristic of a confessional or introspective tone. As one analysis points out, poetry has often been used for self-expression – treating the poem as “a record of the poet’s own self.” Here Lakhpin’s tone makes it clear that the poem IS such a record: an unflinching look at his own psyche. The mood conveyed is uniformly heavy and somber: the reader feels the speaker’s weight of sadness and entrapment. For instance, “Solitude is still my only bliss / Talking to none but the lone man in me” evokes deep loneliness. Even the title’s metaphor of a “cage” suggests a trapped, suffocating feeling that permeates the poem’s tone.
Rhythm and Sound
Because the poem is free verse, its rhythm is driven by speech patterns and line breaks rather than a strict meter. It reads like spoken-word or a personal monologue. The repeated opening phrases (“No matter how…”) create a staccato, emphatic rhythm. Overall the pace is steady but urgent, matching the speaker’s obsessive, circling thoughts.
Sound devices are used sparingly. There’s little regular rhyme or alliteration. One can hear subtle internal echoes (for example, “stars” and “starsve” or the repeated short “lost”, “I”, “life” sounds) but the emphasis is more on the content than musicality. The occasional caesura or pause (marked by line breaks) slows the reader: e.g., the lone line “But all I see is just me and I.” stands out sharply, slowing down the rhythm to force reflection.
In short, the poem’s rhythm feels organic and speech-like, with a pattern shaped by the repeated phrases and the emotional weight of each line. This lack of formal meter underscores the sense of confusion and lack of control felt by the speaker.
Theme and Mood
The central theme of “Cage Of All Time” is identity and self-perception under the pressure of time and society. The speaker repeatedly questions who he is (“forget who I am”, “in regards to whom I once was”) and contrasts his inner self with external perception (“they only see the one I once was”). The “cage” in the title suggests being imprisoned by time or by one’s own history and personality. Alongside identity, the poem deals with inner struggle and despair. The “innermost battlefield” and “war” metaphors make it clear the speaker’s conflict is psychological.
Other themes include loneliness and alienation (“Solitude is still my only bliss”), hopelessness (“I deserve nothing but starve”, “die with no trace”), and the elusiveness of dreams (“I chase dreams like everyone does / […] That someday I would live”). There is also an element of self-critique: the speaker labels himself “a forlorn loser for life” and yet ironically “a genius in our inner life”, suggesting he oscillates between self-loathing and self-aggrandizement.
The overall mood is oppressive and melancholic. Through gloomy imagery and resigned language, the poem immerses the reader in the speaker’s heavy psychological state. As noted earlier, by treating his poem as an expression of his true self, Lakhpin creates an atmosphere akin to what Tearle describes for identity poetry – a raw, personal mood that resonates deeply because “we often treat [poetry and] self-expression as synonymous”. The poem leaves the reader with a sense of the speaker’s entrapment – as if time itself is a cage from which he cannot escape.
Historical and Personal Context
Mwalimu Lakhpin is a contemporary Rwandan poet, and while “Cage Of All Time” does not overtly reference Rwandan history or politics, understanding his background helps contextualize the work. Lakhpin (Emmanuel Muhire) is an award-winning poet and performer active since the mid-2000s. His education in drama and involvement in spoken word (he co-founded a performance arts collective) means his poetry often draws on theatrical and musical elements. “Cage Of All Time” appeared on his blog in 2022 and was also featured on a spoken-word music EP (“Basote Jam”) – which indicates it is meant to be heard as much as read.
Because Lakhpin states the poem is “a true story” about his beliefs and attitudes, the poem can be seen as part of his personal narrative. It likely reflects individual experiences of disappointment, mental struggle, or existential searching that he has faced. In a broader sense, many modern African poets explore themes of identity and dislocation; Lakhpin’s focus inward suggests an influence of the confessional mode in global poetry. However, rather than drawing on specific national events, the poem universalizes inner conflict – time, self-doubt and loneliness – which many readers, regardless of background, can recognize.
Conclusion
In “Cage Of All Time,” Mwalimu Lakhpin uses a free-verse, introspective form to portray a soul in conflict. The speaker’s fragmented structure, plain yet powerful diction, and repetitive devices reflect the chaos of his mind. Themes of identity, isolation and hopeless striving permeate every line, creating a somber, claustrophobic mood. By quoting lines like “Sometimes I forget who I am” and “I’m in a war that nobody else realizes”, the poet gives us direct access to his inner voice. The poem is a self-portrait painted in shadows: no external narrative justifies the pain, it is the pain. This deeply personal piece aligns with the tradition of poets using verse as an outlet for self-expression. In the end, Lakhpin seems to tell us that we can never fully escape our inner “cage” – but by articulating it in art, at least it can be understood.
About the Author
Mwalimu Basote Lakhpin is a Rwandan poet, songwriter and theatre practitioner. Born in 1989, he studied drama and education and has been active in the arts since the mid-2000s. Lakhpin’s work often combines music and poetry (he calls himself “melomaniac”) and explores personal and social themes. He founded a creative arts media enterprise (Lakhtrem) and co-founded Ingeri Arts, promoting art education in Rwanda. In his own words, Lakhpin is a “conscientious artist” with extensive experience in storytelling and theatre. The poem “Cage Of All Time” reflects Lakhpin’s introspective style – speaking frankly about identity and inner conflict in a poetic, confessional manner.
