A Level: Daily Divinity Questions and Answers with Dingani Witness

QN."Amos was a poet".Examine this view.To what extent are the Zimbabwean prophets act as poets?(25) pt9

OVER VIEW
 - The word poet is very common among us ,A poet is someone who writes poems and present them in front of audience.

 - The poets use different ways on delivering their messages,this include word plays,oracles, similes ,metaphors, songs, oracles and etc.

 - Amos has been regarded as a poet by so many scholars ,the name of a scholar and his arguments will be displayed on the ongoing article.

ANSWERS
®Amos the prophet of doom,madman, loner and prophet of social justice ,In this case is regarded as a poet.This view was coined by scholar Vauld after studying closely the works of Amos and concluded that Amos surely deserve to be regarded as poet.

®Amos has been regarded as poet ,this is due to number of similarities of his book with the works of poets. As much as Amos was regarded as a prophet by the audience his character and features of his book is totally inline with poets. This might be the reason why Vauld concluded that Amos was a poet. This is well supported by the following evidence.

 - Amos can be regarded as a poet for using similes and metaphors to deliver his messages.This supported by Amos 2v 11-13,Amos 3 v 12,Amos 5 v 24.

 - Amos uses scathing tone "harsh tone" to deliver his message to the women of Samaria, this is indicated in Amos 4 v 1.Scathing tone is common among poets this cannot be denied.

 - Amos uses song "dirge" to deliver his message of doom,Constable in his Amos notes 2016 Edition says a dirge was a song which was sung at funeral's friend.This supported by Amos 5 v 2

 - Amos in chapter 7 v 1 uses word plays to deliver his message of doom with glimpse of hope.Word plays"Visions"are commonly noticed among the works of poets, as they will be aiming to win the hearts of the readers.

 - Amos in Chapter 7 v 11-14 denies the title seer and prophet. This has led some to suggest that Amos was a poet as his messages had poematic elements.

 - rhetoric questions in Chapter 3 v 2 and 3 v 8

HOWEVER PART
®As much as Amos has been regarded as a poet it will be miscarriage of Justice to ignore that he does not fully deserve this title of being a poet ,Since the characteristics and roles of a prophet totally outweighs the features of a poet,he greatly deserve to be regarded as a prophet.

AMOS AS A PROPHET
 - fought for social justice ,this is recorded in Amos 2v 6

 - used messenger style of speech "thus says the lord"

 - use of visions in chapter 7 v 1 ,thus,another way of delivering a message by a prophet.

 - The audience regarded Amos as a prophet who prophesied for bread "fee",Amos 7 v 10 is an evidence

 - The fact that our primary evidence"Bible" doesn't indicate that Amos was a poet, disqualify the above view of Vauld.

ZIMBABWEAN CONTEXT
©In Zimbabwean context no prophet has claimed to be a poet at the same time being a prophet. One will notice that their operations to a certain degree are similar to that of poets,Uebert Angel cited by Miracle TV in 2012 delivered a wordplay "My vision to hell and My vision to heaven"This will lead one to postulate that Angel deserve to be regarded as a poet even though he doesn't claim so.

©Makandiwa according to his article Volume 11 delivers 20 parables.Parable is another feature in poems,hence ,Makandiwa can be regarded as a poet.

HOWEVER PART
©The fact that the characteristics and roles of Zimbabwean prophets are inline with prophetic duties disqualify the view they are poets.(Show the examples)

©No Zimbabwean prophets have claimed to be poets,they all claim to be prophets, hence ,to regard them as a poet is inaccurate.

QUESTION DEMANDS  - Examine the validity of the statement and giving the extent in Zimbabwean context.

On writer's angle the view that Amos was a poet doesn't hold much water,prophetic duties or characters far outweighs the poetic view.

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