Aishat Akintola’s “Tangled Web Story” is a heart-wrenching contemplation of war, self-discovery, and eventual emancipation. Written in a mood of confusion, stoicism, and hopefulness, the poem encapsulates the human experience in the feeling of entrapment by life’s intricacies, such as in a web that tightens with every attempt to escape.
In its purest sense, the poem is one of entrapment and determination. The metaphor of the “tangled web” does justice to inner conflict, doubts, and trying in vain to be free. The speaker describes an internal struggle, as if trying to untangle one’s self only leads to being further entrenched. Making an analogy of dementia and a tumor-filled heart raises the emotional stakes, expressing how pain and confusion obscures the mind.
But the poem takes a turn in the final stanza. Finding a missing piece—a fact or new information—is the way to freedom. The reference to the Bible’s David and Goliath substantiates the idea that even the greatest wars can be battled and won with the right knowledge and attitude.
Structure & Style
The poem is written in a free-flowing style with rhyming quatrains, which form a rhythmic yet disturbing cadence that resonates with the speaker’s agitation. The brief, yet powerful lines enhance the desperation and tension of the moment.
Akintola’s choices of words are intentional—there’s “fighting to cut each cumbersome cob” and “slapped me hard across the face” for physical and emotional exhaustion. The repetition of “tangled” and “break free” drives home the circular motion of flailing, making the ultimate resolution all the more satisfying.
Poetic Devices
- Metaphor
“I was in a tangled tangling web”
This extended metaphor pervades the poem, standing for a confused state, entrapment emotionally, or the struggles of life. The web is a snare — just like one produced by a spider — that grows more difficult to escape with each step.
“My heart in a tumour couldn’t decipher”
Here, tumour is being employed metaphorically for an emotional or psychological burden. The inability of the heart to “decode” implies severe confusion or pain obscuring judgment.
- Simile
“Like one afflicted with dementia”
This simile conveys the speaker’s confusion and unclearness and draws a parallel with their state of mind and that of a person suffering from loss of memory and confusion.
“Like a Lion, I employed my strength”
The lion symbolizes courage and bodily strength. The simile underscores the speaker’s stubborn but ultimately failed efforts to escape their situation.
“Broke free like David defeated Goliath”
A powerful simile from biblical legend. It likens the speaker’s triumph to a miraculous, against-all-odds victory, emphasizing how shocking and gargantuan the breakthrough was.
- Alliteration
“Tangled tangling”
Repetition of the “t” sound creates a sense of complexity and constraint, recalling the relentless, tiresome struggle.
“Cumbersome cob”
The harsh “c” sounds add to the tactile and sensory richness of the imagery, which contributes to the sense of weight and burden.
- Personification
“Each knotted effort to escape struck me sharply in the face”
Here, efforts are attributed human characteristics — they “strike” the speaker, showing how escape efforts seem to work against them, as if the web doesn’t wish to be untangled. - Imagery
The poem is full of visual and kinesthetic imagery:
Visual: “Tangled web,” “tumour,” “darkness” — these create a vivid mental picture of the speaker’s emotionally trapped state.
Kinesthetic (movement-based): “Slapped me hard,” “fought furiously” — these suggest the physical and emotional toll of the battle.
- Symbolism
The web: Represents confusion, life’s problems, emotional entrapment, or even depression.
The lion: Represents inner strength and courage.
David and Goliath: Symbolize spiritual intervention, revelation, or triumph over seemingly insurmountable conditions through unseen means (wisdom, faith, or insight).
Tone and Mood
Tone: From frustration and desperation to victory and enlightenment. It is tired and sad at the start; it is happy towards the end.
Mood: It generates tension and sympathy at the beginning, and triumph and relief towards the end in the final stanza.
Structure and Style
Quatrains: Four-line stanzas are used in the poem that give rhythm and flow.
Free rhyme and internal rhythm: Lines are rhyming in various ways (e.g., “easily / dearly”) but overall the form is free verse, allowing emotional truth.
Progression: Firm narrative progression — from captivity to trying, attempting, realizing, and ultimate freedom.
Final Thoughts
“Tangled Web Story” is such a powerful poem that it strips bare the psychological and emotional conflict of battle against adversity. Its rich sensory detail and rich rhythms, combined with its strong narrative impulse, make it attractive and reflective. Akintola succeeds in translating personal suffering into a universal message: most often, liberty hinges on saying to oneself the missing piece rather than raw power.
We all need to read this poem as it teaches us that even the most complex of webs can be unraveled by wisdom and will.
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