Critical Analysis of Poems (African)
Nidhi Jasani
Class: M.A. Sem.4
Year: 2014-2016
Submitted
to: M.K. Bhavnagar University,
Department of English
Email:
nidhijasani15@gmail.com
·
Introduction
The African literature is mirror of African culture and
heritage. Here in these poems we found
that all poems reflect their hatred towards civilizers. During this British emperor
the African culture and heritage is totally ruined. All poems talks about
situation of African people, who are wavering between two culture, British
culture and African culture. Also deals with the human psychology and impact of
civilization on the lifestyle of African people. How happy they are before
Bruisers are came. Colonizer also laughs on African culture and rituals.
1)
‘Once Upon A Time’
This
poem is written by African poet ‘Gabriel Okara’. In this poem we found that
conversation between father and son. Poet deals with impact of globalization so
called civilization. The life of human becomes mechanical and robotic life. All
people run behind money. And in this race human becomes robot. Here in this
poem poet talk about that the relation is remain formal, lake of trust and
aspens of feelings. Even smiles also became plastic smile or artificial smile.
Humans are doing all this things like hospitality, charity and other things
only for sake of doing, not from their heart. People becomes formal some word
are only for speaking like good bye, I really enjoyed your company, nice to
meet you, come again and many other thing are spoken by for formality, not from
heart. People use to wear mask, we found this kind of duel face rather we can
says malty face of human being. They stared change emotions like they change
their cloths (makeup of mind). Poetic persona tells his son about his glorious
past and what is present. Poet try’s to connect past and present, also
generation gap of life of father and the life of son. Father says that “Once
Upon A time I was like you.” Child is innocent and happy, his smile is original
and he enjoyed his life, whereas father cannot do all this things through his
heart. Inn past father also use to smile with their heart but now he cannot
smile with heart, he smile with teeth. All this things are happened because of
money and civilization. Poetic persona asked his son to teach me how to smile.
He also longing for original and real life but he can’t. In this poem we found
impact of civilization.
2)Mystic Drum
This poem is written by Gabriel
Okara. The Drum represents African culture. We can say that is connecting with
heart beats of poetic persona. Lady who smile’s behind tree is signifies so
many things. She is an outsider. Lady thinks that she has more rich culture,
but in real sense the colonized won’t have their Own culture. In this poem we found that men, women and fishes are dancing on the bit of drum. It shows the connection
of nature and humans, that they are dancing together. It also shows how
powerful mystic drum is? The African culture is connected with nature, the
mystic drum invokes the sun, the moon, the river, gods and the trees began to
dance. In the poem lady is outsider and colonizer also. She is standing behind
tree; it shows because of industrial revolution the trees and forest are
cutting down. Poetic persona says that the mystic drum is not beat loudly
anymore
3)
Where I to choose
This
poem is written by Gabriel Okara. Here poet tries to compare Adam and Black
Negro man. Here poet also talks about generation gap. Adam is father and Cain
is metaphorically represented new generation. He talks about the language. The
red streams are suggests multilingual new generation. Poet compares Cain (son
of Adam) with African man that Cain is wonderer and he doesn’t have any kind of
aim in his life. He just wanders here and there without destination. Same man
have not aim in their life. Poet indirectly satirized modern men. The tower of
Babel is symbol of unity. Because when tower is constructed, people wanted to this
tower is a tower of oneness or unity. But god gives them different languages
and makes them different through language. The line “And O of this dark halo
was the tired head free.” Poet tries to be free from this dark halo.
4)Dedication
This poem is written by Wole Soyinka.
This poem is kind of advice of new coming generation. Poet dedicated this poem
to new born child. Poetic persona has deep sense of life, so he gives advice to
new generation, how to live in this world. What to do and what not to do. We compare this poem with Mark Zukerburge’s letter to his new born baby. In which
he gives advice to his daughter and hope for better future of his daughter. Poetic persona gives both negative and positive advice to new generation. With the use of different images and metaphors he tries convey his message, like
honey, scorpion, moon, sun, and many others. Through this poem poet hope for better society, because his life's passed away but he thinks that his child
makes society better. The child itself is dedication to society
5) Telephonic
This poem is written by ‘Wole
Soyinka’. Poet deals with racism and relation of black and white people. Talk
about first world country and third world country. A black man wont to
perchance home (land) from white lady. There is telephonic conversation between
them. Telephone is symbol of connecting people, it is tool of
communication. But here in poem it shows
distance between two people and nation also. Lady represents first world
country and black man represent third world country (nation). Here we found
Frantz Fanon’s concept of “Black skin and white Mask”. In this poem both are
rich, necklace shows richness of lady and black man want to buy home so it
shows richness of black man. But lady over power man because she represent or
belongs to ‘first world nation’. Lady is
colonizer and man is colonized. Location place (home) white colony and for
Negro man it is kind of achievement. In this poem we found that lady asked
several question, like ‘where are you from? How dark? Are you light or very
Dark? After this there is a deep silent. Silent suggest so many things. Silent
is ill manner silent. Here we have one question that who is really dark? Black
man gives self-confection, ‘I am African’ and many other things. Word use by
man “Madam” is shows man gives respect to white lady. I’m not fully dark, don’t
go with my color, and in this poem we found that man give his identity to that
lady. But lady not give her identity. At the end of the poem there is one line,
“About my ears-‘Madam,’ I pleaded, wouldn’t you rather See yourself?” it shows
that what men think and mentality of white lady. When we look at this poem with post-colonial perspective, how white people feel superior and black people are
inferior. What white people think about black people? That they are always bad
and cruel, black people are barbaric, uncultured and uncivilized people.
6)
Refugee Mother and Child
This poem is written by Chinua
Achebe. First poet introduce statue of ‘Madonna’, and gives refrains of Jesus
and his mother. But in this poem poet writes about the real mother and her
child. What is the situation of the mother (African mother). Statue of Madonna
is illusion of reality. Generally smile of mother is sweet but in the poem,
mother’s smile is ghostly looking. Poet also says that mother’s heart is always
tender. Mother’s smile is ‘Ghostly looking’ because her child is dead due to
diarrhea. Here we found what the condition of African slave is. Mother, she is
not able to take care of her child in such kind of illness. The description of
mother taking care of her child is like she make child ready for school. But
she makes ready her child for tiny grave. Here we found that death of
motherhood also. She not sent her child to school but she sends her child for
burial. If the child is belong to rich family, child get proper care. Here in
the poem death of motherhood and child.
7)New York
This poem is written by Leopold Sedar
Senghor. Here poet tries to show originality behind this glamour world of New
York City. New York City is commercial capital of America. Beauty of New York City is not warm but it
has cold look. There is lake of humanity and feeling in city. Enjoyment of city
is momentary only. The line “long-legged golden girls” it shows richness of the
people (white people). The word ‘punch of Jaguar’ tell us about violence and
cruelty inn city life. The poet talks about “Blue Metallic eyes”. How people
live life rather we can says lifelessness and many other connotation is here.
The use of the word ‘Frosty Smile’ this smile is smile of consumer’s society.
The word skyscrapers, shows richness of city and also talks about the height of
the same. In this poem there is one interesting line “lifting up Owl eyes in
the Sun’s eclipse” here poet create atmosphere of night in the day. Owl and
sun’s eclipse is the sign of something bad. In this poem we found “no child’s
laughter” it means the father and mother have no time to play with their child.
Another thing is child’s laughter is innocent; this word suggests that there is
no innocent laughter in the busy daily life. The ‘Drum’ represents African
culture and spiritual pulse of African traditional life. Poet use lion the bull
and the tree, this three things reflect so many things. For example trees are
cut down and started building factory’s and all other materialistic things. City
becomes forest of cement and concretes. The word like “Black Blood” and “Oil of
Life” it is paradoxical that the color of blood is read and it is necessary for
life. Oil and blood are mixed with each other.
·
Conclusion
This all
African poems reflect African culture and what African people think about
colonizer people. We found that how British people go there and started ruling
over them, enslaved them, make them slave. What are the views of African people
on the so called civilization? Generally we found that cultural conflict is one
of the most prominent points in African poem or literature. Through this poems
we found that all poet tryst to discusses one problem, problem of his ancient
heritage because of the attack of western culture.
Works Cited
- Vajani Bhumi's Assignment. March 2014. <www.bhumivajani062013.blogspot.in>.
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