Africa by david piop

Colonization in Africa

Colonization: The action or process of settling among and establishing control over the indigenous
people of an area

After the abolition of the slave trade in the 19th Century, expansion of European influence into Africa
emerged as countries like Britain, France, Belgium, and Germany colonized the continent.

1. David Mandessi Diop (19271960) was a revolutionary African poet born in France but with parents of
West Africandescent. His poems highlighted problems of Africa brought about by colonialism and gave a
message to Africans tobring about change and freedom. He was known for his involvement in the
negritude movement in France, amovement started by Black writers and artists protesting against
French colonialism and its effects of African cultureand values. His views and feelings were published in
"Presence Africaine" and in his book of poems "Coups depillon" which was published in 1956. Diop died
at the age of 33 in a plane crash.Africa my AfricaAfrica of proud warriors in ancestral savannahsAfrica of
whom my grandmother singsOn the banks of the distant riverThe poem starts by Diop reminiscing about
Africa, a land he has not seen but only heard about from hisgrandmothers songs. His choice of words
like "distant" symbolise how far he is from his country, a feeling based onhis real life as he lived in
France throughout his childhood and only visited Africa in the 1950s. Despite this, he paintsa vivid scene
of Africa and the proud warriors who walk on its "ancestral savannahs" You can sense how much
hemisses his homeland by his stress on the word Africa, and he continues to call it "My Africa" to
emphasise it is hisland and his feelings of patriotism towards it.I have never known youBut your blood
flows in my veinsYour beautiful black blood that irrigates the fieldsThe blood of your sweatThe sweat of
your workThe work of your slaveryHe continues to say that he has never known Africa, but despite the
distance he cannot deny how much it is a part ofhim. The "beautiful black blood" which flows in his
veins describes his African descent and shows how much Africa isa part of him and his love for it and its
people. The next verses are angry and accusatory as he stresses that it is theblood and sweat of his
people which is irrigating the fields for the benefit of other people. By this he is pointing afinger at the
colonialists who exploited Black people and used them as slaves to profit from their hard labour.Africa,
tell me AfricaIs this your back that is unbentThis back that never breaks under the weight of
humiliationThis back trembling with red scarsAnd saying yes to the whip under the midday sun

2. In these verses he urges the Black people to stand up to the pain and the humiliation that they are
suffering in theirown land. He reminds them of the strength and pride they have in them and to say no
to the whip of the colonialistwhich makes them work under the hot midday sun and leaves scars on
their backs. Despite this suffering he urgesthem to be strong and remain unbent and not let this break
them despite the weight of their suffering.But a grave voice answers meImpetuous child that tree,
young and strongThat tree over thereSplendidly alone amidst white and faded flowersThat is your Africa
springing up anewSpringing up patiently, obstinatelyWhose fruit bit by bit acquiresThe bitter taste of
liberty.In these verses the wise voice of Africa chides him for thinking "impetuous" thoughts, and implies
to us that acontinent lies in wait for something to happen. It urges the Africans to be patient and not
hasty like children as there ischange on the horizon. The tree "young and strong" represents the young
people of Africa who are patiently but"obstinately" waiting until they get the liberty they want. At the
moment the tree is alone, meaning the African struggleis a lonely battle but they will achieve the
freedom and liberty they want no matter how bitter the taste in getting it. It isamong the "white and
faded" flowers by which he means the colonialists who will fade in time while the youthfulAfricans grow
in strength and wait for their moment of freedom.

ANCESTRAL means ---> relating to, or inherited from ancestors, or serving as a forerunner,
prototype or inspiration. While SAVANNAHS ---> are grasslands ecosystem characterized by
the trees being sufficiently widely spaced so that the canopy does not close.

To irrigate land means to supply it with water in order to help crops grow.

Slavery is the system by which people are owned by other people as slaves.

Humiliation is the embarrassment and shame you feel when someone makes you appear
stupid, or when you make a mistake in public.

Grave is used as an adjective, too. It can describe something serious, or of great importance.

marked by impulsive vehemence or passion an impetuoustemperament.

SPLENDIDLY-excellently; very well.

OBSTINATELY- firmly or stubbornly adhering to one's purpose, opinion, etc.; not yielding to
argument, persuasion,

Telephone conversation

The poem depicts a black man who is trying to confirm housing with a landlady over the phone
and begins after the two have discussed location and pricing. The speaker wishes to inform the
landlady that he is black, and then a ridiculous conversation ensues regarding how dark his skin
color is. Overall, the poem is a tongue-in-cheek statement on racism, the speaker responding
with sarcasm and humor to her insulting questions. The poem also emphasizes the lack of
communication between different races.

Uses humor in addition to irony.

Depicts ignorance, culture gaps, problems in verbal conversation , and prejudice.

Characters and narrator

The poem “Telephone Conversation” by Wole Soyinka introduces readers to the characters of the white
landlady and the black African man. The African man is also the speaker/narrator in the poem.

The speaker
The speaker of the poem – its narrator – is actually one of the main characters involved in the telephone
conversation. This is revealed by the use of the personal pronoun “I” (l. 4) or by the possessive “my” (l.
23).

Initially, the poem reveals that the man is looking for an apartment. He is glad that he finds a good
location with a “reasonable” (l. 1) price. Note that his “self-confession” (l. 4), that he is black, comes only
after discussing the issue of the rental with the landlady. This indicates that upon discussing with him, the
woman had no idea that he was black. At the same time, this indicates that the man might have seemed
very polite and kind over the phone:

… Nothing remained
But self-confession. “Madam,” I warned,
“I hate a wasted journey—I am African.” (ll. 3-5)

...

The landlady

The landlady is the interlocutor of the African man. The colour of her skin is not indicated in the poem,
but it is more than obvious that she is white. This is revealed through her racist and xenophobic attitude
over the phone.

Keep in mind that she is a landlady and that she has an apartment she wants to rent to somebody. Initially,
she does not suspect the man she speaks with is black. Her racist behaviour is triggered when the man
confesses that he is African. Her first reaction is to remain mute – probably because of her surprise:

Silence. Silenced transmission of

Pressurized good-breeding. (ll. 6-7)

The previous lines indicate that the woman is of “good-breeding” (l. 7), an expression which might be
used ironically by the speaker. In fact, this idea is further reinforced when the man imagines her as being
rather vulgar, as her voice reminds him of a smoker woman with red lipstick:

foully - in an unfair and insulting manner;

STENCH- a strong and very unpleasant smell.

OMNIBUS-comprising several items.

squelch - an electric circuit that cuts off a receiver when the signal becomes weaker than the
noise. tar meaning: 1. a black substance, sticky when hot, used especially for making roads

DUMBFOUNDED-greatly astonish or amaze.

mpersonality of a mechanized world. absence or reduction of concern for individual needs or

desires: Adjective[edit]. spectroscopic (not comparable)

BRUNETTE-a person, typically a woman, with dark brown hair. Hydrogen peroxide is a
chemical that is often used to make hair lighter or to kill germs.