One of the the recurrent themes in African poetry, is an attempt at affirmation of African cultural identities. According to Timibofa (2007), Aime Cesaire, in his popular poem, “Return to my Native Land”, writes:
my negritude not a stone.
Nor deafness flung out against the clamour of the day my negritude not a white speck of dead water
on the dead eye of the earth
my negritude is neither tower nor cathedral it plunges into the red flesh of all soil it plunges into blazing flesh of the sky my negritude riddles with holes
the dense affliction of its worthy patience….
The poet coined the term to emphasise and maintain the ideology behind the concept so as to ensure its message is clear and achieve its intention. Also, in another poem, ‘Black Woman’, Senghor celebrates the African woman and her beauty. Using imageries, he adores her naturally endowed features and wishes that she remains with him forever. In this poem, Senghor begins by praising the addresses colour, which according to him, is life and her form which is beauty. He affirms that it is in her shadows he grows which is Africa. In stanza two, he stated that her blackness strikes him like the flesh of an eagle. He stressed further that, even her nakedness itself is beautiful. As he puts it:
Naked woman, black woman clothed with your colour/which is life with your form is beauty/in your shadows I have grown the greatness of/your hand was laid upon my eyes (Naked) lines -4) (Timibofa, 2007). Senghor went further to celebrate her voice and the song produced. He does so to show that only in Africa can this kind of rendition be found. Again, he appreciates her skin and her hair stating that he has to do so urgently before she answers the call of nature: “Before jealous fate turns you to ashes to feed roots of life” (Naked. line 22).
Similarly, David Diop in Senghor’s tradition affirms some aspects of African culture in his poems. In his “vulture” Diop argues that Africa had an organized system of Education that taught people the basics of ethics. According to him, these institutions groomed African on relationship and how to treat man humanly. He asserts in this poem that, the system of education introduced by the European is too light to be assimilated because it never taught people to be human and also preach a philosophy of segregation which is alien to Africa. In his words: “of foreigners who did not seem human “Who knew all books but did not know love” (Vulture, lines 12-13). David implies here that the Whiteman brought a system of education that does not practice what it teaches.
Therefore to this form of education can at best be called shadows which is why; it kicks them on their faces (Timibofa, 2007).
David also condemned their monotonous kind of music and songs that are not thought provoking and inspiring like Africa’s beats… “And the monotone rhythm of the paternoster” (Vultures, line 8). Again in his “Africa” he made us to understand Africa had her form of storytelling and praise poetry before the colonial invasion. In his
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flash back technique and historical allusion he brings to bear how he came to know about Africa through the songs and rendition about African from his mother. He puts this way; “Africa my grandmother sings of in the far distant river” (lines 2-3). In a more radical and militant manner Bernard Dadie affirms certain aspects of its culture. In his poem “I give you thanks my God” Bernard Dadie affirms that his colour, hair, hips, legs and skin are unique this is because both are black which symbolize beauty. David asserts in this poem that black is a universal colour while white is an improvised colour for an occasion. He states that he thanks God for his nose which is not pointed because it will enable him to breathe well. Also he appreciates God for his thick skin which according to him allows him to stand out. Same thing applies to his short leg that allows him to walk the whole earth without weakness.
Dennis Brutus does same in his poem “At a Funeral” though dedicated to a dead friend who died after been awarded a doctorate degree, Dennis, in this poem was not only concerned about her fame but her black beauty which will soon be dissolved into mother earth by worms. He affirms her dark colour and even the graves’ panting which were also black that will be lowered. His jealousy is that this black African beauty that shines as gold will no longer be seen again; “black, green and gold at sunset. Pageantry and stubble graves: expectant of eternity…” (lines 1-2)
Gabriel Okara (1963) affirms same in his “Piano and Drums” that everything about African culture is complex and incomprehensible. He noted that the tone produce from the piano which represents European is cumbersome and does not communicate any meaning to its listeners, contrary to his drum that is comprehensive and the voice produces is inspiring and mind blowing. In this poem Okara draws our attention to this reality that African culture was at its best before its rape by the European. He uses his flashback device to give us a picture of Africa when it was still a virgin drawing our attention to the fact that African culture is the best and should be embraced. Isidore Okpewho, lends his voice again: “the aim was to demonstrate that Africa has had, since time immemorial traditions that should be respected and culture to be proud of” Also he tries to tell us how peaceful and harmonious Africa was before its sudden invasion by the colonizers:
When at break of day at a riverside…
Then I hear a wailing piano solo Speaking of complex ways…
And I lost in the labyrinth of its complexities. (Piano, 23 - 24) Gabriel ends the poem on a note of confusion indicating that at best what the western culture is known for is confusion and complexities. In a more vivid way, the Ugandan poet Okot P’Bitek shows us beautiful portraits of Africa in his poem “Song of Lawino and Song of Ocol”. In this poem Okot reputes the colonial claims about Africa of being dark and black. In this poem okot affirms that indeed Africa is black but that is her unique identity. He takes time to compare his Alcholi culture from the western through his stubborn character Lawino who represents an advocate of the African culture. She defends the African culture radically and with all seriousness to ensure that she has recreates African image that has been misrepresented by the western world.
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Like black America writer high Langston asserts same: We the creators of a new generation want to give expression to our personality without shame or fear” It is same vision that Okot p’ aims to achieve and we see his portraiture of the western culture represented by Clementine as he uses Lawino to satirize and mock her: Hear what he says:
Brother, when you see Clementine!
The beautiful one aspires To look like a white women;
Her lips are red-hot like glowing charcoal, She resembles wild cat
That has dipped it’s month in blood Her mouth is like raw jaws
It looks like an open ulcer, Like the mouth of a field!
Tina dust power on her face And it loves so pace;
She resembles a wizard
Getting ready for the midnight dance.
(Lawino p.37 lines 17-32)
Okot went further to describe her physical appearance which according to him is disgusting:
You feel a little pity for her!
Her breasts are completely Shriveled up,
They are all fold dry skins
They have made nests of cotton wool… (P. 39 lines 28 -30) Okot went to mock their dance styles which he compares with African styles:
I am completely ignorant Of the dances of foreigners Holding each other
Tighting, tighting In public,
I cannot I am ashamed
Dancing without a song
Dancing solemnly like wizards Without respect; drunk…
If someone tries
To force me to dance this Dance
I feel like hanging myself
Feet first… (Page 47, lines 8-23)
He argues that his Acholi songs and dances styles are far better than theirs
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…I sang sweetly…
Nobody’s voice was sweeter Than mine!
And in the area I sang solo Loud and clear Like the ogilo bird At sunset…
Okot tries in the poem to demonstrate that his Acholi (African) culture is the best using similes and metaphors to show us in the poem affirming that everything the Whiteman brought was already here from same to song, clock, food, school and even medicine which functions better than the western (Timibofa, 2007).
SELF-ASSESSMENT EXERCISE
Examine in detail, how African poets use their poetry in response to cultural crises created by longterm colonisation of the continent, citing many examples from written African poems.
4.0 CONCLUSION
Negritude poetry generally rejected colonialism and the policy of “Assimilation”
which sought to make all colonial subjects Frenchmen. They opted for a celebration of African womanhood, blackhood, the ancestors and their cultures. Some of their features were also political and denounced the oppression and exploitation in the colonial system. From the foregoing it has been made clear that African poetry is a by-product of cultural affirmation. African writers like the negritude poet and other writers use poetry to show a contrast between their culture and the western in a humble attempt to bring out the African culture that dies into westernism. Hence, the poets through this media show that everything black which the Whiteman perceives with contempt is more beautiful than the artificially made white that is not natural as Africa’s.
5.0 SUMMARY
In this unit you have learned the followings:
• How written African poetry explore African cultural heritage
• The concept and the philosophy of Negritude
• The Negritude’s aspects of cultural affirmation
• How some African poets employ their poems for African cultural affirmation
6.0 TUTOR-MARKED ASSIGNMENT Read and answer the questions below:
• Discuss how written African poetry manifest African cultural heritage
• Explain the concept of Negritude
• Highlight the philosophy of Negritude
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• Discuss the Negritude’s aspects of cultural affirmation
• How do African poets manifests African cultural affirmation in their poems 7.0 REFERENCES/FURTHER READINGS
Aime, C. (1969). Return to my Native land. London: Penguin.
Irele, A. (1965) Negritude or Black Cultural Nationalism. Nigeria: Journal of Modern African Studies
Jack, B. E. (1996). Negritude and Literary Criticism: The History and Theory of
“Negro-African” Literature in French. Westport: Greenwood Press
Lilyan, K. (1964) Black Writers in French: The Birth of Literature.London Heinemann.
Muhammed, Y. “Africaness of African Literature Negritude in Focus Ibadan”. AAU:
African Studies. 2011: p. 55-77.
Ngugi, wa Thongo’O. (2007). “The Language of African Literature”. African Literature: An Anthology of Criticism and Theory. Australia. Blackwell Publishing.
Okot, P’Bitek. (2005) Song of Lawino and Song of Ocol. Ibadan Heinemann Books.
Senghor, L. (2009). “Negritude: Humanism of Twentieth Century”. African Literature:
An Anthology of Criticism and Theory. Austria. Blackwell Publishing.
Timibofa, A. (Undated). “African poetry and Cultural Affirmation: the Negritude”.Department of English, University of Oyo.
Yakubu, M. (2011). “Africaness of African Literature Negritude in Focus Ibadan”.
AAU: African Studies. p. 55-77.
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UNIT 5 POETS IN EXILE