Analysis of "A Far Cry from Africa"
By Robert Browning
Answer the following questions. This blog is the equivalent of a classroom discussion, so you will need to respond to your peers' posts in order to learn from multiple perspectives and in order to represent a discussion. Please refer to the blog rubric on Blackboard in order to achieve the grade you desire.
1. In what ways do you see the poem representing a conflict?
2. Provide two examples of imagery from the poem, and discuss the importance of it.
3. What is the tone/mood of this poem? How do you know?
4. Create an explication of the last stanza of the poem.
5. What theme do you take away from the poem? Provide evidence of this?
6. What type of diction is used in this poem? Provide an example of this?
7. Provide an example of a paradox in the poem.
Happy Posting!
Professor Stanley
1. Its all about the whites, slaughtering the blacks, forcing acceptance of their rule.
ReplyDelete2. The mass grave. The white child, hacked in bed. The grave shows us the extent of the brutality. The white child shows us retribution.
3. Melancholy. The man is conflicted about his own identity because he feels he is a part of both worlds, and yet the slaughter and brutality make him feel apart from both.
4. "How can I turn from Africa and live?" This is the only home he knows. His life's blood is tied to this land. His people are hunted and killed, and he may be in danger himself, but he cannot flee his homeland.
5. Subjugation (by force. Submit or be slaughtered.) Sadness (So much pain and suffering.)
6. First person. (How can I turn from Africa and live?)
7. "Corpses are scattered through a paradise." "Statistics justify and scholars seize the salients of colonial policy. What is that to the white child hacked in bed? To savages, expendable as Jews?"
Doug Trimmer
Dough i agree with you on question 7. That quote is the perfect paradox!
Delete-Cristian Rayas
Doug,
DeleteGood observation. Your response to question #3 is very interesting and I agree. The larger conflict in the poem is internal. This man's is keeps going back and forth as to where he belongs, but he knows there's nothing for him in Africa. The beautiful paradise he describes to be Africa is now a dark place where he doesn't want to live, but also doesn't want to turn his back on. He is worried about betraying his country and himself basically.
Viridiana S.
Cristian Rayas
ReplyDelete1) There is multiple ways you can look at this poem. The title says it all "A far Cry" nearly seems impossible thing to reach. A cry for help that are thousands of miles away in ocean. The other conflict is that is violence in "paradise". The narrator is outraged.
2) Wild animals feeding off each other is an example of imagery. This is important because it shows "the law of nature" these animals do what they do in order to survive. The other example is when the narrator talks about blacks being related to Jews. This resembles the concentration camp and how bad the Jews were treated.
3) The tone and mood is negative because he isolates himself from Africa due to the fact that he's from two cultural indifference's. "I who am poisoned with the blood of both" I believe he has trouble choosing one culture.
4) Explication is the unfolding and making of things clear. "How choose/between this Africa and the English tongue I love?" These lines identify the aspects of each culture that the poet admires. He remain on one side African terrain and way of life, while he prefers the English language and literary tradition.
5) Split identity is the theme due to the fact that the poet cannot decide what culture to choose. "I who am poisoned with the blood of both, where shall I turn, divided to the vein?
6) Third person point of view is used as diction throughout this poem."While he calls courage still that native dread"
7) "I who am poisoned with the blood of both"
-Cristian Rayas
1. people dying all over Africa for poverty and starvation and rules changing.
ReplyDelete2."to savages, expendable as Jew?" the people killing in Africa with no sympathy like the Nazis."the violence of beast on beast is read, as natural law.
3. sad, down. shattered. The tone of voice with his language is persevere as so.
4. he is half African half British and would be wrong to not claim both and turn his back to his back on either. He loves both country and refuses to choose only one.
5.Sadness. people are dying everywhere and there he can not save everyone.
6.Sorrowful, Despairing. "How can I turn from Africa and live?"
7. "corpse are scattered through a paradise" when people think of paradise they do not think of dead bodies laying around.
I like your example for the paradox. I feel like it works really well in this poem too because it explains not only the setting, but how he feels about the situation.
Delete- Elephantsicko
1) During the video they spoke of beast vs beast, but man just causes harm for their own fun, it talks about how man is corrupt and there is no compassion even for one’s specious
ReplyDelete2) “Brutish necessity wipes his hands upon the napkin of a dirty cause” and “I who am poisoned with the blood of both am cursed with both, divided by the vain. The importance of this is that with images we can better describe what the narrator is trying to say, it gives us a better understanding of the context as well.
3) The tone is very disappointed, because man can do so much good but instead are fighting over what they think is theirs and killing each other in the process, the mood I would say is very melancholy. I know this because of the content that is being covered in this poem is very sad.
4) The narrator is trying to choose between the English and Africa but does not know what to choose because one does so much harm and the other is his native home, he is of both by blood, but has come to a cross roads and does not know what to choose.
5) The poet uses modern day diction but in a way that you can’t help but to feel sorrow for those who need It “Brutish necessity wipes his hands upon the napkin of a dirty cause”according to the text it is a necessity to be a brute, and one there done being a brut the cause is one of malice.
6) “How can I turn from Africa and live” he uses I, I being first person.
7) “Betray them both or give back what they give” when making the decision to betray them both or give back what they give is speaking of the same thing,if he gives back what they give he will be betraying them both because that is what they are doing to each other
-Benjamin Rosales
1. It represents an internal and external conflict. The internal conflict is dividing him on whether he should remain in Africa or flee to Britain, but he cannot choose for he loves both sides of his mixed race. The external conflict can be seen as the genocide and war going on between the British and the Africans.
ReplyDelete2."Corpses are scattered through a paradise" portrays to the reader that everything was once fine in his homeland, but now the paradise that was once Africa is now loitered with war and violence and death.
Another example is "the violence of beast on beast is read" portrays to the reader that things were even okay when wars were fought between Africans, but now that an outside force has brought death to their land, it is not just.
3. I sensed urgency and desperation in his tone. because his last few lines talk about him having to make a decision to stay or leave and it seems like it was a rather urgent question.
4. "Again brutish necessity wipes its hands / Upon the napkin of a dirty cause, again" These two lines explain that the unnecessary war is being fought because some opposing entities decided it is imperative to fight this war and the slaughter of innocent people is justified through their reasoning for fighting the war;
"a waste of our compassion, as with Spain" explains that they became involved in this war to help but it just worsened the situation jsut as was the case during the Spanish Civil war;
"The gorilla wrestles with the superman" implies that one party is possibly using much more advanced means of warfare than the other;
The next three lines, the author asks why he was cursed with blood from both sides. He asks who he pissed off to be birthed into this situation;
In the last 5 lines, he discusses how he is torn between leaving Africa and staying. He mentions he has a profound connection to his English roots and a love for the home he grew up in.
5. The theme is: Among conflict, there will always be a common ground that can unite both parties. It can just be difficult to find sometimes. In the poem, the boy explains this long and violent war, but he has ties to both sides and he is torn because he has such a strong connection to both sides and he cannot understand why there is a conflict in the first place.
6. The diction is rather colloquial. He uses everyday words and nothing out of the ordinary to convey his message. A great example of this is when he asks, "How can I face such slaughter and be cool?"
7. He is a paradox. Both sides hate each other and are slaughtering each other but somehow, his parents came to find a romance, however momentary it may have been.
- Elephantsicko
1. In what ways do you see the poem representing a conflict?
ReplyDeleteThe poem clearly represents a few conflicts, both internal and external. The person whom this poem is referring to is going through a hard time deciding where to place his loyalty. Does he belong to Africa or England? He is clearly torn between both and he explains his reasons. He knows that there’s death, poverty, and hunger in Africa, but even then he feels a duty to not turn his back. While his internal conflict is dealing with his feelings and where to stand, the external conflicts are the state of both countries. He describes them both being in conditions that need help.
2. Provide two examples of imagery from the poem, and discuss the importance of it.
“Corpses are scattered through a paradise”
The author is giving us imagery about the landscape in Africa. He is talking about the natural beauty of the country overpowered by the dead bodies scattered all over. This imagery speaks out about the violence that is dominating the country and tearing it apart.
“I who am poisoned with the blood of both”
The imagery here is of division. The author is talking about how he belongs to both Africa and England whether it be by blood (family), or citizenship. His wordchoice, “poisoned”, gives the reader a deeper understanding of his frustration, almost as if it was a curse to be in such a predicament.
3. What is the tone/mood of this poem? How do you know?
The tone/mood of this poem is very dark. In essence, the poem is very negative because it talks about large conflicts such as war, poverty, hunger, death, etc.
4. Create an explication of the last stanza of the poem.
The last stanza is about the character questioning himself. He is talking about how much he loves both countries, but questioning whether he would be able to betray them. In other words, would he have the will to leave or turn his back on one of them? If he sides with England he doesn’t know how much slaughter in Africa he would be able to bear. However, if he sides with Africa he questions how would he ever be able to live in such a place where there’s nothing but death all around. It sounds like there is nothing for him there.
5. What theme do you take away from the poem? Provide evidence of this?
The theme is that no matter how much we try to make things better, sometimes we cannot control everything. In this case, this person is torn between two sides; England or Africa. Each place means a lot to him, but the destruction in Africa doesn’t leave him much opportunity. While his feelings get in the way and he would like to make a difference, the societal problems in Africa are something he can’t control on his own. To his dismay, all he can do is just be a bystander.
6. What type of diction is used in this poem? Provide an example of this?
The diction in this poem is very formal and elaborate. The language is very dense and saturated with imagery such as, “Delirious as these worried beasts, his wars Dance to the tightened carcass of a drum..” The author also makes good use references such as, “The gorilla wrestles with the superman.
7. Provide an example of a paradox in the poem.
“Corpses are scattered through a paradise”. This is a paradox because the author is making a connection of beautiful to very dark imagery. Here we see the association of a positive and negative imagery. To any sane person this would come off as a contradiction, because when we imagine a paradise , death is never in the picture.
Viridiana S.
Madison Tollett
ReplyDelete1) The conflict is that there is people dying and a war going on innocent being slaughtered and no one doing anything productive about it.
2) An "innocent white girl slaughtered in her bed" the narrator is speaking about how the antagonists are coming through murdering everything in their path.
"Man vs Beast" is for pleasure; the author is saying that killing animals is no longer a survival instinct it is now just for fun.
3) The tone or mood of this poem is disaster and destruction. All the author talks about is everything that is going on and nothing is positive.
4)The author explains that all of this is going on for what reason and there is nothing to stop it and he wonders if he could leave both countries behind.
5)Disaster and "pleasure" comes with a price. It started out man vs beast for survival turned into man vs man for sport.
6)The diction is complex. The author speaks very intricately about what he sees around him and the suffering that cannot be solved.
7) "Corpses are scattered through a paradise" when one thinks of paradise it is the happiest place they could imagine with flowing beauty and relaxation but how he describes it is that this once amazing place now trashed with death and what remains.
Roman Leal
ReplyDeleteThe poem is representing a conflict in many ways. Like Doug said, the whites are slaughtering the blacks. He mentions that people are dying everywhere Also, Africa was colonized by Britain in the 30’s, and that the “upright man seeks his divinity by inflicting pain.”
An example of imagery in the poem is “the violence of beast on beast is read as natural law.” This is important because where one may recognize a beast as an animal, such as a lion or a bear, the writer is perhaps saying that the actual beasts are the humans, for the humans are the ones that kill for sport and slaughter other humans only because of issues such as race. Another example if imagery is “the gorilla wrestles with the superman.” It would be easy to visualize a literal gorilla wrestling, but who is the superman? I think that what he means is the gorilla forces that are know in war, such as those in Vietnam, and the superman is the American, for America is recognized as the richest country in the world.
The tone of the poem is depressing, frustrated, and urgent, like Elephantsicko said. I know this because the imagery is vivid, and at the end of the poem, the speaker finds himself asking questions about what to do in his situation.
An explication for the last stanza is that people feel that they have to fight, even if it doesn’t make sense, even if it’s a “dirty cause” like that of a war in Spain. In Spain, there must’ve been brutish killings and somehow, all was wiped clean. The gorilla wrestle with the superman is like I said in my response to question 2. Also, I agree with Elephantsicko in how he worded that one side is more advanced than the other. When he says that he is “poisoned by the blood of both,” he means he is possibly an American with African ancestors. He finds himself in a situation where he doesn’t know where he doesn’t know who to fight with or what to fight for. He cursed the “drunken officer of British rule” means that he despised it when Africa was once a colony of Britain, but now, America is more involved with Africa and he loves America, “the English tongue.” In the end, he finds himself in a crossroad, and he can’t figure out which road to take.
The theme that I take from the poem is that black people are in far worse condition than white people. I see evidence in this when he writes about the “courage still that native dread/of the white peace contracted by the dead.” The native courage comes from the black people, and the peace comes to white people by the black people that have been killed and are now dead.
I agree with Viridiana. The diction is formal and elaborate. The speaker is not confrontational, but he is making himself heard. When he says that “corpses are scattered though a paradise”, one can easily paint an elaborate mental picture.
A paradox in the poem is the “violence of beast on beast is read / as natural law, but up right man/ seeks his divinity by inflicting pain.” Beast on beast is natural, and even humans recognize and follow this law.
Jessica Gallardo
ReplyDelete1.In what ways do you see the poem representing a conflict?
Walcott discusses the conflict between his loyalties to Africa and to Britain in "A Far Cry from Africa.
2.Provide two examples of imagery from the poem, and discuss the importance of it.
Walcott, in "A Far Cry from Africa," depicts Africa and Britain in the standard roles of the vanquished and the conqueror, although he portrays the cruel imperialistic exploits of the British without creating sympathy for the African tribesmen.
Walcott contradicts this savior image of the British through an unfavorable description in the ensuing lines: "The worm, colonial of carrion, cries, Waste no compassion on these separate dead.
3.What is the tone/mood of this poem? How do you know?
In A Far Cry From Africa the mood the atmosphere of the piece and tone the way the writer writes. The speaker uses the Nile River as her tears of pain that she is enduring. There is a lot of pain and anguish brought out through the poem. The speaker says “her screams loud and vain, her history slain”
4.Create an explication of the last stanza of the poem.
The last stanza intensifies the poem's mood of controlled indignation, and which owes its strength to the changes that global power and wealth create within.
5.What theme do you take away from the poem? Provide evidence of this?
How can I face such slaughter and be cool? How can I turn from Africa and live. A Far Cry From Africa, and to conquer the people, and take away just two things from them.
6.What type of diction is used in this poem? Provide an example of this?
Walcott's use of “savage” functions to present a British colonialist's racist point of view this can be a diction point of the poem.
7.Provide an example of a paradox in the poem.
A Far Cry from Africa," depicts Africa and Britain in the standard through the poet's inability to resolve the paradox of his hybrid inheritance.
Liz Fusciardi -
ReplyDeleteAfter reading what everyone thought I went back and caught more details that I missed, we all have the same ideas yet we focused on different words and phrases. I like that this poem is able to have so many different views. I liked certain things from all of the responses. I see this poem as an internal conflict with the author, he loves two countries and they are opposites. He doesn't know how to make his mind up. The imagery I noticed was about animals and also the way he talks himself. "The violent of beast on beast" "Where shall I turn". This gives us an idea of the turmoil he is living with, there is violence everywhere he turns and he is stuck between hell and paradise. If he gives up one he is letting down the other. The mood of this poem is sorrow and pain. By the way the author is depicting the scenes of Africa you can sense there is nothing but bloodshed "Corpses are scattered through a paradise". After reading the last stanza I am unsure of who this man is, is he a soldier for England yet from Africa or is he in Africa wanting to leave and go to England where his family is from. This man believes that what is happening to his town is his fault, which is why he is having such a tough time trying to decide if he should leave. The theme is war, between the animals killing each other, man killing animals, and man killing man there is nothing but death and despair in this poem. "How can I face such slaughter and be cool?" This poem is written in a formal type of diction, "I who am poisoned with the blood of both" The paradox in this poem is about the love for both Africa and England, Africa is depicted to be filled with nothing but blood while England is left open to interpretation. "How choose / between this Africa and the English tongue I love?”
I also agree with your paradox.
Delete-Salam Zaidan
1. I see the poem representing a conflict between the British and the Africans. The British came and colonized in Africa and that caused a change in the culture. The author seems confused as to accept the old culture or the new culture.
ReplyDelete2. An example of imagery is “Corpses are scattered through a paradise”. This line showed that there is a war going on and many deaths came with that. Another example of imagery is “The violence of beast on beast is read”. This quote shows that there is a lot of violence shown happening on both sides. Imagery helps the reader to understand, and visualize what is happening in the poem.
3. The tone of the reader is emotional and violent. The reader can see this when the speaker talks about what culture should he choose. Walcott states, “The drunken officer of British rule, how choose / Between this Africa and the English tongue I love?” This shows emotion. The speaker also states, “Threshed out by beaters, the long rushes break / In a white dust of ibises whose cries” This quote shows the violence, and war in the poem.
4. The last stanza of the poem is initiating the author’s confusion between which culture to accept. He was wondering how he could choose, because he loves them both and does not want to betray one or the other.
5. The theme in this poem is the confusion with the differentiation of culture. The speaker is trying to find himself after the culture has changed.
6. The diction used in this poem is rather direct. The reader can easily tell what the speaker is going through, and what is going on in the play. Walcott states, “Corpses are scattered through a paradise.’ The reader can easily see that there is a war going on.
7. Example of paradox in the poem is "How can I face such slaughter and be cool? / How can I turn from Africa and live?" because the speaker is contradicting between both cultures.
-Salam Zaidan
I agree with #4.
Delete- Haakam Sherwani
Tommy
ReplyDelete1. In what ways do you see the poem representing a conflict?
There is internal conflict going on within the narrator for the choice between Africa and Britain, there is also external conflict taking place between white and black people, and there also is another conflict underlining the poem in regards to the human condition. The narrator’s comment about “beast” and “upright man” give insight to his internal question, why does man hurt man?
2. Provide two examples of imagery from the poem, and discuss the importance of it.
I agree with Elephantsicko that, ”Corpses are scattered through a paradise,” creates strong visuals of African plains being covered with the dead bodies of villagers. This visual instills a sense of seriousness and urgency. Also the line, “the gorilla wrestles with the superman,” created a visual of a war between beat down Africa and wealthy strong Britain. This line helps reinforce the real conflict felt by the narrator, making the poem relatable.
3. What is the tone/mood of this poem? How do you know?
The tone is very somber and serious. It is a plea for help from the tyranny of those who abuse their power and the consciousness of a man torn between his two worlds. There are many incidences of death, corpses and war mentioned in the poem. Also the line, “I who am poisoned with the blood of both,’ reveals the conflict within the narrator.
4. Create an explication of the last stanza of the poem.
The drunken officer of British rule, how choose / Between this Africa and the English tongue I love? / Betray them both, or give back what they give? / How can I face such slaughter and be cool? / How can I turn from Africa and live?
The narrator is torn by his desire between both Africa and England. He is unsure what to do, to run from it all or to stand and fight. He knows that he must do something and feels that running is not really an option. It would break his heart to leave Africa.
5. What theme do you take away from the poem? Provide evidence of this?
The theme of this poem is, what is the responsibility of man? “How can I face such slaughter and be cool? How can I turn from Africa and live,” this line shows the narrator’s desire to do the right thing, but is unsure of what truly is best.
6. What type of diction is used in this poem? Provide an example of this?
I agree with Viridiana that the narrator uses a formal kind of diction. He uses unique phrases with lots of imagery to communicate his points, “bloodstreams of the veldt,” “only the worm, colonel of carrion…”
7. Provide an example of a paradox in the poem.
I agree with several of my class mates that, “Corpses are scattered through a paradise,” is a paradox within the poem. A paradise is usually lush with life and beauty, while corpses represent death and decay, the opposite of a paradise.
1. He wants to adapt to the British civilized culture but in the back of his mind he has the immoral treatment of the Africans.
ReplyDelete2. “The gorilla wrestles with the superman”, meaning the “gorilla” represent the Africans fighting with natural power. And “superman represents the British fighting in an unfair way.
“Corpses are scattered through a paradise”. Describing the horrific destruction in Africa and Europe.
3. I would say it is desperate, he seems anxious and confused at the same time. In the poem he says, "How choose/between this Africa and the English tongue I love?" showing confusion and despair.
4. It represents his point of view of each culture that he admires, part of him remain to the way of the African life but the other part of him prefers the English language.
5. A boy being pulled from one hand while the other is being pulled as well. Sometimes we just have to go with what inner voice inside us is telling us. We can’t always go by what society thinks or wants.
6. I also agree with Viridiana, the diction is formal and elaborate. He gives descriptive detail to show his confusion and why he feel the way he does. “Betray them both, or give back what they give? / How can I face such slaughter and be cool?”
7. “The violence of beast on beast is read as a natural law,”
Julie Rosales
1. In what ways do you see the poem representing a conflict? The author is torn between Africa and England. Also, all the killing that is going on in Africa with no purpose but only for fun.
ReplyDelete2. Provide two examples of imagery from the poem, and discuss the importance of it. The image of the beast fighting and then the image of man with a dead beast. The importance is that beast fight with beast for survival, but man kill beast for a hobby.
3. What is the tone/mood of this poem? How do you know? It’s sad, maybe worried, because of the people killing people like if something normal, showing no remorse.
4. Create an explication of the last stanza of the poem. The author is talking about his love for both countries, Africa and England.
5. What theme do you take away from the poem? Provide evidence of this? People kill others to feel power, not caring who or what they kill.
6. What type of diction is used in this poem? Provide an example of this? The poet feels distraught between two countries, and all the killing that is going on in Africa.
7. Provide an example of a paradox in the poem. It talks about how death is all around the paradise. When someone thinks about paradise, we think about somewhere we can go relax with an amazing view, but his paradise has been destroyed with all the death bodies due to all the killings.
1. This poem is about the racial divide between whites and blacks, and the injustices that take place in Africa. It is about a black man who can't decide whether or not to side with Africa or England.
ReplyDelete2. "What is that to the white child hacked in bed?
To savages, expendable as Jews?". The author is giving the image of the holocaust except for it's happening in Africa with black people. "The gorilla wrestles with the superman.". He is trying to emphasize the racial divide, gorillas being the blacks, and superman being the whites.
3. The tone/mood of the poem is mysterious and depressing. Mysterious, because the audience doesn't know which side he is on. In the end of the poem, he is going back and forth between England and Africa. Depressing, because he talks about the atrocities going on in Africa,
4. As I said in the last question, the author is questioning which side he will choose, between England and Africa. I assume he's half black and half white. He wants to helo his fellow Africans in assisting them during the slaughter and injustice, but he also wants to stick with his fellow Englishmen.
5. The them I took away was indecisiveness. He can't decide with choosing between black and white."Between this Africa and the English tongue I love?
Betray them both, or give back what they give?
How can I face such slaughter and be cool?
How can I turn from Africa and live?".
6. The diction he used was very open and cavalier. He wasn't being politically correct."The gorilla wrestles with the superman."
7. He speaks of hatred and atrocities on both sides, but he himself is made of both sides."I who am poisoned with the blood of both".
-Haakam Sherwani
1. The conflict in this poem is loyalty to Africa. The poverty and hunger issues that people are going thru
ReplyDelete2. One of the examples of imagery would be the animals it says that they kill each other so they can survive which is imagery humans are acting the same way more violence.
3. The tone of this poem would be with anger, umbrage and disappointment, very negative talking about the problem with poverty.
4. The last Stanza of “A Far Cry from Africa” it boost up the mood of the poem
5. The theme of this poem Is that every culture is different from others and people may never be able to adapt their will always be controversy with race and violence
6. The type of words chosen in the poem is in first person here are some example “How can I face such slaughter and be cool” , “ I who have cursed the drunken officer of British rule” , I who am poisoned with the blood of both”
7. An example of paradox “ Delirious a these worried beasts, his wars dance to the tightened carcass of chuirri”
-Sarai Garcia
1. People are being killed and are dying because of a slavery, poverty, and a forced government.
ReplyDelete2. Ex 1: “bloodstreams in veldt”
Ex. 2: “corpses (that) are scattered through a paradise”
It introduces a negative image in order to introduce the reader to the brutality of the Mau Mau and their massacres.
3. The tone/mood is negative, because he comes from to places and he cannot choose which side to choose because he loves both of those cultures.
4. The author explains it because he questions himself if he could possibly forget about everything and start a fresh page somewhere else.
5. The last stanza basically questions him. Whether he should go for Africa and live with nothing but death surrounding everyday? Or go for England and bare the fact that his other hometown is being doomed by death. Either way he chooses they both suck.
6. I agree with Madison this poem is complex, what's happening around him cannot be fixed by one person. It takes more than one to change a corrupted government.
7. "Corpses are scattered through a paradise" a paradise is somewhere beautiful that you love to visit because it's your happy place and Walcott describes it as his paradise but it no longer is because it surrounded by corpses.
-Karla Menchaca
1. In what ways do you see the poem representing a conflict?
ReplyDeleteThe rich try to take over the poor, the strong over the weak, because they choose (not elect) these people to do that.
2. Provide two examples of imagery from the poem, and discuss the importance of it.
The genocide, poverty and the pain he had. The importance is killing millions of innocent
3. What is the tone/mood of this poem? How do you know?
The sadness because the play shows us people are killed without mercy (I feel the tears from this word)
4. Create an explication of the last stanza of the poem.
How can I turn from Africa and live, even what happened, the writer cannot see he live somewhere else. And no power in the world can make a person forget where he came from
5. What theme do you take away from the poem? Provide evidence of this?
Do not denied your identity whatever its going to cost you, the evidence is some group of people having the control think, is no one deserve to live in this land except them, and their action tell this even if they keep silent.
6. What type of diction is used in this poem? Provide an example of this?
Its first person narrated, when he said "where shall I turn"
7. Provide an example of a paradox in the poem.
I think when he said "the violence of beast on beast is read as natural law" so he knows the violence is a beast nature not a human!
Khaldun
1. The poem shows conflict with the native people of Africa, and the white people who have caused damage for centuries. The poem also reveals the authors internal struggle about whether or not he should deny the English tongue that loves, or his homeland Africa.
ReplyDelete2. “Corpses are scattered through a paradise” is the first imagery that really stands out to me. Africa is such a beautiful place, but some of the worst disease, famine, and human behavior also takes place there. “The violence of beast on beast is read as natural law, but upright man seeks his divinity by inflicting pain” This provides the image that animals kill because they must to live, but man does it to boost his ego.
3. The tone of this poem is very dark and sad. It brings to light the struggle that African people have endured for many years. Even though most of the poem is sad, there is a small silver lining, which is that the author has been nationally recognized for his work. You know this because it makes you think about how a lot of people have harder lives than most here in America.
4. “How can I turn from Africa and live” The author is struggling with the thought that he is somehow betraying the country he loves by being so involved with the white men that he believes are responsible for much of the hardships faced by modern day Africa.
5. What theme do you take away from the poem? Provide evidence of this?
The theme of the poem is to stay true to oneself, and never forget who you are. Even though he has had great success with his writing, he realizes that he must resist the urge to slip away from the land that made his words so powerful. “How can I turn from Africa and live” This shows just how conflicted he is with the life he leads, and how important it is to stay true to Africa.
6. The level of diction used in this poem is high. The poem uses several words that were carefully picked to get the authors message across. “Delirious as the worried beasts, his wars dance to the tightened carcass of a drum, while he calls courage still that native dread of the white peace contracted by the dead” His words make you pause and really think about what is meant.
7. A paradox in the poem is that he is torn between his love for his native land, and the new world that has allowed him such success. He feels some remorse, as if he has somehow betrayed Africa. This is not true, because his literary work does more to help Africa than almost any other thing he could have done.
Marc Moody