May 04, 2017
David Diop (1927-1960) wrote a poem titled "Africa" and Raphael Armattoe (1913-1953) also wrote a poem titled "Africa". This post intends to view the difference between the idea of both poets as regards the title "Africa".
David Diop's poem "Africa" talks about the colonial and slavery of Africans, at the middle of the poem he wrote: "The work of your slavery/Africa, tell me Africa/ Is this your back that is unbent/ This back that never breaks under the weight of humilation/ This back trembling with red scars/ And saying no to the whip under the midday sun" Diop further pers<!--more-->onified the African continent as an angry elder who was aware of the impending revolution, and chided him for thinking rash thoughts.
On the other hand, Raphael Armattoe in the poem "Africa" talks about Africans irrational embrace of western lifestyle than African culture. In the poem, Raphael was addressing a lady who he taught was sad but the response of the lady made him realise that she wasn't sad but sick and dying due to arrogance and nonchalance of the people around. If the poem is to be viewed from its connotative meaning, the lady Armattoe was addressing is Africa, and Africa (as the mother of Africans) was feeling cold and numb because her children were dying as a result of not listening to the ways of their mother, Africa.
Another difference to note is that David Diop's "Africa" was longer in length than Raphael Armattoe's "Africa".
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Samuel C. Enunwa aka samueldpoetry (the Leo with wings flying)