AFRICA BY DAVID DIOP

Africa my Africa
Africa of proud warriors in ancestral savannahs
Africa of whom my grandmother sings
On the banks of the distant river
I have never known you
But your blood flows in my veins
Your beautiful black blood that irrigates the fields
The blood of your sweat
The sweat of your work
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
But a grave voice answers me
Impetuous child that tree, young and strong
That tree over there
Splendidly alone amidst white and faded flowers
That is your Africa springing up anew
springing up patiently, obstinately
Whose fruit bit by bit acquires
The bitter taste of liberty.

David Mandessi Diop was a poet from West Africa and is famous for his work in the Negritude movement. In all his writings he talks about the unjust treatment given to Africans by the colonial masters and his hope that one day Africa would be free from their rule. His poems were published in the Presence Africaine when he was only fifteen years old. In his poem "Africa" he talks about his strong feelings against the colonial masters and criticizes them for exploiting other countries for their own benefit.

Africans were one of the communities which were greatly mistreated by the colonizers and a subjugated by them because of their differences, the effects of which are present even today. In the poem he talks about "the Africa of whom my grandmother sings",referring to a land that was free of the exploitation at the hands of the British. The poem shows his dream of an independent Africa that has gained the "bitter taste of liberty". He praises Africa for being a strong nation and not breaking "under the weight of humiliation". Even though the colonial rulers have left Africa, their footprint lingers still. The British have robbed Africa of it's glory and left it in pieces. The inhuman treatment does not leave them alone even after they have gained their freedom. In the poem he talks about the brave African warriors, the humiliation during the British rule and the postcolonial freedom struggle.Diop describes various brutalities of the British, such as when he talks about the blood, sweat and slavery of the Africans that the colonisers used for their personal gain. He also refers to a “a back that is unbent”, meaning that they no longer need to bow down to the British and can follow their own dreams. However, as with most postcolonial poems, we find that the Africans are facing difficulties trying to remove themselves from the stereotypes and humiliation imposed on them, They are still “trembling with red scars and their spirit is weak. The Africans now need to forge their own identity and break free from the metaphorical and physical chains that the British put them in. He gives a realistic picture of the Africans suffering in the colonial age and the need to work towards sovereignty in the postcolonial stage. This poem contributes to the Negritude movement by talking about the glory and strength of the African and their ability to move towards freedom.

     

This poem is a postcolonial piece as it makes the reader understand the effects that colonial rule has had on the people in the colonies, which will last for years to come and will influence the self-image of the Africans. The poem describes how important it is to celebrate the African identity based on past glories and focus on the strength of the nation. Throughout the poem we find postcolonial elements that show the damage that the colonial rule left in its wake and the need for Africa to focus on their own identity and liberty in the future.

Pamzie Nutthachaya

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