'A Far Cry From Africa' by Derek Walcott
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A wind is ruffling the tawny pelt
Of Africa, Kikuyu, quick as flies,
Batten upon the bloodstreams of the veldt.
Corpses are scattered through a paradise.
Only the worm, colonel of carrion, cries:
"Waste no compassion on these separate dead!"
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?
Threshed out by beaters, the long rushes break
In a white dust of ibises whose cries
Have wheeled since civilizations dawn
>From the parched river or beast-teeming plain.
The violence of beast on beast is read
As natural law, but upright man
Seeks his divinity by inflicting pain.
Delirious as these 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.
Again brutish necessity wipes its hands
Upon the napkin of a dirty cause, again
A waste of our compassion, as with Spain,
The gorilla wrestles with the superman.
I who am poisoned with the blood of both,
Where shall I turn, divided to the vein?
I who have cursed
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?
Anonymous submission.
Editor 1 Interpretation
A Far Cry From Africa: A Masterpiece of Colonial Conflict Literature
Have you ever read a poem that made you feel the weight of history on your shoulders? A poem that transports you to the depths of colonial conflict and the complexities of identity? That poem is A Far Cry From Africa, written by the Nobel laureate Derek Walcott. In this literary criticism and interpretation, I will explore the masterpiece that is A Far Cry From Africa and delve into its themes, imagery, and significance.
Overview of the Poem
A Far Cry From Africa is a poem that speaks to the tumultuous history of Africa and its people. The poem is divided into three parts: the first part describes the speaker's dilemma of being caught between his African ancestry and his European education. The second part describes the violence and brutality of the Mau Mau uprising in Kenya. The final part reflects on the speaker's feelings of isolation and longing for a sense of belonging.
The Theme of Identity
At its core, A Far Cry From Africa is a poem about identity. The speaker is torn between his African heritage and his European education, and he struggles to reconcile these two conflicting identities. This struggle is reflected in the poem's language and imagery, which oscillates between African and European perspectives.
For example, in the first stanza, the speaker says, "I who am poisoned with the blood of both, / Where shall I turn, divided to the vein?" The use of the word "both" highlights the speaker's dual identity, while the phrase "poisoned with the blood" suggests that this identity is a burden.
Throughout the poem, the speaker employs a range of African and European symbols and references. For example, he describes the Kenyan landscape as "the white highlanders too / Not exempt, who having won / The earth, keep it, and break the soil." In this passage, the "white highlanders" represent the European colonizers who have taken over the land, while the imagery of "breaking the soil" suggests violence and destruction.
The Brutality of Colonialism
Another major theme of A Far Cry From Africa is the brutality of colonialism. The poem describes the violence and bloodshed of the Mau Mau uprising, a brutal conflict between Kenyan rebels and British colonizers. The speaker describes the "massacres" and "atrocities" committed by both sides, suggesting that there are no innocent parties in this conflict.
The poem's language is often graphic and visceral, underscoring the horror of the violence. For example, the speaker describes "vultures ... picking / the eyes of the swollen dead" and "the severed hand / planted on a crossroad." These images are deeply disturbing and serve to highlight the senseless brutality of the conflict.
The Role of the Poet
A Far Cry From Africa also raises questions about the role of the poet in times of conflict. The speaker reflects on his own feelings of helplessness and impotence in the face of the violence. He wonders whether poetry can really make a difference in a world torn apart by colonialism and conflict.
In the final stanza, the speaker describes his own feelings of isolation and despair. He says, "I who have cursed / The drunken officer of British rule, how choose / Between this Africa and the English tongue I love?" This passage suggests that the speaker feels caught between two worlds and that he is unable to find a sense of belonging in either.
Interpretation
A Far Cry From Africa is a complex and multi-layered poem that speaks to the difficult history of Africa and its people. The poem's themes of identity, violence, and the role of the poet are all deeply intertwined and serve to underscore the complexities of colonial conflict.
One way to interpret the poem is as a critique of colonialism and its lasting impact on African identity. The speaker's struggle to reconcile his African and European identities suggests that colonialism has left a lasting legacy of confusion and dislocation.
Another interpretation is that the poem is a meditation on the role of the poet in times of conflict. The speaker's feelings of impotence and despair suggest that poetry alone cannot heal the wounds of colonialism and violence. However, the fact that the poem exists at all suggests that poetry can bear witness to these atrocities and provide a voice for those who have been silenced.
Conclusion
In conclusion, A Far Cry From Africa is a masterpiece of colonial conflict literature. The poem's themes of identity, violence, and the role of the poet are all deeply intertwined and serve to underscore the complexities of colonialism and its impact on African identity. By exploring these themes through powerful imagery and language, Derek Walcott has created a work of art that speaks to the heart of the human experience.
Editor 2 Analysis and Explanation
A Far Cry From Africa: A Poem of Identity and Conflict
Derek Walcott’s “A Far Cry From Africa” is a powerful and complex poem that explores themes of identity, conflict, and colonialism. Written in 1962, the poem reflects Walcott’s personal experience as a mixed-race Caribbean writer and his engagement with the political struggles of his time, particularly the Mau Mau Uprising in Kenya and the anti-colonial movements in Africa.
The poem is structured in four stanzas of varying length, each with a distinct tone and imagery. The first stanza sets the scene and introduces the speaker’s conflicted identity:
A wind is ruffling the tawny pelt Of Africa, Kikuyu, quick as flies, Batten upon the bloodstreams of the veldt. Corpses are scattered through a paradise. Only the worm, colonel of carrion, cries: “Waste no compassion on these separate dead!” Statistics justify and scholars seize The salients of colonial policy.
The opening lines evoke the natural beauty and vitality of Africa, with the wind ruffling the “tawny pelt” of the land and the Kikuyu people, who are described as “quick as flies”. However, this idyllic scene is quickly disrupted by the image of corpses scattered in the paradise, suggesting the violence and bloodshed that have marred Africa’s history. The speaker then introduces the worm, which is a symbol of decay and corruption, and the colonel of carrion, which is a reference to the British colonial officer who oversaw the disposal of dead bodies during the Mau Mau Uprising. The worm’s callous disregard for the dead and the scholars’ justification of colonial policy highlight the dehumanizing effects of colonialism and the complicity of intellectuals in perpetuating it.
The second stanza shifts to a more personal and emotional tone, as the speaker reflects on his own mixed heritage and the legacy of colonialism:
Sunk in the grass of indifferent Africa, A carcass shares my bed with me, Share my sustenance, Wealth of my land, no doubt, And nothing now can part The bones of each of us.
The speaker describes himself as “sunk in the grass of indifferent Africa”, suggesting a sense of alienation and dislocation from his ancestral homeland. He then introduces the image of a carcass sharing his bed and sustenance, which can be interpreted as a metaphor for the burden of colonial history that he carries with him. The phrase “wealth of my land, no doubt” can be read as both an ironic comment on the exploitation of Africa’s resources by colonial powers and a recognition of the speaker’s own privilege as a writer from a former colony. The final lines, “And nothing now can part/The bones of each of us”, suggest a sense of kinship and shared fate between the speaker and the carcass, as well as a fatalistic acceptance of the past.
The third stanza returns to the theme of violence and conflict, as the speaker imagines himself as a participant in the Mau Mau Uprising:
Before the fountains of this grief, The head of the worm is crowned, And the pages of his book are filled with the names Of those who in his covenant are wound. The almond-eyed and black, liver in his clipped English, Guiltless of poetry.
The “fountains of this grief” can be interpreted as a reference to the violence and suffering caused by colonialism and the Mau Mau Uprising. The worm’s book, which is filled with the names of those who are “wound” in his covenant, can be read as a metaphor for the colonial archive and the way in which it records and controls the lives of colonized peoples. The phrase “almond-eyed and black, liver in his clipped English” can be seen as a description of the speaker himself, who is both African and English-speaking, and who feels guilty for not being able to express his identity in poetry.
The final stanza brings the poem to a powerful and ambiguous conclusion, as the speaker reflects on the legacy of colonialism and the possibility of redemption:
I who am poisoned with the blood of both, Where shall I turn, divided to the vein? I who have cursed 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 speaker’s identity as a mixed-race person, “poisoned with the blood of both” Africa and England, is a source of conflict and division for him. He has cursed the “drunken officer of British rule”, but he also loves the English tongue and feels a sense of belonging to it. The final lines pose a series of questions that are both rhetorical and existential, as the speaker struggles to reconcile his conflicting loyalties and face the reality of violence and slaughter in Africa. The phrase “how can I turn from Africa and live?” can be read as a challenge to the reader as well as to the speaker, as it raises the question of how we can confront the legacy of colonialism and the ongoing struggles for justice and equality in Africa and beyond.
In conclusion, “A Far Cry From Africa” is a complex and powerful poem that explores themes of identity, conflict, and colonialism in a personal and political context. Walcott’s use of imagery, symbolism, and language creates a rich and evocative portrait of Africa and its history, as well as a poignant reflection on the speaker’s own divided identity. The poem’s ambiguous and challenging conclusion invites the reader to engage with the difficult questions of history, identity, and justice that it raises, and to consider their own role in shaping the future of our world.
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