To dissect African poetry from its Unafrican counterpart is delicate, and even until the moment of writing this article, I would have thought it was impossible. So to attempt this, these discourse, it is a matter of common sense to tackle it from the retrospective scope; the time I believe there really are notable differences between them. The first poem to review then is Eye Of The Earth by Niyi Osundare, the joint-winner of Common Wealth Poetry Prize 1986 and winner of the 1986 Association Of Nigeria Authors’ poetry prize.
And I really was impressed by its African vitality and infectious enjoyment with words. Now, the main subject of this discourse is not to devalue the so called ‘modern African’ poetry but simply to state unequivocally the derailment, or impending derailments, of what makes African poetry ‘African’. To get the scopes of what I refer to African poetry, I must quote its metaphorical philosophy: “It [Negritude] aims amongst other things to reassert and revive, through literature, the cultural values, identity and authenticity of Africans, and to extol the ancestral glories and the beauty of Africa, partly through a RENUNCIATION of WHAT IS WESTERN and PARTLY through a RE-ORDERING of IMAGERY”1. The main aim of Negritude is to insert, or reassert, the efficacy of Africa and its values in the world. It is a form of resistance sparked by the zeal to sustain one’s dignity and pride in the face of overwhelming numbers of opposition – the fame of westernization for example, and other foreign philosophies which are unrelated with, or to, African. But that is not the bleak story; the bleak story is the neglect, or rather preferably, in aspect of dictum, relegation or the classification of the ‘old’ poets from Africa as archaic, which makes their subject theme irrelevant, lackadaisical to the now prevalent themes in this ‘modern’ Africa. And it is sad that this is the conclusion I’ve come to, not by my own volition but by the evidence of the literary works, especially poetry, I see around me, in the intellectual domain, which to state in litotes are the LGTBQIA, feminists, misogynists, and etcetera. What the ‘old’ poets of the past fought against was colonialism, and the further perpetration of the African values by the colonialists’ culture. But, according to a reply I got on Facebook, why should we stop preaching Africanism when the once physical colonialists’ ideals and way of life had metamorphose into mental captivity? A celebrated captivity. A proud chains even. And that is the basis of my admiration of Soyinkaism on religion; religion has classified some of our African culture and custom as bad in a primitive way. Like the misrepresentation of Esu as Satan, the Jewish evil god. And several other gods in Yoruba myths as devilish, thereby making them unpracticable. detrimental to humanity. This is just a mere deviation, a mere elucidation of one of the several values which leads to the neglect of African values, of neglecting the African poetry with its theme, subject, mood and language. The reasons for this subtle neglect – even though have taken their non-conform to a peak, to making it conspicuous, to say Ohh… the environment I’m in dictates to me Westernization than Africanization. Or it’s because I read more of Fantasies – but, thank God, Nnedi Okorafor has been labeled a writer of African fantasies; are, the relegations of African morals and customs. Now, speaking of African morals and customs, the question of health-for humanity arises, whether the sacrifices, both humans and animals, in each African tribe is healthy. No! It is not. It is not healthy, but as we strive for the growth of this ‘modern’ society, isn’t that how we should strive to blow the chaff from the wheat and not dispose of the wheat and the chaff, raising our famished lips to a wanderer-bird with strips of bread. Below, I’ve put forward two short poems. While the general reader might think the point of this discourse is singularly identifying native words as the symbol of native works, poetry, these examples will definitely prove him wrong, because writing African poetry is not a leisurely activity, it is the experiment of deep-rooted knowledge into lines. Our knowledge inevitably is subtly noticed by the general reader, while conspicuously outlined by the critical reader – which is why understanding Africa and what it entails is a compulsory obligation for the common African man. Note: these poems, I will tag them ‘Poem A’ and ‘Poem B’, while ‘Poem A’ is an example of the European, and ‘Poem B’ is an example of the African. POEM A Here, dead chrysanthemums grow backwards Into Mother’s scars – names of places she’s lived; Infants she had quietly tucked to bed, Where their mothers hold their breath. POEM B Nibbled camwood in adieu, regal with staid steps Water skittering barkwards into scraggy sockets – Faithful old-age bearers; Headless infants, in indigo-colored dust, in hollow sarcophagus. I am going to give a review of these poems, POEM A and POEM B, and to the reader, I would give the freewill to dissect the Africanness and Unafricanness in them. Chrysanthemums sometimes called mums or chrysanths are flowering plants of the genus Chrysanthemum in the family Asteraceae. They are native to East Asia and Northeastern Europe. As an avid reader, for me to understand how effective chrysanthemums are, or how they look, react to deadness, would take some certain time of fruitlessness. It would have been better if a poet from China or any of the countries in East Asia or North eastern Europe to write about the dead chrysanthemum and if done masterfully, I would have felt the same way the poet had felt about the flower, how much it represents different thing entirely to his/her mind. But an African who’s never seen such flower writing about it is a sham, mostly leading to misrepresentation in his poem or craft. The same with the style in POEM A; I class styles as that as foreign, Unafrican at least. Before being called a sectionalist, I would highlight how African poetry or what seems to be recognized and revered by it sprouted up; it was through ballads. Oral songs. Night tales. Hunting escapade. Myths… etc. and even though British Imperialist system might have eliminated the better parts of it, the way out would be to follow the steps of our forebears whose work was to ‘re-order their imaginations’. And that was part of the exceptional quality of Nigeria, et African, frontiers of poetry composition, Christopher Okigbo, a poet presumed to be so complex that “Africa cannot afford too many Okigbos… cannot afford too many verisifiers whose poems are untranslatable and whose genius lies in imagery and music rather than conversational meaning”2 Even though Dan Izeubaye has well tackled it in a journal3 yet for clarity on the generalized perspective on complexity as a major tool in the composition of Africa’s poetry (even though Joseph Kariuku and others proved otherwise); complexity is not a ‘major’ tool, it rather is the force behind Africa’s poetry – kindly take note the difference between complex dictum and poetry complexity which is Abstract Verse3 In the then South Africa, when her cultural pride was subdued and her arts and its preachers were sent on exile, the book which rejuvenated her cultural values, through the arts, was the book, Black Poets In South Africa which was formerly titled ‘To Whom It May Concern’ published in 1973. In the introductory part, Page 7, this is what the editor, Robert Royston, had to say about the poets in the anthology: “[Their] jauntily colloquial and aggressive [rigid] use of language alone reveals a self that feels confidant to order its world and its experience as it thinks best”4 *** As already discussed, one of the features which separates POEM A from being classified as African is its lack of rhythm and its mention of chrysanthemum, an untypical plant which is modern, strange, to Africa. *** Having settled the point of complexity and the analyzing of the first poem, POEM A, it is now safer to move to the analyzing of the second poem, POEM B. Analyzing the second poem requires understanding, of the poet, of what he seeks to achieve, of his relationship with his craft. To understand, I have to take out words which I believe are notable, related to African. CAMWOOD: An African hardwood tree, baphia nitida, which is a form of sandalwood INDIGO: A blue dye obtained from certain plants (the indigo plant woad), or a similar synthetic dye OLD-AGE BEARERS. The terms are related to the African culture, or perspective. And this similarity in its Africanness will process the mood into the reader. And reading cannot be fully understood if you are hesitating to garner knowledge about the Yoruba culture, African, in whose infallible spirit the muse for the poem had sprang up. Poetry, if done well, will not only invite the reader to the reality to which the poet dines, it would also tell him to wash in the cool spring and set to the bounty of the game. What I have done is write about a rite of passage for the infants, on promenade ground, but mere reading, and even understanding, I’ve given the reader the choice to relate the poem to whatever events he would, but not until he begins to intertwine with my African beliefs, he would always be one-step farther from understanding my reaction to the theme of the poem. The first line signifies a rite of passage, a procession, which as the poet, I’ve intentionally concealed to be the promenade grounds, but which a Yoruba indigene could easily relate with that ritual such as tossing infants back to the other realm has to be on the shore of the ocean. The second line is my imagery of the widows of these infants, weeping, standing aside. I unveiled as mothers in the third line, which afterwards I will explain how the grammatical meaning collides with understanding the Yoruba custom; the African custom. The third line unveils the infants as victims of brutal circumstances, ‘headless’, clasped in hollow sarcophagus. More like coffins built for infants that look like pods of groundnuts. Indigo is related to most African rituals, and in the last line, I’d ‘re-imagined’ it to be a souvenir for the rite of passage. Almost as dwellers trapped in the gulf of transition. Camwood symbolizes the spirits of these dead infants, in stealth procession of the rite of passage. In Yorubaland, and even some African culture, it is believed that every dead person will dance to meet his ancestors5. While Old-Age bearers signify two things: Palm trees and mothers. In Yoruba antics, it is believed that palm trees were once mothers and still are, witches, which in Yoruba are appraised Iya mi Aje, Aro’gbaso mo bale, and they are seen as the pillars of the world. But in this poem, POEM B, I’ve used them as mothers. Now, how do you feel? How would a non-african feel about analyzing an African poem? After this elucidation, won’t the general reader feel drawn to the African root? Won’t the reader smell Africa, the rich fervor clasped in her soil? This poem is produced by the author of this article, ADEPOJU Isaiah Gbenga, which means that this specimen is not the best there could be; it may not even level up to the top hundreds. But imagining reading something better than POEM B is even a blessing, an African blessing. The deal is to peak the Unafrican to search for knowledge in the shallow grounds, and hills, of Africa. And to remind to the core the African reader the authenticity in Africa and her poetry. Snow does not fall in Africa; the Africans’ imagination shouldn’t let it, lest it brings to naught the pride of Africa. I will close this article with TS Eliot’s words: The African struggles against HERESIES is “to concentrate, not to dissipate; to renew our association with traditional wisdom; to re-establish a vital connection between the individual and the race”6 REFERENCES 1). – A Selection of African Poetry – introduced and annotated by K.E Senanu & T. Vincent. Page 23 ©Longman Group Ltd. 1976 ISBN – 0 582 60141 2). Professor Mazrui Ali A. “Meaning Versus Imagery In African Poetry”, Présence Africaine, No 66, 2nd Quarterly 1968. Ibid P. 57 3). –– Critical Evaluation Of African Literature – From Reality To The Dream: Christopher Okigbo [Dan Izeubaye] Page 123 © 1973 Edited By Edgar Wright Defines Abstract Verse As Verse which Is Unintelligible Because It Is Imagistic Rather Than ‘Coversational’. 4). Black Poets In South Africa; Introduction by Robert Royston: Page 7 © 1973 5). Foreword, Death And The Kings’ Horseman, By Wole Soyinka, For My Father Who Lately Danced And Joined The Ancestors. 6). Ts Eliot, After Strange Gods: A Primer Of Modern Heresies (Faber, London, 1934) P. 48
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It’s a Sin, the new drama from Russell T. Davis, has already took the U.K. by storm and I’m sure it’s arrival in the U.S. will make the same waves. It is a dark, honest, loving, brutal, sporadically funny, take on three young men growing up in 1980’s London with the shadow of the AIDS epidemic encroaching on their lives. It begins in 1981 and runs through the crisis to 1991. The decade exploration covers the spread of the virus, the misinformation, and the tragic effects that AIDS had on the LGBTQ+ community. Russell T. Davis, the writer of Doctor Who and Queer as Folk, has once again created a masterpiece. Despite Queer as Folk being set in the 90s, it never explicitly mentions the AIDS crisis once. There were whispers to characters dying but nothing is said in the show about AIDS explicitly. Whereas Davis is now bravely placing AIDS at the centre of his new drama and It’s a Sin is being heralded as the first U.K. drama to directly follow the crisis as it spread over the country. Davis has already come forward and said writing so in-depth about this subject was something he has always wanted to do and, only now, he felt like an experienced enough writer to tackle it and do the people and situation justice. The viewer sees his abilities in his writing and he even offers his long-term fans a Doctor Who call back in the series which put a smile on my face. The backdrop of England in the 1980s is a common setting for dramas and has offered great cult classics such as This is England, Billy Elliot, and Pride. It offers a plethora of wild fashion and brilliant music. It’s a Sin is no exception and takes full advantage of it. The characters are believably donned in mohair jumpers and bold print shirts. The crew worked hard to create an authentic setting to the show and builds the realistic nature of the story. The aesthetic is vibrant and immersive. Some of the locations were filmed around Manchester, Stockport, and Liverpool and despite having lived here for most of my life, it was only when re-watching was I able to begin to recognise the buildings. What It’s a Sin does so masterfully is offer the viewer well-rounded, individual characters. We are introduced to Ritchie, Colin, and Roscoe at the beginning of their adulthood. The viewer is shown all they want to achieve with their potential. They acquire themselves a chosen family and the actors marvellously portray the bonds, inside jokes, and nuances that real friends hold. Interviews with Davis has informed us that there are biographical elements which adds all the more to the visceral portrayal of the characters. It is a show about the LGBTQ+ community with a big focus on ‘community’. We see our beloved characters build themselves, their family, their home- their very own Pink Palace. The director, Peter Hoar, also exercises his mastery over creating the episodes. It is filmed, in the most part, like a standard drama. However, there are certain standout scenes where he plays around with the form, having scenes that break the fourth wall or cutting from trauma to joy with a blink of an eye. In one crushing scene, he keeps the viewer unable to look away for a second, following one character moving throughout the scene. We aren’t offered any respite from the character’s emotions, but he keeps us closely with her as she falls through many different reactions in a matter of minutes. It cleverly mirrors the unescapable grasps AIDS had (and still has) on an individual. While the show offers such loveable, funny characters, the devastation of AIDS is kept at the forefront of the show. It offers the viewer the shocking truth of how AIDS patients were treated by society. The 80s were an abominable time for the LGBTQ+ community where people could be sacked for being gay, let alone being public about their HIV/AIDS status. ' The beginning of the show mention AIDS in whispers and tiny articles in a newspaper as the government tries to brush it away. Of course, they are unable to ignore AIDS as it continues to spread, but what is even more damaging is the lack of help they offer. No information, no helpful medical assistance. People left scared and vulnerable. This is the driving force of the show. The vulnerability and shame take centre stage and we see the character’s banding together to try and process what is happening. People were stripped of basic human rights and the dignity they were denied is not shied away from in this show. Patients were left locked in hospital wards by staff leaving the viewer screaming at the screen for the injustice of it all. It, also, addresses how undertakers and crematoriums wouldn’t even take the bodies of people who had died of AIDS complications. Whether that was because of prejudice or because of ignorance. Because knowledge of how AIDS was transmitted had been hidden for so long, people were both ignorant and prejudiced. It was commonly believed that individuals were able to catch it from the body and it left people without proper funerals. It’s a Sin doesn’t shy from the trauma people endured throughout that time and addresses it with a truth and tact that I think will make it a timeless watch. Shocking scenes illustrate the desperation people felt surrounding the AIDS epidemic. You watch as some of your favourite characters try random and dangerous ‘cures’ with the hope they are preventing AIDS developing. They ranged from drinking raw eggs to drinking battery acid. It showed how the lack of information and help offered to them by the negligent government only led to more damage. The timely nature of It’s a Sin being released now allows the viewer to draw links between then and now with the dangers of misinformation. Fake news seemingly didn’t start from an old, orange man shouting it through a screen. In fact, this show tells us how it has always been a prevalent and dangerous issue. Moreover, the current pandemic, like the AIDS epidemic, is still having the most damning effects on marginalised groups. Old, rich, white people are being protected first and foremost with those less fortunate being cruelly left behind. History seems to be repeating its darkest moments. Covid-19 is spoken about as a once in a lifetime historical event, and while that is true for the younger generation, it is actually the second devastating virus in some peoples’ lives. What we mustn’t forget is the massive impact AIDS had on a whole community. 2020 was a miraculous year in HIV/AIDS history with the first person being cured of HIV. Moreover, the stigma and lies surrounding the virus are being quelled every day. Celebrities like Jonathan Van Ness are doing their part and coming forward as HIV positive to raise awareness and destigmatise this virus. However, Russell T. Davis is worried that because HIV is becoming more manageable, people are becoming complacent about the dangers of the virus. It’s a Sin hits the viewer over the head with the devastating history that the LGBTQ+ community had to face alone, without help from the government- perhaps to encourage a much more serious and mature attitude to the HIV and AIDS. I believe this show should be a must on everyone’s watchlist. It is informative, beautiful, funny, and tragic. It shows not only the importance of a chosen family but has key characters working hard at being allies to the community. It can be a hard watch at times, but I believe it has left me with a greater knowledge of the LGBTQ+ community to which I belong. That moment in history was so important to a whole generation and I think it is integral we learn from them. La. The amazing artwork was provided by Charlotte Pole.
She can be found on Instagram: @gimmethatprint Her prints are available to purchase on https://www.etsy.com/uk/shop/Gimmethatprint |