Gabby Melo-Moore

10/12/2010

Kenyatta Listening To Mozart Explication

In the poem Kenyatta Listening To Mozart, the poet Amiri Baraka suggests that

the art of poetry has changed dramatically over many years. Baracka compares the

history of art in Kenya to the political reforms in America that have taken over. He

creates this comparison through the use of irony and allusion. Baracka embodies that the

history of poetry and art should be more appreciated rather than characterized by the

departure from accepted beliefs or standards.

Amiri Baraka considers that modernized poetry was brought up from the history

of art in Africa. “On the back trials, in sun glasses/ and warm air blows cocaine from city/

to river, and to the brains of/ American poets in San Francisco.” (Lines 1-4) These lines

in the first stanza symbolize how poetry has swept from the back roads of Kenya to the

brains of new American writers. Baraka is on the contrary of accepting the belief that

history has changed and the fact that poetry is not as culturally dynamic as it used to be.

Political reforms have taken over the true art of poetry as he is aware of the change being

deplorable to him as a poet.

In the poem, Baracka uses irony to show the contrast between the developments

of poetry throughout the years and how it originated. “Still, / motion, / beings that fly,

beings/ that swim/ exchanging/ in-/ formation. / Choice, and/ style, /” (Lines 15-23) Here

the poet contradicts his argument. He is expressing all of the different beings that came

about after poetry was reformed, but they are complete opposite essences. He is also
explaining how the structure of poetry constantly changes by choice and style depending

on how a writer decides to construct his/her poem.

Amiri Baraka’s use of allusion in this poem indicates how he notices the dramatic

change in poetry. The change is not just within his work, but societies as a whole. It

happened all over the word and in the world of literature. “Choice, and/ style, / avail/ and

are beautiful/ categories/ If you go/ for that.” (Lines 22-28) Writers make the decision to

change a poem however they want it to be. Although Baraka hesitates to accept the fact

of modernization of literature, he still believes that poetry is beautiful and should be

accepted, and that people should be able to express it in anyway they want to if that is

what they believe in.

In conclusion, Amirir Baraka’s intentions of writing Kenyatta Listening To

Mozart were to illustrate the modification of the art of poetry. By his use of comparisons,

Baraka was able to establish his point of view that the history of poetry in Kenya was

being revolutionized throughout America. His irony and allusions help evoke the

meaning that the contrasts between the history and modification throughout the world are

visible and people are accepting it. Although Baraka did not necessarily agree with this

fact, he proved his point that the art of literature and poetry is exquisite and should be

accepted for its establishments.