CHARACTERISTICS OF AFRICAN LITERATURE

African literature

 It is a body of traditional oral and written literatures in afro Asiatic and African languages
together with works written by Africans in European languages.
o African literature has a pinch of European language it is because, these Africans
were dominated by European people (British people). This is the reason why if a
person hears them speak, there is an obvious mix of British language in them.
 African literature comes from south Africa, east Africa, and Zimbabwe
 Old versions of African literatures dated back thousands of years and is connected to
ancient Egypt, like Egypt they write their literatures in pictures to represent words.

Characteristics of African Literature

1. Slave narratives: this is written by fugitive slaves on how they

lived in the south. In this kind of literature, most of the story
that are being written under this characteristic are based on true
story on how they escape to taste their freedom on the hands of
abusing people.

Examples: Harriet

2. Protest colonization: African writers aimed at revealing

the horrid side of the rule of colonial, it also encourages
Africans to fight for their rights.
West African authors used writing to speak out
against the abusing of colored people and for equality in
racial. Topics that are sometimes written under this
literature informs about the stereotypes of Africans as
“primitive” or dangerous people.

Examples: Hidden Figures

3. Calls for independence. Back in the days, as most of us know that colored people are
treated like another creature that lives in the earth. With this characteristic of literature,
colored people call for their own independency.
 4. African Pride: In this kind of literature, African people tend to create their name by
showcasing their unique and rich culture from any other. With this it also promotes the
idea of a cultural movement of the African Literature.

5. Hope for the future: focuses on the literature of hope and despair over the betrayal of
the goals of liberation struggles in Africa

References:
Sage Advices. 2020. What are the characteristics of African novel?. https://sage-advices.com/what-are-
the-characteristics-of-african-novel/

5 Famous African Writers

The African stories are by far some of the most interesting stories in the world. The
continent is culturally and ethnically diverse that results in dimensional literature coming out
from prolific writers. African authors’ will often have important themes in their stories these
include gender inequality, political instability, economic turmoil, column war, and post-colonial
identity. 

1. Chinua Achebe (16 November 1930 – 21 March 2013) was

a Nigerian novelist, poet, and critic who is regarded as the
dominant figure of modern African literature. African literature

can never be mentioned without Chinua. He is one of the

world’s most praised writers. He wrote some of the most
extraordinary works of the 20th century.

His most famous novel Things Fall Apart (1958), is a

depiction of the clash between traditional values and
effects of colonial rule as well as gender tensions in
patriarchal societies. He is also a literary critic who has
openly criticized some novels of racism. 

2. Nuruddin Farah 
Nuruddin Farah, (born 1945, Baidoa, Italian Somaliland [now in Somalia]), Somali writer who
was known for his rich imagination and refreshing and often fortuitous use of his adopted
language, English. He was widely considered the most significant Somali writer in any
European language

The Somalian born writer has numerous plays, novels, and short stories all of which revolve
around his experiences in his native country. The title of his first novel From a Crooked Rib
(1970) stems from a Somalian proverb “God created women from a crooked rib, and anyone who
trieth to straighten it, breaketh it.” It is a commentary on the suffering of women in Somalian
society. His other works revolve around other social criticism themes and others dealing with
war and post-colonial identity.

3. Mariama Ba 

(April 17, 1929 – August 17, 1981) was a Senegalese author

and feminist, whose two French-language novels were both
translated into more than a dozen languages. [1] Born in Dakar,
she was raised a Muslim. Mariama Ba is one of Africa’s most
influential female writers. She is famous for addressing
gender inequality in Senegal and wider Africa.

The issues she addresses in her work are inspired by the

challenges she faced as a woman. She struggled to get access
to education and was left to fend for 9 children after
divorcing a prominent politician. Her frustrations towards
gender inequalities she experienced can be noted in her
brilliant novel So Long a Letter (1981). 

4. Petina Gappah 

(born 1971) is a Zimbabwean lawyer and writer. She writes in

English, though she also draws on Shona, her first language.[2] In 2016,
she was named African Literary Person of the Year by Brittle Paper.
Petina is a powerful voice who in her novels depicts the Zimbabwean life mostly post-
independence. She captures the economic turmoil, social relations, and the political landscape.

She is a qualified lawyer without any formal writing education. Her first book a compilation of
short stories An Elegy for Easterly (2009), was said to depict what it meant to be Zimbabwean in
recent times. She was awarded the Guardian First Book Award for the Novel. She is one of the
leading voices of Zimbabwean life as well as struggles past and present in the country. 

5. Ayi Kwei Armah 

(born 28 October 1939) is a Ghanaian writer best known for his

novels including  He is also an essayist, as well as having
written poetry, short stories, and books for children. His work is
famous for intense social and political devastation and
frustration in Ghana. He is influenced by French philosophers
and his work revolves around themes of despair and
disillusionment.

The Beautyful Ones Are Not Yet Born (1968), Two Thousand

Seasons (1973) and The Healers (1978). His most famous
work The Beautiful Ones Are Not Yet Born (1968) shows an
unnamed character trying to understand himself and his country
in the wake of post-independence. 

5 FAMOUS POETS FROM

AFRICA

1. Breyten Breytenbach
Born into an Afrikaner Cape Province family, Breytenbach attended the English-language
University of Cape Town but left school at age 20 for travel in Europe. In 1961 he settled in
Paris. His first book of poetry, Die ysterkoei moet sweet (“The Iron Cow Must Sweat”), was
published in 1964. Several books of poetry followed that were highly acclaimed in South Africa.
He was allowed to travel with his Vietnamese wife (who was classified as Coloured by the South
African government) to South Africa in 1973.

About this time Breytenbach became increasingly involved in anti-apartheid efforts. That
activism led him to return to the country in 1975 under an assumed name. Later that year he was
arrested as a terrorist and jailed for seven years. While incarcerated, Breytenbach continued to
write; ’n Seisoen in die Paradys (A Season in Paradise) was published in 1976, and other prison
writings were published as Mouroir: Bespieëlende notas van ’n roman (Mouroir: Mirrornotes of
a Novel) in 1983. In 1982 he was freed, and he subsequently returned to Paris. The True
Confessions of an Albino Terrorist (1984), his account of his arrest and detention, cemented his
international reputation. Following the end of apartheid in South Africa, Breytenbach traveled
there in 1993, and he later taught at the University of Cape Town (2000–03).

Breytenbach’s free verse displays a powerful visual imagination and a richly eclectic use of
metaphor. He is able to bring the most widely disparate ideas into relation with each other,
mixing references to Zen and Tantric Buddhism with surrealistic images, Afrikaans idiomatic
speech, and recollections of the South African landscape. His major themes are the necessity of
decomposition and death in the natural world and his own hardships and sufferings as a prisoner
and then as an exiled poet longing to return to his homeland.

2.Ingrid Jonker
Ingrid Jonker was born on a farm in Douglas, near Kimberley
in the northern Cape on 19 September 1933. Her parents,
Abraham Jonker and Beatrice Cilliers, separated very early in
her life. Beatrice returned to her parents to raise her two
small girls. The family moved on to a farm near Cape Town,
but when her grandfather died five years later, the four
women were left destitute.

Jonker’s mother died in 1943, and Ingrid and Anna were sent
to school in Cape Town. The sisters later moved in with their
father and his third wife and their children, but it was a
traumatic arrangement that yielded the beginning of what
would become a permanent rift between Jonker and her
father.
Jonker began writing poems as a young girl, producing her first collection, Na die somer, at 13.
By 16, she was corresponding with the South African writer and poet D.J. Opperman and
publishing in Die Huisgenoot.

In 1956, the poet married Pieter Venter and gave birth to a daughter, Simone, a year later. The
couple moved to Johannesburg, but soon separated and Jonker returned to Cape Town with her
daughter.

The relationship with her father was tempestuous and bitter. As writer, editor and National Party
Member of Parliament, Dr Abraham Jonker was instrumental in implementing censorship laws
on art, publications and entertainment. Their political differences were public and humiliating,
and Abraham publicly denied Ingrid as his daughter.

The Afrikaanse Pers-Boekhandel prize and a scholarship from Anglo American Corporation
enabled her to travel to Europe, however, her harrowing love affairs with South African literary
figures, Jack Cope and André Brink complicated her life. One of the affairs resulted in a
pregnancy and an abortion, which was illegal in South Africa. In 1961 she received psychiatric
treatment at Valkenberg, where her mother had died some years earlier.

The multiple losses of her childhood, her failed marriage, the anxiety resulting from her affairs
and her father’s bitter rejection finally proved overwhelming. On the night of 19 July 1965, she
walked into the sea at Three Anchor Bay, where a memorial now honours her legacy. When her
father heard the news, he allegedly said, “They can throw her back into the sea for all I care.”

3. Lesego Rampolokeng,
born in Soweto, South Africa, is the poet of the lost generation of
apartheid. Believing that the power of the spoken word can turn
into music in itself, he merged many different influences in the
beginning of the ‘90s and thus became one of the most
uncompromising artists in the newly blossoming artistical scene
of South Africa during that decade. He summarizes his artistical
goals as follows: ‘Whether that pleases the kings and princes of
this earth is absolutely of no importance to me’.

In examining his influences, one can truly label Rampolokeng as

an artist who easily bridges the gap between the culture on three
continents: As a child, he was inspired by dithoko talking songs
of the SeSotho who brought this tradition to the huge African
melting pot of Soweto as street poets. Later, as a teenager, he was
devouring comics and – quite unusual for a youngster – the poems of the English romantic poet
John Keats (1795-1821) and the works of William Shakespeare. North American rap á la Gil
Scott-Heron, the recordings of Jamaican dub poet Linton Kwesi Johnson, the poems of William
Burroughs and the poet of the Black Consciousness movement, Madingoane turned out to be the
creative starter kit for a new talent at the end of the ‘80s. The material for his own poetry he
found on the streets of Soweto: the dreariness, despair and violence of a place which had not
naturally evolved but was created by ruthless economic necessity, arrogance and racist
psychomania.

After aborting his law studies, Lesego Rampolokeng concentrated on writing and performed his
works at various political gatherings. At the end of the ‘80s, he also started his regular musical
performances and met Vusi Mahlasela, another promising talent of the South African music
scene, with whom he started a fruitful collaboration in the performance The Devil And The Saint
(1990). In the same year, Rampolokeng published his first volume of poetry, Horns for Hondo
and subsequently toured with the band The Kalahari Surfers, performing works from this book
live. This tour made him widely known to a South African and also international audience. Since
1993, when his second poetry volume Talking Rain and his – so far one and only – album End
Beginnings were released, he has been working with many different collaborators, including an
own band as well as the African Axemen, a project of Zimbabwean-born guitarist Louis
Mhlanga and has become one of the most sought-after poets in readings on the stages of the
world. In 1999, he released his third poetry volume Bavino Sermons.

From his own statement mentioned above it is clear that Lesego Rampolokeng did not stop to be
the angry voice when apartheid finally was officially abolished. He still stirs up people, and in a
revealing word game, a journalist of a South African newspaper once changed Rampolokeng’s
musical label from “dub poet” to “dubious poet”. Surely he will continue to embarrass the kings
and princes on this earth for some time to come.

4.Robert Calvert

A solo performer and the space rock band Hawkwind’s

“resident poet,” Robert Calvert was born in Pretoria,
South Africa in 1945. As an infant, he and his family
relocated to London, where he grew up to first begin
working as a building surveyor; however, his long-held
literary aspirations drew him into the late-‘60s
counterculture movement, and soon he was a regular
contributor to the underground magazines of the era.
Upon meeting Hawkwind guitarist Dave Brock, Calvert
became a satellite member of the group, infrequently
appearing during their live sets to recite poems and
dramatic monologues; in 1972, he wrote their massive hit "Silver Machine," although his
original vocals were later overdubbed by bassist (and future Motörhead kingpin) Lemmy
Kilmister. Calvert’s vocal did remain intact on the follow-up Hawkwind single, “Urban
Guerrilla,” a portrait of a terrorist which was quickly deleted in the wake of an IRA bombing in
London. He and the group subsequently toured, yielding a 1973 concert set, Space Ritual Alive,
which featured such Calvert contributions as “The Awakening,” “10 Seconds of Forever,” and
“Welcome to the Future.” Shortly after the record’s release, however, he left the band to mount a
solo career, bowing in 1974 with the concept album Captain Lockheed & the Starfighters,
recorded with the aid of friends including Brian Eno, Arthur Brown, Vivian Stanshall, and Jim
Capaldi. Eno subsequently produced 1975’s Lucky Leif & the Longships, but the next year,
Calvert turned to the theater, penning The Stars That Play with Laughing Sam’s Dice, a drama
based on the life of Jimi Hendrix.

In 1977, Calvert rejoined Hawkwind for the LP Quark, Strangeness & Charm; when the group
went on hiatus not long after, he and Brock formed the Hawklords, which recorded one album,
1978’s 25 Years On, before swiftly disbanding. Calvert then returned to his solo career, and also
began working on Hype, a novel about the music industry; issued in 1982, the book also
spawned a spinoff LP, titled Hype as well. His subsequent work moved more toward electronics
and minimalism, culminating in 1984’s Freq and 1986’s Test-Tube Conceived; he died of a heart
attack on August 14, 1988, with a Hawkwind benefit performance in honor of his widow and son
following a few months later.

5.John Ronald Reuel Tolkien

J. R. R. Tolkien is the wildly imaginative author of The

Lord of The Rings fame. One of the greatest writers of the
20th century, Tolkien’s talents were not limited to writing
novels, he was also a poet, philologist, scholar and
university professor. In addition to being referred as the
father of modern fantasy, Tolkien was also ranked sixth
on a list of ‘The 50 greatest British writers since 1945’ in
2008. Forbes declared him the 5th top earning dead
celebrity in 2009.

On January 3, 1892, John Ronald Reuel Tolkien was born

in Bloemfontein, South Africa. Tolkien settled near
Birmingham, England at the age of four after his father, a
banker died in South Africa. He went to school at King
Edward’s School in Birmingham and Exeter College. He later studied English language and
literature at Oxford where he received a B.A. in 1915 and M.A. in 1919. Tolkien married his
long time love, Edith Bratt in 1916. He served in the army briefly during World War I as a
second lieutenant. After the War, Tolkien’s first civilian job was at The New English Dictionary
better known as Oxford English Dictionary today where he worked on the history of words of
Germanic origin. He spent most of his life teaching English language and literature at renowned
universities such as Leeds (1920-1925) and Oxford (1925-1959). His influential 1936 lecture,
Beowulf: The Monsters and the Critics opened new doors to research on Beowulf.

Inspired by mythologies and legends, Tolkien spent a lot of time writing ingenious fantasy
stories. He invented his own languages to be spoken by the elfish characters in his tales. The
Silmarillion, which was published in 1977 long after it’s completion is a depiction of Tolkien’s
thirst for learning early languages and making up his own fantasy language.

The Hobbit (1937), which Tolkien originally wrote for his children, narrates the story of a
Hobbit, a small man like creature who set out on a quest for treasure. Gaining immense
popularity, the book was published again with pictures drawn by Tolkien. The publisher
convinced Tolkien to write a sequel which came 17 years later in the form of The Lord of The
Rings (1954-1955). Although Tolkien intended to target it towards children as a sequel to The
Hobbit, instead it turned out to be more serious and attracted a grown up readership. The Lord of
The Rings has topped many lists and was named The Nation’s Best Loved Book after a survey
conducted by BBC in 2003. Published in three volumes namely The Fellowship of the Ring, The
Two Towers, and The Return of the King were later adapted to screen by NewZealand director
Peter Jackson in a series of three parts films in 2001-2003.

Some more of Tolkien’s further noted works include Farmer Giles of Ham (1949), The
Adventures of Tom Bombadil and Other Verses from the Red Book (1962), Tree and Leaf
(1964), Smith of Wootton Major (1967). Some of Tolkien’s incomplete work finished by his son
Christopher after his death includes The Silmarillion, the “prequel” to The Lord of the Rings,
Unfinished Tales of Nmenor and Middle-earth (1980) and Children of Hrin. J. R. R. Tolkien
whose legacy continues even today through his masterpieces died on September 2, 1973.

MOST RECOGNIZED WORKS OF LITERATURE FROM

AFRICA/SOUTH AFRICA AUTHORS

1. Breyten Breytenbach
The True Confession of an Albino Terrorist (1984)
Breyten Breytenbach’s most notable work is the The True Confession of an Albino Terrorist
which revolves around his life experiences as part of the resistance or opposition regarding the
Apertheid. The True Confession of An Albino Terrorist was born after his imprisonment by the
South African Government.
Other List of Notable/Well Known works:
Dog Heart: A Memoir
Memory Snow/Dust
Return to Paradise

2. Ingrid Jonker
3. Lesego Rampolokeng
Leso La Rampolokeng pieces, in Staffrider Vol. 8 No. 2 1989

4. Robert Calvert
Example of Poem:
 5. John Ronald Reuel Tolkien

The Hobbit Trilogy:

The Lord of the Rings Trilogy:

POEM

Is a collection of spoken or
written words that
expresses ideas or
emotions in a powerfully
vivid and imaginative
style.

“WE REAL COOL”

by Gwendolyn Brooks

- Gwendolyn Brooks built upon this new tradition for this

1959 poem, which was inspired by seeing a group of
young boys in a pool hall when they should have been in
school.

The Pool Players.

Seven at the Golden Shovel.
We real cool.
We Left school
We Lurk late.
We Strike straight.
We Sing sin.
We Thin gin.
We Jazz June.
We Die soon.

“ONE”
by Sage Hasson

- Sage Hasson, of Nigeria, emphasises unity and focus in

this poem.

“Billions of people all struggling to [fulfill] seeming different agenda

But we all are in pursuit of one collective destiny
We all need just one
One dream
One day
One hour
One minute
One second
One moment.”
REFERENCES:
https://interestingliterature.com/2020/02/african-american-poems-poets/amp/

https://literarydevices.net/poem/

https://www.one.org/international/blog/5-incredible-poems-from-across-africa/

EXAMPLES OF AFRICAN POEMS

“SYMPATHY”
by Paul Laurence Dunbar

I know what the caged bird feels, alas!

When the sun is bright on the upland slopes;
When the wind stirs soft through the springing grass,
And the river flows like a stream of glass;
When the first bird sings and the first bud opens,
And the faint perfume from its chalice steals—
I know what the caged bird feels!

I know why the caged bird beats his wing

Till its blood is red on the cruel bars;
For he must fly back to his perch and cling
When he fain would be on the bough a-swing;
And a pain still throbs in the old, old scars
And they pulse again with a keener sting—
I know why he beats his wing!

I know why the caged bird sings, ah me,

When his wing is bruised and his bosom sore,—
When he beats his bars and he would be free;
It is not a carol of joy or glee,
But a prayer that he sends from his heart’s deep core,
But a plea, that upward to Heaven he flings—
I know why the caged bird sings!

“DO NOT FEAR THE PAST”

by Zuhura Seng’enge

Do not fear the past.

It is ugly
But it is ours.
Do not hold on to lies
That you were fed when you were young.
Learn the history of your people
Find the truth
To free your soul from evil
Learn the Quran
Learn the Bible
Find the meaning of life and religion.
Do not fear the past.
It is painful
But it is real
Blood was split and people died
But love and unity had survived.
Learn the tongue of your ancestors
Reconnect with the roots of your blood
Find the knowledge
That was stolen
Find the life that was robbed from us.
Do not fear the past,
Embrace it
Let it teach you the wisdom of your race
Take its lesson and live by them
Own the identity that was erased.
Do not fear the past,
Do not hate it.
Do not fear the last,
Learn about it.
Let it teach you
Let it nurture you
Let it remind you, of who you are.

“I AM AN AFRICAN CHILD”
by Eku McGred

I am an African child
Born with a skin the colour of chocolate
Bright, brilliant, and articulate
Strong and bold; I’m gifted
Talented enough to be the best
I am an African child
Often the target of pity
My future is not confined to charity
Give me the gift of a lifetime;
Give me a dream, a door of opportunity;
I will thrive
I am an African child
Do not hide my fault
Show me my wrong
I am like any other;
Teach me to dream
And I will become
I am an African child

I am the son, daughter of the soil

Rich in texture and content
Full of potential for a better tomorrow
Teach me discipline, teach me character, teach me hard work
Teach me to think like the star within me
I am an African child

I can be extra-ordinary
Call me William Kamkwamba the Inventor;
Give me a library with books
Give me a scrap yard and discarded electronics
Give me a broken bicycle;
Plus the freedom to be me
And I will build you a wind mill
I am an African child

We are the new generation

Not afraid to be us
Uniquely gifted, black and talented
Shining like the stars we are
We are the children of Africa
Making the best of us
Yes! I am an African Child

References;
https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=https://www.poetryfoundation.org/
poems/46459/sympathy-
56d22658afbc0&ved=2ahUKEwjprru26_X8AhWdyzgGHRrPCa0QFnoECBMQAQ&usg=AOv
Vaw15mAezAVVC_8N0AN1U65AH

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=https://africaglobalradio.com/do-
not-fear-the-past/
&ved=2ahUKEwistefK4_X8AhWQ4jgGHSJ3AXsQFnoECAwQAQ&usg=AOvVaw2npmlStdA
UmDRGqMNVkFGt

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=https://
www.duchessinternationalmagazine.com/the-african-child-poem-by-eku-mcgred/
&ved=2ahUKEwjnyvbT4_X8AhVVt2MGHaGSD5wQtwJ6BAg7EAE&usg=AOvVaw00VUF_
xWqJRtfKtTpEmh7h
ONCE UPON A TIME
BY: NADINE GORDIMER

Summary

“Once Upon a Time” by Nadine Gordimer is a modern fairy tale. It tells the story of a once
happy family living in an affluent suburb of South Africa who move emotionally from
contentment to fear as they protect and isolate themselves from the rest of the population who are
the disadvantaged and poor “people of another color.” Gradually they add more protection to
their home as their fear grows. Ultimately and ironically, the protection they install boomerangs
back and injures, perhaps kills their son. Although the story has several obvious fairy tale
elements, a “once upon a time” beginning, a happy family of good law, abiding people, who
license their dog, insure against fire, flood and damage, and a wise old witch, the author employs
several other fairy tale devices in the story. First, there is the use of simple, repetitive language
like that in a fairy tale: “in a house, in a suburb, in a city there was a man and his wife who loved
each other very much and were living happily ever after. They had a little boy and they loved
him very much. They had a cat and a dog” Phrases such as “trusted housemaid”, “you are right,
said the wife ”and” We are told “they no longer paused to admire this show of roses or that
perfect lawn; these were hidden behind an array of different security fences, walls and devices.
In this story, there are no talking animals, but there are burglar alarms. The young son assumes
the role of Prince in a fairy tale when he re-enacts a bedtime story that has been read to him and
attempts to scale the barbed wire wall, braving a “terrible thicket of thorns,” to rescue Sleeping
Beauty, itinerant gardener” are repeated many times. Lastly, most fairy tales have a royal
character. A deeper and sharper hooking and tearing of flesh,” “. Many traditional fairy tales
have magical occurrences and warnings and three is considered a magical number. There are
three references to a neighborhood watch “YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED” sign that reappears
in the tale. Unlike a traditional fairy tale with a happy ending, the son becomes entrapped in the
barbed wire until a “bleeding mass of the little boy was hacked out”. There are numerous
examples of this: “And there is another sign on a wall: “Consult DRAGON’S TEETH… The
People for Total security” that could also be interpreted as a mystical message with its dragon
allusion. The addition of more height to the walls and sharper, deadlier artifacts to the tops of the
walls foreshadows a growing negative energy.” As the family progresses to feel more and more
under siege, they build higher and higher walls around their “castle”, removing themselves from
society and from participating in or generating a possible solution to the social and economic
imbalance that is creating their fear and the black people’s misery and desperation.” And “under
the jacaranda trees that made a green tunnel of the street.

Theme: Fear of the “Other”

The family begins by taking reasonable precautions, such as enclosing the pool, employing
individuals with references, obtaining the necessary licenses, insuring their property, installing a
regular gate, and signing up for the Neighborhood Watch. After that, their anxiety of “people of
another color” starts to grow. They purchase an electronic fence with an intercom because there
is no insurance for riot damage. They decide to install an alarm system and bar the doors and
windows after hearing about burglary. They are inspired to build the wall higher by the homeless
individuals lounging in the street. The coiled razor wire was installed on the wall after more
reports of crime.

ANTICIPATION
By MABEL DOVE-DANQUAH

One of the first women to work in these fields in West Africa was Mabel Dove Danquah, a
journalist, political activist, and creative writer who was born on the Gold Coast in 1905. Before
she lost her vision in 1972, she had published several collections of short stories, including The
Happenings of the Night (1931), The Adventures of the Black Girl in her Search for Mr. Shaw
(1934), Anticipation (1947), The Torn Veil (1947), Payment (1947), Invisible Scar (1966), and
Evidence of Passion (1969).

THEME:

In the book, marriage is seen as a guarantee of a better life. This is evident in how the women are
portrayed. They are so focused on marrying a wealthy or nobleman that they fail to notice that he
is already married.

CHARACTERS OF THE STORY:

1. Nana Adaku II – Akwasin, a great chief of Nkwabi, has been labeled as a philanderer due to
his forty marriages.
2. Effua – One of Nana Adaku’s forty wives is shown as a generous (for giving her
mother a hundred pounds), honest (for telling Nana the truth that they are already
married), but also practical like the other women in their culture
3. Linguist – obieident and reliable linguist whom Omanhene trust.
4. Men and Women of Akwasin.

SUMMARY OF THE STORY

Anticipation is a story by Mabel Dove-Danquah Ghana. This narrative is about ancient African
marital rituals. A polygamist leader pays a dowry and marries a woman he has previously been
married to. The Omanhene assumed that the new woman he wants to have is not yet married and
he put up so much effort to get her without realizing that he had already paid and married her
two years ago. He had so many wives and that he couldn’t keep track of them.

POINT OF VIEW

Third Person Restricted The narrator is not a character in the story. He is in third person limited
point of view since he only gives us information about the story’s events and some insight into a
specific character’s thoughts and feelings.

CONFLICT OBSERVED

1. Man vs Society

» Because of the Akwasin custom (a chief can marry multiple women), Nana’s wives had been
forgotten and left behind so that he could marry the lady of his choice. In another case, the ladies
of Akwasin took advantage of Nana, in the sense that they don’t care about Nana’s beauty, age,
or the number of wives he has – riches is everything to them. To cut the long story short, the
character in this story became a victim of its own society and tradition. Marriage is viewed as a
guarantee of a better life in the novel. This is clear in the way the women are portrayed. They are
marrying a wealthy or nobleman, to the point that they ignore the fact that the man is already
married. This abnormal behavior has been condoned by the culture and society in the novel. This
practice is also influenced by economic status. Nana Adaku is the Omanhene of his village. We
can assume from this that he is wealthy and powerful, granting him the right to engage in this
polygamous behavior because the only need is that the man be capable of supporting his wives
and families.

MOOD OF THE STORY

The atmosphere or mood of the story was idyllic as described in the story, the people of Akwasin
were having their blissful, loud, and bright celebration, serious and suspenseful because of Nana
and Efffua talked casually then all of a sudden, they became confused as Effua slowly revealed
the truth, and sympathetic In Nana’s case, we feel some sympathy because, despite all of his
efforts, he ended up getting nothing, all of his efforts were put into waste because he already had
her in the first place, he just didn't knew it because he's neglecting his wives.

University of Southeastern Philippines, 2022, EL3112 – Anticipation by Mabel Dove Danquah

Summary

https://www.studocu.com/ph/document/university-of-southeastern-philippines/afro-asian-
literature/el3112-anticipation-by-mabel-dove-danquah-summary/28081950
AFRICA

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 humiliation
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.

INTRODUCTION

This poem is written by David Diop – A Black African who was born in France in 1927. His
father was from Senegal, and his mother was from Cameroon, thus he grew up knowing both
cultures and traditions. He was preoccupied with the issue of freedom from colonial rule. This
poem is a dramatic monologue in which the speaker appears to be speaking with Africa. The
poem can be divided thematically into three parts: pre-colonial Africa, colonial Africa, and post-
colonial Africa.

THEMATIC ANALYSIS.

COLONIAL TORTURE AND EXPLOITATION

The poem contains evidences of torture and exploitation because the poet emphasizes how the
sweat of Africans was lost in vain.
The blood of your sweat
The sweat of your work
All of this occurred at a time when Africans were converted into slaves and forced to work for
their masters without pay.
The work of your slavery
The slavery of your children

OPPRESSION AND HUMILIATION

In colonial times, oppression and humiliation were frequent practices. They were used to force
Africans to work for colonizers against their will and without objection. This has left scars
to Africa, that we continue to rely on them even when they appear to mistreat us.
This back that breaks under the weight of humiliation
This back trembling with red scars
And saying yes to the whip under the midday sun

IDENTITY AND AWARENESS

The poet, on the other hand, appears to be aware of his status as a black African. Despite
growing up in France, he exhibits black blood in his veins, indicating that he is still an African
regardless of where he grew up.
I have never known you
But your blood flows in my veins
The voice that answers Diop sums up his African identity.
Impetuous son that tree young and strong
That tree there
In splendid loneliness amidst white and faded flowers
That is Africa your Africa.

EFFECTS OF COLONIALISM
The poet ends his poem by demonstrating the impacts of colonialism on the African continent.
Nonetheless, he appears to be optimistic that, like a young tree, Africa is regrowing.
That is Africa your Africa.
That grows again patiently obstinately.

GUIDING QUESTIONS

a) What is the poem about?

The poem is about colonialism’s impact on Africa. It covers pre-colonial Africa’s past, then
depicts the anguish that Africans through during colonialism, and how Africa is beginning anew,
like a young tree.
 b) What type of the poem is this?

It is a free verse/modern poem since it does not adhere to all of the strict rules for creating
poetry. The length of the verses varies throughout the poem.

c) What does the symbol “that tree young and strong” suggest?

First and foremost, the sign alludes to Africa. It implies that, following colonization, Africa
began to sprout up anew, much like a young tree.

d) Why do the fruits acquire a bitter taste of liberty? Why does liberty taste bitter?

Because freedom of the downtrodden is not easy, the fruits have a bitter taste. It requires
sacrifice and perseverance. Some people are killed in the process. In such a circumstance,
liberation is never sweet, but rather brings back sad memories.

e) What is the tone of the poem?

The tone shifts from cheerful at the beginning to melancholy in the middle. The tone becomes
nostalgic, and the mood becomes upbeat.

f) Why does the poet say that “black blood flows in his veins”?

In this poetry, black blood represents African nature because there is no black blood. So he
demonstrates that, despite growing up in France, he is still aware of his African identity.

g) How have the past effects of colonialism shaped the Africa’s present?

During colonial periods, Africa’s sociopolitical and economic situation was severely impacted.
As a result, Africa has been paralyzed and must begin again as a young tree, while the colonists
have prospered.

P. Nicole, 2019, AFRICA by David Diop on Scribd

https://www.scribd.com/document/397987224/AFRICA-by-David-Diop#