A BABY IS A EUROPEAN By Ewe (Togo)
A baby is a European
He does not eat our food:
He drinks from his own water pot.
A baby is a European
He does not speak our tongue:
He is cross when the mother understands him not.
A baby is a European
He cares very little for others:
He forces his will upon his parents.
A baby is a European
He is always very sensitive:
The slightest scratch on his skin results in an ulcer.
INTRODUCTION
This is a Togolese poem from Ewe that suggests the similarities between the way babies behave and the way the Europeans behave. The poem points out that most African people who are westernised gradually begin despising their own culture and start behaving as though they are Europeans. They dislike African natural food, African languages, disrespect their parents, and in the final verse the poet seems to suggest that they might have used cosmetics to change their skin colour in which case they weaken the skin’s stability as a result “The slightest scratch on his skin results in an ulcer”.
THEMATIC ANALYSIS
EFFECTS OF EUROPEAN CULTURE
The poem explores the extent to which European culture has affected African culture. The baby is evidently not a European by race but a European by conduct. Most Africans have abandoned their culture in a belief that it is outdated and uncivilised and have adopted the very tenets of the colonisers. In the poem the baby shows an open dislike to his African natural food, African languages, skin colour and he disrespects the parents. The following lines from every stanza are cases in point:
Stanza one:
He does not eat our food
Stanza two:
He does not speak our tongue
Stanza three:
He forces his will upon his parents
Stanza four:
The slightest scratch on his skin results in an ulcer
SELFISHNESS
The baby is selfish as he cares more for himself and less for others. He does not want to share anything with others in a traditional African way in which people share and use things communally. He doesn’t share their food, speak their language nor care for others; instead he drinks from his own water pot and usually forces his will upon his parents. This is a spirit of selfishness that has to be discouraged.
A baby is a European
He cares very little for others
He forces his will upon his parents
LOSS OF IDENTITY AND DIGNITY
The baby has lost his African identity and dignity and is busy cultivating a culture that is not his. In other words, he has betrayed his African culture. He doesn’t want to speak African Languages nor eat African natural food but drinks from his own water pot. This is a mentality common to most westernised Africans who think that speaking European languages implies superiority. The worst thing however is that he causes unnecessary conflicts when his mother does not understand him. This is arrogance because the mother might not have been to school and
apparently doesn’t understand the foreign language the baby speaks. The poet says:
A baby is a European
He does not speak our tongue
He is cross when the mother understands him not.
Moreover, the last stanza suggests the change in skin colour that has possibly happened and resulted in weakening the skin hence he gets ulcers when he gets slightest scratches.
GUIDING QUESTIONS
What is the poem about?
The poem is about a baby who is westernised gradually and despises his own culture and behaves as though he is a European. He dislikes African natural food, African languages, disrespects his parents, and in the final verse the poet seems to suggest that he might have used cosmetics to change his skin colour in which case the skin’s stability is weakened as a result “The slightest scratch on his skin results in an ulcer”.
What type of poem is this?
It is a free verse/ modern poem since there is variation in the length of verses and has irregular rhyming scheme. It is specifically a lyric poem as it expresses the feeling of the poet about people who despise their identity.
Comment on the structure of the poem
The poem has 4 stanzas of three verses in each stanza but with uneven length.
Who is the persona?
The persona is a patriotic African who is not pleased with people who betray their culture. He
says “the baby is a European/he does not speak our tongue.”
FIGURES OF SPEECH
Irony
“The baby is a European” is an irony because the baby is not a European by race but he
pretends to behave like a European. So, this is like a mockery to him.
Poetic licence
“...when the mother understands him not.”
Instead of “when his mother does not understand him”.
Metaphor
The baby is a European (the baby is not a European by race but he pretends to behave like a European).
Symbolism
• Tongue stands for language.
• Baby stands for the Africans who are affected by European culture.
• Cross stands for religion, especially Christianity.
Alliteration
The slightest scratch on his skin
MESSAGES
• Africans should value their identity and culture.
• We should not be selfish. We need to share our resources when the need arises.
• We should not betray our culture in favour of European culture.
• Children need to respect their parents.
RELEVANCE
• There are people in our societies who behave like Europeans E.g. They hate African food, they love speaking European languages even when addressing people who do not understand the foreign languages while they don’t even know their mother tongues. Some speak African Languages with a European accent.
• There are selfish people who always force their wills on other people and care less for others.
• There are those who change their skin colour to look like Europeans.
