I REMEMBER By Naomi Mnthali (Malawi)
I remember, Countrymen,
The days of ‘Dawn Over the Land’.
Of hopes and expectations
When I truly understood
Slavery was a thing of the past –
We, the people of the land,
Had been freed.
I was there when slowly
Darkness set in.
The gradual destruction
Was there in front of me,
But I did not see it.
I continued, Countrymen, to live in the past.
And when I finally looked
It was too late, and even I
Had become a scavenger.
INTRODUCTION
This is a poem by a Malawian poetess Naomi Mnthali
that tells a story of changes of power and of hopes being raised and
disappointed. The poem refers to Malawian independence that brought hopes to
the people of the land but later became only a nightmare or a daydream.
Although it is about Malawian independence it can also describe other parts of
African continent in general.
THEMATIC ANALYSIS
DISILLUSIONMENT/DISAPPOINTMENT
Most freedom fighters did not ever imagine that the
post independence life would be like this. When they were fighting for freedom
they believed that things will actually change in their favour.
I remember, Countrymen,
The days of ‘Dawn Over
the Land’
Of hopes and
expectations
When I truly understood
Slavery
was a thing of the past –
That is however not what it turned out to be. They are
still living the life of the past and life has even become worse since they
live like scavengers.
I was there when slowly
Darkness set in.
The gradual destruction
Was there in front of
me,
But I did not see it
BETRAYAL
The leaders who took power from the colonisers have
betrayed the common people most of whom took part in the struggle for freedom.
The common people live the same life they lived before independence. To them
independence makes no sense.
The poet compares this situation with destruction that
lay ahead but he did not notice it before.
The gradual destruction
Was there in front of
me,
But I did not see it
He even shows that while some people live the modern
life; he himself lives in the past. The same kind of life they lived before
independence.
I continued, countrymen,
to live in the past.
And when I finally
looked
It was too late, and
even I
Had become a scavenger
POVERTY
A scavenger is an animal or a person who collects
things by searching them from waste or unwanted objects. The poet seems to come
from a poor class that was betrayed by the bourgeoisie class. This class always
finds it hard to get their daily bread. They have become scavengers in their
own free countries. They eat the leftovers thrown by the privileged few.
And when I finally
looked
It was too late, and
even I
Had become a scavenger
This situation is almost evident in all African
countries
STRUCTURAL ANALYSIS
1. The poet talks about
“the days of ‘Dawn over the land’”
what do you think this means?
‘Days of dawn’ means the very days when independence
was attained and became like the outbreak of a new day.
2. There is one
metaphorical expression in the poem.
Mention it.
The metaphor is ‘...I had become a scavenger’
he compares himself with a scavenger.
3. ‘I
was there when slowly darkness set in’ what does this statement imply?
The poet confesses that he was aware as things began
to change to worse.
4. What type of poem is
this?
It is a lyric poem but a special form of lyric poems
called aubade. This is a poem about morning celebrating the coming of
dawn.
5. What is the tone of the
poem?
The tone is unhappy.
6. How many stanzas are there? And comment on the rhyming
pattern.
The poem has only one stanza with irregular rhyming
pattern and unequal length of verses.
7. Comment on the use of
allusion.
The poet has employed allusion in the first two lines
by citing the very specific historical event of Malawian independence. He shows
that he actually remembers what happened.
Is the poem relevant to
Tanzanians today?
Oh! Yes it is. Like most African countries the issue
of betrayal by the bourgeoisie class is common. So even in Tanzania most people
live in the same situation described by the poet.
What message do we draw
from the poem?
Ø Betrayal
is not good in social and economic development.
Ø Those
in power should recognise that the resources of the nation should benefit both
the proletariat class and the ruling class.
Ø Independence
was just a handover of authority from white colonisers to black colonisers,
true independence is still to come.
Epilogue
Grace Nichols (Guyana)
I have crossed an ocean
I have lost my tongue
From the root of the old
One
A new one has sprung
INTRODUCTION
This poem was written by a black woman from Guyana
(Grace Nichols) who later moved to England. It expresses important ideas about
separation and a new beginning.
a. The poet says she has “lost her tongue” what does that mean?
It means she has adopted a new language. She no longer
speaks her native language.
b. Which ocean has she
crossed?
While she has crossed the real geographical ocean
(Pacific) from Guyana - Caribbean all the way to England, “crossing the ocean” could
also imply or symbolise other changes that happen to people. As she crossed the
ocean she never remained the same because even her language changed.
c. What does she mean when
she says “a new one has sprung from the root of the old one’?
Here the poet talks something about the development of
languages. We all know that languages are dynamic (always changing) and that
they borrow words and even grammatical structure from each other. Languages
like creoles come of the blend of two or more languages. So the language she
speaks originates/emanates from the old one.
d. What is the theme of the
poem?
The central theme is separation and loss of identity.
The poetess shows that when most people move away from
their motherland they tend to lose their identity and adopt the culture of the
foreign land including but not limited to language.
Ø The
poem could be about Grace herself who moved from Guyana to England.
Ø It
could also be addressing all the Caribbean who left their homes and went to
England.
Ø But
also all those people who left their own countries to go to the Caribbean in
the last few hundred years, especially all those who were taken from Africa in
slavery;
Ø All
black people all over the world whose roots can be traced back to Africa over
the centuries;
Ø All
people all over the world, as scientists think that human life originated in
Africa thousands of years ago.
