Thursday, May 19, 2011
Monday, May 16, 2011
Monday, May 9, 2011
THE DARK PAST:A RISING CONCERN OF THE FUTURE. A Critical Review of the poems: "Africa" by Sola Owonibi and "White romance" by Samuel Obono jnr.
History today no longer live in the past. It has become a burden the present must drag along,impeding its progress toward a desired future. Man must reflect on his past in order to channel his course in the future. Africa over the years have witnessed and suffered dark times that remains a scar even on her unborn children. One cannot help but reflect and express his or her own views, emotion and sometimes repaint the pictures in comparism with modern issues similar to what was obtained in the dark days. In an attempt to explicate on this subject, a question pops up: How viable is the redocumentation of the past to the betterment of the future of Africa?
This question is central to what this paper is about. The poems: "Africa" by Sola Owonibi and "White romance" by Samuel Obono Jr. Will be used as case study. I would advice readers to familiarize themselves with the above poems for a better understanding of this paper.
Sola Owonibi is an award winning poet and a playwright. He is the author of CHANTS TO THE ANCESTORS (2007). A collection of 65 poems from which "Africa" was extracted.
Samuel Obono Jr is an undergraduate writer currently working on his first collection of poems titled A SEASON IN REFLECTORIA.
Hardly has any African writer emerged over the last 50 years without having to reflect on the dark past of Africa in his or her work(s). Writers such as L.S Senghor, David Drop, Lenrie peters, J.P Clark etc have all written a poem or more on the dark past of Africa. Emerging writers also cannot but explore this area of great significance. This suggest that it is of paramount importance for any African not only writers to reflect on his past and it also affirms that a true African cannot be separated from his past.
In Sola Owonibi's "Africa" he takes us back in time to the era before the white men arrived.in the first stanza, he shows Africa as "generous mother of the universe
beautiful,simple and unexplored" until the whites came from across the seas and raped her, taking away her innocence and leaving her "an eternal stigma" (1-5). He goes on to explicate on the evils inflicted on the Africans by the Europeans: the slavery, the dehumanization,injustice suffered during this period,yet Africa endured and survived it all.
In the final stanza, Owonibi makes it clear that Africa had never stayed silent but have spoken up "under the torrents"against all forms of oppression and dehumanization.
Two lines are noted in this poem: "an eternal stigma" (line 5) and "not without scars..."(line 15). Both lines connotes that the past can never be buried in the past as its scars remain with us and on our unborn children. An eternal stigma never to be wiped off by time and change.
In "white romance", Samuel Obono Jr gives a "romantic" account of the African slavery experience. He view the experience as a gradual process of seduction.
"bamboozled by our own lust
again and again
till our robe of pride
kissed the ground."
This shows that Africans were carried away by the looks of the whites (line 9). Their sweet ways deflowered our ears and still does. This goes to say that though slavery and colonialism on a contact level have ended.africans still suffer from the experience as those at home and in the diaspora still strive to imitate the ways of the whites. They knew what our cravings were and carefully went about satisfying where necessary. Africans in turn endured, the guilt, shame breathlessly.(24-26) awaiting a climax,a point where everything would automatically come to an end as passion becomes a nightmare. All that her forefathers had laboured for is drenched and in the last 7 lines i.e. (35-41) Obono brings home the point that Africa is still under the shakles of mental slavery and colonialism as the whites seem to influence us from afar off, with the confidence that our Children cannot but follow their ways.
The poem shows that despite the fact that we Africans were exploited, we don't go all blameless. We participated in the afflictions we suffered. Both Sola Owonibi's "Africa" and Samuel Obono's "white romance" suggests that Africans must be aware of their past in order to channel a better course in the future.
On a final note. It becomes imperative for Africans to write, read, discuss and investigate the past as it is the only way of attaining the desired future.
Written by Samuel Obono Jr
on the 9th of May 2011.
This question is central to what this paper is about. The poems: "Africa" by Sola Owonibi and "White romance" by Samuel Obono Jr. Will be used as case study. I would advice readers to familiarize themselves with the above poems for a better understanding of this paper.
Sola Owonibi is an award winning poet and a playwright. He is the author of CHANTS TO THE ANCESTORS (2007). A collection of 65 poems from which "Africa" was extracted.
Samuel Obono Jr is an undergraduate writer currently working on his first collection of poems titled A SEASON IN REFLECTORIA.
Hardly has any African writer emerged over the last 50 years without having to reflect on the dark past of Africa in his or her work(s). Writers such as L.S Senghor, David Drop, Lenrie peters, J.P Clark etc have all written a poem or more on the dark past of Africa. Emerging writers also cannot but explore this area of great significance. This suggest that it is of paramount importance for any African not only writers to reflect on his past and it also affirms that a true African cannot be separated from his past.
In Sola Owonibi's "Africa" he takes us back in time to the era before the white men arrived.in the first stanza, he shows Africa as "generous mother of the universe
beautiful,simple and unexplored" until the whites came from across the seas and raped her, taking away her innocence and leaving her "an eternal stigma" (1-5). He goes on to explicate on the evils inflicted on the Africans by the Europeans: the slavery, the dehumanization,injustice suffered during this period,yet Africa endured and survived it all.
In the final stanza, Owonibi makes it clear that Africa had never stayed silent but have spoken up "under the torrents"against all forms of oppression and dehumanization.
Two lines are noted in this poem: "an eternal stigma" (line 5) and "not without scars..."(line 15). Both lines connotes that the past can never be buried in the past as its scars remain with us and on our unborn children. An eternal stigma never to be wiped off by time and change.
In "white romance", Samuel Obono Jr gives a "romantic" account of the African slavery experience. He view the experience as a gradual process of seduction.
"bamboozled by our own lust
again and again
till our robe of pride
kissed the ground."
This shows that Africans were carried away by the looks of the whites (line 9). Their sweet ways deflowered our ears and still does. This goes to say that though slavery and colonialism on a contact level have ended.africans still suffer from the experience as those at home and in the diaspora still strive to imitate the ways of the whites. They knew what our cravings were and carefully went about satisfying where necessary. Africans in turn endured, the guilt, shame breathlessly.(24-26) awaiting a climax,a point where everything would automatically come to an end as passion becomes a nightmare. All that her forefathers had laboured for is drenched and in the last 7 lines i.e. (35-41) Obono brings home the point that Africa is still under the shakles of mental slavery and colonialism as the whites seem to influence us from afar off, with the confidence that our Children cannot but follow their ways.
The poem shows that despite the fact that we Africans were exploited, we don't go all blameless. We participated in the afflictions we suffered. Both Sola Owonibi's "Africa" and Samuel Obono's "white romance" suggests that Africans must be aware of their past in order to channel a better course in the future.
On a final note. It becomes imperative for Africans to write, read, discuss and investigate the past as it is the only way of attaining the desired future.
Written by Samuel Obono Jr
on the 9th of May 2011.
Saturday, March 19, 2011
Wednesday, March 9, 2011
IF YOU WERE MY GIRLFRIEND by Ovie Olori (UNIPORT)
If you were my girlfriend
I would by my wealth of words literally redefine
An unknown conception of love
with a simple interpretation
that holds a truer meaning
If you were my girlfriend
I would relive a sweeter imagination of me and you
Arrayed in the finest Royal regalia
As king and queen
In another realm of existence
If you were my girlfriend
I would draw with effortless artistry
And paint priceless portraits of you
with the idea of making every mouth exclaim
In awe and ever increasing amazement
If you were my girlfriend
I would tower above my rivals
with a triumphant spirit
And modestly
lift high daily but cheerfully
The decorated banner of my golden success
If you were my girlfriend
I would start all over again
just to attempt the seemingly impossible
Having realised
you have fallen every pillar of doubt
yet choose to be
The special one i call my own.
I would by my wealth of words literally redefine
An unknown conception of love
with a simple interpretation
that holds a truer meaning
If you were my girlfriend
I would relive a sweeter imagination of me and you
Arrayed in the finest Royal regalia
As king and queen
In another realm of existence
If you were my girlfriend
I would draw with effortless artistry
And paint priceless portraits of you
with the idea of making every mouth exclaim
In awe and ever increasing amazement
If you were my girlfriend
I would tower above my rivals
with a triumphant spirit
And modestly
lift high daily but cheerfully
The decorated banner of my golden success
If you were my girlfriend
I would start all over again
just to attempt the seemingly impossible
Having realised
you have fallen every pillar of doubt
yet choose to be
The special one i call my own.
Tuesday, March 8, 2011
AND TOMORROW SPEAKS by Samuel Obono jnr
I am the past- reticent
Ensnared in the sepulchre of time
I am the great forbodings of today
And the mystery i enshroud
Drives to foolery,the wisest
I am neither dead nor existent
I am hope in its prime
Only God conceives what i say
I am of nature- proud
And in the hearts of men,i rest
I am the prophet's predictions
I am the riddle of Today
I am the genesis,the revelation
And the middle of the way
Ensnared in the sepulchre of time
I am the great forbodings of today
And the mystery i enshroud
Drives to foolery,the wisest
I am neither dead nor existent
I am hope in its prime
Only God conceives what i say
I am of nature- proud
And in the hearts of men,i rest
I am the prophet's predictions
I am the riddle of Today
I am the genesis,the revelation
And the middle of the way
IN THIS DARKNESS by Samuel Obono jnr
In this darkness,my mind peers
I see men rendered blind
Enbraced by their own fear
Enslaved by their own kind
The silence of many tongues
Even mine
The emptiness of a choking world
We stand still
Like naked mannequins
we are but scarecrows
terrifying ourselves
And laughing at our stupidity
In this darkness
The compass of redemption
Falls into the pit of negligence
Progress is but a mirage
So we remain-
helpless
like sleeping plants
Awaiting the come of a little light.
I see men rendered blind
Enbraced by their own fear
Enslaved by their own kind
The silence of many tongues
Even mine
The emptiness of a choking world
We stand still
Like naked mannequins
we are but scarecrows
terrifying ourselves
And laughing at our stupidity
In this darkness
The compass of redemption
Falls into the pit of negligence
Progress is but a mirage
So we remain-
helpless
like sleeping plants
Awaiting the come of a little light.
Friday, March 4, 2011
WHO AM I? by Samuel Obono Jnr
The chameleon
who plays colour tricks
knows why
The snake
who sheds its skin
knows why
The tortoise
who hides in its shell
knows why
But who am i to tell?
I am guilty of the same crime
I am the masquerade
who drives the crowd affright
but hides under a blanket at night
I am the lizard
who never keeps his head up
The world remains a dreadful place
still i must live in it
Mutating for relevance
my innate self,peeling away
till i know not who i am
and soon
I'll be like a fish
out of water.
who plays colour tricks
knows why
The snake
who sheds its skin
knows why
The tortoise
who hides in its shell
knows why
But who am i to tell?
I am guilty of the same crime
I am the masquerade
who drives the crowd affright
but hides under a blanket at night
I am the lizard
who never keeps his head up
The world remains a dreadful place
still i must live in it
Mutating for relevance
my innate self,peeling away
till i know not who i am
and soon
I'll be like a fish
out of water.
LYRICS OF MY LOVE by Samuel Obono jnr
I caught the world like a dove
for you alone to keep
I summoned the stars and moon above
to keep vigil as you sleep
I swore my love,where earth and sky stood as one
To the witness of the sun
And as you desired more to own
I gave up my heart to be you throne
So rule! Rule my dear Queen!
I will,if i must,lay before you my whole being
To be a slave to all you desire
Try my love in the wildest fire
I'll tell the world with no further ado
you are to me a wonder new
BUT if my love is not your song
I'll plead the angels sing along
till your heart is with the groove
And i please your feet a move.
for you alone to keep
I summoned the stars and moon above
to keep vigil as you sleep
I swore my love,where earth and sky stood as one
To the witness of the sun
And as you desired more to own
I gave up my heart to be you throne
So rule! Rule my dear Queen!
I will,if i must,lay before you my whole being
To be a slave to all you desire
Try my love in the wildest fire
I'll tell the world with no further ado
you are to me a wonder new
BUT if my love is not your song
I'll plead the angels sing along
till your heart is with the groove
And i please your feet a move.
A SACRIFICIAL LAMB by Samuel Obono jnr
A sacrificial lamb
lies ready
wisdom is tied around its neck
so it runs not
it kisses the white altar
as it bleeds
a flood of mysteries
the Isaac
of an obedient Abraham
A priest
A spokesman of his people
A voices of the ages
atoning for their wits.
lies ready
wisdom is tied around its neck
so it runs not
it kisses the white altar
as it bleeds
a flood of mysteries
the Isaac
of an obedient Abraham
A priest
A spokesman of his people
A voices of the ages
atoning for their wits.
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