Analyse the poem ‘A Far Cry from Africa’ from a postcolonial literary perspective.
Derek Walcott's poem "A Far Cry from Africa" is a powerful and complex work that delves into the themes of identity, colonialism, violence, and the conflicts inherent in postcolonial societies. From a postcolonial literary perspective, the poem offers a nuanced exploration of the personal and cultural tensions that arise from the legacy of colonial rule.
### Postcolonial Analysis of "A Far Cry from Africa"
**1. **Conflict of Identity:**
- The poem highlights the speaker’s internal conflict regarding his mixed heritage. The speaker, who identifies with both African and European ancestries, is torn between two worlds. This duality is central to the postcolonial experience, where individuals often struggle with their allegiance to the colonizer’s culture and their own indigenous roots.
**2. **Violence and Brutality:**
- Walcott vividly describes the violence and brutality of the Mau Mau Uprising in Kenya, where the indigenous Kikuyu people fought against British colonial rule. The graphic imagery of violence serves to underscore the devastating impact of colonialism on African societies. The poem questions the morality of both the colonizers and the colonized, portraying the conflict as a brutal struggle for freedom and justice.
**3. **Ambivalence Toward Colonial Legacy:**
- The poem reflects the ambivalence many postcolonial subjects feel toward the legacy of colonialism. The speaker is pained by the atrocities committed by both sides and is unable to fully condemn or justify either. This ambivalence is a hallmark of postcolonial literature, which often grapples with the complex legacies of colonial rule.
**4. **Language and Power:**
- The poem’s use of the English language itself is a testament to the lasting influence of colonialism. Walcott’s eloquent and powerful use of English highlights the way colonial languages can both oppress and enable expression. The speaker’s mastery of the colonizer’s language is a double-edged sword, symbolizing both cultural loss and empowerment.
**5. **Nature and Land:**
- The natural imagery in the poem, including descriptions of the African landscape and wildlife, serves as a metaphor for the cultural and physical landscape ravaged by colonialism. The “white dust” and “bloodstreams” mentioned in the poem suggest the contamination and destruction brought about by colonial conflicts.
**6. **Moral and Ethical Dilemmas:**
- The poem raises profound moral and ethical questions about the costs of colonialism and the fight for independence. The speaker’s reflection on the “corpses of infants” and “savages” touches on the dehumanizing language used by colonial powers to justify their actions, as well as the brutal realities of anti-colonial resistance.
**7. **The Title:**
- The title “A Far Cry from Africa” itself suggests a sense of distance and alienation. This can be interpreted as both a physical distance (the speaker’s detachment from Africa) and a metaphorical one (the emotional and cultural distance created by the experience of colonialism).
### Key Quotes and Analysis
**“I who am poisoned with the blood of both, / Where shall I turn, divided to the vein?”**
- This line captures the speaker’s profound internal conflict and the feeling of being torn between two identities. It reflects the hybrid nature of postcolonial identity and the pain of reconciling conflicting cultural legacies.
**“The violence of beast on beast is read / As natural law, but upright man / Seeks his divinity by inflicting pain.”**
- Here, Walcott contrasts the natural world’s violence with human cruelty, critiquing the justifications for colonial violence. The suggestion that humans seek divinity through pain can be seen as a critique of the civilizing mission of colonialism.
**“The gorilla wrestles with the superman. / I who am poisoned with the blood of both, / Where shall I turn, divided to the vein?”**
- The “gorilla” and “superman” symbolize the African and European parts of the speaker’s heritage. The struggle between them epitomizes the internal and external conflicts faced by postcolonial subjects.
### Conclusion
“A Far Cry from Africa” by Derek Walcott is a profound meditation on the complexities of identity and the violent legacy of colonialism. Through vivid imagery, powerful language, and deep emotional resonance, Walcott captures the ambivalence and pain of the postcolonial experience. The poem’s exploration of the moral and ethical dilemmas of colonialism and its aftermath makes it a seminal work in postcolonial literature. It invites readers to reflect on the enduring impact of colonial histories and the ongoing struggle for identity and justice in postcolonial societies.
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