Season by Wole Soyinka There seems to be a strange contrast between his choice of the word “decay”, which suggests things going to ruin and the final sentiment where the word “promise” indicates hope. I get the sense that Soyinka’s poem is contrived. He feels the urge to speak lyrically about this subject but does not seem to have found his authentic voice, or perhaps the theme is too complex for him to address in a sixteen line poem. This is reflected in lines such as “Pollen is mating
The Telephone Conversation by Wole Soyinka The "Telephone Conversation" by Wole Soyinka is a poem that's title is very casual and straight forward. The poem's title shows the reader that what they are meant to read is realistic and free flowing. Like most poems there is a general theme that is carried on from start to end. The "Telephone Conversation" has two main obvious themes; these are racism and the lack of education and understanding that some people may have. As the reader reads
Commentary on Telephone Conversation by Wole Soyinka Wole Soyinka recollects vividly in Ake Mrs. Huti talking about white racism. He was thus mentally prepared to cope with the racism before he left for England. The race problem which has been treated with levity in the immigrant poems is treated from the poet’s personal experience in “Telephone Conversation.” “Telephone Conversation” involves an exchange between the black speaker and a white landlady. This poem more than any other is
The Lion and the Jewel by Wole Soyinka The three main characters in ‘The Lion and the Jewel’ are called Sidi, Lakunle and Baroka the Bale. Each character has different thoughts about one another and each views the society in a different way. This essay introduces and describes each character and analyses their role in the play. Sidi ==== Sidi is the first character that the audience meets. She is a very attractive woman, known as the village ‘belle’. Her attractiveness influences
Social Issue on Racism “The Telephone Conversation” Wole Soyinka is a name that is larger than life in the literary world. His masterclass comes to the fore in the poem Telephone conversation (Soyinka 52). The poem has subtitles, irony, and an underlying theme, which is racism. A dark reality that he skillfully reveals and shows is utterly ridiculous. The poem introduces a West African persona to the audience. The poem tells the story of the man who makes a phone call to a potential landlady, as
Student’s Name Professor Course Title Date of Submission Social Issue on Racism Wole Soyinka is a name that is larger than life in the literary world. His masterclass comes to the fore in the poem Telephone conversation (Soyinka 52). The poem has subtitles, irony, and an underlying theme, which is racism. A dark reality that he skillfully reveals and shows is utterly ridiculous. The poem introduces a West African persona to the audience. The poem tells the story of the man who makes a phone call
In his play Death and King’s Horseman, Wole Soyinka shows that women had important and recognized roles in traditional Yoruba society. Women fulfill their social, moral and spiritual roles as mothers, enforces of the discipline, show guidance to the community. Iyaloja, the Mother of the Market, is politically and spiritually critical. Aside from being the enforcer of discipline, her towering image in terms of influence is a great source of nourishment to the entire community. In the play, the women
Both poems entitled Abiku discuss the title child who returns to haunt his family after dying at a young age. However, they are formatted and presented in different manners to give alternate meanings to the story presented. The first, written by Wole Soyinka, is written in stanzas, while John Pepper Clark’s is in block form. However, they also share a variety of qualities in common, such as nature imagery and belief in incarnation. One similarity between Soyinka’s and Clark’s poems is the belief in
A study of tradition, ritual and politics in Soyinka’s works Wole Soyinka’s involvement in the political history of Nigeria and his coming face-to-face with the struggle for independence can be seen as the inspiration behind his works. He stands out to politically represent his native Yoruba culture as a part of the unending resistance struggle. The inclusion of political oppression in his works can be related back to the period of his imprisonment for twenty seven months for his involvement in
are not used too. Throughout reading these novel, with all the similar messages that are obtained within them, one main message from each other is similar, a better understanding of cultural difference. Authors Dai Sijie, Mario Vargas Llosa, and Wole Soyinka all exemplify what life is like in other cultures and regions of the world. The Machiguenga, The Yoruban tribe, and people involved in the Cultural Revolution era, are all timeframes and people that we will never understand or have to experience
The drama of Wole Soyinka is the creative mixing of Yoruba rituals, dramatic techniques, music and dance with the foreign language, English. The rites, rituals, gestures, music and dance are some of the nonverbal techniques Soyinka employs in order to achieve his dramatic effect. The language is full of wit and graphic insult. Language is not the only thing Soyinka relies on for effective theatre but also on so many techniques. This is an attempt to discuss these techniques in some important plays
Wole Soyinka, like other Nigerian writers, characterizes the conflict of cultural and religious choices in his country and emphasizes the distinct customs of society (Tucker 9). Born into the Yoruba tribe and culture, Soyinka’s writings are clearly influenced by Yoruba culture and practices. Communities and societies in Africa today religiously partake in ancient rituals that some may consider extreme, such as cannibalism and self-mutilation. In the village in The Strong Breed, the extent to which
Both "Sizwe Bansi is Dead", (written by Athol Fugard in collaboration with John Kani and Winston Ntshona) and "Death and the King's Horseman" (written by Wole Soyinka) are both set in South Africa, in two important and significant cultural moment for the country. "Swize Bansi is Dead" tells the difficult reality of Africa under apartheid (1950s), analysing the complex issue of identity in that time. The rules of Apartheid meant that people were legally classified into a racial group, mainly Black
of the play, it seems rather evident for which side Soyinka himself is more of a prominent advocate, obvious by the way he portrays both Lakunle and Baroka, and how they conclude their roles in the play. Lakunle’s follies in the play become his undoing, whereas Baroka’s strength and titular power as the Bale of the village wins Sidi’s hand in marriage, ultimately proving tradition to be the ultimate survivor in this battle royale. However, Soyinka seems to blur the lines a bit more by including the
techniques used within the two works will be observed. My rein is loosened. I am master of my Fate. When the hour comes, Watch me dance along the narrowing path, Glazed by the soles of my great precursors. My soul is eager. I shall not turn aside. (Soyinka, 2002:10). The play is set in the ancient Yoruban city of Oyo in Nigeria, nineteen forty three. The King has died and on the night in question his Horseman must escort him to the afterlife. The Kings Horseman, Elesin Oba, dancing through the marketplace
How do the poems ‘Telephone Conversation’ by Wole Soyinka, ‘War Photographer’ by Carol Ann Duffy and ‘A Mother in a Refugee Camp’ by Chinua Achebe explore the theme of conflict? Conflict is a topic that is often associated with negative connotations. It evokes emotions such as sadness or fear and can make the reader empathetically experience pain or loss. Examples of conflict include war and racism. The poems ‘Telephone Conversation’ by Wole Soyinka, ‘War Photographer’ by Carol Ann Duffy and ‘A Mother
Colonialism versus Origin Within Wole Soyinka’s and Tsitsi Dangarembga’s intricately weaved novels, both pieces of literature successfully intertwine to portray the estrangement and hardships dealt with through the main characters in settling within a separate environment apart from their origins; culture and adopting the colonial mentality which is imposed upon them. There is a negative portrayal of the colonial mentality that manifests onto the African society. There are three major categories
Wole Soyinka's essay "Every Dictator's Nightmare" in the April 18, 1999 edition of the New York Times magazine seems almost prescient in light of the events currently occurring geopolitically. The recent events occurred in Egypt are certainly representative of the themes present in Soyinka's essay; “the idea that certain fundamental rights are inherent to all humanity" (476). Soyinka, the 1986 noble peace prizewinner for literature, portrays not only his well-formed persona in his essay, but also
Daniel Jordan Smith presents an outstanding work full of insight and appreciation of Nigerian culture. The content is enriched by his years spent working there, his marriage to a Nigerian woman and his obvious affinity for the Nigerian people. Smith’s primary aim is to reflect upon popular Nigerian sentiment toward corruption but also to explore just how entrenched corrupt practices have become in society. The book focuses on two main elements; how Nigeria is as much a ‘culture of corruption’ as
In the play Death and the King’s Horseman by Wole Soyinka, the author uses the representation of woman as the defenders of the Yoruba tradition. Soyinka tells us in this “Author’s note” that the play is based on an incident in Nigeria in 1949. In Yoruba tradition, it is the sacrifice of the king’s horseman that plays the essential role in bringing good fortune onto the community. While these leaders of the Yoruba culture are predominantly male, the role of the Yoruba woman as both defender and keeper