THE AFRICANITY IN POETRY by Godson Osarenren, Poet, Author (The Broken Cross) and a Business man. Poetry is a critical definition of our emotions; an astonishing reality of our society. And we Africans are products of our emotions, thus Africa is the home of poetry. These emotional outburst is evident in our thought process and mannerism, it is just like the colour of our skin-BLACK! As African poets, we are the most fortunate in the globe. First, we have the tool of an enforced language due to colonialism and that of our cultural tongue, our mother tongue. These languages (foreign and local) a tool for expression increases the depth and wealth of our literary works and these literary prowess among most African Writers have been visible in the past decades. I often say The whole world is Africa, it was divided into continents and now they claim we have no history. Never mind, silence is the best known answer for foolish talks. Oral literature or Spoken Word Poetry have always been an African art for expressing deep lingering unreserved emotions, however, it was stolen from Africa and rebranded in America and sold back to us as a new form of art (L.I.E.S). I get really sick when I read poems done by African poets painting Africa like the West using dictions more sophisticated than that of Shakespeare; Yes it is poetry but I tell you frankly, you cant beat the west in the expression of their mother tongue, it is their art. Though times have changed, some of all of us could pass for the West except for our skin that is as dark as their heart. The Africanity in poetry is the root, the unreserved emotion expressed in boldness, the local research of ourr historical facts and the preservation of those cultural heritage that we could possibly find after a contaminated handshake. The Africanity in poetry is the birth and awakening of the conscious mind, the identification of self and the expression of an inner golden thought familiar to many but garnished and rendered in poetic forms; That is why we Africans for so long have been known for Oral literature and not Written literature, who said so again? The Whiteman but I checked, the ancient Egyptians wrote on walls and were regarded by the West as a civilization. Warning!!! Be careful you obey or you might be going Satans way. The Africanity in poetry is daily demonstrated in our African society in different poetic forms unknowningly e.g Dirge, Festivity, Ode to gods and personalities, Communual politics, Religion and Historical facts. These forms of art culturally mastered in the home of poetry (Africa), brings out the rhythm, the flavour, the tears, the joy, the fighting spirit, the hope, the morals and the search for the unknown. Examples of what I mean; The Calabash, the immoortal drunkard The only friend to the palm wine My ancestors know you as he who drinks sweet wine But how much can I tell of you Gone are those days across the clouds beyond When Sango the son of Orayan, the terrible one Is called upon and he replies with thunder The iroko tree my dwelling place no longer stands on her feet On her sacred secret peaceful place is planted a big shrine Where large smelling mouths shout Hallelujah What a slap on my face! The reddish muddy sandy land that grows green herbal vegetations The cultural temple of the world second to none The children of great warriors whose descent can be traced to the nobility of the Oba Oba gha to kpere, Ise! In addition, the talking drum, the dance, the spiritism and the spoken word is the true definition of the Africanity in poetry and as Africans we have of it in no small measure, if you dont think so do a search and then you shall so see! For more on Africanity in poetry read works done Leopold Sedar Senghor (The father of Negritude), Davip Diop, Walter Rodney, J.P Clark, Oswald Mitshali, Wole Soyinka; Peter Tosh (Music), Tracy Chapman (Music), The Root (Movie) etc. A lost African chIld who will find you? Be African in thought but global in views and expressions. Much Love Like Rain. PEACE!
Posted on: Wed, 10 Dec 2014 11:34:09 +0000
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