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| Sunday, 26 June 2005 |
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A/L English Literature Made Easy - Modern Poets : Gabriel Okara Gabriel Okara, is a modern Nigerian poet. Okara brings to light, the
problems, young Africans are faced with. European civilization came
Thus causing the rise of new problems - arising between the old traditions of the Africans and the newly introduced European traditions. Okara tries to present the problems and the misconceptions and the tediousness faced by the young generation. The world of the Traditional Africans symbolized by the drum and that of the Europeans by the Piano. In this poem Piano and Drums the first stanza introduces the mystic rhythm of the Jungle Drums. "When at break of day at a river side I hear jungle drums telegraphing The mystic rhythm, urgent, raw Like bleeding flesh, speaking of Primal youth ......" The poet assumes that this familiar rhythm is inherited in the blood of the Africans and they show their response by habit. To the African, the drums recall the young days of the Africans and their lives that were enhanced by the beauty of their country. He assumes himself to be a hunter in his shooting position ready to attack the leopard snarling about to leap .. In the second verse, the poet, recalls the memories of his childhood lying on his mother's lap a suckling and feels as if he's being carried back to his babyhood. The familiar sound of the drum makes him recall the memories of his youth. I'm walking simple, paths with no innovations. The path is rugged and fashioned with walking of the warmth of the barefeet. The poet is moved, his feelings are roused by the view of the green leaves and wild flowers. The third stanza depicts the poet's attitude and changes taking place with the sound of the music of the Piano. To him it appears to be wailing. Then I hear a wailing piano Solo speaking of complex ways in tea-furrowed concerto of far away lands" It is not homely and close to him. It's something foreign to him. Failing to rouse the same familiar feelings he experienced by the sound of the drum. There's a reason for it - not that the piano is inferior but, as it is a foreign instrument, it fails to change his familiar feeling. The sound of a piano with its various tempo, complex, musical notes, the melodious sounds produced are superb and admired by the westerner. But to Okara it is different, a tear furrowed concerto His confusion of Western music is symbolized by the words diminuendo counter point crescendo. In the third verse it is clearly depicted that the poet seems to be lost in the labyrinth of its complexities, it ends in the middle of phrase at a dagger point. Whereas the jungle drums arouse his inner conscience and rouse him. The fourth verse, touches upon the views of the poet. He has no choice. He can neither flush back to the old ways and traditions or accept the modern conceptions. Piano and Drums is a poem consisting of four verses of eight lines each while the fourth is short and consists of four lines summing up the poet's ultimate decision. Okara has used simple diction to express his ideas spotting a few impressive words creating the typical background to highlight the discrepancy of the western musical instrument and the oriental musical instrument Piano and the Drum. The sound of the drum reaching far and touching the inner feelings of the listener, awakening his emotions in an extremely impressive manner. The sound effect of the words produce the mystic rhythm of the drum carrying Okara's message to the Africans and ultimately to the whole world. The expression regarding the music of the western instrument - Piano ends in the middle of a sentence at a dagger point reflecting how the music ends in confusion and pain of mind. Okara has presented his views of the Western musical instrument Piano and the oriental musical instrument Drum in a different manner. To Okara, the beat of the drum arouses the hearer from within followed by immediate response while the sound of the Piano is a wailing sound. Okara's appropriate wording, the flow of ideas add glamour and vitality to the poem. " ... It ends in the middle of a phrase at a dagger point". The poet has used the symbolic image of the Drum and the Piano in a profound manner highlighting his own perception of the two musical instruments the piano and the drum in a contrasting manner communicating the Psychological stress of the poet descriptively but precisely. Mrs. C. Ekanayake, Retd. Specialist teacher Eng.Lit., St. Anne's College, Kurunegala. |
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into
existence in Africa, after the arrival of the Europeans in the 16th
century. Most of the Africans, stuck to their own traditions, though some
Africans living in the urban areas absorbed the traditions and behaviour
pattern of the Europeans. 
