AFRICA- FIRST LANGUAGE ENGLISH NOTES- CLASS 09 - KSEEB

POEM-2

AFRICA

David Diop

Comprehension:

C1. Read the poem silently and answer the following after discussing your responsible with your partner.

1) How does the poet come to know about the history of Africa?

Ans: The poet comes to know about the history of Africa from his grandmother’s songs.

2) The poet did not spend much of his life in Africa. Pick out the line/lines that express this feeling.

Ans: – These below lines express the feeling that the poet didn’t spend much of his life in Africa.

“Africa of proud warriors in ancestral savannahs

Africa of whom my grandmother sings

On the banks of the distant river

I have never known you”

3) Despite staying away from Africa, how is he able to describe Africa?

Ans: In spite of staying away from his land, he knows that he belongs there. He knows that the blood that flows in his veins belongs to Africa. The poet has heard his grandmother songs about Africa and proud warriors.

4) ‘Red scars’ – What does this phrase refer to?

Ans: Here Red scars represents the wound and injury the blacks suffered in the scorching heat of the midday sun in their state of slavery.

5) Pick out the lines that talk about the humiliation suffered by the Africans.

Ans: The lines talk about the humiliation suffered by the Africans: “Is this you this back that is bent? This back that breaks under the weight of humiliation.”

6) ‘That tree there in splendid loneliness’. Explain this phrase with reference to the feelings of the poet about his country.

Ans: The tree is a symbol of growth and the poet tries to show that despite all the struggles, Africa continues to grow.

7) “That grows again patiently obstinately/ and its fruit gradually acquires the bitter taste of liberty.”

a) What does ‘That’ refer to?

Ans: ‘That’ refers to the tree.

b) How does it grow?

Ans: It grows unwearyingly without giving up.

c) What does “bitter taste of liberty” refer to?

Ans “Bitter taste of liberty” refers to liberty which is not fully achieved.

C2. Complete the table listing the poetic devices (figures of speech) used by David Diop in the poem. Two examples are given for you.

Poetic Device	Lines from the poem
Personification	Your beautiful black blood that irrigates the field The blood of your sweat. The sweat of your work. This back that is bent.
Alliteration	Your beautiful black blood.
Metaphor	That grows again patiently obstinately.

C3. Work in pairs and complete the summary of the poem given below. Use the expressions given in the box.

The poet continues to say that he has never known Africa, but the despite he cannot deny how much it is a part of him. The phrase beautiful black blood which flows in his veins describes his African descent and shows how much Africa is a part of him and how much he loves his country and its people. The next verses are angry and accusatory as he stresses that it is the blood and sweat of his people which is irrigating the fields for the benefit of other people. Here, he is pointing a finger at the colonialists who exploited the black people and used them as slaves to profit from their hard labor.