Africa

What is the poem “Africa” by David Diop all about?

- It is all about the history of colonization and slavery through political, social, economical
and cultural domination in Africa and it is a message to address freedom and liberty to all
African people.

In “Africa”, what does the poem reveal about David Diop?

- The poem reveals about the close bond of David Diop with Africa and its people. His love
for the nation is so deep that he is very devoted to write this kind of poem. His poem reached
the hearts of African people that it boosted their morale and pride to fight for the rights they
deserve.

How does “Africa” by David Diop show the eternal linkage of the living with the dead?

- It commemorates the heroic bravery, sacrifice and death of the African people who suffered
under the colonial rule of France. The author shows memories of the dead African people are
connected with the living African people who suffered during the colonial rule.

What kind of poem is “Africa” by David Diop?

- It is a dramatic monologue and free-verse lyrical ode where David Diop had a conversation
with his beloved country, Africa

What does the poem “Africa” by David Diop reveal about the African character?

- It describes how hardworking are the African people and no matter how heavy the suffering
that the colonizers gave them, their spirit and will to fight and carry on can never unbent nor
break their backs.
How did David Diop describe Africa? What is the speaker’s stand in the poem “Africa”?

- He described Africa like it was his companion and family even though he never lived in
Africa. In his poem, we can see that he is against the colonial rule which created a lot of
atrocities and injustices to the African people. He created this poem in order to reach his
fellow brothers and sisters in Africa who were oppressed by the colonizers. His voice is the
reason why it created a lot of attention to the oppressors and he withstood all the threats and
dangers they gave to him.

What are the speaker’s attitude and values in “Africa”?

- The author was filled with admiration and empathy for Africa and its people. Since his
voice reflects a sense of nostalgia for its past, he wanted to become a voice of the people who
are oppressed and enslaved. He was hopeful that he could help free Africa by making a
movement and to bring the African spirit alive once more to build liberty, resistance, freedom
equality and pride to the future of Africa.

What moral lesson does the poem “Africa” convey?

- In this poem, no matter how many teachings you have learned from your colonizers, you
must not forget your culture, beliefs and origin to show what your country’s pride is made of.
You must not lose hope in fighting for your freedom and justice because one day, you may
not know that your rights will overpower the oppressors.

How does Diop celebrate his love for Africa in the poem “Africa”?

- Although he was born in France, his love for Africa never fades. Despite living in France,
his African blood was very active in the ways that he wanted his fellow African brothers and
sisters to reach his voice through his poem.

Why is the taste of liberty bitter?

- Liberty is always bitter since being oppressed is not a simple thing. Sometimes, it takes a
lot of sacrifice and determination because some people will die unexpectedly due to fighting
for freedom and exercising their rights.
What is the dream shared by David Diop at the end of “Africa”?

- He was hoping that one day, Africa will achieve freedom, justice and equality. He wants
that the African people will have a beautiful future to become great and have a wonderful
life.

How does the poem “Africa” talk about colonial atrocities?

- The author empathized the pain and suffering that his fellow African people felt. He knew
that during the colonial rule, there were lots of humiliation and atrocities that colonizers have
done. Treating African people as inferior beings are the most sadistic ways that these
colonizers had created.

How have the past effects of colonialism shaped the Africa’s present?

- It made African people become more resilient and brave despite the cruelty and punishment
they received from the colonizers. They realized that those scars from the past are the signs
that they never give up on fighting for their rights and finding alternatives to achieve liberty.
 Telephone Conversation

What is the poem "Telephone Conversation" all about?

- It is all about a phone call between a landlady and black man wherein it shows racial
discrimination towards black people.

What social issue is implied in the poem Telephone Conversation?

- This poem is talking about racism and the hypocritic percerption of the landlady.

What is the moral lesson of the telephone conversation?

- You must never judge a person by its color since we all born equally whether what kind of
race we belong and we should stop discriminating other races too since it is very degrading to
hear. It does not matter what your skin color is but it matters about your personality and
characteristics.

What is the irony in the poem?

- In this poem, we can see that the man’s perspective of being an African is like a crime or a
humor to other races. His statement are too ironic that he was a brunette and his hair is blonde
too just like the landlady.

Do you think this poem is relevant today?

- Yes, even in our current time, racism is still a big social issue on our world today and some
races in every country are claiming that they are more superior compared to other races in the
world. Some people disrespect other cultures too aside from the race they have insulted. They
make it as a joke or meme in any social media platforms to make the viewers laugh.
Why does the poem concentrate so much on different shades of colour?

- The poem’s purpose is to let people be aware of racism since it shows an insensitive
manner and it is very humiliating.

How is the landlady perceived by the man?

- The man perceived her easily through her accent and tone. He can already visualize the
physical features of the landlady even though he did not see her.

Is the man’s perception of the lady parallel with her behavior throughout the poem?

- Yes because the man’s behavior was respectful and despite the discrimination he gets, He
became ironic of his own statement since

How are the speaker's feeling conveyed to us throughout the poem?

- He addressed people how brutal it is to be subjected to racial discrimination and how it feels
to be humiliated. He inform the people about the impact of racial discrimination in our
today’s society.

How do we know he is stung by the landlady's insensitivity?

- Judging by his feelings, we can sense that he is expressing his anger towards the insulting
statement of the landlady. He was very frustrated of the landlady’s repeating question that it
became a regret to him and realized that it was all a wasted journey.