BLOG BLOG

Maya Angelou

Africa (1975)

Thus she had lain
sugar can sweet

deserts her hair
golden her feet

mountains her breasts
two Niles her tears
Thus she has lain
Black through the years.

Over the white seas
rime white and cold
brigands and ungentled
icicle bold
took her young daughters
sold her strong sons
churched her with Jesus
bled her with guns.
Thus she has lain.

Now she is rising
remember her pain
remember the losses
her screams loud and vain
remember her riches
her history slain
now she is striding
although she had lain.

This poem, to me is very emotionally powerful. The beginning is describing africa, not as a dark continent with unknown forests or giant beasts, but instead as a woman, who is mistreated very badly. Looking at the poet and the time th poem was published I gather she is talking about recalling the slave trade and such to pursuade people about the african americans press for equal rights. The progressive movement i believe. I really like how she introduces the poem as a black woman crying and such, who as the poem continues reveals how she was exploited and beaten. And it ends with how she is rising, because blacks were then with alot more rights. But the last sentence, although she had lain through me off, was it africa's fault for the abuse? Because it's she she had lay there and took the abuse without fighting or standing up for them selves. Maybe because of the different tribes were not united Maya chose to point out she had not fought the good fight.

My favorite aspect of the poem would be the description of africa as a woman to set the tone of the story and I really liked how she incorporated the Nile and stuff related to africa. Ofcourse she was either from africa or knew alot of it but Its still impressive her methods of tying it all in. I could use her idea in many poems, i could write about New Zealand and how she was a young beautiful country, a young beautiful woman, who loses her innocence (becomes deflowered) beacause since New Zealands discovery its environment has become riddled with invasive species. If i can remember to that will be my next poem.