“A Far Cry from Africa” is a poem by Derek Walcott, a Nobel Prize-winning poet from the Caribbean island of Saint Lucia. It was first published in 1962 and deals with themes of identity, race, and the violence and conflicts that arise from colonialism and the struggle for independence in Africa.
The poem begins with a description of the African landscape and the natural beauty of the continent, but it quickly shifts to the violence and bloodshed that have marred its history. The speaker expresses a sense of divided loyalties, feeling both a sense of connection to Africa and a sense of detachment due to his own mixed heritage and the fact that he was not born there.
The poem also references the Mau Mau Uprising, a violent struggle for independence in Kenya in the 1950s, and the speaker’s conflicted feelings about the use of violence as a means of achieving freedom. Ultimately, the poem is a complex meditation on the nature of identity and the complexities of the struggle for independence in Africa and elsewhere.
Key Facts
Author: Derek Walcott
Year of Publication: 1962
Genre: Poetry
Themes: Identity, race, colonialism, violence, struggle for independence
Summary: The poem is a meditation on the complexities of identity, race, and the struggle for independence in Africa. The speaker expresses a sense of connection to Africa, but also a sense of detachment due to his mixed heritage and lack of birth there. The poem references the violence and bloodshed that have marred Africa’s history, including the Mau Mau Uprising in Kenya. The speaker also reflects on the use of violence as a means of achieving freedom and the complexities of the struggle for independence.
Significance: A Far Cry from Africa is an important poem in the canon of Caribbean and African literature. It explores themes that are central to the experience of postcolonial nations, including the struggle for identity and the legacy of colonialism. The poem’s complex exploration of the use of violence in the struggle for independence has also been the subject of much critical discussion. Overall, the poem is a powerful meditation on the complexities of identity and the struggle for liberation in the postcolonial world.
