Reactions

Responses to the poem “Africa” by David Diop

” Saying yes to the whip under the midday sun”

I chose this line because as you observed the poem it is about slavery. Being slave is not easy because you are forced to work even if you don’t want. It might happen to us anytime. We pity to those who are being slave or working under the heat of the sun. (Alyn)

Saying yes to the whip under the midday sun connotes the bravery and great endurance of the poor African workers who were being beaten wildly and was tortured under the heat of the sun. Much of it was that they were treated as slaves in their own land. Despite of all maltreatment, they were able to remain firm and strong. Therefore, they were remarkable people in their own way of enduring struggles and pain and pursue living. (Edilmera)

I choose this line because it is related according to my experiences. As one of the leaders of our community “The Youth For Christ”, I am always saying yes to the mission which was given to me. Not because I am forced to do it but then it is the willingness with all my soul, with all my mind and with all my heart. (Percy)

You cannot say “no” even if you feel weary because you are a slave. The bravery and valour of the Africans was customarily accepted. (Margelyn)

“The bitter taste of liberty”

This climactic line catches my keen attention. It presents the totality of the poem which is the theme evolves in the word “slavery”. The persona in the poem hides the true message of the line through figurative statement. It tells that liberty they’ve acquired seemed to be useless. That liberty was given too late. It was when they have already old and useless enough. They were slaves of their own country which  governed by their masters. (Gene)

I choose this line because I believe before having liberty and freedom; you must encounter challenges, problems and trials in life. Like what happened on the poem “Africa“, slavery is present and usually a slave is slave forever. If ever they receive freedom, they are at old age. However, they are free from their masters but still they feel difficulties in continuing their lives. (Christine)

In this line caught my attention so much because the people in the Africa are being humiliated and they become servants to their own country. If you put yourself to what they have done to their country, you can say that it is not easy for them to claim or have liberty.  In fact, they are being slave by colonizers. They committed or to have liberty but it was too late because they suffered much and they already have red scars and their backs were broken. (Mae Ann)

The line is irony. Liberty should be sweet and full of gleeful yet it is bitter.  In spite of the freedom that was given to them they still live half-dead because of the sufferings they have gone through. They are free but there is no possessions left to them and they feel useless and have a purposeless life. So for the Africans, liberty which they achieved was bitter. (Audrey Mae)

I choose this line because it really caught my attention. I feel pity to them in the sense that they are being free but they cannot work for their own lives and they cannot bare to live a beautiful life because they are weak and useless.(Grace)

“Under the weight of humiliation”

 I choose this line because African people are black in nature which proves to racial discrimination. White people look at African or Niger people very degrading. They underestimate them and scorn them because of their appearance. They looked at them as slave.  Indeed, the country Africa is really poor although they have rich land which is provided by God. They are rich in bounty so other colonizers pay interest to their lands. While the people of Africa are unfortunately uneducated, the colonizers used their ignorance to take control of their country. They take African people as their slaves. (Aprilyn)

 

 

 

“Your beautiful black blood.”

I have chosen this line because the author expresses his pride or honour of being African. Though their race is black but the blood that flows in their veins signifies the goodness of their countrymen. Nonetheless, the line that I have chosen, though their skin is black, they should be treated and be free to do whatever they wanted to. African people yelled that between black and white, there is always good relationships and not making them oppressed because of the fierce governance implemented to them.  (Melvin)

This line which I have chosen talks about the Africans who have their own beautiful country even though they are slave and discriminated by some people. Whatever people’s complexion, we should respect them of what they are. (Apriline)

“I have never known you, but your blood flows in my veins”

Other people who are being adopted by their poster parents can relate it. Although they don’t really know their true parents but still they have heart for them because the blood that flows in their veins is still the blood of their true parents. Even though how much they hate their parents but still they can forgave them because they are sharing one blood. (Pamela)

“This back trembling with red scars”

I choose this line in the sense that I am able to imagine or picture out the hard experience of what Africans face off like racial discrimination and slavery which made their back trembling and obtained wound. Even though, wounds will be healed but there is still scar as manifestations of being a slave. (Angie)

“The slavery of your children”

This line expresses slavery that slavery from parents will be inherited by their children because a slave is slave forever. (Randy)

“The blood of your sweat”

I like this line in the sense that the author emphasize that he loves his people. This line means that their blood comes from their veins, he is proud of being African, that all of their works are for their family and country. Although, they are called as slave but they don’t know how strong they are. Also, their labour is from their own sweat. Yes, I believe that the author wants to have freedom and rights. He wants to stop discrimination about Africa and its people. It is not their fault to be Africans yet they just want to live by their own.(Cydreck)

”That grows again, patiently, obstinately”

This line captured my attention because among those slavery, humiliation, deprivation to their ancestral domain and most especially to their nationality, for being who they are, still, they fought until the  last drop of their sweat and blood. Gradually, African people are growing and standing patiently and obstinately until to their last breath. (Jesse)

“I never knew you”

I choose this line because I relate this line to our tribe especially to myself because some people I know says that they don’t know that they have tribe, that is, Bla’an which makes me inspired to educate myself in many ways so that I can defend and be proud of our tribe in the future. (Maricris)