Far Cry from Africa

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Commentary: A Far Cry From Africa A Far Cry From Africa is a poem written by Derek Walcott. This poem is set in Africa where Walcott is describing the struggle of colonialism and its aftermath in a personal dimension. In a first person point of view, Walcott illustrates his own ethnic conflict and struggle because of his divided loyalties, as he belongs to both the blacks and the whites. In the first two stanzas he refers to the brutality of colonialism, specifically the Kenyan conflict. In the second two, Walcott addresses the war as both an outsider and an insider, expressing his struggle as to how he should feel towards this political violence. Thus the theme of violence and cruelty is revealed in this poem, Walcott uses elements such as imagery, irony, and figures of speech to bring forth this theme. Firstly, imagery is the most prominent element of style in this poem. It is a key factor that clarifies the theme of violence and cruelty that the poem addresses. The opening image of the poem is drawn from accounts of the Mau Mau Uprising, where he describes the “bloodstreams in veldt” and the “corpses (that) are scattered through a paradise”. Walcott decides to open his poem by this sudden negative image in order to introduce the reader to the brutality of the Mau Mau and their massacres. The reader is able to visualize the setting of this poem and so able to see the intensity of the Mau Mau Uprising and the bloodshed that took place. The second and third stanzas are filled with imageries, as Walcott describes both the blacks’ and the whites’ situations. He allows the reader to see the struggle between both identities, and know how it feels like to understand the extent of both situations. A strong image is created in the end of this poem where Walcott says “I who am poisoned with the blood of both”. He describes the mixed blood running through his veins as a
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