Reply To: WAEC Poem: The Grieved Lands Of Africa

[justseyi]

SUMMARY OF THE POEM GRIEVED LANDS: WAEC, NECO, GCE POEM

In stanza two, the poet decries the elimination of the valuable culture, beauty, custom and land of Africa by the colonialism and westernization. He figuratively presents this through the symbol of “flower” and “forest”. This is seen in lines 7 – 10 “In the infamous sensation of the stunning perfume of the/Flower/ Crushed in the forest/ By the wickedness of iron and fire”… ‘Iron and Fire’ refers to the fierce way the colonialist and imperialist imposed themselves on Africa. These moves destroyed the beautiful flora and fauna of African land hence they grieve.

The Grieved Lands is a 42-line poem with seven uneven stanzas. It is written in free verse. The Grieved Lands highlights the uniqueness of the African-American race and their resistance to slavery and colonial rule. It is among the poems that promote the unique beauty of the Black race and the dominant strength of being Black.

The poet is inspired by Negritude’s realistic nature (a movement which celebrates and promotes the uniqueness and dominance of Black race to other races popularly propagated by Leopold Sedar Senghor).

Lines 40-41 of the poem The Grieved Lands present African race as an imperishable race and African land as a land that can withstand anything.