BioWole Soyinka is an African dramatist, playwright, poet,
professor, political activist and novelist. He was born on July 13, 1934 in
Western Nigeria. “Soyinka sometimes describes himself as an Ijegna, an heir to
the traditions of both the ijebu and egba Yoruba speaking peoples.” (Jibbs,
518) He attended Government College in Ibadan in 1954 and earned his Doctorate
in 1973. He spent six years in England, which is the basis of the poem
Telephone Conversation. He was employed as a dramaturgist at the Royal Court
Theatre from 1958-1959. He received the Rockefeller Bursary award before
returning to Nigeria. He has taught at various Universities in Africa where he is
still an educator in present day. He has published many works but has only
written two novels. He has written two autobiographies and has several collections
of essays. He was awarded the Noble Peace Prize for Literature in 1986.
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ANALYSISTelephone Conversation is an actual account of an experience that Wole Soyinka had in London. There were no laws in place to prevent renters from discriminating based on race and from the opening lines of the poem you can see the narrator has been through the process many times prior. “Nothing remained but self-confession. “Madam”, I warned, “I hate a wasted journey, I am African.” This line implies that he has learned from past experiences to give full disclosure before taking the trip to see the location. The diction in the poem reveals key factors that should not be over looked. The term self-confession has a negative undertone that being of African descent is a sin or crime that needed to be confessed. This poem also puts a great deal of detail into color distinction. Different shades of brown/black (e.g. brunette, sepia, milk chocolate, raven black) are pinpointed which is comparative to the many complexions of African Americans. The repetition of the term “silence” enhances the feeling of disbelief that the speaker feels upon the landlady’s indignant repetition of the question “Are you light or very dark?” The narrator is insulted but the woman sees no wrong in her inquiry. After this question the character in the poem literally see’s red. The stress on the color red is a descriptive paradox that paints the image of the phone booth but also reiterates the narrator’s anger.
The tone of the poem switches from a business like, neutral tone and converts to a snarky, condescending feel. The speaker has been offended at by the woman’s ignorance and in return he uses her ignorance to insult her. The poem is satirical in this light because is exploits the woman’s weakness to force the reader and the woman to question her tactics and beliefs. The vernacular implies that subject of the poem is more educated than the woman. When he answer’s the inquiry of his complexion he intentionally uses terms beyond her vocabulary to put her in her place. “West African Sepia.” He uses his intelligence to undermine her in the same way she has just undermined him. “Soyinka never states what he wants the readers to think but his mocking portrayal of the rude and ignorant lady makes the message clear” (world literature 2012, 1) The speaker increasingly becomes sarcastic as he describes the peroxide blonde of his palms and feet in comparison to the raven black of his bottom. The woman goes to hang up on him after finally realizing his intent to insult her but he calls for her to wait and ends with a question. “Wouldn’t you rather see for yourself?” This question goes unanswered and it leaves the audience pondering possible outcomes. This poem is clearly a poem that aims to discuss the insignificance of color but how so relevant it is to people. Soyinka uses various terms to depict colors so the audience can visualize the setting but also to point out everything has a shade but it does not affect its function. The poet uses sound descriptions to again tap into the reader’s imagination as he describes the woman’s accent. “Lip stick coated, long gold-rolled cigarette-holder pipped” Here he takes a stereotype about British woman help the reader connect. This poem is full of racial tension and dipped in frustrated sarcasms. In comparison to Cross it discusses some of the same issues and discrimination African Americans face but it does not take on a solemn tone. In fact it is cynical yet empowering because it exudes the intelligence of the African American. It draws a parallel between a very well educated black man and an uneducated white woman who is seen as superior based on color but not internal qualities like intelligence which should be the measure of a man. "The striking and frustrating thing about racism is its utter impersonality, its reduction of human beings to nothing more than their skin color."(Utah State University, 1) |