AFRICA MY AFRICA BY DAVID DIOP

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David Diop, a Senegalese poet, uses his poem entitled “Africa”, to lament the state of the African nation and eventually valorize it despite its long-suffering experiences with colonialism and neo-colonialism. Following in the footsteps of the well-known African writer and former president of Senegal in its first twenty years (Léopold Sédar Senghor), Diop utilizes the trope of Africa as woman. This poetic male tradition is upheld through allegorical means where Africa is seen as a mother to the Black populace born from her landscaped body. Language and structure are skillfully orchestrated within this metaphorical medium which utilizes diction, rhyme and figures of speech to further develop meaning. Thus, the reader is able to comprehend the plight of the country through the poet and addressee’s arguments and perspectives. Although the Mother Africa trope has its shortcomings, David Diop’s poetic vision comes through to utter the need for Africans to rise above the colonial system.