Summary of David Diop's "Africa"

David Diop is an African poet.  He has written many poems, fighting against the racial injustice.  The poem Africa is about the glorious past of Africa, the nation, in comparison with the present situation of the country and its citizens, who are mere slaves. 

The opening line of the poem expresses the poet persona’s love for his nation, Africa.  He uses a possessive pronoun to exhibit his love for Africa.  The poet persona regrets for not being a part of olden Africa, wherein it had many warriors and rich savannahs.  The poet persona has heard of the glorious past, about which he comes to know through the folk songs of his grand mother.

The poet persona is proud with his self-recognition of his ancestors’ blood running in his vein.  He is proud of his colour and race.  He happily announces the colour of his blood as black.  The poet persona says that their black blood irrigated the entire grounds of Africa.

The persona vehemently transfers his pride about the country into a rage.  The colonizers, who enslaved the Africans, drained all the blood, which was exerted from the Africans in the form of work and sweat.  The persona becomes ferocious and questions the silent submission of the Africans.  He cannot digest the thought and sight of the Africans being bent, with scars for the whips held by the colonizers.

The persona listens to a voice that talks about a tree, which is found alone amidst white and faded flowers.  The voice addresses the persona as an angry man.  The voice says him that the tree is Africa, the persona’s own Africa.  Like the tree, growing patiently, Africans would also taste the fruits liberty.