The Grieved Lands By Agostiho Netohttps://www.googletagmanager.com/gtag/js?id=AW-10904630286AW-10904630286/XrxkCJV-r54YE1703c80gtag('config',-'AW-10904630286')conversionidAW-10904630286
“The Grieved Lands”
The grieved lands of Africa
In the tearful woes of ancient and modern slave
In the degrading sweet of impure dance
Of other seas
Grieved
The grieved lands of Africa
In the infamous sensation of the stunning
Perfume of the
Flower
Crushed in the forest
By the wickedness of iron and fire
The grieved lands
The grieved lands of Africa
In the dream soon undone in jingling of
Gaolers’ keys
And in the unconscious brilliance of hidden
Sensations
And in the stifled laughter and victorious voice
Of lament
Of the grieved lands of Africa
Alive
In themselves and with us alive
They bubble up in dreams
Decked with dances by Baobabs over balances
By the antelope
In the perpetual alliance of everything that lives
They shout out the sound of life
Shout it
Even the corpses thrown up by the Atlantic
In putrid offering of incoherence
And death and in the clearness
Of rivers
They live
The grieved lands of Africa
In the harmonious sound of consciences
Contained in the honest blood of men
In the strong desire of men
In the sincerity
In the pure and simply rightness of the stars’
existence
They live
The grieved lands of Africa
Because we are living
And are imperishable particles
Of the grieved lands of Africa
About the Poet
Anthonia Agostinho Neto was born 17th September 1922 in Bengo Province, Angola. He is a poet and the first President of Angola (1975-1979), having led the popular movement for the liberation of Angola (MPLA) in the war of independence. He led the MPLA in the civil war (1975-2002). His parents were both school teachers and his father was a Methodist. He studied medicine at the Universities of Coimbra and Lisbon.
Neto’s publications include the poetry collection Sacred Hope (1974).
He was a founding member of the Angolan Waters Union and the Center for African Studies in Lisbon. Neto’s poems are often classified as protest poetry, especially because of his strong opposition to racial injustice and colonial aggression and misrule. In 1979, Neto died in Moscow while undergoing treatment for cancer. His notable poems include. “Night”, “African poem” “Hoisting,” “The flag” “the Black Man’s Burden”, Kinaxixi”, Farewell at the moment of parting” and others.
Setting/Background of the Poem
Neto’s “The Grieved Lands” is a protest poem that laments and sheds tears for African countries over European exploitation. The entire Africa continent is viewed as having been abused, despoiled and wantonly dehumanized. In the poem, injustice, tales of horror and man’s inhumanity to man are carefully presented. African continent has wallowed in the throes of colonialism, slavery and slave trade and this poem gives account of the African experience in the wake of colonial exploitation. The genesis of this problem began from the Berlin Conference of 1884 when in the name of Christianity and civilization; the major European powers partitioned or share Africa countries among themselves for Colonialism. In the poem, the persona who is a voice of reason sees the past and future, protests against unfairness and injustice. He therefore agitates for fairness, unity and cooperation in order to cure the society of its malady. The victims of “the grieved lands” are Africans themselves and the evil deeds they encountered in the hands of colonial masters cannot be forgotten in a hurry. That is the thematic preoccupation of the poem.
Content Analysis
“The Grieved land is a protest poem which exposes the condition of the African society in the wake of colonialism slavery and slave trade, which took place between 17th and 18th centuries. The persona is therefore grieved or sad over man’s inhumanity to man as a result of unhealthy human trade. He also sees this act as a result of African’s backwardness. The Atlantic Slave Trade or Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade involved the transportation of African people by Slave traders (westerners) mainly to America. The vast majority of those who were enslaved and transported in the transatlantic slave trade were people from central and western Africa, sold by other West African Chiefs to European slave traders. The poet is in deep pain when he remembers what Africans passed through in the hands of slave masters. His pain re-echoes throughout the stanzas of the poem. “The Grieved lands” in the poem is the African countries, especially the countries that experienced colonialism slavery and slave trade.
In stanza one, line 1-5 the persona reveals the historical background of the situation of African Society in ancient time and modern life. He reminds us that the predicament of the black man can be traced to time of old (antiquity) when he was enslaved, that is the era of slavery and slave trade, not by any inmate faults of his, but apparently because of the greedy Europeans who have chosen to enslave African continent in order to use them for cheap labors, and in a bit to build and transform their own continent. “In the tearful woes of ancient and modern slave” reveals the persona’s inner pain which is endless. He is not only lamenting bitterly over how Africans were treated as sub-humans a long time ago, but also grieves that such act still continues which is called modern slavery in recent times. “Degrading sweat of impure dance” refers to the nature of maltreatment meted on African countries involved.
The second stanza, lines 6-12, unveils the heinous crime committed by the Europeans on African and how they (westerners) put an end to the African peaceful and communal society, “Stunning perfumes of the flower”. African’s workable and interesting society, is soon “crushed” in the forest” in the unknown plantation farm where Africans were taken to “Forest” also refers to Africa continent while the “wickedness of iron and fire that commits this devastating act of destruction symbolizes the western colonizers. This implies that Africans are not only forced into slavery but also were beaten, maltreated using distant weapons to subdue them to their slave masters. “Iron and fire” here illuminates the images of anguish and pain as some of the stubborn slaves lost their lives in the struggle for emancipation (freedom).
In stanza three, line 13-20, the persona further reveals the goriest maltreatment carried out on enslaved Africans whose dreams of good life will be “undone”, never manifest, because they are always under lock and keys to stop them from escaping from the captor’s camp. The unconscious brilliance of hidden sensations refers to their inability to escape as any such attempt is impossible because of the “jingling of “gaoler’s (slave master’s) keys”. It is downgrading and painful that the slave master is the one to determine when his slave will eat because their lips have been padlocked and their legs chained. Their voices of complaint cannot be heard by anyone as their laughter has also been stifled by their slave drivers.
In stanza four, lines 21-26, the poet claims that the slave masters are excited about their activity of slave trade; even the captured slaves are still yearning for life too. “They bubble up in dreams” of developing their continent with the sweat of African slaves “in the perpetual alliance of everything that lives”. This means that when European slave masters) came to Africa, they only captured able bodied men, who were capable of working in their plantation farms.
In stanza five, lines 27-32, the persona projects the height of man’s inhumanity to man, as some of the Africans they captured lost their lives in the middle of the high seas “They shout the sound of life! Even the corpses thrown up by the Atlantic”. This implies that the tendency for some of them to die of exhaustion of the journey, hunger, protestation, suffocation is very high. Some of the slaves who die were thrown out of the boats. “In putrid offering of inconvenience”, meaning the rest of them are amazed to witness the unpleasant experience of human beings as the Atlantic Ocean clearly vomits their corpses for all to see. Hence “And death and the cleanness/of rivers”. This stanza suggests the punishment meted out to the African slaves who were beaten, starved or killed, and consequently were emptied into the ocean, their final resting place.
In the last two stanzas, lines 33-45, the poetic persona reiterates the black man’s innate will and desire to conquer all odds and survive any situation. Africans are known to possess the spirit of determination and resilience, and that is why they are able to weather the storm of slavery and slave trade. The African countries try to live “in the harmonies sound of consciences/contained in the honest blood of men/in the desire of men/in the sincerity”. This also refers to African slaves’ ability to survive in the camps of their captors and return to their various countries after so many years to develop it with their wealth of toil and experience. They allowed themselves to be used and exploited “in the pure and simple rightness” of the “stars” existence” to buy back their freedom.
The last stanza further re-enforces the Africans’ strong-will to survive in situations against all odds. The returning slaves have sworn to live because they are still living; they still have life and because of their strong desire to live. The persona calls them “imperishable particles”. Also, the significance of the title of the poem “Grieved lands” alludes to the oppressed people of Africa who have witnessed or seen their lives, their assets their culture and their humanity vanished or destroyed on the altar of western colonialism and slave trade. This is the key problem that African continent has been battling with and lamenting about.
THEMES
Colonial Exploitation and Slave Trade
This poem “The Grieved Lands” explores the spate of colonial oppression and exploitation of African countries which has contributed to African’s backwardness. Colonialism paves, way for slave trade to strive as Africans were yet to embrace it. In the poem, the entire African continent is sad and grieved over this wanton experience “In the tearful woes of ancient and modern slave”. This experience is not a pleasant one as the poet equates Africa continent to be a beautiful and vibrant flower, fresh and young and then suddenly crushed in the forest following the arrival of the white who pose as supreme power. They employed the instrument of iron and fire to subdue African countries, in order to exploit them. They did not only abscond with their assets and valuable property, but also took able-bodied African youth and men and to use them for cheap labors in order to transform their own societies.
However, Africa’s dream for a better society is soon undone (different) in jingling of goalers’ keys”. Meaning the destiny and dreams of the captured slaves have also been sold to the slave masters who decide when to eat and what to do. Their hands and legs chained and mouth sealed up with the jailer’s keys. There is little or no resistance as that could mean instant death or merciless beating.
“They shout out the sound of life/even the corpse thrown up by the Atlantic in putrid offering of incoherence/and death”. This means that those who died out of exhaustion of the longs distance journey are cast out of the boat and thrown into the sea for fishes to feast on.
Man’s Inhumanity to Man
The poem “The Grieved Lands” in an exposition on man cruelty towards his own man, where man’s right of existence is trampled up. African’ experience about slave trade in the wake of centuries ago is an ugly incidence which they will never forget in a hurry. The persona is therefore grieving or sad over man’s inhumanity to man as a result of unhealthy human trade. He also attributes this to the cause of Africa’s backwardness and what makes some academic scholars called it Dark Continent. “The Grieved Lands” refers to all African countries that must have passed through this thorny experience of slavery and slave trade. During this period, the European (slave masters) employed the instrument of force and compulsion to subdue and maltreat the stubborn captured slaves to submission. Some others who attempted to escape were shot dead, while some sustain various degrees of injuries as a result. Hence, they are “crushed in the forest/by the wickedness of iron and fire”
Also, the captured African slaves suffered various act of shame and dehumanization. They are heavily bound with chains with padlocks and keys and their mouths sealed. Their dreams and hope of a better life shattered. Some who died of exhaustion, bad weather condition, suffocation, because of the long journey from Africa to Europe were thrown into the high sea. The persona laments in stanza five when he says “They shout out the sound of life/shout it. Even the Atlantic Ocean rejects their corpses because of their violent and gruesome death. They just can’t complain to the world communities to come to their aid because their words might be incomprehensible (incoherent) to them and also because they approve of such inhuman business transaction.
Theme of Anguish, Pain and Gruesome End
“The Grieved Land” is a poem of lamentation which explores anguish and pain experienced by African continent during the era of slave trade. The persona opens the old wound which will never be healed as a result of the gravity of pain inflicted on the captured slaves, for they were treated as common human commodities that can be used and disposed. They are not only forced to do the bidding of their slave masters, but also lost their lives in the struggle and their attempt to resist and escape from their captors.
However, the poet persona is in deep pain as those who died as a result of the tedious and endless journey to escape where they would be used for force labors, are cast into the Atlantic Ocean and the stubborn ones are severally beaten. Therefore, the persona laments the heinous crime committed by the Europeans on Africans and how they (westerners) put an end to the African’s peaceful and communal society “stunning perfumes of the flower”. African’s workable and interesting society is soon crushed” in the forest” in the unknown plantation farm where African slaves were taken to. “Forest” also refers to African continent.
In spite of the pain and gruesome maltreatment meted out on African slaves, they are still poised with spirit of determination, hope and desire to survive and regain their freedom. The persona confesses that “they were the grieved land of Africa/ because we are living / and are imperishable particles of the grieved land of Africa”.
Theme of Hope, Determination for Survival
There is a tone of hope, resilience and the need to fight for survival and freedom in the last two stanzas of this poem. The poet echoes the fact that the only way to fight against oppression man’s inhumanity to man, slavery and slave trade is to keep burning with the coal of determination and resilient attitude. It is a known fact that some of the slaves who refused to submit willing to European enslavement were released and returned to their various countries and “They live/In the harmonious sound of consciousness/contained in the honest blood of men/in the strong desire of men”. The honest blood f men” refers to some of the brave captured slaves who refused to be subdued to their captors and their only hope of surviving is to be set free. The persona also confirms this ideology when he refers to Africans as imperishable particles, that is, we cannot be swayed by any circumstance since we have developed thick skins to weather all storms of life. The poem “The Grieved Lands” is therefore a clarion call for all well-meaning Africans not to cave in their fight for any form of discrimination, injustice, oppression slavery and man’s inhumanity to man.
Poetic Devices
1. Personification: The title of the poem “The Grieved Lands” is an example of personification, where human attribute of grieving is given to land, which is inanimate object. Even lines 1-3 also, “other seas/ grieved’ is another one. “Honest blood” in stanza 6, line 4 wherein blood is said to be honest is a personification “Even the victorious voice “is another example “Iron and fire” are said to be wicked as human beings.
2. Contrast: “woes of ancient and modern slave” in line 2 is a contrast “Ancient” refers to the first method of capturing African slaves were taken to Europe for cheap labor while the “modern slave” refers to the new method which is colonialism and how the various super power countries in the world still control the affair of the African countries.
3. Onomatopoeia: The persona employs some sound imitation in stanza 3, line 3 “In jingling of goalers’ keys” and stanza 2, line 5 “crushed in the forest” to show the gravity or the level of maltreatment meted out on African captured slaves.
4. Apostrophe: The poet persona deploys the use of this device throughout the poem to address “lands, that is, African countries, the slaves and the slave drivers as if they were physically present.
5. Assonance: The repetition of vowel sound is evident in line 22 “bubble up and line 26 “They shout out the sound.
6. Alliteration: This device is deployed in the poem to show sense of musicality as seen in:
Line 7: “Sensation of the stunning”
Line 17: “Victorious voice”
Line 23: “Decked with dances”
7. Metaphor: There are quite a number of metaphorical references in
“The Grieved Lands” Beginning with the title itself, the idea of grieved lands in the poem does not refer to the literal ‘land’s, we walk on. It refers to the Countries in Africa and their experience in the hands of Europeans who exploited human and natural resources on several occasions.
(i) ”Wickedness of iron and fire refers to the method that slave master employed to subdue the African slaves.
(ii) “The stifled laughter” is a metaphor for oppression.\
(iii) “Honest blood of men” is also metaphor for bravery and the desire to Fight for change.
(iv) “Imperishable particles” is a metaphor for resistance and the tendency
to survive all forms of condition faced by Africans or experienced.
8. Hyperbole: There is a tinge of exaggeration in stanza 5, line 3: “Even the corpses thrown up by the Atlantic”.
9. Pun: “The poet plays on words, especially with the words “alive” 1-2 “Alive/in themselves and with us alive’ for humorous effect.
10. Imagery / Symbolism: The presentation of mental images to express a central idea is seen in the poem. From the title of the poem. “The Grieved Land” portrays an image of sadness and pain. The poet also projects African continent and likens it to a tender flower in stanza two, line 4-5 being crushed by the Europeans (slave masters). “Even the corpses thrown up by the Atlantic” is another gruesome image or anguish of pain suffered by the Africans. The poet also attributes African’s ability to survive in all situations to that of imperishable particles which is another key image in the poem.
11. Diction / Language: The poet’s careful selections of words highly contribute to the success of the poem. The words used by the poet are quite simple and symbolic.
WAEC AND NECO LIKELY 2021-2025 EXAMINATION QUESTIONS
1. Attempt a metaphorical interpretation of the poem.
2. How does this poem reflect experience in a typical African country?
3. Closely examine the view that “The Grieved Lands” is a protest and poem of lamentation.
4. Examine the theme of man’s inhumanity to man.
5. Discuss any four (4) poetic devices in the poem
6. Discuss the theme of pain and suffering occasioned by slave trade.
7. How does “The Grieved Land” by Agostinho Neto echo the travails and trauma of human trade?
8. Justify the poem’s title viz-a-viz poetic content.
9. “Even the corpse thrown up by the Atlantic”. Relate this line to one of the themes of the poem.
10. With copious examples, give a detailed account of the poem.
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