Literary Analysis: Walcott's 'A Far Cry From Africa' and War

This essay delves into Derek Walcott's poem, 'A Far Cry from Africa,' exploring the poet's internal conflict and inability to choose a side during the Kenyan struggle between terrorists and anti-terrorist forces. The analysis highlights Walcott's use of vivid imagery and poignant language to depict the death and destruction caused by the war, as well as his personal struggle with his mixed heritage. The essay examines the poet's frustration and disgust at the violence, emphasizing his desire for peace and reconciliation in a country torn apart by conflict. Desklib offers a wealth of similar essays and study resources for students seeking to deepen their understanding of literature.

Running head: ANALYSIS OF A FAR CRY FROM AFRICA
Analysis of A Far Cry from Africa
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author Note

1ANALYSIS OF A FAR CRY FROM AFRICA
TOPIC - The poet’s inability to decide which side to join during the war
A Far Cry from Home is a poem written by the poet Derek Walcott. The poem is an
account of the struggles in Africa. The poem basically deals with the power struggles
between the Kenyan Terrorists and the anti-terrorist forces of the government and the poet
suffers from anxiety as he is not sure of the side that he should be in.
The purpose of the essay is to provide a critical analysis of the poet’s inability to
choose a side during the war in the poem.
When the poem starts, it is found that the poet is talking about the struggle that he
sees going on between the Kenyan terrorists and the anti-terroristic forces of the Government.
He himself is suffering from anxiety and split decision about not being able to join either of
the sides. The poet talks about the causes behind the struggle and how he wants to join one of
the sides but cannot decide on which side to join. The readers find that the poet has presented
the poem in two stanzas, the first one consisting of twenty-one lines and the last stanza
consisting of eleven lines. The poem has an uneven feel in it which reflects the anxiety faced
by the poet. Although the poem is deeply rooted in Africa, the poet has expressed it clearly
and lucidly in English so that it can easily explain the African culture to the individuals. The
title of the poem is mainly considered to be a double standard as it might mean the events to
be taking place Africa, but it refers to the suffering of the people in the country during the
war.

2ANALYSIS OF A FAR CRY FROM AFRICA
“Corpses are scattered through a paradise.
Only the worm, colonel of carrion, cries:
“Waste no compassion on these separate dead”
The poem basically refers to the Kikuyu tribe (the only African word used by the
poet in the poem) who are being killed by the government while labelling them as savage
terrorists as they are the ones who have started the battle as it is said in the poem. The poet
describes the death and inhumanity that has ravaged the peace and tranquillity of the country
while comparing the people responsible with “worms” as they are responsible for the death
and destruction in the country. While many experts try to justify the fact that white people are
present in the country to civilize the natives, the poet sees it as an utter failure as it has
resulted in the death of a white skinned child as well as his family. The poet thinks of these
killings to be total savagery which reminds him of the mass killings of the Jews by Nazi
Germany during World War II.
“The violence of beast on beast is read
As natural law, but upright man
Seeks his divinity by inflicting pain.”
In the poem, the poet goes on to blame the Kikuyu’s for the fact that they think they
are getting courage by killing the white men, but it is them who are destroying their country
with so much violence and death caused due to the wars. The poet goes on to compare this
war with that of “superhuman” vs “gorillas”. This means that the poet in the poem compares
the Kikuyu tribe people with that of gorillas and the white skinned people (Europeans) with
that of the superhuman and goes on to say that this war is like a war between that of gorillas
and superhuman. The poet feels frustrated that the cannot decide on which side he would join

3ANALYSIS OF A FAR CRY FROM AFRICA
as he has family members from both class of people and he is also unsure of the fact whether
he should stay neutral because of his partial heritage. Ultimately, the poet compares this war
like that of the war between West Indies and Spain where the West Indians had suffered such
atrocities at the hands of the Spaniards and this war too, has similar disastrous effects on the
country in like that one .
“I who am poisoned with the blood of both,
Where shall I turn, divided to the vein?
I who have cursed
The drunken officer of British rule, how choose
Between this Africa and the English tongue I love?”
In the conclusion, the poet says that just because he is unable to decide on which side
to join the war, it is making him inferior to the others as well as making him alien to those
people that he considers to be his countrymen. Thus, this poem is an account of the poet’s
uncertainty about the war as he sees the country being destroyed by two sides, the Europeans
and the natives. The poet, through this poem, expresses his disgust at the death and
destruction that the war is causing in the country. This poem is an indication of the poet’s
wish for the war to stop in the country so that both the natives as well as the white skinned
people and live in the country peacefully without causing so much death and destruction in
the country. The poem is an account of the poet’s description of the war and its disastrous
effects on a country.