The Piano and the Drums by Gabriel Okara

This blog is written in response to the thinking activity assigned by Megha Trivedi ma'am, Department of English, MKBU to write a critical note on the poem 'The Piano and The Drum' by Gabriel Okara.

The Piano and The Drums by Gabriel Okara

Poem:

When at break of day at a riverside

I hear jungle drums telegraphing the mystic rhythm, urgent, 

raw like bleeding flesh, speaking of

primal youth and the beginning,

I see the panther ready to pounce,

the leopard snarling about to leap

and the hunters crouch with spears poised.

And my blood ripples, turns torrent,

topples the years and at once I’m in my mother’s laps a suckling;

at once I’m walking simple

paths with no innovations

rugged, fashioned with the naked

warmth of hurrying feet and groping hearts

in green leaves and wild flowers pulsing.

Then I hear a wailing piano

solo speaking of complex ways

in tear- furrowed concerto;

of far away lands

and new horizons with

coaxing diminuendo, counterpoint, 

crescendo, but lost in the labyrinth of its complexities, it ends in the middle of a phrase at a daggerpoint

And I lost in the morning mist

of an age at a riverside keep

wandering in the mystic rhythm

of jungle drums and concerto.

Introduction:

 The poem 'The Piano and The Drum' is written by Gabriel Okara. The poem presents two symbols in its title that reflects the post colonial dichotomy in African region. Gabriel Okara tries to 

About the Poet: Gabriel Okara

       Gabriel Imomotimi Okara was a Nigerian poet and novelist. He was born in Bomoundi, Eastern Region, British Nigeria on April 24, 1921, and died on March 25, 2019 in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, Nigeria. 

         Renowned as the first modernist poet of Anglophone Africa, Okara is primarily celebrated for his groundbreaking early novel, "The Voice" (1964), and his acclaimed poetry collections, notably "The Fisherman's Invocation" (1978) and "The Dreamer, His Vision" (2005). Throughout his works, Okara intricately wove together African thought, religion, folklore, and imagery, earning him the epithet of "the Nigerian Negritudist." As noted by Brenda Marie Osbey, editor of his Collected Poems, the publication of Okara's inaugural poem marks the true inception of Nigerian literature in English and modern African poetry in the same language.

        In addition to poetry and fiction, Okara wrote plays and features for broadcasting. Sadly, many of his unpublished manuscripts were lost during the Nigerian Civil War. In April 2017, the Gabriel Okara Literary Festival was held at the University of Port Harcourt to honor his contributions to literature. His works, including "The Fisherman's Invocation" (1978) and "The Dreamer, His Vision" (2005), earned him numerous accolades, including the Commonwealth Poetry Prize in 1979 and the NLNG Prize in 2005. He was also granted the Pan African Writers' Association Honorary Membership Award in 2009.

Critical Analysis:

"The Piano and the Drums" eloquently explores the cultural clash between traditional and Western influences in post-colonial Africa, offering a poignant reflection of the confusion many individuals experience navigating multiple cultural identities in today's globalized world. Okara's evocative metaphors, likening the drums to traditional African life and the piano to Western culture, vividly illustrate his emotional response to each "instrument."

In the poem's structure, both the first and third stanzas are meticulously crafted to convey Okara's reaction to the sounds and symbolism of each instrument. The drums resonate with a "mystic rhythm," evoking urgency and rawness, while the piano's "wailing" and "tear-furrowed concerto" suggest seduction intertwined with complexity and depth.

Each stanza unfolds in three parts: the auditory experience of the instrument, the thematic implications of its music, and Okara's visceral response. The drums evoke memories of primal life and hunting, offering glimpses of a simpler existence rich with natural beauty. In contrast, the piano's allure lies in its complexity, hinting at distant lands and unexplored horizons. Yet, ultimately, its intricacies lead to self-implosion, revealing the limitations of Western culture.

"Piano and Drums" masterfully captures the tension between tradition and modernity, inviting readers to contemplate their own cultural identities and the complexities inherent in navigating a world of conflicting influences.

The poem's seamless flow from one line to the next contributes significantly to its effectiveness in conveying complex ideas with apparent simplicity. Each line builds upon the previous, guiding the reader through Okara's emotional journey and internal conflict.

In the opening stanza, the drumbeats evoke Okara's primal connection to traditional life, yet the use of "telegraphing" subtly suggests a detachment, hinting at a message conveyed rather than pure, unadulterated experience.

As the poem progresses, Okara's reminiscence of childhood innocence contrasts sharply with the allure of the wailing piano solo, symbolizing the dichotomy between the simplicity of traditional life and the complexity of Western culture.

Despite the piano's allure, Okara remains torn, his wavering allegiance portrayed vividly as the instrument's complexity reaches a breaking point. The poem skillfully navigates Okara's internal conflict, portraying his simultaneous attraction and disillusionment with Western culture.

In the final stanza, the rhythm mellows, yet the emotion intensifies as Okara finds himself adrift amidst the merging melodies of the drum and piano. Confusion envelops him, and he momentarily surrenders to its embrace, capturing the universal experience of grappling with conflicting cultural identities.

Analysis of Symbolism

The jungle drums symbolize Okara's indigenous African roots, heritage, and the natural rhythms of life. Their "mystic rhythm" evokes primal instincts, hunting, and a connection to the earth. In contrast, the "wailing piano solo" represents Western culture brought by colonizers - its complexities suggesting new horizons and innovations but also grief and dislocation.

Structure and Language

The poem's three stanzas follow a parallel structure, each depicting Okara's visceral reaction to the sounds of drums, then piano. His language is rich in imagery, with the drums evoking wildness ("panther","leopard","hunters"), simplicity ("mother's lap", "paths") and nature ("green leaves","wild flowers"). The piano's music has an opposing quality - "complex ways", "tear-furrowed", "labyrinth of complexities".

Emotional Journey

In the first stanza, the drumbeats transport Okara back to an idyllic, primal state of oneness with nature and ancestors. However, this is disrupted by the piano's "wailing solo" pulling him towards Western modernity. Okara is torn between the warmth of roots and the seductive appeal of "new horizons".

The second stanza vividly contrasts the drum's raw mysticism with the piano's "labyrinth" which ultimately fails to resolve, ending "at a daggerpoint". This reinforces the incompatibility between tradition and Western complexity.

In the final stanza, Okara resigns himself to being perpetually "lost" between two worlds - indigenous African heritage and colonial Western culture. The rhythms are entwined but he cannot fully reconcile them.

Themes

The overarching theme is the postcolonial identity crisis and cultural conflict caused by Western colonization of Africa. Okara mourns the loss of pure traditional identity but is also enticed by Western sophistication. Ultimately, he depicts the confusion of navigating dual cultural allegiances in a fractured, postcolonial world.

Other themes include modernity vs tradition, nature vs urbanization, and simplicity vs complexity of cultures.

Conclusion

Through powerful symbolism and emotive language, Okara's poem provides a nuanced exploration of postcolonial African identity straddling indigenous roots and colonial impositions. He laments the loss of pure tradition while acknowledging the seductive appeal yet hollowness of Western modernity. The poem captures the universal struggle of cultural hybridity in the modern globalized world.