How does Wole Soyinka express the disposition of Africans in his poem 'Telephone Conversation'?

Wole Soyinka, in his poem 'Telephone Conversation' highlights an encounter between a white landowner and black client to effectively portray the evident and institutionalised discrimination facing the African community. The context of the poem originates in England whereby many groups of people, either displaced by World War Two or with the decline in colonialism, found refuge in the United Kingdom. The historical xenophobia eminating during the 1960s is embodied and embellished in this poem. Soyinka's use of reptition, diction, enjambement, and imagery all contribute towards a strong understanding of how it must feel to experince being black citizen during this era of civil and political strife. Upon reading the poem, one cannot ignore the dire disposition of Africans living in England during that period of time.

DK

Related English IB answers

All answers ▸

What is a theme and how do I write about it in finals?


Writers of fiction do not always relate events in chronological order. In at least two works you have studied, explore the effects of telling the story in a non-chronological manner.


What is the Oxford Comma?


Discuss and compare the ways in which at least two of the works that you have studied have been constructed to be entertaining or even amusing, regardless of the subject matter, and consider the effects created.