Anthology Title: Summons
Anthology Editor: Richard S. Mabala
Poem Title: Lost Beauty
Poet: Jwani Mwaikusa
Setting: Universal
Year of Publication (Anthology): 1980
Publisher: Tanzania Publishing House Ltd
SUMMARY OF THE POEM
Lost beauty is a critical poem that clearly depicts the effects both colonialism and neo-colonialism on Africans and African culture in general. The poem shows how Africans betray their true identity and keep on searching another identity. Most women and men these days are trying to imitate almost everything from Western countries especially women who try their level best to change their natural colour through cosmetics which some of them are harmful.
Lost Beauty
By Jwani Mwaikusa
There are only white women around;
Awful fakes of white females
Reflecting an awful mass of ugliness:
And I want a lady
To mount the rostrum with
And declare to the world:
‘Black is beautiful’
Yes, I want a black beauty queen
With ebony thighs and huge hips
With skin sweating blackness
And a face dark as the night
And bare breasts bouncing
Vigor and energy.
But my eyes, on my eyes!
They don’t see anything black:
It’s only white skins and masks
Flashing past and slashing,
Destroying my sight so
I can’t get what I want
I cry and sing to them
The inbred tune of our people
I shout to them in the black tongue
But no black sister hears me;
Only white masks I see.
I turn and weep upon myself
And then, only then I realize:
I am not black either.
ANALYSIS OF THE POEM
Persona
The persona is an African man who is aware of how European culture has dismantled African culture. The persona in the poem is an African individual who protests against African women who use cosmetics, wear wigs, and act like white women while they look bad in that appearance. That is why; the persona suggests to them that he will be proud of them if they keep their African natural identity of African values and color.
Addressee
The addressee in the poem is any African men or women who despise their natural identity, beauty and color and turn themselves into imitating culture that is not theirs.
Tone
The tone is lamenting, satirical and sarcastic. The persona cries for the change that has taken place, but later he realises that even himself is affected by this change.
Mood
The persona’s cries for change makes his mood sad and unhappy.
Structure of the poem
The poem has been divided into five stanzas. Each stanza carries its own number of lines and it has its own main idea as well.
Kind of the poem
The poem is lyrical modern poem. It is short and the poet expresses strong feelings.
Sound devices
The poem has rhythm but its rhyming scheme is also irregular. However, the poet has applied the following sound devices:
Repetition. For example, “My eyes oh, my eyes!”
Alliteration. For example,
“Black beauty queen
And bare breast
b ouncing….”
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THE BOOKS ARE READY!
GET THE COMPLETE BOOKS FOR ‘O’ LEVEL ENGLISH LANGUAGE & LITERATURE IN ENGLISH
GET THE COMPLETE BOOK FOR ‘O’ LEVEL ENGLISH LANGUAGE: “A Comprehensive Handbook for Ordinary Level Literature” (PDF) with the following contents for just TZS 5,000/=
CHAPTER ONE: THEORY OF LITERATURE:
- Part One: BASIC CONCEPTS OF LITERATURE
- Part Two: DEFINITIONS OF LITERATURE
- Part Three: NATURE AND ORIGIN OF LITERATURE
- Part Four: LANGUAGE AND LITERATURE
- Part Five: FUNCTIONS OF LITERATURE
- Part Six: FICTION AND NONFICTION
- Part Seven: TYPES OF LITERATURE
- Part Eight: ELEMENTS OF LITERATURE
CHAPTER TWO: ANALYSIS OF ‘O’ LEVEL CLASS READERS
CHAPTER THREE: INTERPRETING SIMPLE POEMS: FORMS
- INTRODUCTION
- Analysis of ‘WHAT A HUMAN BEING DOES’
- Analysis of ‘GOOD HERE! BAD THERE!’
- Analysis of ‘THE BUNCH OF BANANA STOOPS WHERE IT IS’
- Analysis of ‘MY BROTHER’
CHAPTER FOUR: ANALYSIS OF NOVELS
CHAPTER FIVE: ANALYSIS OF PLAYS
CHAPTER SIX: ANALYSIS OF POETRY
- Part One: Analysis of ‘Song of Lawino’
- Part Two: Analysis of ‘Lost Beauty’
- Part Three: Analysis of ‘Eat More’
- Part Four: Analysis of ‘Ballad of the Landlord’
- Part Five: Analysis of ‘If We Must Die’
- Part Six: Analysis of ‘Your Pain’
- Part Seven: Analysis of ‘An Abandoned Bundle’
OR
GET ANOTHER BOOK FOR LITERATURE IN ENGLISH: “A Comprehensive Handbook for Ordinary Level Literature in English” (PDF) with the following contents for just TZS 5,000/=
CHAPTER ONE: THEORY OF LITERATURE:
- Part One: BASIC CONCEPTS OF LITERATURE
- Part Two: DEFINITIONS OF LITERATURE
- Part Three: NATURE AND ORIGIN OF LITERATURE
- Part Four: LANGUAGE AND LITERATURE
- Part Five: FUNCTIONS OF LITERATURE
- Part Six: FICTION AND NONFICTION
- Part Seven: TYPES OF LITERATURE
- Part Eight: ELEMENTS OF LITERATURE
CHAPTER TWO: ANALYSIS OF NOVELS
CHAPTER THREE: ANALYSIS OF PLAYS
CHAPTER FOUR: ANALYSIS OF POETRY
- Part One: Analysis of ‘Eat More’
- Part Two: Analysis of ‘Ballad of the Landlord’
- Part Three: Analysis of ‘If We Must Die’
- Part Four: Analysis of ‘Your Pain’
- Part Five: Analysis of ‘An Abandoned Bundle’
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