Explication Of The Poem Africa By Maya Angelou

This explication is on the poem “Africa” by Maya Angelou. In the poem, the speaker shows the suffering of Africa by personification, imagery, and wordplay to result that Africa is moving forward to regain herself to give us all the world has done to Africa. The speaker is a knowledgeable person who is passionate and knows well about Africa. The poem takes the setting of Africa and in the time period around the 1400s - 1500s. The poem is an ABAB pattern with three stanzas. The first stanza of the poem personifies Africa as a woman of her beauty. The second stanza shows the history of Africa crippled of her powers. The third stanza shows Africa is rising from the suffering of her past.

First, the poem personifies Africa as a woman to define the continent’s beauty. The poet uses the earthly method to compare Africa to a woman. She describes as a strong and beautiful woman. Also, a woman in the male-dominant world seen as a weak and vulnerable

Maya Angelou shows the beauty and history of Africa in one poem. She shows that Africa is a silent cry for help that no one hears but now she is rising and defending for herself as a continent. Africa raped from its humanity/glory since Biblical days of being taken over by the Pharaohs. Although, nothing has changed in Africa often get abused by the world from natural resources to the people. People do not view Africa as a great world power due to its history of slaves and poverty. Africa will become a great nation like it was before the peace broken by European powers. Africa will return to its natural roots being free from violence and discrimination. The poem, Africa, relates to the harass of Africans and African-Americans being seen as a lower class even in modern time. This poem repeats in America with black injustice crimes, ripping black culture to modernized. Just like Africa, African-Americans stand to fight for their culture and