Initially, the outsider's function is limited to that of an impartial party hiding behind a tree. She eventually tries to weave their spiritual lives, intruding. The "leaves around her waist" strongly resemble those Eve wore when she lost her innocence. Tree leaves cease to grow, yet only new leavesRead more
Initially, the outsider’s function is limited to that of an impartial party hiding behind a tree. She eventually tries to weave their spiritual lives, intruding. The “leaves around her waist” strongly resemble those Eve wore when she lost her innocence. Tree leaves cease to grow, yet only new leaves appear on her head, symbolizing “deforestation.” The phrase serves as a constant reminder that this Eve actually marks the beginning of Nigerian damnation. According to Okara, “The Mystic Drum” is mainly a love poem, as he says in one of his interviews: “This was a lady I loved. And she coyly was not responding directly, but I adored her. Her demeanor seemed to mask her true feelings; at a distance, she seemed adoring, however, on coming closer, she was, after all, not what she seemed.” This lady may stand as an emblem that represents the lure of Western life; how it seemed appealing at first but later came across as distasteful to the poet.
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Enjambment: Enjambment is the continuation of a sentence or clause across a line break. For example, “The mystic drum in my inside/ and fishes danced in the rivers” Alliteration: It is the repetition of the same sound at the start of a series of words in succession whose purpose is to provide an audRead more
The Mystic Drum Summary
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