When blackbird shall sing
The clouds shall visit the earth
Larks shall hide in shame
I am steaming black
When I shall sing my love song
Fair lark shall go down
Ho! Blackbirds gyrate!
Play to us the beaded gourd
Let earth sing our praise!
Fair maiden, dance on
Dark and beautiful are you
Let earth sing your praise
Literary Appreciation Ode to the Blackbird (Haiku) by Nneka Joyce Duru
This is a poem against racism and black inferiority. The poem begins with a prophetic declaration, “When Blackbird shall sing// The clouds shall visit the earth//Larks shall hide in shame.” This is Africa, symbolic in the form of a Blackbird. The time shall come when Africa will begin to make a great and positive impact, commanding respect in the world. When that day comes, the clouds which represent the ‘high, mighty and influential’ in the world shall make haste to be identified with Africa. Lark here represents racists and other black suppressing powers. When Africa shall finally triumph, ‘Larks shall hide in shame’ in awe of Africa’s glory.
Here in the first stanza, there is the use of allusion, symbols and personification. Personification is seen in the ‘clouds shall visit the earth’ and ‘larks shall hide in shame’ giving human qualities to both an inanimate object and a non-human creature.
In stanza two, the persona introduces her identity as African, ‘steaming black.’ Here the metaphorical use of the word ‘steaming’ is used to lay more emphasis on the color black.
‘When I shall sing my love song
Fair lark shall go down” Stanza 2, lines 2-3
Here the persona refers to her own efforts. When her impact begins to be felt, nothing shall hold her down rather the racists and haters shall all go down. Here ‘I’ does not only refer to the persona but to Africans as a whole and there is a call for all to begin to make positive contributions to their society and the world at large. ‘The love song’ in line two refers to the universal song of oneness, that indomitable spirit of support and encouragement to one another.
‘Fair lark’ here, referring to the color of the bird juxtaposes with ’fair maiden’ in stanza 4 which means ‘beautiful maiden.’
In stanza three, the exclamation ‘Ho! is made as an emergent, awakening call to action.
‘Ho! Blackbirds gyrate!’ Stanza 3, line 1
Here, gyrate has two meanings; its literal and figurative interpretation. Literal, in the sense that to gyrate is to dance or spin passionately. Every African deserve to be happy, to rejoice, never to be dampened in spirits; and figuratively which denotes pride in one’s culture and identity.
‘Play to us the beaded gourd
Let earth sing your praise’ Stanza three, lines 2-3
The beaded gourd in Igbo land is called ‘Ichaka’ which is a local musical instrument usually played with frenzy by lifting it high in the air and beating the beads against the gourd to produce a rattling uniform beats suitable for African songs and dances.
There should be an open, unashamed display of our culture and heritage for the world to see and appreciate-‘Let earth sing you praise’
In the last stanza, there is the exhortation of Africa as a fair maiden to continue to ‘dance on.’ Africa is already a beauty. She should continue moving ahead, be proud of her identity, portray and protect her rich cultural heritage. And in the end, the earth shall sing Africa’s praise.
The poem has four stanzas and is written in Haiku style. Haiku is a form of Japanese poetical composition comprising of three lines with syllables 5-7-5.
Nneka Joyce Duru is a wife, mother, gospel artiste, teacher and a member of the Association of Nigerian Authors (ANA), Rivers State chapter. A graduate of English Language at the University of Lagos, she is a champion of women’s literature and women’s rights. She has visited several schools where she taught the importance of decency and the well-being of the girl-child.
Ode to the Blackbird by Duru Nneka Joyce is the winner of the 2020 African Writers Award for Poetry
Read the winning entry for Creative Non-Fiction
Read the winning entry for Drama
This is just beautiful
Thank you.