"What is Africa to Me?"
- Mya Brown
- Jan 24, 2024
- 2 min read
Updated: Jan 27, 2024
My reflections from reading the poem "Heritage" by Countee Cullen...
This is a very beautifully written poem. The images that spoke most to me were the "copper sun", "scarlet sea", and "spicy grove". These sounded like beautiful imagery of the natural environment of Africa.
In the second stanza the author writes,
"Dear distress, and joy allied,
Is my somber flesh and skin,
With the dark blood dammed within
Like great pulsing tides of wine
That, I fear, must burst the fine"
This specific phrase stuck out to me because of the strong words used to describe the author's emotions. "Somber, dark blood, pulsing tides, and I fear" all contributed to me imagining a dark scene. I interpret this as them discussing the things that made them feel uncomfortable and sad when thinking about our history's past with slavery.
The poem begins with the author not really wanting to claim Africa as part of their identity. Yet, as the poem progresses it expresses the pain of being deprived of their heritage. The moral of the piece is essentially to remind people within the African diaspora to not forget their roots and the strength of those who made it even this far to America to give us a life.
All in all, I personally don't feel a strong tie to Africa because the household I grew up in wasn't very big on traditions or seeking out historical roots. However, through pre-college courses I took in high school through a program called TeenSHARP (a program that strives to help Black & Latino youth into top tier colleges for little to no cost) I started to learn more about being Black in different countries and about the dark history of slavery. This exposure and hopefully the other knowledge I'll gain from this class will help continue to grow my interest in learning about Africa and my ancestry.
Hi Mya,
I agree with what you said about how the poet words took your mind and allowed you to visualize the scenery in Africa.
I believe the emotions and the visualization the author portrays creates a big image eon African culture, his emotions towards the peace and what the author is trying to make you feel in the poem.
I'm glad that this task allowed you to do some reflecting. The poem was a beautiful read and certainly had literature usages. It was nice to hear your take. I saw you mention that you didn't really feel a connection prior, now as your older, you want to seek it for yourself. I hope this journey meets your aspirations and that you gain an understanding that you want. Your blog was a lovely read!
Hi Mya.
So excited that you are here and learning more an more about your history and ancestors. I walked onto campus 20 plus years ago and found a new love for my culture, people and Africa. This college helped me to formulate a beautiful picture of who and where I came from. We may never know the struggles of a black, male author living in a time of strife and hardships. The times were different then and Harlem had its share of conflicting issues just as other parts of the world. But, the longing of a great hope is felt in this writing that only a desperate soul cries out for. We have to keep reading, writing and havin…
Hey Mya!
I can relate with the idea of not really having a close tie with Africa. I kind of had that same feeling growing up especially when all you hear is the trauma and white history all your life. However I think the more you learn about TRUE Black history and facts you will see how close African American truly are to Africa. The best part about it is, the history can actually be an affirmation! Knowing life before slavery can change your mindset and perspective on an individual and their worth. I hope this class will be encouraging!