The Awakening Age
by Ben Okri
About the author
A
winner of Man Booker prize for his novel The Famished Road, the Nigerian poet,
fiction writer, and essayist Ben Okri (1949-) spent his early childhood in
London. Informed by folk tales and dream logic, Okri’s writing also treats his
family’s experience of the Nigerian civil war. In an interview for The
National, Okri stated, “I grew up in a tradition where there are simply more
dimensions to reality: legends and myths and ancestors and spirits and death.
You can't use Jane Austen to speak about African reality. Which brings the
question: what is reality? Everyone's reality is different. For different
perceptions of reality we need a different language.”
A
prolific poet and story teller, Okri, like in his other works, portrays the
hardships of the African people in “The Awakening Age”. In addition, he makes a
call for unity, peace and solidarity among human beings from different parts of
the world.
Summary
The poem ‘The Awakening Age’ is written by Ben Okri. This poem portrays the hardships of the African people. In addition, he makes a call for unity, peace and solidarity among human beings from different parts of the world who have been fragmented due to the devasting civil war. The poem is a hopeful vision of understanding and co-operation among the people around the world. It is a poem of harmony also.
In this poem, the poet wishes the well-being of African people after the outbreak of civil war. He also advocates about the time to enter a new world of awakening world. The African inhabitants may have the vision of a new world. Nigerian people have faced miserable condition with a long path of hunger, poverty, unemployment and other aspects. He also hopes that they may experience the bright and glorious awakening age. The awakening age refers to the time when African people have a recognition, realization, or coming into awareness of their condition, and the beginning of their new world. The awakening age means the age with new vision, style and education of African people.
The poet has
made a call for all the people of Nigeria to ahead for its progress. He also
says that his people have been driven by an unseen force to the fragmentation
and poverty. He makes a hope that connects them together like a garland of
flowers. Deprived and desperate African people move further to new heights
themselves. They are eager to change their perception with truthfulness in a
new world to get better reform. HE is also hopeful that they will have the
chance to get good jobs, freedom, knowledge, creativity etc. They are also
hopeful to discover their talents and use their efficiency not only to suit
themselves but also others. In this way their life will be happy and prosperous
beyond their poverty.
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