Week 14 Analysis: Literary Analysis of "Night in Sine" by Senghor
Historical context is important for every piece of art. More often than not, the events surrounding a period of time directly reflect the social and communal climate from which the art/artist lives in. Few mirrors can more accurately reflect a time period than the literature produced; portraying and grappling with ideas to better a society, acknowledging progression, and reflecting on a communities successes/struggles. Leopold Sedar Senghor was a literary figure who encapsulated these reality based factors within his poetry. As described in the following section from The Norton Anthology of World Literature Volume F, Senghor used his poetry to create a movement, become a politician, and open conversations regarding his home country/relationships: "Leopold Sedar Senghor was a poet, a founder of the Negritude movement, and the first president of independent Senegal. His poetry takes as it's central subject the encounter between African and Europe" (676). Senghor, along with Aime Cesaire also created the Negritude movement; promoting their fellow citizens to express themselves and celebrate their culture. This point is exemplified within the following section which briefly describes the movement: "It was through their collaboration that the Negritude (or "blackness") movement developed, with its challenge of the colonial order and its passionate concern for the rehabilitation of Africa and the black race" (676). A poem by Senghor that captures some of these ideas portrayed in within the Negritude movement is "Night in Sine". This poem manages to pair up the love of a women to the love of the narrators country: Africa.
"Woman, place your soothing hands upon my brow,/You hands softer than fur./Above us balance the palm trees, barely rustling/In the night breeze. Not even a lullaby./Let the rhythmic silence cradle us./Listen to its song. Hear the beat of our dark blood,/ Hear the deep pulse of Africa in the mist of lost villages" (1-7, 679) - This stanza openly displays the comparison of love between this couple and comfort of being home: Africa. The calming actions of the woman are compared to various aspects of Africa, whether it be the animals, nature, surroundings and people
"Woman, place your soothing hands upon my brow,/You hands softer than fur./Above us balance the palm trees, barely rustling/In the night breeze. Not even a lullaby./Let the rhythmic silence cradle us./Listen to its song. Hear the beat of our dark blood,/ Hear the deep pulse of Africa in the mist of lost villages" (1-7, 679) - This stanza openly displays the comparison of love between this couple and comfort of being home: Africa. The calming actions of the woman are compared to various aspects of Africa, whether it be the animals, nature, surroundings and people
Hello and good evening Caesar!
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed your thoughts on the works by Leopold Sedar Senghor. I think that your thoughts on the need for context in relation to historical background is very true indeed. I think that without historical context many works may be underappreciated. However, I also think that some works can transcend time and so it can sometimes be fun to not have that background information initially. I did find it interesting that he was a poet and a social activist as a founder of the Negritude movement.
Hi Caesar,
ReplyDeleteGreat job with your analysis! I always love reading your posts. The line that stood out for me the most with your analysis was "Few mirrors can more accurately reflect a time period than the literature produced". What a great comparison and it really made it easy to understand what you were trying to say. Excellent job!
-Patrick