hello everyone the following presentation is a summary and Analysis of the poem pray to masks by Leopold siddar single this is the sixth poem on the list of the new poems for English home language for 2023 and the next few years to come here is some background to the poet this will help create some context to the poem Leopold Cedar single was born in Senegal in 1906 and he passed away in 2001. he studied and lived in France for many years single developed and was a proponent of the idea of negritude which is a consciousness of and pride in the cultural and physical aspects of African heritage he was elected as the president of Senegal in 1960. single is viewed by some as a symbol of peace between France and its colonies While others think he encapsulates neo-colonialism neocolonialism means the control or influence of other countries despite their gaining independence from their colonizers single believed strongly that a union between former colonialist countries and the newly independent countries was possible singles poems expressed hope and optimism for a brighter future for Africa this particular poem was written in 1945 a few years before Senegal's independence from France let's take a look at a summary of this poem this poem is a prayer in which the ancestors who are represented by masks are addressed the ancestors are greeted and the speaker makes his request he explains to the ancestors that he is made in their image and that Africa is suffering he describes how Africa and Europe have been connected like a fetus to a mother suggesting that colonialism has nourished a new Africa soon to be born however as colonialism ends Africa will have to sever its ties with its European mother if it is to live and grow prosperously once Africa has its power and identity returned it will bring the world back to life let us read through the poem masks or masks black mask red mask you black and white masks rectangular masks through whom the spirit breathes I greet you in silence and you too my lion-headed ancestor you got this place that is close to any feminine laughter to any mortal smile you purify the air of Eternity here where I breathe the air of my fathers mask of maskless faces free from dimples and wrinkles you have composed this image this my face that bends over the altar of white paper in the name of your image listen to me now while the Africa of despotism is dying it is the agony of a perturable princess like that of Europe to whom she is connected through the navel now fix your immobile eyes upon your children who have been called and who sacrifice their lives like the poor man his last garment so that Hereafter we may cry here at The Rebirth of the world being the leaven that the white flower needs for who else would teach Rhythm to the world that has died of machines and canons for who else should ejaculate The Cry of joy that arouses the dead and the wise in a new dawn say who else could return the memory of life to men with the torn hope they call us cotton heads and coffee men and oily men they call us men of death but we are the men of the dance whose feet only gain power when they beat the hard soil Line 1 States masks owe masks addressing a personified object in poetry is called apostrophe masks are powerful symbols of culture and Heritage and are believed to embody or encase the spirits of the ancestors or the Gods the speaker begins this Prayer by addressing the masks directly by addressing the masks the speaker is thus addressing his ancestors in line two the speaker addresses specific masks black mask red mask you black and white masks by acknowledging each mask and its color individually he pays each Spirit or ancestor its due respect we could also interpret the different colors of each mask to represent the different skin colors or cultures in Africa in line three the speaker addresses a mask with a rectangular face all of the mentioned masks he says are through whom the spirit breathes the spirit of the ancestor figuratively breathes through the mask because the mask is the medium or the go between the ancestors in the afterlife and the speaker in the realm of the living in line four the speaker states that he greets all of these masks in silence the use of the pronoun I places this address in the first person this means that this prayer is personal intimate and sincere he does not speak this prayer out aloud but rather in silence this is because a prayer does not need to be spoken aloud in order for it to be heard the exclamation mark emphasizes the silence and the respect that is used to address the ancestors embodied by the masks in line five the speaker also addresses and acknowledges his lion-headed ancestor his family ancestral Guardian it is interesting to note that the poet's father's name was diagoye which translates to lion as is well known a lion symbolizes bravery and strength the speaker honors this particular ancestor as this ancestor with the lion head is called upon while single says his prayer in line 6 the speaker continues to tell these masks the ancestors you guard this place this place refers to the afterlife in some African cultures the afterlife or the realm in which the ancestors exist is close to any feminine laughter this just means that in some traditions women are not allowed access to the spiritual Realm in some traditions feminine is associated with a weaker energy and thus would be excluded laughter would also be closed from the afterlife or the spiritual Realm laughter in a holy Sacred Space would be deemed disrespectful and thus it is not a part of this realm this line also makes reference to a patriarchal society which is part of the traditional cultures of many African people the afterlife or the spiritual realm is also closed to any mortal smile this simply means that the living in general cannot access the realm of the ancestors either in line 7 the speaker addresses The Masks or the ancestors by telling them you purify the air of Eternity The Masks are symbols of Purity and virtue that are beyond the physical world the ancestors are the ones who purify and cleanse the spiritual realm making it sacred it is in the physical living world where the speaker breathes the air of my father's the air here is figurative and simply refers to values memories culture and traditions these are aspects passed down from my father's the speaker's ancestors to summarize this the ancestors cleanse the spiritual realm while on Earth the speaker embodies his culture values and traditions passed down to him from his ancestors in line 8 the speaker addresses The Masks of maskless faces in various African cultures mosques are representations of the Dead the maskless faces that are encapsulated into pieces of wood for eternity the faces of chiefs were often carved into wooden masks to honor them forever the speaker describes the masks he addresses as free from dimples and wrinkles because masks are carved from solid wood their appearance literally cannot be altered by wrinkles and Imperfections caused by the passage of time figuratively in the spiritual realm they are also free from Earthly troubles worries and impurities in line 9 the speaker states of the Mask you have composed this image in other words The Masks which are the ancestors have shaped or created who the speaker is as a person they have shaped or created this my face that bends over the act of bending over in this context is synonymous with prayer and respect the speaker describes himself as bending over the altar he and altar is a place of worship this suggests something that is being revered or worshiped which fits the context since the speaker is saying a prayer the speaker calls the piece of white paper on which he is writing this poem or prayer the altar on which the prayer appears so literally this white paper is a page on which he writes figuratively a white paper refers to the laws made by governments and all the paperwork in creating laws or political alliances whether literally writing his prayer on white paper or figuratively being involved in politics and law making the speaker calls on his ancestors and acknowledges that he is made in their image in line 10 the speaker implores The Masks or his ancestors in the name of your image listen to me this is not stated in a demanding tone but it is rather A desperate and pleading tone the speaker appeals to the masks to listen to him for he is their Living Image to whom he is writing this prayer line 11 states now while the Africa of despotism is dying despotism means tyranny or dictatorship the idea that the Africa of despotism is dying refers to the fact that colonial rule is coming to an end by the time this poem was published in 1945 some African countries had already gained independence while colonial rule is coming to an end the speaker refers to Africa as a pitiable princess experiencing agony we can interpret this as meaning Africa is still Noble she is a princess but she deserves pity even though colonialism is coming to an end there is still a general suffering of African people and a decline of traditional African culture traditions and power Still Remains in line 12 the decline of Africa is like that of Europe we have a simile here in which Africa's decline is compared to the decline of Europe which was suffering its own decline due to the after-effects of World War II Africa is compared to Europe to whom she referring to Africa is connected through the navel we have a metaphor here the speaker suggests that Europe and Africa are connected to each other like a mother is connected to her baby this metaphor can be interpreted that there is a sense of hope that once the umbilical cord between Europe and Africa is cut Africa will be free of Europe's colonial rule most people believe that Europe did not treat Africa as a mother should even though the poet single did not condone what colonial Powers did his belief was that Senegal should should not remove itself completely from France referring back to the mother and fetus image for this view some people accused him of being a neocolonialist regarding Senegal's gaining of Independence in line 13 the speaker pleads to The Masks or the ancestors to now fix your immobile eyes upon your children who have been called The Masks being made of wood would have literal immobile eyes in other words eyes that cannot move figuratively perhaps the ancestors are described as being immobile because of the loss of African tradition meaning they have failed to see the suffering of the African people at the hands of colonialism the speaker asks the ancestors to fix or Focus their eyes upon your children in other words the people of Africa particularly the next generation of people and those who have been called to be the ones to fight for freedom from oppression the speaker pleads with the masks or the ancestors in line 14 to also acknowledge those who sacrifice their lives like the poor man his last garment in this line we have a simile those who have fought against the oppressors are compared to a poor person who has just given up his last piece of clothing the speaker asks the ancestors to acknowledge the fact that those who have fought have sacrificed all they have to obtain their freedom The Masks are called to witness the struggles of modern Africa singles suggests that the traditional customs and values have not really responded to the major changes brought about by African and colonialist history the poem comes to a significant question do the masks the ancestors hold a cherished view from which the presence can be seen and they acknowledge the suffering of the present or are they merely relics of a past that have nothing to say the ancestors are asked to acknowledge the children who fought for change so that in line 15 Hereafter we may cry here at The Rebirth of the world the word Hereafter simply means in the future in the future those who fought for change can shout out here here we are in this place at this time at The Rebirth of the world in other words after the colonizers leave right here in Africa and right now Africa will have a chance to start afresh those who fight for change are the leaven that the white flower needs we have a metaphor in this line the future Generations are likened to the leaven Levin is yeast that is added to white flour in order to make bread rise when it is baked the white flower is likened to Africa in other words a successful loaf of bread and Africa Rising to success will be made because of the future Generations fighting for change line 16 is a rhetorical question for who else will teach Rhythm to the world Rhythm here can be likened to traditional cultures and values who else will teach traditional culture and values to a world that has died a world that is no longer influenced by colonialist and Western traditions and values Africa is a world that has died of machines and canons in other words the over-reliance on technology and Machinery has caused the spiritual soul to wither the world has lost its ability to feel Joy because Warfare has also contributed to the destruction of the world African people will breathe life back into the world that has died through a rebirth and a Rejuvenation of traditions cultures and values line 17 is another rhetorical question for who else should ejaculate The Cry Of Joy this refers to the absolute exclamation of Joy at the climax of regaining political Independence and identity this Cry of joy that arouses the dead and the wise in other words The Masks ancestors and African people are awakened in a new dawn a new phase in their lives a reborn Africa will bring its youthful energy to renew hope where there has been isolation exhaustion Despair and death line 18 poses another rhetorical question say who else could return the memory of life to men with torn hope in lines 16 17 and 18 who else refers to the new generation of African people who are free from colonialism they will be the ones to return the memory of life to men with a torn hope this can refer to the idea that there has been destruction and violence but there is still a Vestige or a tiny glimmer of hope and optimism left the rhetorical questions might convey some doubt but they also suggest that the reader will be a part of the new era they almost offer a challenge to the new generation to embrace this new phase under a new political system foreign 19 reads they call us cotton heads and coffee men and oily men the pronoun they refers to the colonialists some colonialists used these derogatory tombs the theme of Oppression is supported by the reference to the stereotypical Prejudice and racist terms that the oppressed were labeled with according to their physical traits the colonialists also referred to the oppressed as men of death this perhaps makes reference to the idea that some colonialists viewed African people as Savage and dangerous however line 21 States but we are the men of the dance whose feet only gain power when they beat the hard soil the dance references a traditional dance the people in this line appear strong and resilient this dance symbolizes their Newfound freedom and then renewed identity and culture they the colonialists may consider themselves superior but it is the African people who will raise the dead and regain their power the hard soil is like a drum being beaten Awakening the world to a new beginning of freedom there are a number of themes that appear in this poem these include the oppression and discrimination of African people the role of ancestors honoring ancestors the desire for Freedom New Beginnings and adapting to the westernized world while trying to understand and continue traditions the tone in this poem includes oppression suffering and Hope thank you for watching this presentation on prayer to masks by Leopold siddar single please be sure to subscribe to my YouTube channel and to 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