Lecture Notes: Analysis of "Cockroaches" by Mari Yamp

Introduction

• Poet Background:
  • Mari Yamp, born in Kenya in 1927.
  • Writer, poet, and university lecturer.
  • Kenya's colonial history: Colonized by the British, gained independence in 1963.
  • Importance of colonial context in poem's figurative interpretation.

Title and Initial Impressions

• Title: "Cockroaches"
  • Connotations: pests, invasive, negative perception.
  • Sets the tone for the poem's theme.

Poem Analysis

• Stanza 1:

  • "Turn on the light and helter-skelter they scuttle to their dark shelters."
    • Imperative "Turn on" suggests command.
    • Cockroaches' nocturnal nature and preference for darkness.
    • "Helter-skelter": disorderly, hasty movement.
    • Use of exclusive pronoun "they" indicates human vs. cockroach perspective.
    • Alliteration "skelter" and "scuttle" mimic cockroach movement.

• Stanza 2:

  • "Cut them off from their hideouts..."
    • Commands "Cut," "Block" to isolate the cockroaches.
    • Use of "hideout" implies criminality.
    • Rhyme: "approaches" and "cockroaches," "flurry" and "worry."
    • Speaker's attitude: Witnessing suffering of cockroaches.

• Stanza 3 and 4:

  • Shift from commanding to questioning tone.
  • "But who ordained the crash full of sandals..."
    • "Sandals" as synecdoche for human violence.
    • Cockroaches portrayed as shy, victims.
  • Contemplative questions:
    • "Or is it their love of darkness holds them suspect?"
      • Questions about suspicion and distrust due to cockroaches' nature.

Literal vs Figurative Interpretation

• Literal:
  • Cockroaches vs. humans, power dynamic.
• Figurative:
  • Cockroaches as metaphor for oppressed people under colonialism.
  • Speaker from colonial perspective.
  • Contrast in language: "shy," "hopeless" vs. "cut," "suspect."
  • Reflects colonial brutality and inhumanity.

Structure and Style

• Form: Free verse, varying stanza lengths.
• Rhyme: No ordered rhyme scheme, occasional rhyme.
• Enjambment: Run-on lines and short lines emphasize urgency and movement.

Themes and Messages

• Themes:

  • Violent oppression, colonialism, racism, mistreatment of others.

• Tone and Mood:

  • Cruel in first two stanzas, thoughtful and contemplative in latter stanzas.

Conclusion

• Final Thoughts:

  • Effective metaphor highlighting brutality of colonial actions.
  • Encourages reflection on historical and social issues presented in poem.

• Call to Action:

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