Paper_206 Echoes of Ancestry and Innovation_ The Musicality and Rhythmic Duality in Okara’s The Piano and The Drums.pptx

Echoes of Ancestry and Innovation_ The Musicality and Rhythmic Duality in Okara’s The Piano and The Drums

1. Hardii Vhora Echoes of Ancestry and Innovation: The Musicality and Rhythmic Duality in Okara’s The Piano and The Drums Prepared By:-

2. NAME :- HARDII VHORA ENROLLMENT NO. :- 5108230050 SEM. :- 4 BATCH :- 2023-2025 ROLL NO. :- 08 PAPER-CODE :- 22413 PAPER NAME :- The African Literature SUBMITTED TO :- SMT. GARDI DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH MKBU E-MAIL:- [email protected]

3. TABLE OF CONTENTS Introduction of Writer Introduction: The Poem as a Soundscape The Drums: The Pulse of Tradition The Piano: The Complexity of Modernity Contrapuntal Tension: The Interplay of Sound and Meaning Conclusion: Harmony or Dissonance? Work Cited

4. Hypothesis : Gabriel Okara’s Piano and Drums portrays the tension between tradition and modernity through musical imagery, suggesting that cultural hybridity creates both conflict and the potential for a new, evolving identity rather than a rigid dichotomy. Research Question: How does Okara use musical symbolism in Piano and Drums to explore the complexities of cultural identity, and does the poem suggest reconciliation or perpetual conflict between tradition and modernity?

5. 01 Introduction of Writer

6. Gabriel Okara (1921–2019) was a Nigerian poet and novelist blending African thought with English literary forms. Self-educated, he worked as a bookbinder before becoming a writer and radio playwright. His poem “The Call of the River Nun” (1953) won an award at the Nigerian Festival of Arts. Featured in Black Orpheus, he gained literary recognition by 1960. His poetry explores contrasts, life and death, and circular movement between reality and transcendence. (“Gabriel Okara | Biography, Books, & Poems”)

7. 02 Introduction: The Poem as a Soundscape

8. The Poem explores the clash between African tradition and Western influence. Drums symbolize African heritage, evoking primal rhythms and cultural roots. Piano represents Western civilization, bringing complexity and alienation. Musicality enhances poetry through rhythm and sound. Drums’ rhythm reflects African spontaneity, while piano’s melody signifies Western refinement. Imagery contrasts simplicity (drums) with sophistication (piano) to highlight cultural tension. Sound devices enrich the poem’s thematic depth. The poem mirrors the poet’s internal cultural conflict. It reflects the postcolonial struggle for identity and hybridity.

9. The Drums: The Pulse of Tradition 03

10. The drums embody the heartbeat of African tradition, echoing its raw energy and communal spirit. Their rhythmic beats symbolize an intuitive, unstructured way of life, deeply tied to oral traditions. In the poem, the speaker takes the reader through the process of socialization which ranges from his indigenous culture to the modern culture (Westernization). Each of this culture is represented with musical instruments (“drums” and “piano” respectively. In this sense, the entire structure of the poem is built on a nostalgia feeling. This is to say the speaker of the poem has developed physically and psychologically. (Salamatu Isah Ibrahim 159)

11. The first stanza celebrates indigenous culture and civilization through key cultural agents. “Jungle drums,” “hunters,” and “mother” symbolize traditional socialization and cultural transmission. The speaker’s childhood is shaped by the mystic rhythm of the jungle drums, representing collective identity. The “riverside” setting suggests a fishing-based agricultural lifestyle. The jungle drums are personified as “telegraphing” culture, emphasizing oral tradition. Auditory imagery (“hear,” “telegraphing,” “speaking”) highlights the oral nature of indigenous communication. The rural community appears untouched by modern civilization. The phrase “mystic rhythm” suggests both cultural depth and possible esoteric meaning. The poem shifts from listening to jungle drums to observing hunters’ wild games, marking a transition. (Salamatu Isah Ibrahim 159)

12. The Piano: The Complexity of Modernity 04

13. The piano symbolizes the structured complexity of modern Western influence. Its smooth, layered rhythm mirrors the calculated systems of colonization and modernity. Unlike the primal drums, the piano evokes emotional distance and alienation. European civilization entered Africa in the 16th century, creating cultural divisions. The drum symbolizes African tradition, while the piano represents European influence. This cultural clash led to tensions between old traditions and modern European ways. Okara highlights the struggles, misconceptions, and anxieties of the younger generation. (Gupta 306)

14. The speaker encounters a foreign culture that brings both pain and confusion. The word “then” signals a sudden shift from indigenous to Western influence. The piano symbolizes an alien culture from “far-away lands and new horizons”. Unlike the immediate effect of the drums, Western culture complicates socialization. The speaker struggles with the complexity and disruptive impact of the new culture. Despite its difficulties, the speaker is fascinated by the uniqueness of the foreign culture. Caught between two opposing forces, the speaker feels lost in cultural conflict. (Salamatu Isah Ibrahim 160)

15. Contrapuntal Tension: The Interplay of Sound and Meaning 05

16. The rhythmic shifts in the poem mirror the speaker’s internal conflict between indigenous and foreign identities. The interplay of “jungle drums” and “wailing piano” creates contrapuntal tension, symbolizing cultural clash and hybrid identity. The speaker’s torn identity is reflected in the poetic structure, ending “at a dagger point” and “wandering” between cultures. Juxtaposition of abrupt drum beats with the flowing piano notes highlights the contrast between primal urgency and modern complexity. The speaker finds both fascination and alienation in the piano’s complexities, mirroring the struggle with Western influence. Identity is presented as fluid and fragmented, constantly shaped by the tension between tradition and modernity. The speaker desires yet resists the labyrinthine complexity of the piano, revealing the paradox of cultural assimilation. The poem suggests that self-recognition emerges t hrough difference, not isolation, as identity forms in the interplay of opposing cultural forces. (Salamatu Isah Ibrahim 161)

17. Conclusion: Harmony or Dissonance? 06

18. Okara’s Piano and Drums does not offer a definitive resolution between tradition and modernity but rather highlights the speaker’s perpetual negotiation between the two. The poem’s musicality—juxtaposing the primal urgency of the jungle drums with the structured complexity of the piano—mirrors the tension within cultural hybridity. While tradition offers rootedness and simplicity, modernity brings complexity and alienation, leaving the speaker in a state of wandering. Yet, this very tension suggests that identity is not a fixed entity but an evolving interplay of influences. Ultimately, the poem invites reflection: Can the dissonance between cultures give rise to a new, harmonious rhythm of identity?

19. # Work Cited:- “Gabriel Okara | Biography, Books, & Poems.” Britannica , https://www.britannica.com/biography/Gabriel-Okara. Accessed 10 March 2025. Gupta, Prayash. “Cultural dichotomy in Okara’s Piano and Drums.” The Literary Herald An International Refereed English e-Journal , vol. 2, no. 1, June 2016, p. 9. www.tlhjournal.com/ , https://tlhjournal.com/uploads/products/31.prayash-gupta-article.pdf. Accessed 10 March 2025. Salamatu Isah Ibrahim, Kehinde, Oluwabukola. “The Fluidity of Cultural Identity: A Deconstructive Reading of Gabriel Okara’s “Piano and Drums” and Kofi Awoonor’s “The Anvil and the Hammer.”” Ansu Journal of Language and Literary Studies , vol. 2, no. 2, 2021, p. 11. https://ezenwaohaetorc.org/ , https://ezenwaohaetorc.org/journals/index.php/AJLLS/article/download/1955/1980. Accessed 10 March 2025.

20. THANKS!