Telephone conversation and Dedication by Soyinka

Telephone conversation and Dedication by Soyinka
African literature

1. ‘Telephone Conversation’ & ‘Dedication’ by Soyinka Nirali Rathod Roll no:22 M.A Sem-4 D ept. Of English MKBU

2. About the Poet Wole Soyinka , a Nigerian poet was born in 1934. He was awarded Nobel Prize in Literature in 1986. He was the first African to be awarded in that category. He was described as one "who in a wide cultural perspective and with poetic overtones fashions the drama of existence

3. Telephone conversation Telephone Conversation" is a 1963 poem by the Nigerian writer Wole Soyinka that satires racism . The poem describes a phone call between a landlady and the speaker, who is black, about renting an apartment. 

4. The poem is a poetic satire on racism. It is a telephone conversation between a White landlady and a prospective Black tenant. Racial bias and colour prejudice of the landlady and controlled anger of the tenant has been highlighted. The caller was happy with the location of the house and the rent, however he had to disclose that he was a black man so that he would not waste a journey. The poem satirizes the hypocrisy of the white woman who is dumbstruck when she comes to know.

5. The landlady seems foolish when she asks him to describe the colour of his skin. The caller feels insulted and being a victim of racial prejudice hits back by giving details of his skin. But the lady is unaware of the irony hangs up the phone .

6. Racism The idea behind the poem Telephone Conversation is to depict how brutal and devastating it can be for a man who is subjected to racial discrimination .  The poem reflects the conflict between the black and the white landlady. The poem points at the absurdity of racism. The practice of judging someone on the basis of his colour/race/caste/social status instead of his inner capabilities presents the highly corrupt image of the society where individuality is at stake .