This poem is a satirical conversation between a black man and a white landlady. The landlady refuses to rent an apartment to the man based on his race, asking intrusive questions about how dark his skin is. Through irony and symbolism, the poem critiques the social evil of racial prejudice and highlights the landlady's ignorance and shallow judgments based on skin color alone. It uses the lyrical retelling of the phone call to ridicule racist attitudes and assumptions during the 20th century.
Shakespeare wrote 154 sonnets. His sonnets talk about love, friendship etc.The sonnets to the young man express overwhelming, obsessional love. The main cause of debate has always been whether it remained platonic or became physical.The first 17 poems, traditionally called the procreation sonnets, are addressed to the young man urging him to marry and have children in order to immortalize his beauty by passing it to the next generation.Other sonnets express the speaker's love for the young man; brood upon loneliness, death, and the transience of life; seem to criticise the young man for preferring a rival poet; express ambiguous feelings for the speaker's mistress; and pun on the poet's name. The final two sonnets are allegorical treatments of Greek epigrams referring to the "little love-god" Cupid.
Shakespeare wrote 154 sonnets. His sonnets talk about love, friendship etc.The sonnets to the young man express overwhelming, obsessional love. The main cause of debate has always been whether it remained platonic or became physical.The first 17 poems, traditionally called the procreation sonnets, are addressed to the young man urging him to marry and have children in order to immortalize his beauty by passing it to the next generation.Other sonnets express the speaker's love for the young man; brood upon loneliness, death, and the transience of life; seem to criticise the young man for preferring a rival poet; express ambiguous feelings for the speaker's mistress; and pun on the poet's name. The final two sonnets are allegorical treatments of Greek epigrams referring to the "little love-god" Cupid.
Classifications of Poetry
I. Narrative Poems.
1. Tells a story. (Series of events.)
A. Ballad
1.) very short story
2.) folk product – regular people
3.) simple plot and language
4.) has dialogue
B. Metrical Tale
1.) short story in verse
2.) more descriptions
3.) poet expresses attitudes and opinions
C. Epic
1.) extremely long. (Novel length story in verse.)
2.) about national heroes, kings, great warriors, etc.
3.) elevated tone, lofty style. Language is highly poetic.
II. Lyric Poems.
1. Expresses an emotion. Does not tell a story.
2. Shares a moment – does not explain it.
3. Keys to understand – refer to “Understanding Traditional Poetry.”
a.) Logical content – what the writing actually says.
b.) Emotive content – feeling the writing produces.
A. Reflective Lyric: 99% of school poems fall in this category!!!
1.) Emotional response through recall/ reflection (past tense.)
2.) Usually calm
B. Elegy:
1.) Expresses grief at death.
2.) Usually dignified.
3.) Formal language and structure.
C. Ode:
1.) Any sustained lyric poem of exalted theme.
2.) Often commemorating some important event.
3.) Dignified formal language / irregular structure
D. Sonnet:
1.) Dignified subject matter
2.) FIXED FORM !
a.) Italian (Petrarchan)
abba
abba
cdc, cdc or cdcdcd
b.) English (Shakespearean)
abab
cdcd
efef
gg
III. Dramatic Poetry.
A. Dramatic Narrative: Tells a story by the person involved.
B. Dramatic Monologue: One speaking to others on stage. They listen, character speaks.
C. Soliloquy: One character on stage speaking alone (to himself.)
References:
www.poetrysoups.com
www.allpoetry.com
www.wisegeek.org
www.yourdictionary.com
www.bartleby.com
www.olypen.com
www.goole.com
Classifications of Poetry
I. Narrative Poems.
1. Tells a story. (Series of events.)
A. Ballad
1.) very short story
2.) folk product – regular people
3.) simple plot and language
4.) has dialogue
B. Metrical Tale
1.) short story in verse
2.) more descriptions
3.) poet expresses attitudes and opinions
C. Epic
1.) extremely long. (Novel length story in verse.)
2.) about national heroes, kings, great warriors, etc.
3.) elevated tone, lofty style. Language is highly poetic.
II. Lyric Poems.
1. Expresses an emotion. Does not tell a story.
2. Shares a moment – does not explain it.
3. Keys to understand – refer to “Understanding Traditional Poetry.”
a.) Logical content – what the writing actually says.
b.) Emotive content – feeling the writing produces.
A. Reflective Lyric: 99% of school poems fall in this category!!!
1.) Emotional response through recall/ reflection (past tense.)
2.) Usually calm
B. Elegy:
1.) Expresses grief at death.
2.) Usually dignified.
3.) Formal language and structure.
C. Ode:
1.) Any sustained lyric poem of exalted theme.
2.) Often commemorating some important event.
3.) Dignified formal language / irregular structure
D. Sonnet:
1.) Dignified subject matter
2.) FIXED FORM !
a.) Italian (Petrarchan)
abba
abba
cdc, cdc or cdcdcd
b.) English (Shakespearean)
abab
cdcd
efef
gg
III. Dramatic Poetry.
A. Dramatic Narrative: Tells a story by the person involved.
B. Dramatic Monologue: One speaking to others on stage. They listen, character speaks.
C. Soliloquy: One character on stage speaking alone (to himself.)
References:
www.poetrysoups.com
www.allpoetry.com
www.wisegeek.org
www.yourdictionary.com
www.bartleby.com
www.olypen.com
www.goole.com
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2. The price seemed reasonable, location
Indifferent. The landlady swore she lived
Off premises. Nothing remained
But self-confession. "Madam," I warned,
"I hate a wasted journey—I am African."
Silence. Silenced transmission of
Pressurized good-breeding. Voice, when it came,
Lipstick coated, long gold rolled
Cigarette-holder pipped. Caught I was foully.
3. "HOW DARK?" . . . I had not misheard . . . "ARE YOU LIGHT
OR VERY DARK?" Button B, Button A. Stench
Of rancid breath of public hide-and-speak.
Red booth. Red pillar box. Red double-tiered
Omnibus squelching tar. It was real! Shamed
By ill-mannered silence, surrender
Pushed dumbfounded to beg simplification.
Considerate she was, varying the emphasis--
"ARE YOU DARK? OR VERY LIGHT?" Revelation came.
"You mean--like plain or milk chocolate?"
4. Her assent was clinical, crushing in its light
Impersonality. Rapidly, wave-length adjusted,
I chose. "West African sepia"--and as afterthought,
"Down in my passport." Silence for spectroscopic
Flight of fancy, till truthfulness clanged her accent
Hard on the mouthpiece. "WHAT'S THAT?" conceding
"DON'T KNOW WHAT THAT IS." "Like brunette."
"THAT'S DARK, ISN'T IT?" "Not altogether.
5. Facially, I am brunette, but, madam, you should see
The rest of me. Palm of my hand, soles of my feet
Are a peroxide blond. Friction, caused--
Foolishly, madam--by sitting down, has turned
My bottom raven black--One moment, madam!"--sensing
Her receiver rearing on the thunderclap
About my ears--"Madam," I pleaded, "wouldn't you rather
See for yourself?"
6. "Telephone Conversation" is a biting satire
against the racist attitudes of whites in the
20th century. It ridicules the social evil and
human weakness of racial prejudice.
Overtly, the poem deals with a black, educated
man who is ringing up a white landlady about
renting an apartment and, we assume, is not
allowed to rent the apartment because of the
colour of his skin.
7. Form and Structure
Lyric poem – a poem recounting a personal event, usually in
the present tense.
Free verse – the lack of structure represents the spontaneity
and realism of the conversation, as well as the lack of rhyme.
Caesura – abrupt stops representing the disgust of the speaker
or drawing attention to how horrible the woman’s racism is.
8. Symbolism and Imagery
Colours - “brunette” “peroxide blonde” “raven black” “West African
sepia” “plain or milk chocolate”
"HOW DARK?... ARE YOU LIGHT OR VERY DARK?“
“spectroscopic” - a spectroscope is a device used to break down and
separate the light bounced off from an object. The landlady is drawing a
contrast between herself and the speaker of the poem. Their colours are
separated, unable to unite.
9. Symbolism and Imagery
Alliteration - “clinical, crushing.” The ‘c’ sound heightens the
sense of the sheer coldness of the landlady towards the speaker.
“long gold-rolled/Cigarette-holder” – extended metaphor for the
white landlady. It symbolises her perceived affluence and
importance.
10. Symbolism and Imagery
Symbolism of red. Links to national identity. Consider the
connotations of red also – in particular, anger.
11. Irony
The lady is continuously described in positive terms, suggesting
that she is of a good breeding and upper class. Even when the
reader finds out that she is a shallow and racist person who
exhibits extreme insensitivity by asking crude questions, the man
seems to think that she is ‘considerate’ and her clinical response
to his question shows only ‘light impersonality.’ The repeated
and exaggerated assertions of the woman’s good manners and
sophistication drip with irony as her speech contradict this
strongly.
12. Irony
The basis of the woman rejecting to lease her house to the man
is because of the prejudiced notion that African Americans are a
savage and wild people. This idea is completely discredited by
the ironical fact that throughout the poem the man retains
better manners and vocabulary than the woman, using words
such as “spectroscopic” and “rancid”, whereas she does not
know what West African Sepia is and is inconsiderate in her
inquiries. Using irony in this manner, Soyinka proves how absurd
it is to judge the intellect or character of a man depending on the
colour of his skin only.
