Mystic Drum by Gabriel Okara

Mystic Drum by Gabriel Okara

Introduction :-

Gabriel Okara was born in Nigeria when there was a British colony and, indeed, it would be nearly forty years before his country was to gain independence in October 1960.During his life, Okara did jobs like, initially working as a book binder, journalist, radio broadcaster and newspaper editor. He has also travelled to the USA where he helped raise money for Nigeria by giving poetry recitals.

Okara’s poems tend reflect the problems that African nations face as they are torn between the culture of their European colonists and their traditional African heritage. 

He also looks at the traumatic effect that colonization and DE-colonization can have on the self and a one's sense of personal identity. For example Okara often depicts characters suffering from 'Culture shock' as they are torn between these two irreconcilable cultures. On the one hand there is Christianity and the definite material benefits such as classroom education and well-paid jobs that the European way of life offers, while on the other hand, there is the unspoken expectation that the 'true' African was allegiance to his original tribal culture and should embrace these 'roots'. This contrast is summed up nicely by another African poet called Mabel segue in the following lines:

“Here we stand

Infants overblown

Packed between two civilizations

Finding the balance irksome".

 About Poem:-

This poem is written by Gabriel Okara. The Drum represents African culture.

The Mystic Drum and Lines:-

“The mystic drum beat in my inside

and fishes danced in the rivers

and men and women danced on land

to the rhythm of my drum”

“But standing behind a tree

with leaves around her waist

she only smiled with a shake of her head.”

We can say that is connecting with heart beats of poetic persona. Lady who smile’s behind tree is signifies so many things. She is an outsider. Lady thinks that she has more rich culture, but in real sense the colonized won’t have their Own culture. In this poem we found that men, women and fishes are dancing on the bit of drum. It shows the connection of nature and humans, that they are dancing together. It also shows how powerful mystic drum is? The African culture is connected with nature, the mystic drum invokes the sun, the moon, the river, gods and the trees began to dance.

 In the poem lady is outsider and colonizer also. She is standing behind tree; it shows because of industrial revolution the trees and forest are cutting down. Poetic persona says that the mystic drum is not beat loudly anymore (Vajani Bhumi's Assignment).Because of industrialization, African culture destroys slowly. It means the western people started ruling over Africa. We can say that lady is personification of industrialization. 

This is gift of colonialism and imperialism. Industrialization started sucking the land through their roots. The smoke comes from her lips is suggest how much pollution is done by industrialization. In the poem we found that when drum is beaten men become fishes and fishes become men. But when mystic drum stopped beating men become men and fishes become fishes. It reflects that life become dry and mechanical.