An African Elegy

We are the miracles that God made

To taste the bitter fruit of Time.

We are precious.

And one day our suffering

Will turn into the wonders of the earth.

STANZA 1

There are things that burn me now

Which turn golden when I am happy.

Do you see the mystery of our pain?

That we bear poverty

And are able to sing and dream sweet things

STANZA 2

And that we never curse the air when it is warm

Or the fruit when it tastes so good

Or the lights that bounce gently on the waters?

We bless things even in our pain.

We bless them in silence.

STANZA 3

That is why our music is so sweet.

It makes the air remember.

There are secret miracles at work

That only Time will bring forth.

I too have heard the dead singing.

STANZA 4

And they tell me that

This life is good

They tell me to live it gently

With fire, and always with hope.

There is wonder here

STANZA 5

And there is surprise

In everything the unseen moves.

The ocean is full of songs.

The sky is not an enemy.

Destiny is our friend.

STANZA 6

Literary Devices

Stanza 1

We are the miracles that God made

To taste the bitter fruit of Time.

We are precious.

And one day our suffering

Will turn into the wonders of the earth.

Stanza 2

There are things that burn me now

Which turn golden when I am happy.

Do you see the mystery of our pain?

That we bear poverty

And are able to sing and dream sweet things

Stanza 3

And that we never curse the air when it is warm

Or the fruit when it tastes so good

Or the lights that bounce gently on the waters?

We bless things even in our pain.

We bless them in silence.

Stanza 4

That is why our music is so sweet.

It makes the air remember.

There are secret miracles at work

That only Time will bring forth.

I too have heard the dead singing.

Stanza 5

And they tell me that

This life is good

They tell me to live it gently

With fire, and always with hope.

There is wonder here

Stanza 6

And there is surprise

In everything the unseen moves.

The ocean is full of songs.

The sky is not an enemy.

Destiny is our friend.

THEME

Interpretation of the good and bad in life. Ben Okri teaches us simply to be appreciative in what we are given and gained in our life. Many things that we are accustomed to or are dissatisfied with, other pray for. There are many verses in which we can relate this theme of appreciation and learn to look at life with an objective perspective instead of a subjective outlook.

THEME

Connections

Paul's Connections

OUTSIDE CONNECTION

• Michael grew up in poverty he had overcome obstacles with the help of the Tuohy family
• Even when in poverty Michael still appreciates and thinks of what he got
• Although he has a tough time, he doesn’t give up to graduate high school into a College NCAA program
• Michael and his tutor still had hope in him. Though he had started off really slow, his devoted tutor had not given up on him
• Michael embraces destiny and his tough journey with the success in entering the NFL

Delarah's Connection

• focuses on the innocence of children and how they don’t see difference between colour, gender, race etc.
• issues like racism are taught to children, no one in born racist
• These are all forms of hatred that are taught not inherited

CONNECTION TO SOCIAL ISSUES

• Continuous suffering and racism that Black people face to this day
• stated ‘we’ (in reference to Africans) will face good and bad times
• slavery & civil rights movements
• Africans use their hardships to strengthen their

determination

In-Class Connection

In Defence of Poetry

Themes of time, appreciation and hope are shared between both the article and the poem. In Defence of Poetry, speaks of the purity of poetry and its beauty as a product. Much like the poem, both works outline true appreciation. They state the importance of both poetry and living out your best life.

Mackie's Connection

“We are the miracles that God made

To taste the bitter fruit of Time.”

“There are secret miracles at work

That only Time will bring forth.”

“And that we never curse the air when it is warm

Or the fruit when it tastes so good

Or the lights that bounce gently on the waters?

We bless things even in our pain.

We bless them in silence.”

“A poem is the very image of life expressed in its eternal truth.”

“Poetry is the record for the best and happiest moments of the happiest and best minds."

“Poetry turns all things to loveliness; it exalts the beauty of that which is most beautiful, and it adds beauty to that which is most deformed; it marries exultation and horror, grief and pleasure, eternity and change; it subdues to union under its light yoke all irreconcilable things.”

Personal Connection

Mental Illness

Throughout the poem, the speaker speaks of both positive and negative. The poem speaks of “us” being miracles of God, precious. And undergoing suffering but having that suffering being turned into something more. Additionally, the poem discusses turning the worst around and making it better as well as truly cherishing. I was able to connect it to the suffering with a mental illness.

And that we never curse the air when it is warm

Or the fruit when it tastes so good

Or the lights that bounce gently on the waters?

We bless things even in our pain.

We bless them in silence.

Connection to To Kill a Mockingbird

• The novel is set in a time period which segregation is apparent
• The black community in the book recognize they do not live in the best living conditions, however they do not curse them just as they do not curse the good things in life
• Rather than allowing the negative people and circumstances get them down, they use it to strengthen them and their community, maintain hope and faith through togetherness and trust that it will get better in this life or another.

• Calpurnia the house slave, did not have the best circumstance in terms of living conditions and working conditions. She still never let Her circumstance bring her down
• Church scene, where Calpurnia brings Jem and scout to her colored church. This scene emphasizes the level of togetherness and hope within the black community in the county.

Keianah's Connection

Discussion Questions

a) Imagine the poet had left the word "African" out of the title. Read the poem again. How would this change in the title affect your interpretation of the poem?

Question 1

If "African" was not present in the title, the reader would reference this to obstacles and hardships one must overcome. This might not concern readers about the authors personal experience.

b) Explain the meaning of the three short sentences that conclude the poem. Why does Okri put these last points in separate, short sentences?

The last three lines explain good things you can look forward to in bad times.

The last points are separate because this concludes Okri's thoughts. It applies emphasis on each statement using periods and stresses the significance of each line in terms of poem.

The ocean is full of songs.

The sky is not an enemy.

Destiny is our friend.

2. Examine the pronouns used in the poem

a) Who are the people referred to as "we"?

The people refered to as "we" are humans. The opening line to this poem "We are the miracles that God made" is an allusion that references to the Bible, moreover, the teaching of the Christian faith.

b) Who is the "you" in the poem?

The "you" in the poem is the reader. The speaker is directly addressing their audience.

"Do you see the mystery in our pain?"

c) Who are the people referred to as "they" in the second last stanza?

The people referred to as "they" in the second last stanza are the dead. This is hinted through the title as an elegy is most commonly a lament for the dead and the stanza prior refers to the hearing the dead "I too have head the dead singing".

Question 3

Make a note of all the references to miracles and the inexplicable throughout the poem. What is the significance of these references? Why are time and fate often mentioned together in miracles?

• Throughout the poem, Ben Okri refers to us as miracles which god made.
• Everything in life is essentially a miracle, and therefore inexplicable.
• Okri expresses the importance of maintaining hope and faith over time and through one’s struggles.
• Fifth stanza Okri states that there are secret miracles at work, touching upon the factor of time and therefore fate. Fate is not immediate as it comes when it comes.
• The significance of these references is to remind the reader and those he wrote the poem for to remember to look for the miracles in life, to welcome them.

An elegy is a lament for the loss of a particular person that ends in a consolation. It can also be a meditation on the mortality of human beings and the things they value. What features of each of these definitions does Okri use in this poem?

• his people (Africans) value everything that they have
• stanza 3, “And that we never curse the air when it is warm Or the fruit when it tastes so good Or the lights that bounce gently on the waters?”
• Ben Okri says that African people appreciate things that harm them, to later be thankful
• Ben also says “We bless things even in our pain. We bless them in silence” The words bless & pain are contradictory to each other, it shows the dedication they have to get rid of their pain and suffering one day.