"African Young Plea" and "A Song of Hope for Africa" - Dennis Osadebey || Read African Poem

Dennis Osadebey - "Young Africa's Plea" and "A song of Hope For Africa" || Read Inspirational Poems

Welcome Africanlab attendants,
Here, we are going on experiment on two inspirational poems by a great African poet, Dennis Osadebey dubbed Young Africa's Plea" and "A Song of Hope for Africa".

Let begin the experiment quickly...

1•

African Poem: "Young Africa's Plea" - Dennis Osadebey

Don't Preserve my customs
At some fine curios
To suit some white historian's taste.
There is nothing artificial
That beats the natural way
In culture and ideals of life.
Let me play with the whitemans's ways
Let me work with the blackman's brains
Let my affairs themselves sort out.
Then in sweet rebirth
I'll rise a better man
Not ashamed to face the world.
Those who doubt my talents
In secret fear my strength
They know I am no less a man.
Let me bury their prejudice,
Let me show their noble sides,
Let me have untrammelled growth,
My friends will never know regret.
And I, I never once forget.

•• Anthology: "Young Africa's Plea" by Dennis Osadebey

In line 2: Curios is an interesting object, particularly an object that derives its interest from the fact that it is stange or odd to observer.

This poem, "Young Africa's Plea" by Dennis Osadebey shows the poet's concern with the development of a modern culture in Africa. We cannot go completely back to the past, but something remain in us which influences what we take from outside (Line 7-8). The formation of the new should be a natural process and the result should be the creation of a better man in Africa.


2•

African Poem: "A Song of Hope for Africa" by Dennis Osadebey

Is thy weather rough and cruel,
Charged with thunder, dark and cold?
Does thy fire lacking fuel
To thy heart great misery hold?

Look around, O woman's born,
Full many a soul by sorrow torn
From happiness and heaven's door
Is worse than thou fortune's floor


Dost thou lack the wherewithal
To keep thy soul and body one?
Dost thou still bemoan thy fall
And think thy weary self undone?
Think again, O mortal man,
And know that since this world began
Men and stars have fallen low
And living things have ceased to grow


Art thou full of wealth and life,
Smiled upon by Fortune fair?
Does thy strength overcome all strife?
Is thy learning great and rare?

Thou Art not the first to gain
Health or Wealth or power or brain;
Help thy neighbor rise today;
Thou art only dust and clay.

•• Anthology: "A Song of Hope For Africa" by Dennis Osadebey

This poem, "A Song of Hope" by Dennis Osadebey is a pieces full of Christian thought and imagery. The wisdom it expresses is also common to our society as you will find in folk-tales.
The fortunes of a man in life are not constant and the poet advises resignation, a sense of proportion and a useful spending of our advantages.