Dry Your Tears Africa

Bernard Dadie

Dry your tears, Africa!

Your Children come back to you
Out of the storm and squalls of fruitless journeys

Through the crest of the waves and the bubbling of the breeze,
Over the gold of the East
and the Purple of the setting Sun,
the peaks of the proud mountains
and the grasslands drenched with light
They return to you
out of the storm and squalls of fruitless journeys

Dry your tears, Africa!

We have drunk
From all the springs of ill fortune and of glory

And our senses are now opened

To the splendour of your beauty
To the smell of your forests
To the charm of your waters
To the clearness of your skies
To the cares of your sun
And to the charm of your foliage pearled by the dew

Dry your tears, Africa!

Your children come back to you
Their hand full of playthings
And their heart full of love
They return to clothe you
In their dreams in their hopes

ANSWER THIS!

COMPREHENSION QUESTIONS:
1. What do tears symbolize? Explain.
- Tears symbolizes peace and acceptance. Which means it’s enough for all the
pain and suffering. Accept for what is truly happened in the past and move
forward in the present for the sake of young innocent children of Africa in
order to achieve peace from the healing wounds of this people.
2. Why do you think the title of the poem is ‘Dry Your Tears Africa’?
 - “Dry your tears Africa” From the title itself which means healing. Healing
for the cruel past and the wounds cause of suffering. This poem serve as an
imagery of the people in Africa who suffered violence’s and racism because
of their color. It begs for healing in order to get through in the present.

3. What important message can we get from the poem?

- It’s a message of Hope, Hope that someday no one will suffer same situation
in the past by being judge by it’s color and ethnicity. African people begs for
peace and live a normal life just like others. It’s a message for everyone that
we are only just people, were the same and its time to vanished this kind of
treatment(racism).
4. In what ways can we relate the poem to our country? Explain.

- This poem relates to our country just like in Africa, we also suffered violence
from the hands of colonizers. Woman became their sex slaves, and man are
been tortured to death. We’ve been critized due to our ethnicity and
economic state we are very poor and that is why our country became
imprisoned for so many years . Good thing that we have our heroes who
fought for our independence and free us in the hands of foreign colonizers.
Just like in the poem, Rizal connotes also that “The young generation is our
future hope”. This statement creates a big difference up to this day.

Once Upon A Time

Gabriel Imomotimi Okara (born 24 April 1921)

Once upon a time, son,

they used to laugh with their hearts
and laugh with their eyes:
but now they only laugh with their teeth,
while their ice-block-cold eyes
search behind my shadow.

There was a time indeed

they used to shake hands with their hearts:
but that’s gone, son.
Now they shake hands without hearts
while their left hands search
my empty pockets.

‘Feel at home!’ ‘Come again’:

they say, and when I come
again and feel
at home, once, twice,
there will be no thrice-
for then I find doors shut on me.

So I have learned many things, son.

I have learned to wear many faces
like dresses – homeface,
officeface, streetface, hostface,
cocktailface, with all their conforming smiles
like a fixed portrait smile.

And I have learned too

to laugh with only my teeth
and shake hands without my heart.
I have also learned to say,’Goodbye’,
when I mean ‘Good-riddance’:
to say ‘Glad to meet you’,
without being glad; and to say ‘It’s been
nice talking to you’, after being bored.

But believe me, son.

I want to be what I used to be
when I was like you. I want
to unlearn all these muting things.
Most of all, I want to relearn
how to laugh, for my laugh in the mirror
shows only my teeth like a snake’s bare fangs!

So show me, son,

how to laugh; show me how
I used to laugh and smile
once upon a time when I was like you.

ANSWER THIS!

COMPREHENSION QUESTIONS:
1. Who is speaking in the poem?
- A parent ( Father)
2. To whom the speaker is talking with?
- To his Son
3. What does the speaker try to convey to his son?
- The speaker just want to tell his son, about how was things change. He
reminisce his childhood memory and how was things change when he gets
old. He tells his son his experiences on how he used too before just like him.
4. What is the message of the poem?
- The message of the poem it tells on how the culture have change, how people
behave before and compare to the present days. The poem depicts the
differences before how things get evolved included the behavior, culture, and
the traditions. Compared before we take life seriously but now you can’t tell
who is real for everyone wears different kinds of masks just to hide the truth.
5. Why is it necessary to be real in front of others?
- It is important to show or to be real in front of others. For it gives you
satisfaction by showing your true self than being fake. It’s a matter of how
people will treat you upon knowing of who really you’re, you will know who
will stay or who will left. Being true will give you peace in life, white lies can
be necessary when its needed when it comes to security.
 The Leopard
Folklore from Central Africa

Ki, the Pygmy, has married a Pygmy girl from another village. The girl was called Luetsi and she
became Ki's wife. With them lived Ntio, Ki's brother. After a year, Luetsi wished to visit her
mother, as was the custom. Ki agreed and gave Luetsi a big piece of meat to take to her mother.

As a big hunt was imminent, Ki could not go with his wife, but he promised to fetch her from her
mother's house in four week's time.

Now it happened that Ki was bitten on the foot by a snake and could not walk. So he asked her
brother named Ntio to fetch her wife. Ntio did want to go and said."In a few day's time you will
be able to walk again. It is better for you to fetch your wife yourself."

"No," said Ki. It is better not to leave Luetsi in uncertainty. She would not wait for me but would
start the journey home alone. Fetch her home for me, and I'll give you my best bow."
So Ntio fetch Luetsi. They took the path through the jungle, the woman ahead, the man, armed
close behind her, as was proper.

Suddenly a leopard appeared among the trees, and it crouched ready to spring. The woman was
paralyzed with fear. Ntio, however, threw himself on the leopard and thrust his knife into the
leopard's heart. As it fell, the claws tore open Nti's shoulder. Then, the beast healing herbs, and
put a bandage around it. Then, she said, "You are brave, Ntio. You saved my life. I wonder If Ki
would have done as much for me.'

"You ought not to say such things," said Ntio. But Luetsi continued, "One has heard of men who
allowed their wives to be eaten by the leopards, while the themselves disappeared faster than a
snake."

"Not my brother Ki." pretested Ntio.

Then Luetsi said, "I have no child of his. It is because he does not love me enough."

"You shouldn't talk such nonsense," said Ntio. "He loves you. And he does not lack courage
either. Perhaps he is the bravest of us three."

"I wanted to see who of us was the greatest hero," said Luetsi.

And that is my question, too, as we come to the end of the story: Which of the three showed the
greatest courage? Was it Ntio, who stabbed the leopard in the heart with his knife, althrough he
could have run away? Or Luetsi , who lay there beneath the leopard? Or was it Ki, who ran up,
unarmed, in order to snatch his wife from the leopard's claws?
ANSWER THIS!

COMPREHENSION QUESTIONS:

1. Which of the three showed the greatest courage? Was it Ntio, who stabbed the
leopard in the heart with his knife, althrough he could have run away? Or Luetsi ,
who lay there beneath the leopard? Or was it Ki, who ran up, unarmed, in order to
snatch his wife from the leopard's claws?
- For me it was Ntio, though she saves Luetsi’s life from leopard but he knows
and he understand the feelings about being a husband and a wife. Even that
Luetsi started to provoke him still he managed to stand upon he’s dignity. He
explains why he’s brother treat her like that. Ntio show he’s courage not just
killing a leopard but also standing his decisions and understand for what is
the exact things must do.