ANALYSIS OF THE POEM "A BABY IS A EUROPEAN" (Ewe) By Samson Mwita

A BABY IS A EUROPEAN

Ewe (Togo)

A baby is a European

He does not eat our food

He drinks from his own water pot

A baby is a European

He does not speak our tongue

He is cross when the mother understands him not

A baby is a European

He cares very little for others

He forces his will upon his parents

A baby is a European

He is always very sensitive

The slightest scratch on his skin results in an ulcer

INTRODUCTION

This is a Togolese poem from Ewe culture that suggests the similarities between the way babies behave and the way the Europeans behave. The poem points out that most African people who are westernised gradually begin despising their own culture and start behaving as though they are European. They dislike African natural food, African languages, disrespect their parents, and in the final verse the poet seems to suggest that they might have used cosmetics to change their skin colour in which case they weaken the skin’s stability as a result “The slightest scratch on his skin results in an ulcer”.

EFFECTS OF EUROPEAN CULTURE

The poem explores the extent to which European culture has affected African culture. The baby is evidently not a European by race but a European by conduct. Most Africans have abandoned their culture in a belief that it is outdated and uncivilised and have adopted the very tenets of the colonisers. In the poem the baby shows an open dislike to his African natural food, African languages, skin colour and he disrespects the parents. The following lines from every stanza are cases in point.

Stanza one: He does not eat our food

Stanza two: He does not speak our tongue

Stanza  three: He forces his will upon his parents

Stanza  four: The slightest scratch on his skin results in an ulcer

SELFISHNESS

The baby is selfish as he cares more for himself and less for others. He does not want to share anything with others in a traditional African way in which people share and use things communally. He doesn’t share their food, speak their language nor care for others instead he drinks from his own water pot and usually forces his will upon his parents. This is a spirit of selfishness that has to be discouraged.

A baby is a European

He cares very little for others

He forces his will upon his parents

LOSS OF IDENTITY AND DIGNITY

The baby has lost his African identity and dignity and is busy cultivating a culture that is not his. In other words he has betrayed his African culture. He doesn’t want to speak African Languages nor eat African natural food but drinks from his own water pot. This is a mentality common to most westernised Africans who think that speaking European languages implies superiority. The worst thing however is that he causes unnecessary conflicts when his mother does not understand him. This is arrogance because the mother might not have been to school and apparently doesn’t understand the foreign language the baby speaks. The poet says:

A baby is a European

He does not speak our tongue

He is cross when the mother understands him not

Moreover the last stanza suggests the change in skin colour that has possibly happened and resulted to weakening the skin hence he gets ulcers when he gets slightest scratches.

GUIDING QUESTIONS

Ø  What is the poem about?

The poem is about a baby who is westernised gradually and despises his own culture and behaves as though he is a European. He dislikes African natural food, African languages, disrespects his parents, and in the final verse the poet seems to suggest that he might have used cosmetics to change his skin colour in which case the skin’s stability is weakened as a result “The slightest scratch on his skin results in an ulcer”.

Ø  What type of the poem is this?

It is a freeverse/ modern poem since there is variation in the length of verses and has irregular rhyming scheme. It is specifically a lyric poem as it expresses the feeling of the poet about people who despise their identity.

Ø  Comment on the structure of the poem.

The poem has 4 stanzas of three verses in each stanza but with uneven length.

Ø  Who is the persona?

The persona is a patriotic African who is not pleased with people who betray their culture. He says “the baby is a European/ he does not speak our language”

Ø  Language use

The language used is simple and easy to understand. It is full of figures of speech as shown below.

Figures of speech

Ø  Irony

“The baby is a European” is an irony because the baby is not a European by race but he pretends to behave like a European. So this is like a mockery to him

Ø  Poetic licence

...when the mother understands him not

Instead of “when his mother does not understand him”.

Ø  Metaphor

The baby is a European  (the baby is not a European by race but he pretends to behave like a European).

Ø  Symbolism

Tongue stands for language.

Baby –stands for the African who are affected by European culture.

Ø  Alliteration

The slightest scratch on his skin

MESSAGES

Ø  Africans should value their identity and culture.

Ø  We should not be selfish. We need to share our resources when the need arises.

Ø  We should not betray our culture in favour of the European culture.

Ø  Children need to respect their parents.

RELEVANCE

ü  There are people in our societies who behave like Europeans e.g. they hate African food, they love speaking European languages even when addressing people who do not understand the foreign languages while they don’t even know their mother tongues. Some speak African Languages with a European accent.

ü  There are selfish people who always force their wills on other people and care less for others.

ü  There are those who change their skin colour to look alike Europeans.