The anvil which is the base where the metal is placed symbolizes the African land and culture upon which the African man stands. The hammer represents civilization which comes by force upon the African man through a process known as colonialization.
The clashing/meeting of the two cultures had the personality of the African man between them. This personality is being transformed no longer in the normal African setting governed by ancestral laws, but by tenets and statutes of the western world, in an African environment.
The last excerpt above, seems to depict that the poetic persona accepts the transformation wholeheartedly as he points out that the pains(pangs) which he was born into is now changed into joyful songs.
Lines 5 to 9 brings to mind, the African norms and values (Trappings) in which the African man has being in and which the poetic persona affirms not to be important (tenuous). The norms also have religious foundations and backings as the poetic persona puts it:
“Washed in the blood of a goat in the fetish hut (shrine)”
This African values are then laced (mixed) very well with the attractive ways of life of the western world. Then, the outcome(dialectic) of the mixture created and enthusiastic spirit in the African man which makes him to always be looking for something in the outlaw’s hill (Western world).
“The jargon of a new dialectic comes with the
Charisma of the perpetual search in the outlaw’s hill”
One could affirm that this excerpt informs us that after the African man has had a taste of the African and western culture, the new him saw the attractiveness of civilization and became very interested in it.
STANZA TWO
Having seen that the new African man, a product of colonialism, has become more civilized that civilization, he cries out to the ancestors and probably to the elders in the society who still know the nitty gritty of the African culture, to help inculcate African values and norms into the new African man.
“Sew the old days for us our fathers
That we can wear them under our new garment (civilization)
After we have washed ourselves in
The whirlpool of many rivers’ estuary”
They will have in their minds the African cultures, but will put on a civilized look. This is because they have seen and being in many places where different cultures meet (river estuary).
The poetic persona from line 15 to the last line points out that the new African personality is aware of the castigations and negative statements of stereotype and prejudice labelled against Africa by the white (e.g. Monkeys, half humans etc.). But they will ignore them and their sentiments, use the little things they learnt from the whites (snatches from their tunes) and build and African nation.
“Make ourselves flags and anthems
While we lift high the banner of the land”
The use of flags and anthems insinuates that the political structures of the western world will be used in the new African nation. In the ancient days, African communities has no flag or anthem as identities of a state. More so, the Whiteman’s political structure will be used to lift the new African state.
“And listen to the reverberations of our songs
In the splash and moan of the sea”
The new state will be built and new songs (Positive statements and achievements on Africans against the rumors made by the white). The songs and developments will be spread, and Africans will listen as t echo in the world and hear the responds of the world.
Simply put, this poem illustrates the attack on African culture by civilization through colonialism, causing a clash and birth of a new African man who is almost ignorant of his own original culture. Hence, he regains himself and cries for help to build himself a new nation with the knowledge he got from civilization.
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