Summary
Lines 1-4
The poem opens with an "apostrophe," a direct address to an object or spirit. As the title suggests, this address serves as a prayer to the masks, which are portrayed both as African art pieces and as broader symbols of African culture, society, and history. The poet describes the masks in colors of black, red, and black-and-white, hinting at their symbolic representation of race and skin color. In the third line, Senghor implies that these masks are also nature spirits, connected to the winds blowing from the north, south, east, and west. These winds suggest the masks are intertwined with the poet's breath and creative inspiration. As indicated in the fourth line, he greets them silently, as if awaiting the whispers of the mask-spirits carried by the wind.
Lines 5-7
The poet introduces his family's guardian animal, the lion, a symbol of noble virtue and bravery. Traditionally, these animals were believed to be the first ancestors and protectors of the family lineage. By mentioning his lion-headed ancestor, Senghor alludes to his father’s name, Diogoye, which means lion in his native Serer language. In ceremonies involving masks, the family might be represented by a lion mask. In lines 6 and 7, Senghor emphasizes the weight of long-standing tradition and patriarchal authority. The lion safeguards the ground reserved for men, preserving values, memories, and customs that reach back into ancient myth.
Lines 8-10
These lines explore the intricate connection between the faces of ancestors, the poet’s face, and the masks. Line 8 describes the masks as idealized versions of once-living faces. The masks remove the transient features and signs of aging from the ancestors' faces, thereby outliving their death. Consequently, they shape the face of the poet, who is bent over his page and writing his prayer to the masks. He beseeches them to listen, as he embodies the living image of the masks to whom he is offering his prayer.
Lines 11-12
These lines contrast Africa's illustrious past, when vast empires ruled by black leaders stretched across the continent, with the present, where African peoples have been subjugated by European imperial conquest. The "pitiable princess" symbolizes the nobility of traditional Africa, and her death signifies both the suffering and decline of traditional African culture and the loss of political autonomy for black people. However, the relationship with Europe is not depicted entirely negatively. The image of the umbilical cord suggests that European conquest has nurtured a new Africa that is about to be born, but this new Africa will eventually need to sever its ties with its European "mother" to live and grow independently.
Lines 13-14
The masks stand as witnesses to the sorrowful history of contemporary Africa, gazing on with god-like, unchanging expressions. Nevertheless, Senghor suggests that traditional customs and values seem unable to address the significant historical changes. The poem subtly reaches a pivotal question: do the masks offer a valuable perspective from which to view the present, or are they simply remnants of a past with no relevance to those currently suffering and oppressed?
Lines 15-16
The poet implores the mystical spirits of the masks to hasten the rebirth symbolized by the umbilical cord linking Africa to Europe in line 12. By reviving the ancestral spirits, the poem suggests it will help break the bonds of dependency. Consequently, a rejuvenated African creativity can guide Europe towards a more life-affirming use of its material and scientific resources, much like brown yeast is essential for transforming white flour into bread.
Lines 17-19
These lines expand on the notion that Africa will inject vitality into a Europe preoccupied with...
(This entire section contains 773 words.)
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mechanical values, material wealth, and warfare. The rhythm of African music and dance is capable of transforming the monotonous thud of machines into something more profound. A revitalized Africa will infuse its youthful vigor into an aging Europe, bringing joy and hope to replace isolation, exhaustion, despair, and death.
Lines 20-21
In the imagery of "men of cotton, of coffee, of oil," Senghor highlights the exploitation of Africa for its raw materials and the European perception of black Africans as merely cheap labor and economic profit. Reflecting on the themes of death and rebirth in previous lines, he ironically comments on how Europeans view the black African as a terrifying symbol of death, "the waking dead."
Line 22
Instead of allowing their humanity to be reduced to the economic value of the agricultural products mentioned in line 20, future Africans will cultivate a different, creative connection with the land and nature. Like participants in a traditional ceremony using masks, these new Africans will draw strength from the natural spirits through the rhythm of dance, music, and poetry.