In the mid-twentieth century, as Kofi Awoonor penned "The Weaver Bird," numerous African nations attained independence from colonial rule; Awoonor’s own country, Ghana, gained independence from its British colonizers in 1957. The poem, then, exists in this particular moment in time, at once a celebration of freedom and a degradation of the colonial rule that long darkened its author’s country and continent. 

With vivid metaphors and less-than-subtle personification, "The Weaver Bird" captures the complexities of Awoonor’s—and Africa’s—historical moment. It explores the tension between traditional African values and the impact of Western ideologies and political control, employing the image of a weaver bird as a symbol of external foreign forces to portray the challenges faced by indigenous African cultures in maintaining their identity in the wake of colonialism.

Although the poem consists of just sixteen short lines, it covers a lot of ground. It begins with the speaker recounting the arrival of a weaver bird, which chooses to build its nest in the speaker's house and lay its eggs on their only tree. 

At first, the speaker holds no ill will toward this new arrival. Instead of rejecting the bird, the speaker observes its activities with curiosity. They watch as it constructs its home and starts a family in this new land. Yet, this simple act of the bird taking residence becomes a metaphor for the intrusion of outside forces into the community's life

It is not long before the weaver bird makes itself too comfortable and, much as a misguided colonizer might do, starts "Preaching salvation to us that owned the house." Although the speaker does not explicitly say where the weaver bird is from, they acknowledge that "it came from the west." The West, often associated with colonial powers, has a history of influencing and impacting the destinies of nations in Africa. By this point, it is clear to the speaker that, while the weaver bird arrived with supposed goodwill, its presence has evolved into a conquering force—and, perhaps, this was always its intention.

The speaker continues to discuss the weaver bird's sermon. Under the guise of preaching salvation, the weaver bird places restrictions on the speaker and their people. Its new laws and practices set "our new horizon limits." Despite the apparent offer of salvation, the community cannot fully engage with the prayers and answers presented by the weaver bird, reflecting their resistance to accepting the imposed ideologies and a struggle to retain cultural identity. The weaver bird may have arrived under the pretense of spreading good to its new home, but it has become a conquering force that dictates the beliefs and actions of others.

The concluding lines of the poem reveal the community's response to the weaver bird's presence. The welcome they once extended to the bird has evaporated, only to be replaced by disdain and bitterness. In the wake of the bird’s influence, the community now seeks new homes, desiring to escape the influence of the foreign intruder. Additionally, they feel determined to rebuild the old shrines—sacred spaces—defiled by the weaver bird's polluting presence. This act symbolizes the community's efforts to restore and reclaim their cultural heritage, even in the face of colonizing pressures. This powerful ending reveals the enduring spirit of a community striving to resist, adapt, and preserve its identity as it transitions once more toward independence.