All That You Have Given Me, Africa

“All That You Have Given Me, Africa"

By: Maurice Anoma Kanié

About the Author:

Maurice Anoma Kanié is the author of the poem "All That You Have Given Me, Africa". He is from the Ivory Coast. He is a civil administrator that born in 1920. He has held various key positions in the government like being an ambassador and a cabinet member in Ivory Coast. He is a journalist, poet, a writer, novelist, playwright; he is a member of the Company of the Men of Letters in France. In 1954, he received the Diploma of Honor of the Popular Academy of Literature and Poetry and other literary citations.

Summary and insights in the poem:

In my own opinion, I think the tone of the poem “All That You Have Given Me, Africa" is sad, but also prideful and rebelling. I feel the sadness because it talks about what exhaustion is ("bound to her heals"). It shows in the poem on how the person talking has to protect the greatness of Africa. More than sadness there is pride. She stated there her love for her country also all the good things about it, the culture etc. (“Music, dances, all night stories around a fire… Pigments of my ancestors”).

The tone became a complainer when she talks about how she will keep walking even through all these hardships. The line “All that, I protect with an unforgiving hand” gives the tone that she will work and rebel at all costs to maintain Africa. We can feel the pride and concern for Africa in the poem. She talks about how great Africa is. (“Lakes, forests, misted lagoons. All that you have given me”).

She talks about some of their traditions in the line “Music dances, all night stories around a fire” then mentions later that these traditions will forever be written in her very blood it will never be erased.

I think the speaker feels that she must protect these traditions, for if they lose those they lose part of Africa itself. I think that when she says she will protect Africa, she doesn’t just mean the land itself but also the every spirit and...