Poem ‘Telephone Conversation’ by Nobel laurite Wole Soyinka

Poem ‘Telephone Conversation’ by Nobel laurite Wole Soyinka

 I request the readers to read the poem in the above link and then my review. Thanks.

Poem ‘Telephone Conversation’ by Nobel laurite Wole Soyinka

The poem is a conversation between a well earning black and a land lady who placed an ad for her house for rent, who is a white, over telephone. The deep rooted disdain towards compatriots on the basis of color, slouching to lower levels is reflected in the rant of the landlady. The strength of the poem is its subtlety. The poet’s anger is not visible but the reader gets angry at the racial tone of the landlady. Humanity has left scope for such a malignity in social psyche. Recent incidents in USA are classic examples how humanity has not changed for better even in Twenty first century. We find many aspirants in the genre of poetry. But few understand the genre is at its best in what is not shown openly and what is left unsaid. The sharpness, power and the lightning impact on the reader all these are lost when the poet starts preaching or canvassing. A crafty and profound poem leaves much for the reader to appreciate, ponder and internalize. This poem certainly has succeeded in that.