Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

"Make Ifa" by Jayne Cortez is a rhythmic and vibrant invocation that delves deep into the spiritual and cultural significance of Ifa divination based on the interpretation of cowrie shells tossed on a tray, a practice originating from the Yoruba people of Nigeria. The poem is a powerful celebration of Ifa, not just as a system of divination but as a profound source of wisdom, connection, and identity. Through repetitive calls to "Make Ifa," Cortez creates an incantatory effect, summoning the reader into a space where the sacred and the profane, the traditional and the contemporary, intersect and dance.

The poem is structured around the invocation of Ifa, with each stanza adding layers of imagery that draw from both the natural and the industrial, the ancestral and the urban. Cortez employs a rich palette of sounds, textures, and visuals to evoke the multifaceted nature of Ifa divination, blending elements of African spirituality with the realities of modern life.

In phrases like "sanctified chalk / of my silver painted soot" and "criss-crossing whelps / of my black belching smoke," Cortez merges the sacred with the urban industrial, suggesting that the spiritual can manifest in all aspects of existence. This fusion serves to bridge the gap between the ancestral past and the present, highlighting the adaptability and resilience of African spiritual practices in the face of displacement and change.

The use of terms such as "brass masking bones," "hub cap bellow," "electrified mouth," and "bellified groan" further illustrate the poem's blending of the traditional with the contemporary, the spiritual with the material. Cortez's imagery draws upon the physicality of musical instruments and industrial sounds to convey the vibrancy and power of Ifa divination, emphasizing its ability to speak through diverse mediums and resonate in a modern context.

The repetition of "MAKE IFA MAKE IFA MAKE IFA IFA IFA" throughout the poem serves as a chorus, reinforcing the call to engage with, honor, and perpetuate the practice of Ifa divination. This repeated invocation also mirrors the repetitive nature of divination itself, a process of seeking, asking, and interpreting that is both cyclical and continuous.

Cortez's poem is a testament to the enduring relevance of Ifa divination as a source of guidance, wisdom, and connection to the ancestral. By invoking Ifa through the juxtaposition of traditional Yoruba spirituality with the sounds and sights of contemporary life, "Make Ifa" celebrates the persistence of African spiritual practices in the diaspora and their ability to provide a sense of identity, belonging, and empowerment.

POEM TEXT: https://www.afropoets.net/jaynecortez9.html

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