Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

Gabriel Okara's poem "Mystic Drum Beat in My Inside" is a rich and evocative exploration of spirituality, transformation, and the disillusionment that comes with the loss of mystical connection. The poem's narrative unfolds like a ritualistic journey, where the speaker's internal drumbeat symbolizes the life force or spiritual energy that animates both the natural and supernatural worlds. Through vivid imagery and a recurring motif of a mysterious woman standing behind a tree, Okara delves into the complexities of spiritual awakening, the duality of existence, and the eventual recognition of the limitations of such mystical experiences.

The poem opens with a powerful declaration: "The mystic drum beat in my inside / and fishes danced in the rivers / and men and women danced on land / to the rhythm of my drum." The "mystic drum" serves as a metaphor for the speaker's inner vitality and spiritual essence, a force so potent that it harmonizes all elements of the natural world. The imagery of fishes dancing in rivers and men and women dancing on land illustrates a world in perfect synchrony, united by the primal rhythm emanating from within the speaker. This drumbeat is not just a personal experience but one that reverberates through all creation, compelling both the living and the dead to join in the dance.

However, amid this universal harmony, there is a dissonance embodied by the mysterious woman "standing behind a tree / with leaves around her waist." Her presence is enigmatic and aloof, as she "only smiled with a shake of her head," signaling her detachment from the collective celebration. The repeated image of this woman, who remains unmoved by the drum's power, introduces a sense of unease and foreshadows the limitations of the speaker's mystical experience.

As the drum's tempo quickens, the intensity of the transformation in the natural world increases: "the fishes turned men / and men turned fishes / and things stopped to grow." This surreal imagery suggests a blurring of boundaries between different forms of life, symbolizing a state of chaos where the natural order is disrupted by the overwhelming force of the drumbeat. The drum, which once unified the world, now causes it to lose its balance, leading to a cessation of growth and a distortion of the natural cycles.

Throughout this transformation, the woman remains unchanged, still standing behind the tree with leaves around her waist, still smiling and shaking her head. Her unyielding presence contrasts with the turmoil around her, suggesting that she represents something beyond the reach of the drum's power—perhaps a symbol of the eternal, unchanging aspects of existence, or a reminder of the futility of trying to control or transcend the natural world.

Eventually, the mystic drum "in my inside stopped to beat," and with its cessation, the world returns to its natural state: "men became men, / fishes became fishes / and trees, the sun and the moon / found their places." The restoration of order signifies the end of the speaker's mystical experience, as the forces that had been temporarily disrupted are now realigned. The return to normalcy is accompanied by the imagery of "the dead went to the ground and things began to grow," emphasizing the cyclical nature of life and death and the resumption of growth and renewal.

The poem's climax occurs when the woman, who had been a passive observer throughout, undergoes a dramatic transformation: "with roots sprouting from her feet / and leaves growing on her head / and smoke issuing from her nose / and her lips parted in her smile turned cavity belching darkness." This eerie and unsettling image suggests that the woman embodies a force of nature that is both powerful and terrifying—a primordial being that represents the darker, more mysterious aspects of existence. Her transformation into a tree-like figure with roots and leaves, along with the image of smoke and darkness issuing from her mouth, evokes a sense of decay and death, as well as the inescapable presence of the unknown and the unknowable.

In response to this transformation, the speaker makes a significant decision: "Then, then I packed my mystic drum / and turned away; never to beat so loud any more." This final act of turning away and resolving not to beat the drum so loudly again suggests a recognition of the limitations of mystical experience and a withdrawal from the attempt to impose spiritual order on the world. The speaker's choice to silence the drum reflects a newfound understanding that some forces cannot be controlled or fully understood, and that the pursuit of such power can lead to disillusionment and existential dread.

"Mystic Drum Beat in My Inside" is a powerful exploration of the tension between spiritual aspiration and the realities of the natural world. Through its rich imagery and symbolic narrative, Gabriel Okara delves into the complexities of existence, the allure and dangers of mystical experience, and the ultimate acceptance of the limits of human understanding. The poem captures the profound realization that, while the mystic drum may connect us to deeper forces, it is also a reminder of the mysteries that lie beyond our reach—mysteries that, in the end, we may have to turn away from to find peace.

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