Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

Gabriel Okara's poem "Adhiambo" is a deeply introspective piece that explores themes of identity, madness, spirituality, and unrequited love or loss. Through the use of vivid imagery and a reflective tone, Okara navigates the fine line between reality and the mystical, delving into the complexities of human experience and emotion.

The poem opens with the speaker confessing to hearing "many voices," likening their experience to that of a "madman." This comparison immediately sets up a duality within the speaker's identity, one that is caught between the rational world and the irrational, or perhaps the spiritual realm. The speaker also hears "trees talking," a phenomenon associated with a "medicine man," a figure in many African cultures who is believed to possess deep spiritual insight and the ability to communicate with the natural world. By aligning themselves with both the madman and the medicine man, the speaker suggests a fluidity between madness and wisdom, between the mundane and the mystical.

The repeated phrase "Maybe I'm a madman, I'm a medicine man" underscores the speaker's uncertainty about their own identity. The ambiguity of "Maybe I'm mad" reflects a self-doubt, as the voices the speaker hears are "luring" and "urging" them away from the safety of their "desk" into the unknown, symbolized by "wave crests across a sea." The sea here can be interpreted as the vast, uncharted territory of the mind or the soul, a place where conventional boundaries are dissolved, and where the speaker risks losing themselves entirely.

The speaker also considers the possibility of being a "medicine man hearing talking saps seeing behind trees," yet they feel they have "lost [their] powers of invocation." This loss of power suggests a disconnect from the spiritual abilities or insights the speaker once had, indicating a sense of inadequacy or alienation from a former self that was more attuned to the mystical. The trees, which initially seemed to communicate with the speaker, now become symbols of the speaker's isolation, as they can no longer summon or control the voices or visions that once guided them.

The poem takes a poignant turn as the voices and the trees begin "name-spelling," focusing the speaker's attention on a singular "figure / silence-etched across / the moonface." This figure, who is walking "over continents and seas," becomes the central image of the poem, representing someone or something deeply significant to the speaker. The figure's movement across vast distances suggests an unattainable presence, someone who is both physically and emotionally distant, yet still exerts a powerful influence over the speaker's thoughts and feelings.

In response to this vision, the speaker raises their "trembling hand," a gesture that reveals their vulnerability and deep emotional turmoil. The hand, which grips the heart "as handkerchief," symbolizes an attempt to contain or control their emotions, yet the trembling indicates that these feelings are overwhelming and uncontrollable. The repeated action of waving—"and waved and waved - and waved -" suggests a desperate attempt to make contact, to bridge the distance between themselves and the figure, but the effort is ultimately futile.

The final line of the poem, "but she turned her eyes away," delivers a powerful emotional blow. The figure, presumably someone the speaker loves or longs for, rejects their gesture, turning away in indifference or dismissal. This moment of rejection encapsulates the speaker's sense of loss and despair, leaving them in a state of emotional isolation. The turning away of the figure can be seen as the final confirmation of the speaker's fears—that their connection to the mystical, the spiritual, and the loved one is irretrievably lost.

"Adhiambo" is a haunting exploration of the complexities of the human psyche, where the boundaries between madness and wisdom, reality and the mystical, are blurred. Gabriel Okara uses the figure of the madman and the medicine man to delve into the speaker's internal conflict, their struggle with identity, and their longing for connection. The poem's vivid imagery and emotional depth make it a poignant meditation on the nature of loss, the search for meaning, and the painful recognition of rejection. Through this poem, Okara captures the fragility of the human spirit and the profound impact of unfulfilled desires and unanswered calls.

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