Laughter, a universal sound, can bind or divide. In Gabriel Okara's poem, "You Laughed and Laughed and Laughed," it becomes a weapon, a shield, and a bridge across a cultural chasm carved by colonialism.
Born amid the complexities of Nigeria's colonial experience, Okara's poem throws open a window into a world where cultures collide. One figure laughs, their mirth fueled by mockery and perhaps ignorance. The other laughs back, but their laughter holds the warmth of fire, the wisdom of the earth, and the resilience of a people refusing to be silenced.
This exploration invites you to step into the vibrant rhythms and evocative imagery of Okara's verses. Here, we'll dissect the laughter – yours and mine, his and theirs – uncovering layers of critique, resistance, and a profound search for understanding.
Table of Contents
You Laughed and Laughed and Laughed by Gabriel Okara
In your ears my song
is motor car misfiring
stopping with a choking cough;
and you laughed and laughed and laughed.
In your eyes my ante-
natal walk was inhuman, passing
your ‘omnivorous understanding’
and you laughed and laughed and laughed
You laughed at my song,
you laughed at my walk.
Then I danced my magic dance
to the rhythm of talking drums pleading, but you shut your eyes
and laughed and laughed and laughed
And then I opened my mystic
inside wide like the sky,
instead you entered your
car and laughed and laughed and laughed
You laughed at my dance,
you laughed at my inside.
You laughed and laughed and laughed.
But your laughter was ice-block
laughter and it froze your inside froze
your voice froze your ears
froze your eyes and froze your tongue.
And now it’s my turn to laugh;
but my laughter is not
ice-block laughter. For I
know not cars, know not ice-blocks.
My laughter is the fire
of the eye of the sky, the fire
of the earth, the fire of the air,
the fie of the seas and the
rivers fishes animals trees
and it thawed your inside,
thawed your voice, thawed your
ears, thawed your eyes and
thawed your tongue.
So a meek wonder held
your shadow and you whispered;
‘Why so?’
And I answered:
‘Because my fathers and I
are owned by the living
warmth of the earth
through our naked feet.’
Summary
Gabriel Okara's "You Laughed and Laughed and Laughed" unfolds like a dance, with contrasting interpretations of the world clashing and swirling at its center. Let's break down the poem stanza by stanza to understand this intricate choreography of laughter and misunderstanding.
Stanzas 1 & 2 - Setting the Stage
The poem opens with the speaker's "song," described as a "motorcar misfiring," immediately met by the "you's" mocking laughter. This laughter extends to the speaker's "natal walk," deemed "inhuman" by the "you." Here, the power dynamic is stark – the "you" holds the authority to judge and ridicule, while the speaker's expression is dismissed as primitive and laughable.
Stanzas 3 & 4 - Defiance Through Rhythm and Dance
Undeterred, the speaker responds with a "magic dance" accompanied by the rhythmic "talking drums." This dance represents a reclaiming of cultural expression, a defiance against the "you's" silencing laughter. However, the "you" remains closed off, shutting their eyes and continuing their ridicule.
Stanzas 5 & 6 - Beyond the Surface
The speaker takes a different approach, revealing their "Mystic inside... white like the sky." This "whiteness" could symbolize purity, spirituality, or perhaps a shared humanity hidden beneath the surface of cultural differences. But even this revelation fails to move the "you," who retreats further into their "car" – a symbol of isolation and disconnect.
Stanzas 7 & 8 - Fire versus Ice
The speaker's laughter transforms, becoming "fire laughter." This passionate, defiant expression stands in stark contrast to the "you's" "ice block laughter," cold and dismissive. The image of fire suggests warmth, life, and transformation, while the ice represents rigidity and a refusal to engage.
Stanzas 9 & 10 - Seeds of Understanding
The poem takes a hopeful turn as the speaker invites the "you" to step out of their car and "dance the new yam dance." This yam, a staple food in many African cultures, symbolizes sustenance, connection, and shared experience. It's an invitation to move beyond laughter as judgment and embrace it as a shared expression of joy and understanding.
The Final Laugh - Ambiguity and Hope
The poem ends with the "you" leaving, "laughing all the way." This ambiguous ending leaves the reader wondering: Did the invitation resonate? Did the "you" truly understand the speaker's laughter, or was it just another object of amusement? This final laugh carries the weight of hope and disappointment, highlighting the ongoing struggle for intercultural understanding.
Analysis
Gabriel Okara's "You Laughed and Laughed and Laughed" goes beyond a mere exchange of laughs. It's a potent exploration of colonialism's impact, cultural clashes, and the search for understanding. Let's dissect the poem's layers to uncover its deeper meaning.
Unveiling the Colonial Shadow
Power Dynamics and Stereotypes
The laughter in the poem is deeply rooted in power dynamics. The "you," often interpreted as a colonizer, wields the power to judge and ridicule the speaker's cultural expressions. Words like "inhuman" and "misfiring" reflect colonial stereotypes that portrayed African cultures as inferior and primitive.
Resistance and Reclaiming Identity
The speaker's laughter becomes a form of resistance. Their "magic dance" and "talking drums" reclaim their cultural heritage and reject the imposed narrative. However, the initial resistance doesn't translate to immediate understanding. The "you" remains isolated, highlighting the difficulty of bridging cultural divides.
Beyond Judgement: Exploring Laughter's Nuances
Laughter as a Double-Edged Sword
Both the speaker and the "you" laugh, but their laughter carries vastly different meanings. The "you's" laughter is mocking, dismissive, and rooted in ignorance. The speaker's laughter evolves, starting as defiant and then transforming into "fire laughter" – passionate, transformative, and seeking connection.
Fire versus Ice: Contrasting Worldviews
The contrasting imagery of fire and ice reveals deeper clashes. Fire symbolizes warmth, life, and the dynamism of African culture. Ice, on the other hand, represents the coldness and rigidity of the colonizer's worldview, unwilling to engage with different perspectives.
A Glimpse of Hope and the Quest for Understanding
Invitation and Ambiguity
The poem's ending offers a glimmer of hope. The speaker's invitation to "dance the new yam dance" extends an olive branch, urging the "you" to move beyond judgement and share a cultural experience. However, the "you" leaves "laughing all the way," leaving the outcome ambiguous.
Open Questions and Enduring Relevance
Did the "you" truly understand the invitation? Was their laughter a sign of dismissal or a seed of potential connection? The poem leaves these questions unanswered, inviting readers to ponder the ongoing struggle for intercultural understanding and the complexities woven into the act of laughter.
About Gabriel Okara
To fully appreciate the depth and nuances of "You Laughed and Laughed and Laughed," understanding the author, Gabriel Okara, and his influences is crucial. Born in 1921 in the Niger Delta region of Nigeria, Okara witnessed firsthand the impact of British colonialism on his indigenous Ijaw culture. This experience deeply shaped his worldview and artistic expression.
Early Life and Self-Education
Despite limited formal education, Okara possessed an unquenchable thirst for knowledge. He immersed himself in literature, drawing inspiration from diverse sources like William Butler Yeats, T.S. Eliot, and the rich Nigerian oral tradition. This self-education instilled in him a deep appreciation for language and its power to challenge conventional narratives.
Pioneering Nigerian Modernism
Okara emerged as a pioneer of Nigerian modernist poetry. He rejected the Eurocentric styles imposed by colonial education and embraced his native cultural influences. His poetry is characterized by vivid imagery, rhythmic language that echoes traditional Ijaw music, and a strong sense of cultural identity.
Negritude and Cultural Exploration
Okara's work aligns with the Negritude movement, which celebrated African culture and identity in the face of colonial oppression. However, he extended beyond this movement by exploring the complexities within African societies themselves. His poems grapple with themes like cultural clashes, tradition versus modernity, and the search for individual and collective expression.
Literary Legacy
Okara's impact on African literature is undeniable. His experimental style paved the way for a generation of writers who explored their own unique cultural voices. "You Laughed and Laughed and Laughed" stands as a testament to his skill and commitment to challenging stereotypes and fostering intercultural understanding through the power of laughter and poetry. Read more about Gabriel Okara.
Conclusion
Gabriel Okara's "You Laughed and Laughed and Laughed" resonates beyond its words and stanzas. It invites us to step outside our comfort zones, confront our biases, and engage in the delicate dance of understanding across cultures. As we navigate the poem's laughter and silences, we embark on a journey of self-reflection and discover the potential for connection, even amidst difference. So, let the poem's echo linger, prompting us to question, learn, and ultimately, join the human symphony where laughter, in all its complexities, becomes a bridge, not a barrier.
