Telephone Conversation Wole Soyinka The Poet Born in

Telephone Conversation Wole Soyinka

The Poet Born in 1934; Nigerian n Poet, playwright, novelist n Nobel Prize - 1986 n

The Poem Theme – Racism – White/Black n Style – Satire n Humour, tension n Conversational n Dramatic n

The Speaker Black n African n Woman n Prospective tenant n Cynical n

The other voice A White woman n Landlady n Probably prejudiced n polite n

The conversation Distant call n Tenant to landlady n Cryptic n Open ended n

Vocabulary Stylized n Dramatized n Use of scientific jargon n Imagery n Informed of racial discrimination n

Exercises Look up the dictionary for 10 difficult words in the poem. n Compose a telephone conversation about seeking a flat on rent in Chandigarh. n Compose a telephone conversation between two strangers who have joined a new job. n

Questions What is theme of the poem? n Who is the speaker of the poem? n What is the confession about? Why does the speaker feel the need for it? n How does the landlady react? n What is the outcome of the phone-call? n Does the speaker succeed in avoiding the wasted journey by making the confession? n

Conclusion n The poem gives an idea of racial discrimination. It also exemplifies how the apprehension of prejudiced response makes an individual cynical. There are several kinds of discriminations in the world and this spoils social harmony.