AFRICAN POETRY Discuss the theme of love in Seghor's I will pronounce your name

Answer Details

Leopold Sedar Senghor's I Will Pronounce Your Name is a tender love poem addressed to a beloved woman, Naett. The theme of love dominates the poem, expressed through the persona's celebration of the beloved's name and beauty and his elevation of her to something almost sacred.

Love expressed through the beloved's name. The poem opens with the persona's promise to pronounce and chant the beloved's name, treating the very act of saying it as a source of joy and music. To repeat her name is to celebrate her, and this shows the depth of his devotion; her name becomes something precious that he savours and glorifies.

Love expressed through imagery of beauty and sweetness. Senghor pours out a stream of admiring images to convey his love. Naett is likened to sweetness, to cinnamon and other fragrant, delicious things, so that she appeals to the senses of taste and smell. Such imagery expresses how wholly delightful the beloved is to the persona and how completely she fills his imagination.

Love as reverence and near-worship. The persona's love is not merely physical admiration; it borders on reverence. He raises the beloved to an exalted, almost divine level, associating her with light and with things pure and radiant. His love ennobles her, and in celebrating her he expresses a devotion that is spiritual as much as sensual.

Love and cultural affirmation. The poem also links love with the persona's celebration of African womanhood and identity. In lovingly praising Naett, the persona affirms the beauty and worth of the African woman, so that personal love and cultural pride are intertwined.

Conclusion. The theme of love in I Will Pronounce Your Name is conveyed through the joyous chanting of the beloved's name, the rich sensory imagery of sweetness and beauty, and the reverent, near-worshipful tone. Senghor presents love as a source of delight and devotion that lifts the beloved to an exalted place in the persona's heart.