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Transcription: [00:08:56]

this whole period, you find the Eastern African poets stressing this whole change in their, in their poetry.
[00:09:04]
The, their concern with struggle is very apparent, even insecurity, even though they had moved the colonialist out they're still insecure about their culture, their society. And it's reflected in their work.
[00:09:19]
As an example, here's a poem by the East African English poet Shaaban Robert, entitled 'Our Frame'
[00:09:27]
{SPEAKER name="Kuojo Yelekepala"}
Our frame is poor.
Even when we are in security
of our insistence of the Worlds Grace,
and Majesty,
and Vanity.
[00:09:37]
In this age of ours,
So full of delusiveness,
And pomp, and sacrifice.
[00:09:42]
And at the time of death,
When life fails,
A grave keeps us,
To cover rottenness,
Our bad smell.
[00:09:51]
It is not man's habit to abide impurity,
Whatever his state may be.
[00:09:57]
{SPEAKER name="Brooks B. Robinson"}
In addition to the comments made before Shaaban Roberts 'Our Frame' was read, I think I should note here, again, the individualness of the poem;
[00:10:09]
Robert speaks directly to the individual. It's consistent with much of African English Poets.
[00:10:16]
You find Shaaban talking about 'Our Frame' as a pluralistic, kind of having a pluralistic connotation, yet he's really being very personal.
[00:10:28]
He's talking to individuals. He's telling the individual, you know, 'Our World', 'the worlds Grace, and Majesty, and Vanity', 'in this age of ours'. Here again, pluralistic, but he's talking to the individual.
[00:10:44]
'So full of delusiveness, and pomp, and sacrifice', and he seems to be trying to say, to the reader that we should evaluate life individually. Even though we're here together collectively, let's evaluate life individually, and see that we're not at all-

Transcription Notes:
poet reader name from outro