The weaver bird built in our house — Poema

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The weaver bird built in our house — Poema | Poetry Explainer

Poesía original

The weaver bird built in our house And laid its eggs on our only tree. We did not want to send it away. We watched the building of the nest And supervised the egg-laying. And the weaver returned in the guise of the owner. Preaching salvation to us that owned the house. They say it came from the west Where the storms at sea had felled the gulls And the fishers dried their nets by lantern light. Its sermon is the divination of ourselves And our new horizon limits at its nest. But we cannot join the prayers and answers of the communicants. We look for new homes every day, For new altars we strive to rebuild The old shrines defiled by the weaver's excrement.

Traducción

The weaver bird made a nest in our home And laid its eggs on our only tree. We didn't want to drive it away. We watched as it built its nest And oversaw the laying of eggs. Then the weaver came back acting like it owned the place. It preached salvation to us, the true owners. They say it came from the west Where sea storms had brought down the gulls And fishermen dried their nets by lantern light. Its message is about understanding ourselves And our new future is limited to its nest. But we can't join in the prayers and responses of the believers. We search for new homes every day, Trying to rebuild new altars To replace the old shrines ruined by the weaver's droppings.

Explicación

The poem 'The Weaver Bird' by Kofi Awoonor uses the metaphor of a weaver bird building a nest in the speaker's home to explore themes of colonialism and cultural invasion. The bird, which represents the colonizers, takes over the home and acts as if it owns the place, symbolizing the way colonizers imposed their beliefs and systems on the indigenous people. The reference to the weaver bird coming from the west alludes to Western colonial powers. The poem reflects on the disruption caused by colonialism, as the indigenous people are left to rebuild their cultural identity and homes, which have been defiled by the colonizers' presence. The poem's tone is one of loss and resilience, as the speaker acknowledges the damage done but also the ongoing effort to reclaim and rebuild what was lost.

Diccionario de palabras

Palabra	Significado fácil	Traducción	Pron.
weaver	a bird that makes woven nests	a type of bird known for building intricate nests	wee-ver
guise	appearance	an outward appearance or semblance	guyz
preaching	teaching	delivering a sermon or religious message	pree-ching
salvation	rescue	deliverance from harm or sin	sal-vay-shun
divination	prediction	the practice of seeking knowledge of the future	div-i-nay-shun
horizon	boundary	the farthest point you can see where the sky meets the ground	ho-rye-zon
communicants	participants	people who partake in a religious ceremony	kuh-myoo-ni-kants
altars	sacred tables	tables or platforms used in religious rituals	awl-turz
shrines	holy places	places regarded as holy due to their association with a divinity or sacred person	shryns
defiled	polluted	made unclean or impure	dee-fyld
excrement	waste	waste matter discharged from the body	eks-kruh-ment

Poeta y contexto

PoetaKofi Awoonor

Época20th century

Kofi Awoonor was a Ghanaian poet and author, known for his works that often reflect on his country's history and postcolonial themes. He was born in 1935 and tragically died in a terrorist attack in 2013. Awoonor's poetry often explores themes of identity, displacement, and cultural heritage.

Ver en Wikipedia

CuándoPostcolonial era

Por quéThe poem reflects on the impact of colonialism and cultural displacement. It uses the metaphor of a weaver bird to explore themes of invasion, loss of home, and the struggle to reclaim cultural identity.

FormaFree verse

Temas y más

Temas

ColonialismCultural displacementIdentityResilience

Recursos literarios

Metaphor: The weaver bird represents colonial powers.Imagery: Vivid descriptions of the bird building its nest and the defiled shrines.Symbolism: The nest symbolizes the imposed structures and beliefs of colonizers.Allusion: References to the west and storms hint at Western colonial history.