Black Singer by Wole Soyinka

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 BLACK SINGER

(for  Marge, New      York)

Cold  wreath  of vine,darkly

Coiled about the night;echoes deep within 

Bled veins of autumn

A votive vase,her throat

Poured many  souls  as  one;how  dark

 The wine became the night.

Fleshed  from  out  disjointed,out  from

 The sidewalk hurt of sirens,a darkling Pool of winc shivers

In light shrapnels,and do you ask

How  is  the  wine  tonight:Dark,lady 

Dark    in    token    of    the    deeper    wounds

Full again of promises

Of the deep and silent wounds

Of cruel phases of the darksome wine

Song,O  Voice,is  lonely  envoy

Night a runncl for the wine's indifferent How.

Analysis of the Poem

In Wole Soyinka's poem "Black Singer," the speaker reflects on the profound and haunting performance of a black singer, possibly inspired by a specific individual named Marge in New York.

The poem opens with imagery of a cold wreath of vine coiled around the night, setting a tone of darkness and mystery. The echoes within suggest a deep resonance with the themes of autumn and change.

The singer's voice is compared to a votive vase, pouring forth many souls as one, implying a deep connection to ancestral voices and experiences. The darkness of her song mirrors the night itself, suggesting a blending of sorrow and beauty.

The singer emerges from the disjointedness and urban chaos of the sidewalk, her voice like a darkling pool shimmering with pain. The metaphor of "winc shivers" suggests a chilling effect, possibly evoking the pain and suffering embedded within the singer's song.

The poem poses a rhetorical question about the quality of the wine, symbolizing the depth and richness of the singer's performance. The darkness of the wine reflects the deeper wounds and injustices experienced by the black community.

Despite the darkness and pain, the singer's voice is described as a lonely envoy, carrying the message of her people through the night. The poem ends with a sense of resignation, as the night becomes a mere backdrop for the singer's indifferent howl, echoing the ongoing struggle and resilience of the black experience.