Selected Poems

by Mongane Wally Serote

This is the first published selection of Serote's poems.

Genres: Poetry, South Africa

144 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1982

Reviews

[Prince Mondise · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great! As a poet and an anti-apartheid activist, Mongane Serote, brings to life the realities of the time, lives of black of people (especially in the townships) had to live under the atrocious apartheid regime. Alexandra township comes up now and again, in poems such as: Alexandra (And Alexandra/My beginning was knotted to you/Just like you know my destiny... ) This is to say he has not much of a choice, because in those days one had to stay within the boundaries of their residence; there was no freedom to move around from one place to another; you would need a convincing reason and apply for a permit to do so, if possible. He asks, Do you love Alexandra, or what are doing to me?/You frighten me, Mama/You wear expressions like you would be nasty to me. ; Amen! Alexandra is another poem about his township. (And Alexandra you are a thunder clap/That froze in our hearts...) On the other hand, Serote looks into the future and hopes for a better South Africa, a better day when a black will be free. He says, And from the dark of the past we create a better time/Bright like a brand new day/A day we make/A better time/Ah/There will be a better time made by us.

Quotes:

- Ah, Africa, which death do you not know
- I have seen terrible nights come and go.
- Africa... clad in the memory of your aching muscles, Africa am I your child.
- Africa, where are we going... Africa, answer me, what are going to do now?
- Just like we can't own birth, time is not ours/Death owns us and we can't own it.
- Hope never befriends fools.

Overall, I delighted in the flow of emotions, sounds and cadence of the poems. After all, what is poetry without sound and emotion?