Ogun by Kamau Brathwaite

"Ogun" by Edward Kamau Brathwaite: Overview

Below is an overview of Edward Kamau Brathwaite's poem "Ogun."

"Ogun" by Edward Kamau Brathwaite: Genre

"Ogun" (1970) is a narrative poem written by the Caribbean historian and poet Edward Kamau Brathwaite (1930‐2020). The poem tells the story of Brathwaite's great uncle, who was named Ogun. Ogun was an extraordinary carpenter, but his craftmanship went unappreciated with the increase of modernity.

"Ogun" by Edward Kamau Brathwaite: Setting

The setting of the poem "Ogun" is interwoven into the description of the carpenter's life. Brathwaite writes the poem from his hometown setting of Barbados in the Caribbean. The versatile plants, animals, and weather that characterize island life in the Caribbean are tied in through natural imagery. The poet uses nature to reflect the intensity of Ogun as he works.

Edward Kamau Brathwaite is one of the most influential Caribbean poets. His poetry was greatly inspired by the Caribbean islands' history, culture, nature, and music.

"Ogun" by Edward Kamau Brathwaite: Poem

Below is Edward Kamau Brathwaite's poem "Ogun" in its entirety.

"Ogun" by Edward Kamay Brathwaite: Summary

The speaker describes how his uncle, Ogun, was a carpenter who could make nearly anything. His dedication to carpentry shows through the wear and tear of his hands and body.

Fig. 2 - The mention of a coffin lends a darker tone to the poem. It foreshadows how Ogun's career as a carpenter is a metaphorical grave, as he is basically a starving artist.

Ogun has a little shop where working men come to stop in for a chat. The sound and focus on his work can be heard clearly in the shop. However, though Ogun is skilled and hardworking, he is still poor because the world’s trends have toward cheap, mass-produced things.

The speaker explains how Ogun still works with real materials, such as a “block of wood” he carves to demonstrate his amazing craftsmanship and talent (27). The naturalness of his building materials and the way he works reflect nature's amazement, beauty, and power. The speaker expresses that even animals and nature were in awe of his work.

However, despite his immense talent and dedication to his work, his workshop is still in shambles because of his poverty. The speaker says that Ogun carves an “image. Of his anger” to reflect the frustration of craftmanship being unappreciated (46).

"Ogun" by Edward Kamau Brathwaite: Analysis of Form, Meter, and Rhyme

Ogun is a 46-line poem written in couplets, or paired lines of poetry. The spacing between the couplets provides a sense of space between lines filled with imagery.

There is no fixed meter or rhyme scheme in the poem. However, the poem's rhythm is meant to reflect the sound of African drums, particularly calypso rhythm. The stresses of the poem are guided by the frequent use of alliteration, which will be discussed further in the literary devices section below.

Although the poem does not feature a particular rhyme scheme or evident end rhymes, the poet uses subtle rhymes interwoven in lines to aid the sense of continuity and flow in the story being told.

"Ogun" by Edward Kamau Brathwaite: Literary Devices

Edward Kamau Brathwaite uses an abundance of literary devices in the poem "Ogun." Some significant literary devices used in the poem include alliteration, assonance, onomatopoeia, metaphor, enjambment, personification, and imagery.

Alliteration, Assonance, and Onomatopoeia

It is evident from the poem's opening that “Ogun” is greatly guided by sounds. Brathwaite uses alliteration and assonance to guide the reading of the poem in a way that reflects the actions being described.

The poem features frequent alliteration between two consecutive words. For example, “white wood” and “heavy hammer” (2,7). The quick, repeated sounds mimic the striking and tapping of Ogun’s hammer as he works away.

Fig. 3 - The rhythm of a hammer is suggested by the use of alliteration and where the stresses fall on words throughout the poem.

The poem also uses assonance, repeating vowel sounds to create drawn-out lines that reflect the poet’s actions. For example, in the first two lines, the ”a,” “oo,” and “o” sounds are repeated to exaggerate the breadth of things he can create and to emphasize the smoothness of his work.

The poem features onomatopoeia in describing how Ogun’s “clip clop sandals slapped across the concrete” (8). The “clip clop” sound evokes the sound of a horse’s weary feet, which emphasizes Ogun’s industriousness and its wear and tear on his body and mental state.

Metaphor and Enjambment

The poet uses a metaphor in lines 5 to 7 of the poem:

Ogun's knuckles are compared to nails flattened by a hammer to emphasize the physicality and intensity of his work. Ogun's work as a carpenter has defined him, even in physical appearance. The poet uses this metaphor to present the carpenter as a tough man who has also endured much suffering and pain for his passion.

Brathwaite uses an interesting form of enjambment in breaking apart words into separate lines. This creates a strain and fragmentation in the reading, mimicing Ogun's difficulties as he works away with a worn body, struggling to make a living. It also mimics the breaking or splitting of materials in his workshop.

Personification and Imagery

Brathwaite uses natural imagery and the personification of nature to depict the power with which Ogun creates:

The point paints a picture of the island creatures and plants watching Ogun from the distance as he makes wood take shape. Brathwaite builds intensity through the imagery of plants and animals witnessing creation. While people and society seem to have no awareness of the gravity of Ogun's talent, nature is his attentive audience.

The poet uses personification to portray the lizards and moths with a human-like nervousness and watchfulness. The "liquid tendrils leaked among the flowers" presents the flowers' fear. Ogun is depicted not just as the man and carpenter but as a god of creation whose hammer is more powerful than the sound of thunder. He takes dry wood and gives it life. Brathwaite paints this exaggerated, larger-than-life picture of Ogun to suggest the vast power of his creative capabilities.

"Ogun" by Edward Kamau Brathwaite: Theme and Meaning

The main themes of the poem Ogun are work and craftsmanship. The speaker expresses awe and admiration for the power of hard work and the talent of being a true craftsman. Work is not presented in glorified terms, but rather by the toll it takes on Ogun's body and the intensity and focus it takes to create beautiful things. Ogun's skill for carpentry and his craftsmanship is something that the speaker, and even nature, are in awe of.

The poet surrounds Ogun's work with an air of amazement to emphasize that his uncle's artistry is something that needs to be appreciated. Through the poem, Brathwaite expresses his frustrations with society's lack of appreciation for his uncle's talents. Overall, the poem's meaning is that as society progresses forward, the value of art and craftsmanship should not fall behind. The poet suggests that the modern world appreciates quick convenience over quality, art, and the preservation of culture.