POEM 3

Wole Soyinka – Night

Your hand is heavy, Night, upon my brow.
I bear no heart mercuric like the clouds,
to dare.
Exacerbation from your subtle plough.
Woman as a clam, on the sea’s crescent.
I saw your jealous eye quench the sea’s
Fluorescence, dance on the pulse incessant
Of the waves. And I stood, drained
Submitting like the sands, blood and brine
Coursing to the roots. Night, you rained
Serrated shadows through dank leaves
Till, bathed in warm suffusion of your dappled cells
Sensations pained me, faceless, silent as night thieves.
Hide me now, when night children haunt the earth
I must hear none! These misted cells will yet
Undo me; naked, unbidden, at Night’s muted birth.

ANALYSIS OF WOLE SOYINKA’S NIGHT

Wole Soyinka’s poem “Night” is a complex and evocative exploration of the night as a powerful, almost oppressive force. The poem uses rich, sensory imagery and metaphor to convey the speaker’s interaction with the night, personifying it as a heavy, almost sentient presence that exerts a profound influence over the natural world and the human spirit.

Structure and Form
The poem is written in free verse, which allows Soyinka to explore the theme without the constraints of traditional rhyme or meter. The free-flowing structure mirrors the fluid, encompassing nature of the night as described by the speaker, while also reflecting the internal turbulence the speaker feels in response to this nocturnal force.

Themes and Imagery

1. Oppression and Weight of the Night: The poem opens with the powerful line, “Your hand is heavy, Night, upon my brow,” immediately establishing the night as a burdensome presence. The personification of Night as having a hand suggests a physical weight, a pressing force that the speaker feels intensely. This weight could symbolize the emotional or psychological burdens that come with the darkness, such as fear, melancholy, or existential contemplation.
2. Conflict and Submission: The speaker reveals a sense of conflict with the night, expressing that they “bear no heart mercuric like the clouds, / to dare.” This line suggests an inability or unwillingness to confront or challenge the night’s overpowering force. The word “mercuric” implies quicksilver, something volatile and changeable, which the speaker lacks. Instead, they find themselves drained and submitting to the night, much like the sands submit to the relentless waves of the sea.
3. Jealousy and Destruction: The poem portrays the night as a jealous entity that “quench[es] the sea’s / Fluorescence.” This act of quenching light is an act of dominance and destruction, as night extinguishes the last remnants of day or vitality. The night’s influence is depicted as pervasive and consuming, draining the energy and light from the world.
4. Sensory Overload and Pain: Soyinka uses intense sensory imagery to depict the night’s effect on the speaker. The “serrated shadows” that rain through “dank leaves” create a sharp, almost painful sensation. The use of “serrated” implies a harsh, cutting quality, suggesting that the night’s presence is not just heavy but also intrusive and painful. The speaker is bathed in a “warm suffusion” of night’s “dappled cells,” which, rather than comforting, causes pain and discomfort.
5. Fear and Vulnerability: The latter part of the poem delves into the fear that night evokes. The speaker pleads to be hidden from “night children” that “haunt the earth.” These night children could represent the fears, nightmares, or spirits that emerge under the cover of darkness. The speaker’s fear of being undone by “misted cells” and being left “naked, unbidden, at Night’s muted birth” highlights a deep vulnerability. The night becomes a time of exposure, where one’s defenses are down, and the hidden parts of the psyche are laid bare.

Tone and Voice
The tone of the poem is one of awe, mingled with dread and resignation. The speaker’s voice conveys a mixture of resistance and submission to the overwhelming power of the night. The use of first-person narration intensifies the personal and emotional nature of the encounter, drawing the reader into the speaker’s internal struggle.

Symbolism

• Night as a Force: Night is not just a time of day but a force with agency, capable of exerting pressure and influence. It symbolizes the unknown, the unconscious, and the repressed aspects of the human experience.
• The Sea: The sea, often associated with life and constant motion, is subdued by the night’s jealous eye, symbolizing the suppression of vitality and creativity by the overwhelming power of darkness.

Conclusion
Wole Soyinka’s “Night” is a vivid and intense meditation on the power and mystery of the night. Through rich imagery and personification, Soyinka explores themes of oppression, fear, and submission to forces beyond human control. The night is depicted as both a physical and psychological entity, one that weighs heavily on the speaker, sapping strength and inducing a sense of vulnerability and dread. The poem captures the paradoxical nature of night as both a time of stillness and a time of profound, unsettling activity within the human soul. NEXT POEM

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