Telephone Conversation

In 1960, Nigeria received independence from England, though it was not until 1963 that Nigeria broke free completely to form a republic. As the country transitioned from white rulers from the outside to Black rulers from within, it faced additional problems. With tribal groups in the West, North, and East regions carrying out their own politics to suit their own beliefs, questions resulted about control for the central government. As English-parliament style transitioned to US-president style, a military coup took place, leading to a countercoup, which led to a civil war in Nigeria from 1967 to 1970. In 1966, to try to prevent a war, activist Soyinka secretly met with the governor of the Eastern region, which eventually seceded from Nigeria during the civil war. As a result of the war and his involvement with the governor, Soyinka was imprisoned for almost two years until the end of the war. In the time between the independence of Nigeria from England and the Nigerian civil war, Soyinka, teaching in the English department at Obafemi Awolowo University in Nigeria, composed “Telephone Conversation,” a poem about control with both sides taking it from the other through various means, such as harsh speaking tones, sarcastic humor, etc. The poem mostly tackles race, or skin color, as the reason for the power dynamics, but more intricate ideologies are at play when it comes to racist thinking.