Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

Gabriel Okara’s poem "Were I to Choose" is a poignant exploration of human suffering, existential dread, and the desire for release from the burdens of life. Okara uses rich biblical imagery, coupled with references to African landscapes and the physical experience of suffering, to convey a deep sense of weariness and a longing for peace. The poem grapples with the inevitability of death and the wish for control over one's destiny in a world fraught with pain and chaos.

The poem begins with a vivid allusion to the biblical story of Adam and Cain, where the breaking of the stone by Adam leads to "red streams" that "raged down to gather in the womb." This image evokes the blood of humanity, symbolizing the birth of sin and the inherent violence that follows humanity from its origins. The mention of an angel calming the storm suggests a momentary reprieve or divine intervention in the midst of chaos, but this tranquility is fleeting as the narrative quickly shifts to Cain, the first murderer in the Bible. The "breath mewed in Cain" hints at the primal and raw emotions within him, reflecting the violent potential that lies dormant within human nature.

The speaker reflects on this inherited legacy of violence and suffering, looking at the world with an "unblinking gaze" from "the brink of an age." The unblinking gaze suggests a cold, detached observation of the world’s brutality, while "the brink of an age" alludes to the precipice of a new era or understanding, perhaps one marked by despair rather than hope. The "breast-muted cry to thread the years" indicates a stifled expression of pain and anguish, a cry that has been suppressed or ignored, yet continues to echo through time. The parenthetical "(O were I to choose)" introduces the speaker's wish for agency, a desire to opt out of this cycle of suffering if given the choice.

As the poem progresses, the speaker reflects on their life, noting "the close of one and thirty turns," or thirty-one years, marking a significant period in the speaker’s life. This period is described as a "world of bones," a metaphor for a life that has become barren, skeletal, and devoid of vitality. The reference to "Babel" suggests confusion and disunity, a world where "different tongues within are flames / the head continually burning." The flames represent internal turmoil and the constant, unrelenting thoughts that plague the speaker’s mind, creating a sense of mental and emotional exhaustion.

The speaker expresses a deep yearning for relief from this "dark halo" that surrounds their head, a symbol of the burdensome thoughts and anxieties that weigh heavily on them. The "harmattan," a dry and dusty trade wind that blows across West Africa, is used here to represent the harsh and unforgiving passage of time. It "parched the throat / and skin" and "sucked the fever of the head away," further illustrating the physical and psychological toll of enduring life’s hardships.

The poem reaches its climax with the arrival of "the massive dark" that "descends," symbolizing death or the end of life. As "flesh and bone are razed," the speaker contemplates the inevitable dissolution of the body, the final end of suffering. The repetition of the phrase "(O were I to choose)" emphasizes the speaker's longing for agency in this moment of ultimate helplessness. The wish to "cheat the worms and silence seek in stone" suggests a desire to avoid the natural process of decay, to escape the indignity of being consumed by worms, and instead, find peace in the permanence of stone—a symbol of silence, stillness, and eternal rest.

"Were I to Choose" is a powerful meditation on the human condition, marked by a profound sense of weariness and a longing for escape from the cycles of violence, suffering, and mental anguish. Okara masterfully weaves together biblical allusions with vivid imagery of the African landscape to create a poem that resonates with both personal and universal themes. The speaker's desire for control over their destiny, their wish to choose silence and peace over the chaos of life, reflects a deep existential yearning for freedom from the burdens of existence. Ultimately, the poem is a poignant expression of the human desire for rest and the longing to find solace in a world that offers little reprieve from suffering.

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