REVIEW OF POEM BY ELIZABETH L. A. KAMARA OF FBC, USL TITLED: “OUR MONUMENT IS NO MORE”
By GIBRILLA KARGBO (REV.)
I have read with rapt attention the poem written by Elizabeth L. A. Kamara of FBC, USL(photo) about the fallen “Cotton Tree” in the Central Business District of Freetown that she titled “Our Monument is No More”. With a focus on meaning, structure, and literary devices, certain issues stand out needing rapt attention about the subject-matter that is the focus of this masterpiece that is released from the literary arsenal of one that knows her trade. She writes about the fallen “Cotton Tree” with artistic deftness such that it is easy to understand that this “Cotton Tree” has a lot that it shares with the people of Freetown and Sierra Leone. I find it very interesting that our poetess deals with this subject-matter in a manner that can best be described as solemn. It should be noted that the tone of solemnity is captured in the opening lines of all five (5) stanzas of the poem in the words “Hush”/”Salone Hush” to suggest a mood of national mourning with the words used in colloquial terms and very akin to our local parlance, Krio, with “hush” meaning my sympathy and “salone” meaning Sierra Leone. She describes the “Cotton Tree” in collective term as “Our Monument” to imply that the loss of the “Cotton Tree” is a national loss and not just a private affair. The message then is very clear that with the demise of the “Cotton Tree”, our beloved motherland is in mourning, thus the need for the words of condolence to “Salone” in “Hush”/”Salone Hush.”
The speaking voice or persona in the poem with the use of an apostrophe from the get go makes it clear that this particular tree is like no other for it is described as “Our Beloved Cotton Tree” and it is also described as “Our Celebrated Cotton Tree.” This “beloved” and “celebrated” “Cotton Tree” is then addressed as “You”, thus personifying it even as “You have stood firm long before 1787” as the gateway to Freetown with the year having historical significance respecting the coming of the first set of freed slaves forming the nucleus of Freetown. This same “Cotton Tree” is given another human attribute of having “ears” that have listened to prayers, eulogies, and even protests. Furthermore, this same “Cotton Tree” has “witnessed the hills and valleys of the land we call home” with the words reminding us about our National Anthem especially with “the hills and valleys reecho(ing) our cry” in the “Land that we love, our Sierra Leone.” I can’t help but to see in the depicted imagery of that first stanza a tree that has assumed monumental proportion, if not a shrine or a place of worship or veneration. This monumental tree is said to have won laurels. However, the poetess reminds us as she addresses the “Cotton Tree” as if speaking to a human being “You are no more”, a sure description of death as in a human being, thus providing an extended personification that gives the “Cotton Tree” an iconic status even at its demise.
Whereas the first stanza pays glowing tribute to “our monument”, the second stanza paints a picture of how “our monument” is no more. With the inclement weather and the activities of the elements (water and fire – thunder and lightning), “our monument” in metaphoric terms “You sighed and divested yourself of care/ Child of nature/You bowed to mother nature.” “Our monument” is further described in gargantuan terms as a giant with strong “arms” that have carried the load of the nation for almost forever and in the process of time has seen so much, heard so much, but is now tired and has given up the ghost. With “our monument” described as a “child of nature”, the “Cotton Tree” is presented as a living being though in symbolic terms and has worked very hard, but it is now time to bow out of the scene in such graceful term to the extent of bearing the country’s agony for far too long. It has a special meaning when the poetess addresses the “Cotton Tree” in the words “Oh our monument, /You are no more” whilst noting that apart from the fourth stanza all the others stanzas have the same ending with that note of poignancy and cogency., thus indicating that something huge is gone from all of us.
In the third stanza, the poetess is alluding to the fact that some are calling for a civic funeral or memorial service for “our darling Cotton Tree”. It is further hinted that “a Cotton Tree is never ordinary”, thus speaking to the collective conscience of a people that are often regarded as superstitious with this “Cotton Tree” assuming such monumental proportion. The poetess then in her continued apostrophizing speaks to the important role of “our monument” that is no more as the mansion for birds, insects, and all with the “all” opening to different interpretations in the continued analysis of the related issues.
In the fourth stanza, the poetess picks up the matter of the victims of this unfortunate situation, the homeless birds that are drenched, weak, frightened and forced to seek new shelters like evicted tenants out of a fortress. The painful aspect of that change in such inclement weather is brough to the fore with the reality that “the clouds frown/And the roads have claws.” The imagery of a fortress gives us or paints a picture of “our monument” needing more attention in terms of our analysis. Starting anew can always be challenging and the demise of the “Cotton Tree” poses a serious challenge to its usual inhabitants especially the birds that are now homeless, drenched, weak and frightened. It brings to the fore the notion that losing one’s shelter, whether natural or artificial, is not a comfortable experience and the birds and related beings are no exception.
The fifth stanza further reminds us about the fact that “our icon is gone” as the “Cotton Tree” is made larger than life with an iconic and monumental status. Predicated on such powerful imagery about the “Cotton Tree”, the poetess comes up with four (4) mind-blowing rhetorical questions that are indicative of the many concerns on the mind of the poetess about this monumental loss that has far-reaching implications for history, culture, and even national unity and cohesion as the fallen “Cotton Tree” has served as a symbol of national unity and cohesion. One thing is very clear that the fallen “Cotton Tree” cannot be easily replaced, thus the many questions asked about how to explain such an iconic or monumental loss that we cannot easily come to terms with. Hard on the heels of those four (4) questions is another mind-blowing rhetorical question that deserves serious attention: “Is this the road to Damascus?” No doubt, this is a biblical allusion or reference that is suggestive of the conversion or transformation of Saul or Paul the Apostle and his conversion on the road to Damascus. This should imply that we must not see the demise of the “Cotton Tree” from a completely negative perspective, but as an opportunity for transformation or change in the destiny of an entire city and/or nation. On account of this conjecture, we can open up the conversation to its metaphysical implications with the demise of the “Cotton Tree” seen as an opportunity for a new beginning in the destiny of Freetown and the rest of the country. It should be noted that with the conversion of Paul on the road to Damascus, the benefits accruing to Christianity are humongous and I look forward to such benefits accruing to Freetown and the rest of the country if the demise of the “Cotton Tree” can be likened to the experience of Paul on the road to Damascus. I am tempted to ask the question: What does the poetess know about the “Cotton Tree” that its demise could warrant such a significant question? However, as an optimist, I look forward to the best for Freetown and the rest of Sierra Leone.
“Our Monument is No More” is characterized by a predominant literary device. The predominant literary device is the apostrophe with the speaking voice in the poem apostrophizing, that is, addressing the “Cotton Tree” as if one is speaking to a human being even if it is posthumously. There is also room for personifications and some instances of metaphors that build the imagery of a larger-than-life figure in the context of being iconic and monumental. It is not easy to forget in a hurry the imagery conjured by “our beloved” and “our celebrated” “Cotton Tree”. We can hardly forget the pictures of “Child of Nature” and even “our darling Cotton Tree”. It is easy to remember that the “Cotton Tree” is described as a “fortress” even “our icon”, the loss is both personal and national, thus warranting a reflection about what has happened to Freetown and Sierra Leone through the passing of the “Cotton Tree”. The structure of the poem is unforgettable with everything encapsulated in “Hush”/Salone Hush” as an opening refrain and concluding with “Oh, our monument/You are no more.” Everything in between becomes a deep reflection of what this “Cotton Tree” is all about long before 1787 and its demise on May 24, 2023. The structure of the poem is sustained by a deliberate repetition that accords the poetess the opportunity to express how she feels about the situation from both a personal and a social level. In very expressive terms also, the poetess utilizes a barrage of rhetorical questions in rapid succession, thus presenting a very emotive situation as the importance of this particular “Cotton Tree” is reiterated with the speaking voice making it clear that there is both pain and nostalgia in the passing of the “Cotton Tree” with the resultant bewilderment that all of a sudden it is not there anymore as a legacy to be bequeathed to posterity. Furthermore, with the employment of personifications, the poetess paints a picture of a human-like tree that holds a special significance in the cognition of Freetonians in particular and Sierra Leoneans in general and with the use of “You” to describe the “Cotton Tree”, the poetess is opportune to engage in a one-on-one conversation with the “icon” or “monument” of a tree that has assumed significance as a national symbol. With the many descriptions of the “Cotton Tree” in metaphoric terms, including “our monument” and “our icon”, among others, the poetess makes it clear this “Cotton Tree” has a special place in the history of Freetown and Sierra Leone. The poetess has succeeded in presenting a beautiful and colorful piece through the deliberate use of the literary devices employed in the poem. It is a beautiful piece from a beautiful heart that can see life beyond human beings, but acknowledging the fact that God’s creation involves all of nature with the loss of any warranting serious attention and rendered in such unforgettable piece of poetry. With this poem, the poetess has immortalized the memory of the fallen “Cotton Tree”.
With this poem, I am reminded of the expression, “the value of a shade is not known until the tree is cut down”. I am also reminded about the lyrics of a song by Joe Hills of Culture titled: “Where the Tree Falls”. He noted that “the axe man have left the root of the tree and it is fruitless/where the tree falls/There shall it lie until judgment take its course.” He also noted significantly: “And the same stone that the builder refused in the morning/Becomes the head cornerstone/And new king sit upon the throne/ Hey, where the tree falls/ Hey, there shall it lie until judgment take its course!” Thumbs up for Madam Elizabeth L. A. Kamara as this masterpiece is a must read for all lovers of poetry with recommendation that it is incorporated into the reading list of schools, colleges and examining bodies.
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