Oppression is another noticeable feature of the poem. There is no gainsaying that Africans were oppressed: from the outset into slavery; in resistance against colonialism (“crushed in the forest”); and were imprisoned in their struggle for independence (“jailer’s keys”).

Africans who spearheaded the fight for their countries’ independence found themselves and dreams they had at the mercy of “jailer’s keys”. They were imprisoned. Agostinho Neto in particular was imprisoned. Jomo Kenyatta of Kenya and Kwame Nkrumah of Ghana were part of the long list of African nationalists that were imprisoned because they dared to say no to colonial power.

Oppression is further put in the fore by expressions like “stifled laughter”, “victorious voice of laments” which throw up the image of the affective influence of oppressive elements at work.