Telephone Conversation by Wole Soyinka

 Telephone Conversation by Wole Soyinka

 Notice these expressions in the poem and guess their meaning from the context

rancid breath     squelching tar     spectroscopic     flight of fancy     rearing on the thunderclap     brunette             peroxide blonde     clinical assent     raven black

1. Rancid breath - This refers to an unpleasant, stale breath smell. In the poem, it reflects the landlady’s unpleasant, old-fashioned attitudes.
2. Squelching tar - Refers to the squishy sound of tar in the city streets, helping to set the urban scene.
3. Spectroscopic flight of fancy - Means the landlady’s strange, imaginative attempt to picture the speaker’s exact skin color.
4. Rearing on the thunderclap - Describes the sound of the landlady suddenly lifting the phone in shock.
5. Brunette - A term for a person with dark hair, which the speaker uses to describe his overall skin tone.
6. Peroxide blonde - A phrase describing very light-colored hair, here used to describe the lighter color of the speaker’s palms and feet.
7. Clinical assent - This shows the landlady’s cold, detached response, like she’s inspecting the speaker as an object.
8. Raven black - Refers to a very dark shade, here used humorously to describe the speaker’s skin color.

UNDERSTANDING THE POEM

 1. State the central issue in the poem. 

Answer: The main problem in the poem is the racial prejudice that the speaker faces. The African man wants to rent an apartment, but the landlady makes a big issue out of his skin color, showing the unfair treatment he faces just because of his race.

2. There are intervals of silence in the interaction between the landlady and the prospective tenant. What are the reasons for this? 

Answer: The silence shows the landlady’s hesitation and shock when she hears that the speaker is African. It also shows the awkward and uncomfortable feelings on both sides as they deal with this uncomfortable topic.

3. How is colour highlighted in the poem and why? List all the words in the poem that suggest colour.

Answer: Color is highlighted to show the landlady’s strange obsession with the speaker’s skin tone. Words related to color in the poem include:

Dark     Light     Sepia     Brunette     Peroxide blonde     Raven black     Milk chocolate     Plain chocolate

 4. Which are the lines in the poem that impressed you the most and why? 

Answer: The line, “Facially, I am brunette, but madam, you should see the rest of me,” is interesting because it adds humor. The speaker is cleverly using humor to handle an embarrassing situation and show that he is more than just his skin color.

5. You know what ‘hide-and-seek’ is. What would ‘hide-and-speak’ mean? 

Answer: Like the game ‘hide-and-seek,’ this means the speaker has to be careful about what he reveals. In this context, it means he has to hide parts of his identity and try to answer the landlady’s strange questions without causing conflict.

6. Certain words in the poem are in capital letters—why? 

Answer: The landlady’s questions are in capital letters to show her blunt and forceful tone. It highlights how she’s only focused on the speaker’s skin color and how she asks him directly without sensitivity.

7. Why do you think that the poet has chosen the title ‘Telephone Conversation’? If you were to suggest another title for the poem, what would it be? 

Answer: The title is simple, but it shows how, in a quick phone conversation, a big issue like racial discrimination can come up. An alternative title could be “Color Questions” or “The Color Check.”

8. The power of poetry lies in suggestion and understatement. Discuss this with reference to the poem.

Answer: The poem’s power is in how it uses humor to show a serious issue. The speaker doesn’t openly complain about racism but uses clever humor to show the landlady’s wrong attitudes. This makes the poem’s message about prejudice more effective, as the speaker’s calm response shows the unfairness more clearly.