2. The price seemed reasonable, location
Indifferent. The landlady swore she lived
Off premises. Nothing remained
But self-confession. "Madam," I warned,
"I hate a wasted journey—I am African."
Silence. Silenced transmission of
Pressurized good-breeding. Voice, when it came,
Lipstick coated, long gold rolled
Cigarette-holder pipped. Caught I was foully.
3. "HOW DARK?" . . . I had not misheard . . . "ARE YOU LIGHT
OR VERY DARK?" Button B, Button A. Stench
Of rancid breath of public hide-and-speak.
Red booth. Red pillar box. Red double-tiered
Omnibus squelching tar. It was real! Shamed
By ill-mannered silence, surrender
Pushed dumbfounded to beg simplification.
Considerate she was, varying the emphasis--
"ARE YOU DARK? OR VERY LIGHT?" Revelation came.
"You mean--like plain or milk chocolate?"
4. Her assent was clinical, crushing in its light
Impersonality. Rapidly, wave-length adjusted,
I chose. "West African sepia"--and as afterthought,
"Down in my passport." Silence for spectroscopic
Flight of fancy, till truthfulness clanged her accent
Hard on the mouthpiece. "WHAT'S THAT?" conceding
"DON'T KNOW WHAT THAT IS." "Like brunette."
"THAT'S DARK, ISN'T IT?" "Not altogether.
5. Facially, I am brunette, but, madam, you should see
The rest of me. Palm of my hand, soles of my feet
Are a peroxide blond. Friction, caused--
Foolishly, madam--by sitting down, has turned
My bottom raven black--One moment, madam!"--sensing
Her receiver rearing on the thunderclap
About my ears--"Madam," I pleaded, "wouldn't you rather
See for yourself?"
6. "Telephone Conversation" is a biting satire
against the racist attitudes of whites in the
20th century. It ridicules the social evil and
human weakness of racial prejudice.
Overtly, the poem deals with a black, educated
man who is ringing up a white landlady about
renting an apartment and, we assume, is not
allowed to rent the apartment because of the
colour of his skin.
7. Form and Structure
Lyric poem – a poem recounting a personal event, usually in
the present tense.
Free verse – the lack of structure represents the spontaneity
and realism of the conversation, as well as the lack of rhyme.
Caesura – abrupt stops representing the disgust of the speaker
or drawing attention to how horrible the woman’s racism is.
8. Symbolism and Imagery
Colours - “brunette” “peroxide blonde” “raven black” “West African
sepia” “plain or milk chocolate”
"HOW DARK?... ARE YOU LIGHT OR VERY DARK?“
“spectroscopic” - a spectroscope is a device used to break down and
separate the light bounced off from an object. The landlady is drawing a
contrast between herself and the speaker of the poem. Their colours are
separated, unable to unite.
9. Symbolism and Imagery
Alliteration - “clinical, crushing.” The ‘c’ sound heightens the
sense of the sheer coldness of the landlady towards the speaker.
“long gold-rolled/Cigarette-holder” – extended metaphor for the
white landlady. It symbolises her perceived affluence and
importance.
10. Symbolism and Imagery
Symbolism of red. Links to national identity. Consider the
connotations of red also – in particular, anger.
11. Irony
The lady is continuously described in positive terms, suggesting
that she is of a good breeding and upper class. Even when the
reader finds out that she is a shallow and racist person who
exhibits extreme insensitivity by asking crude questions, the man
seems to think that she is ‘considerate’ and her clinical response
to his question shows only ‘light impersonality.’ The repeated
and exaggerated assertions of the woman’s good manners and
sophistication drip with irony as her speech contradict this
strongly.
12. Irony
The basis of the woman rejecting to lease her house to the man
is because of the prejudiced notion that African Americans are a
savage and wild people. This idea is completely discredited by
the ironical fact that throughout the poem the man retains
better manners and vocabulary than the woman, using words
such as “spectroscopic” and “rancid”, whereas she does not
know what West African Sepia is and is inconsiderate in her
inquiries. Using irony in this manner, Soyinka proves how absurd
it is to judge the intellect or character of a man depending on the
colour of his skin only.
