According
to Chinua Achebe, as stated in the Author’s biography, “Come Away my Love” is a
love poem. It is a love poem about the trials and tribulation of a love affair
between a black man from Kenya and a white woman from England. Analogously, it
is about the embodiment of altercations experienced in an inter-racial
relationship. That is, this will be the same issue encountered by an Asian
espoused to a European/American, or an Indian alongside an African.
Being
a love poem, the title of the poem gives a hint about the typical lovers’
activities. They come away from the public eyes into a secret/romantic
environment where there love, affection and energy can be optimally
consummated. However, another meaning can be derived from this title. The
meaning that can be derived is that the persona is asking his lover to
rendezvous at a secret location away from the society that has proven
counterproductive towards their love. The society has been an inhibiting factor
for their love because of the racism that is ongoing in the United Kingdom and
Europe as at the time that the poem was written by Joseph Kariuki.
Stating
that the persona’s lover in this poem is from another race is not self-sufficient
(initially; judging by the title alone and what Chinua Achebe said). What backs
the statement up In the poem is in the second stanza:
There, safe from
opinions, being behind
Myself, I can see only
you
And in my dark eyes your
grey
Will dissolve
Here,
the dark eyes belong to a negro, the poet-persona. It is an empirical fact that
all negroes have dark eye balls (only with a proven exception about two percent
who are often of mixed race such as the mullatoes). Moreover, negroes or
Africans usually do not have grey eyes. Only the Caucasians do. Thus, the owner
of the grey eyes in this poem is a European woman. In microcosm, the persona’s
lover is an English lady. As at this poem was written, Kariuki was studying in Cambridge.
That was probably the time he met the love of his life of whom, unfortunately
the English society was rife with racism that period.
Little
wonder the poet-persona is calling his lover to come away from the prejudiced
and jaundiced opinion of the racist society, into a secret place “In the
shelter of my faithful room rest” where they will not get caught. Also, where
they will not be judged and vindicated by the English people:
Where mankind eyes
divide,
And show windows reflect
our difference.
The
show windows that reflect their differences here is their skin. It is a mere
outward appearance that does not define what is behind the show window. What is
inside, or the content, or the soul, is not different. It is not determined by
the colour of the skin. This what Joseph discloses in the line:
The candlelight throws
Two dark shadows on the
wall
Which merge into one as
I close beside
You.
Irrespective
of anybody’s skin colour, body shape or background, the shadow will always
remain black. Thus, everybody is the same no matter what the skin of their tells.
Two dark shadows on the wall from two lovers of different races denotes a lot.
It denotes that they are the same even though their skins tell the opposite.
In
conclusion, these lovers love affair is described as having the characteristics
to withstand the test of time and the wiles from the society. The line “which
merge into one as I close beside you” denotes that their bond gets stronger as
time goes by. “merging into one” also suggest that the nuptial cord is tied. In
other words, it can be said to mean that they get married. Moreover, the last
stanza sums it all up. It concludes it with a happy ending. A happy ending that
end up “into one” despite the society that endeavors to divide them at all
cost. After “the lights are out” these lovers outstayed the forces against them
with their love stronger with “unchallenged harmony”.
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