Our History is a poem about the fierce Western invasion of Africa. Dipoko is African which explains why the poem is written with a bitter and angry tone from the African point of view. Throughout the poem this tone of voice is kept by the use of powerful diction and imagery to emphasize the violence and destruction caused by the Westerners. The title, "Our History" suggests a rather melancholic view of events. He is looking back at the past as though the present does not exist due to all the destruction and unfortunate change. .
The poem is divided up into three stanzas, each dealing with a different aspect of the destructive invasion. The first stanza describes the arrival of the foreigners. At this point the tone is not quite as angry but instead anxious so the reader can sense that it is building up to something. The first three line, "And the waves arrived seas" convey a very visual image as it stresses the on going, restless movement of the waves. This is emphasized further by starting the poem with the word "And" to show that the waves follow a continuing pattern, a never ending cycle. The waves are metaphorical for the invaders and so this suggestion of a constant cycle places a threat at the Africans. In the third line there is alliteration of the "f" sound which strengthens the rhythm and echoes the sound of the waves. In the next line Dipoko states that their "lustre gave the illusion of pearls". Luster is a is a strong word to describe shine but the "illusion of pearls" suggests its irony, that these invaders, although rich, are anything but pearls. Clear anger is carried through the second part of the stanza as the poet compares them to the "carcass of drifting whales". .
The next stanza portrays the violence involved in the intrusion of these westerners by describing their weapons and comparing them to lightening and thunder. These two strong metaphors put across both a clear visual image as well as an aural one.
What is History? So, what is History? ... History Doesn't Change. ... My past, your past, our past is literally carved in stone, or in some other medium, behind me somewhere back there that I can't get to. ... They're our football and basketball coaches who are also teaching our kids history. ...
A truly great film, "American History X" leaves you with an intense awareness of the hate in our world and an overwhelming desire to overcome it. ... And even when we do, do we allow it to serve any real purpose in our lives? ... "American History X" gives us more closure. ... Though passion may have strained, we must not break our bonds of affection. The mystic chords of memory will swell when again touched, as they surely will be, by the better angels of our nature."...
Sacred history can be defined as a history that is spread by the word of mouth, by oral teachings as opposed to written works. ... Sacred history can be defined as a history that is spread and kept by the word of mouth, by oral teachings. ... This would make the text then sacred history as well. ... Sacred history is different from scientific history for two main reasons. ... In other words sacred history usually dealt with God and an intervention from God that changes our actions and the events that occur. ...
Our flawed government: The Electoral College Among the many problems that our government possess the Electoral College bothers me the most. ... In turn we do not control who will run our government. ... In the history of the United States only three times did this situation arise (#2). ... The Electoral College is run ineffectively for our nation. ... The misrepresentation of the masses stems the problems of our American government....
Over time, humans have changed and improved these materials, hence improving our quality of hygiene. It is important that we learn from the past, so that we can take even better care of our teeth in the future. ... " (History) Along with brushing your teeth, flossing also plays a key role in keeping good dental hygiene. Over time, our materials have evolved from string to waxy coated, multi textured silicone string. ... Fortunately, toothbrushes, toothpaste, and dental floss help us keep up our oral health and cleanliness. ...
Foucault sought to explore the history of sex in three volumes of his book History of Sex namely: The Will to Knowledge (La volonté de savoir), The Use of Pleasure (l'usage des plaisirs), and The Care of the Self (le souci de soi). ... But Foucault says this how the society tries to govern us and our sexuality, because when we try to explore sexuality in a way we are also complying to the way that the society wants us to be. ... And in the Indian context, it is high time that we realize it, break out of our mold and create a form of subjectivity and a mode of being for ourselv...
Uncle Ho said: "Our people must know our history to be fully aware of the origin of Vietnam", indicating that a full understanding of one's country is crucial. ... In many other schools, no students at all chose history. ... For example, our victories and the way we depicted our enemies in each are repeated in different battles without a specific story to differentiate. ... Another effective method to awaken students' curiosity in History is to have a televised game-show for young people to encourage them to explore not only the history and culture of the country. ... Howev...
Michener, is a novel which covers, on both a fictional and a non-fictional level, the total history of Hawaii from its beginning until approximately 1954. ... For example, a comparison of Hawaii to actual history can be made through selected events in each chapter of the novel. ... Similarly, in 1809, in truth, history records that a certain Henry Obookiah stirred the emotions of religious New Englanders. ... In chapter IV, "From the Starving Village", Michener gives a quick history of a Chinese village. ... History notes that in 1852, the labor problems in the fields in Hawaii had become ...
(Adapted from Collier's Encyclopedia, vol.12, 1992) I believe that history is what made us what we are today and it defines our culture and our existence, not to mention our daily life. History is the chain of significant events that has occurred throughout the years. ... Simply because history decides the future. ... Our younger generation would be out of control considering the fact that even now they aren't easy to handle. ... Plutarch's theory states that the very character of men changes history. ...
