Interrogating the union: Anglophone Cameroon poetry in the postcolonial matrix

Abstract

Anglophone Cameroon poetry deals with a peculiar postcolonial political situation in Africa, in which two peoples of opposing colonial experiences were brought together to form a nation. Focusing primarily on the poetry of Bate Besong and John Ngong Kum Ngong, the essay interrogates the rationale for the union by examining the Anglophone Cameroon poets' portrayal of the “Anglophone problem”. The problem is defined in terms of the marginalization, assimilation, dictatorship and fake democratic practices which have hindered Anglophone Cameroonians from having control over themselves and their destiny since British Southern Cameroons joined the French République du Cameroun in 1961 to constitute a nation. Analysis of Anglophone poetry, and of the poets' reaction to the legacy of colonialism, supports the argument that Anglophone Cameroon poetry articulates a network of experiences and visions to offer a severe critique of the irreconcilable union. The poets demonstrate a strong attachment to their history, their colonial heritage and their integrity as leading light for a people who, in a daunting neo‐colonial situation, have been deprived of the basic right to independence.