4. Telephone Conversation - Poetry - Class 11 - Woven Words

Oct 10
5 min read

Chapter Title: Telephone Conversation

Poet: Wole Soyinka

Textbook: Woven Words

Genre: Poem (Satirical / Anti-racism)

Summary

Wole Soyinka’s Telephone Conversation is a powerful satirical poem that exposes racial prejudice in everyday life. The poem presents a dramatic monologue between an African man and a white landlady over a phone call about renting a flat. At first, the conversation is polite and formal. However, the tone shifts sharply when the man reveals he is African. The landlady pauses and then asks an offensive question: “Are you dark or very light?” The man, taken aback, responds humorously, describing himself as “milk chocolate” and “West African sepia.” Despite his intelligence and wit, the woman continues probing about the exact shade of his skin. The poem ends with the man sarcastically suggesting that she see for herself, underlining the absurdity of racial discrimination. Through irony, imagery, and satire, Soyinka portrays the everyday racism hidden behind politeness, showing how social prejudice distorts communication and human dignity.

Character Sketch

Speaker (African Man):

Intelligent and self-respecting individual.
Displays humor and composure in the face of discrimination.
Uses sarcasm as a weapon to expose the landlady’s ignorance.
Maintains his dignity and does not lose control despite the insult.
Represents the voice of reason, intelligence, and protest against racism.

Landlady:

Symbol of racial bias and social hypocrisy.
Starts with politeness but quickly reveals her discriminatory mindset.
Treats skin color as the only factor in deciding worthiness.
Her obsession with “how dark” the speaker is shows her ignorance.
Reflects society’s deep-seated prejudice under the guise of etiquette.

Themes

Theme	Description
Racial Discrimination	The poem exposes how people are judged by their skin color, even in casual, everyday interactions.
Irony and Satire	Soyinka uses humor and irony to ridicule the absurdity of racial prejudice.
Communication and Misunderstanding	The “telephone conversation” highlights how communication can fail when prejudice interferes with understanding.
Identity and Dignity	The speaker affirms his identity while maintaining dignity in the face of humiliation.
Social Hypocrisy	The polite tone of the landlady masks her racist mindset, revealing hidden hypocrisy in society.

Literary Devices / Poetic Devices

Device	Example / Explanation
Irony	The polite phone call turns into an awkward display of racism, showing the contrast between civility and prejudice.
Imagery	Vivid images like “red booth, red pillar-box, red double-tiered omnibus” create a realistic setting.
Satire	The poet mocks racial ignorance through the speaker’s witty replies.
Enjambment	The poem’s lines flow naturally, imitating real speech and conversation.
Capitalization	Words like “HOW DARK?” show the landlady’s blunt and insensitive tone.
Symbolism	Colours such as “sepia,” “raven black,” and “peroxide blonde” symbolize society’s obsession with skin color.

Title Justification

The title Telephone Conversation appears ordinary but carries deep irony. A telephone conversation is usually meant to connect two people through speech, yet here, it becomes a symbol of division and prejudice. The interaction between the African man and the white landlady shows how racial bias can turn simple communication into an uncomfortable confrontation. The title reflects the everyday setting of the event while emphasizing the unnaturalness of discrimination in human interaction. It perfectly captures the poem’s theme of prejudice hidden beneath politeness.

One-Mark Questions

1. What is the central issue in the poem?

Answer: The central issue in the poem is racial discrimination. The poem highlights how people of color are judged unfairly by their skin tone and exposes prejudice hidden in everyday interactions.

2. What causes the silence from the landlady after the speaker says he is African?Answer: The silence represents the landlady’s discomfort and hesitation upon learning the speaker’s race. It reveals her internal bias and sudden change in attitude.

3. How does the speaker describe his complexion humorously?

Answer: The speaker humorously describes his skin tone using phrases like “milk chocolate,” “West African sepia,” and “raven black,” mocking the landlady’s obsession with color.

4. Why are some words in capital letters in the poem?

Answer: The capitalization emphasizes the landlady’s loud, awkward, and rude tone during the conversation. It highlights her insensitivity and prejudice.

5. What does “Wouldn’t you rather see for yourself?” imply?

Answer: The line implies sarcasm and frustration. It challenges the landlady’s racial prejudice and forces her to confront her own assumptions.

Three-Mark Questions

1. How is color used symbolically in the poem?

Answer: Color plays a central role in expressing the theme of racial discrimination. The landlady’s questions about the speaker’s complexion reflect society’s obsession with skin color. The speaker’s witty comparisons—“milk chocolate,” “West African sepia,” and “raven black”—mock the absurdity of defining people by shades. Even “peroxide blonde” for his soles contrasts physical features with inner worth. These color references symbolize the shallow, judgmental mindset of racist individuals.

2. How does the poet use humor and sarcasm in the poem?

Answer: Wole Soyinka uses humor and sarcasm as tools to expose racism. The African speaker, though insulted, responds with clever wit instead of anger. His humorous comparisons make the landlady’s questions appear ridiculous. This sarcastic tone not only highlights his intelligence but also criticizes the irrational nature of racial prejudice. Humor becomes a means of dignified resistance.

3. Explain the significance of the setting in the poem.

Answer: The poem is set in a public telephone booth, emphasizing the ordinariness of the situation. The setting represents modern communication, yet prejudice disrupts its purpose. The vivid urban imagery—“red booth,” “red pillar-box,” and “double-tiered omnibus”—anchors the poem in realism. The confined booth also symbolizes the speaker’s isolation and emotional restraint. Thus, the setting heightens the irony and tension of the encounter.

4. How does the poem criticize prejudice hidden behind politeness?

Answer: The poem exposes how racism often hides behind seemingly polite language. The landlady begins with courtesy but soon reveals her discriminatory mindset through her intrusive questions. Her politeness turns into prejudice once she learns the speaker is African. The shift in tone highlights hypocrisy in social behavior, showing how politeness can mask deep-rooted bias.

5. What does the poem reveal about the speaker’s character?

Answer: The speaker is shown as intelligent, patient, and composed. Despite being insulted, he handles the situation with dignity. His witty and sarcastic remarks expose the absurdity of racism while preserving his self-respect. The speaker’s calmness contrasts sharply with the landlady’s ignorance, portraying him as morally and intellectually superior.

Value-Based Question

What does this poem teach us about prejudice and how to respond to it?

Answer: The poem teaches that prejudice can exist even in ordinary interactions and may appear under polite behavior. It emphasizes the need to confront discrimination with intelligence and self-control. The speaker’s calm and witty response becomes a model for handling bias without losing dignity. Telephone Conversation encourages empathy, respect, and awareness of equality in communication. It reminds readers that humanity should never be judged by external appearance.

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