From the west

Clouds come hurrying with the wind

Turning sharply

Here and there

Like a plague of locusts

Whirling,

Tossing up things on its tail

Like a madman chasing nothing.

Pregnant clouds

Ride stately on its back,

Gathering to perch on hills

Like sinister dark wings;

The wind whistles by

And trees bend to let it pass.

In the village

Screams of delighted children,

Toss and turn

In the din of the whirling wind,

Women,

Babies clinging on their backs

Dart about

In and out

Madly;

The wind whistles by

Whilst trees bend to let it pass.

Clothes wave like tattered flags

Flying off

To expose dangling breasts

As jagged blinding flashes

Rumble, tremble and crack

Amidst the smell of fired smoke

And the pelting march of the storm.

Summary

The poem begins with the description of storm winds and thunderclouds blowing in from the west. This is a violent image as it is churning up items in their path. The destruction is senseless and can be compared to an invading insect swarm (that is like the biblical “plague of locusts”), or a madman chasing nothing. The persona describes the “pregnant” and “stately” clouds riding the wind. This suggests that the clouds are full of rain. These dark clouds are foreboding and evil despite their grandeur. As such, the trees bend in their path.

The poet shifts the setting and tone as he speaks about the reactions of villagers in the storm’s path. The children scream innocently with pleasure and excitement, but the wind takes away the sounds. The women are frantic as they scramble with their babies clinging to their backs. The imagery is one of chaos and confusion and even the trees continue to bend in the wind.

The women’s clothing is ripped off by the storm, exposing their naked bodies, and then waves in the wind like torn up flags. Lightning flashes vividly, thunder rumbles the ground, the air smells like fire and smoke, and a violent rain begins.

Theme – nature, or man vs nature,

Mood – impending doom and terror.

Analysis

“Clouds come hurrying with the wind, Turning sharply, Here and there,”

This suggests that the clouds are moving with great speed and in an inconsistent and unexpected pattern and direction.

“Like a plague of locusts”

The persona now compares the wind to “a plague of locusts” and this suggests that there is devastation. The locusts are associated with famine and destruction in the Bible. In the story of Moses and Pharaoh of Egypt, one of the ten plagues was a plague of locusts.

“Tossing up things on its tail”

The persona alludes to the destructive, disruptive quality of the wind in this line. The wind tosses things as it moves forward.

“Like a madman chasing nothing”

The persona now compares the wind to a madman who has no focus but who wanders without direction. A madman poses a threat to others because he has no sanity or restraint just as the wind has an impending doom which is ready to wreak havoc upon anything it encounters.

“Pregnant clouds ride stately on its back, “

The persona uses “pregnant” to describe the fact clouds are heavy with rain. The clouds ride ‘stately’ on the back of the wind, which indicates that the wind carries the clouds in a dignified manner. The elevation of the clouds hint at their dignity and how slowly they move in the wind.

“Gathering to perch on hills, like sinister dark wings;”

The clouds gather over the hills. They perch like birds, meaning they sit atop the hills with their sinister dark wings. This would suggest that they are like crows. The use of “sinister” suggests that the clouds should be feared.

“The wind whistles by, and trees bend to let it pass.”

The sounds of these lines are onomatopoeic, and this is reflected in the sound the wind makes. Still, there is a sense of power in the wind bending the trees.

“In the village, screams of delighted children toss and turn in the din of the whirling wind.”

The whistling wind and the looming clouds do not produce that full fear in the children. They are excited by the storm. Their screams ‘toss and turn in the din of the whirling wind,’ suggests that the children’s delighted shouts are lost in the loud wind as it blows.

“Women, babies clinging on their backs, dart about, in and out, madly;”

The concern of the women contrasts with the delighted screams of the children. The babies latch on to the backs of their mothers in fear, and the women move about with some madness as the storm approaches.

“The wind whistles by whilst trees bend to let it pass.”

The line is repeated at the end of stanza 2, to show the wind bending nature once again to its will as it blows past.

“Clothes wave like tattered flags, flying off to expose dangling breasts”

The clothes waving like tattered flags speak to the intensity of the winds as it blows the villager’s clothes.

“As jagged blinding flashes rumble, tremble and crack amidst the smell of fired smoke and the pelting march of the storm.”

The ‘pregnant clouds’ release terror upon the earth. This includes lightning (blinding flashes), thunder (rumble) and heavy rain (pelting march). There is also the possibility that the lightning has caused some amount of fire – “the smell of fired smoke.”

Literary and Figurative Devices

Alliteration

“Clouds come hurrying with the wind” (line 2)

“The wind whistles by” (line 14)

“Toss and turn” (line 18)

“In the din of the whirling wind.” (line 19)

“The wind whirls by” (line 25)

Personification

“Clouds come hurrying with the wind.” (line 2)

The clouds ‘hurrying,’ is a human action of quick movement.

“Pregnant clouds ride stately on its back, gathering to perch on hills” (lines 11-12)

The clouds are ‘riding’ on the back of the wind and pregnant clouds are human qualities.

.

“Trees bend to let it pass.” (line 15)

The trees that ‘bend’ and allow the wind to pass personifies the power of the wind to force the trees into submission.

“Screams of delighted children toss and turn.” (lines 17-18)

The screams of the children toss and turn in the wind shows the way that the wind’s speed throws sounds.

Simile

“Like a plague of locusts” (line 6)

The wind is compared to a plague of locusts because of its destructive power.

“Like a madman chasing nothing” (line 9)

The wind is compared to a madman who is not chasing anything because of the erratic movements or sway of the winds.

“Like dark sinister wings” (line 13)

The clouds are said to be like dark sinister wings which represent a sense of evil.

“Clothes wave like tattered flags” (line 27)

The clothes are compared to tattered flags due to their torn appearances and how they flap and move in the powerful winds.

Biblical Allusion

Like a plague of locusts – alludes to the plague in the Bible.

Note: Some analysts have argued that the “storm” in this poem is a metaphor for the wave of colonialism that moved across Africa. While the poem is listed under the theme of Nature in the “World of Poetry” below is an overview of the storm as a metaphor for European colonialism in Africa.

Theme Colonialism and Social Turmoil

Colonialism and Social Turmoil

“An African Thunderstorm” describes gathering storm. It is also symbolic of the social unrest in Africa. The persona narrates the arrival of a massive storm in an African village, but the language and imagery can also symbolize the storm that is the European colonizers and their turmoil of invasion, subjection, and exploitation of African peoples. If one assesses the poem on this merit, then it becomes an allegory for colonialism and violent force that disrupts everything in its path.

The poem uses “From the west” which is a loaded phrase when applied to Africa, because “the West” is often linked colonial history. Based on the poet’s biblical descriptions of the arrival of the storm, one can gather that the speaker also refers to the upheavals in African history (including in the poet’s native Malawi) that was triggered by colonialism.

The speaker compares the storm to the “plague of locusts,” in Egypt when God send the plague to force the Pharoah to free his children. In addition, the clouds settling “like sinister dark wings,” on the hills alludes to the Angel of Death or a destructive or scavenging bird. The images presented in these scenes evoke an omen that speaks to the storm being one that will bring a swift and destructive change which is like the violence that comes with colonialism or the struggle to retain culture and race will destroy life as people know it.

The storm brings violence, violation, and social disruption which is also like the beliefs and practices of colonialism. Those who have endured this era will note that there is violence, the eradication of culture, and exploitation of culture and people. The poet alludes to women’s torn and tattered clothes, which suggests that their bodies are exposed. This exposure alludes to the sexual exploitation or the violations that one experiences when colonialism strips away one’s culture and beliefs. There is an even greater connection to war and political upheaval when the poet compares the clothes to “tattered flags” and the storm’s progression to a “march.” The comparison of the storm to a “madman chasing nothing” suggests that colonialism can be chaotic, irrational, and absurd and the result is disruption in the colonized region.

Theme of Humanity vs. Nature

Mankind vs. Nature

The poem “An African Thunderstorm” shows the vulnerability of mankind as they battle the forces of nature. The violent storm crashes into an African village, but the poet would suggest that the natural world is flexible and durable and can “bend” or endure a storm. In contrast, mankind will become devastated and broken by the storm. Still, there is a hint that mankind can be resilient in the face of a storm as the women scramble to ensure their safety in the storm.

The storm’s power shows in the sharp turns, pelting, rumbling, cracking, and whirling. These movements are synonymous with the violence that nature may bring. But the villagers are susceptible to the strength of the storm and the results of such a powerful force. The tress sway with the violent winds and the children screams with delight. These are ironic instances because they are unaware of the dangers of the storm. The irony is further incorporated when one looks at the power of colonialism and the changes it brings to those who cannot see its dangers. The laughter of the children could also represent the irrepressible human spirit. The babies clinging to their mothers back for protection indicates that some people may hold on to their past as a way of not conforming to the colonial ways. It is not clear where the men are in the approaching storm or what exactly are the women doing to prepare for the storm. Instead, the persona shows the power of nature as a source of a breakdown of normal social order.

The “smell of fired smoke,” is a vague image. There is no clear suggestion of where this smoke comes from or what causes the smoke. It could be from lightning strikes or from indoor fires of villagers waiting out the storm. Similarly, the poet is unclear in the impact of the storm on the village. There is only reference to the coming of the storm. The poem ends with as the rain begins “pelting.” The storm does not appear to kill anyone but the power of the storm is still evident in the way that it threatens the stability of the village.

This theme appears in the poem:

Lines 2-9

Lines 14-15

Lines 16-26

Lines 27-33

Line-by-Line Explanation

Lines 1-5

“From the west …/ Here and there”

The storm first approaches “From the west.” The line shows what the content will be about. Like the wind blowing “Here and there,” this verse varies in length and has no strict structure or pattern. Instead, the poet uses choppy enjambment to create a rhythm that fits the erratic behaviour of the storm as it is “hurrying” nearer. The use of single-word lines “Turning / Sharply” helps to build the tension of the approaching storm.

Literally, “From the west” means that the storm approaches from western skies. Still, this is symbolic as “The West” is a political term that is used in reference to former European colonies that still hold most of its population of European descent. The storm coming in from the “West” can then be seen as the source of violence and upheaval across the African continent, from the North Atlantic slave trade, through the time of colonialism in Africa, as well as through the postcolonial period.