Question

In the poem telephone conversation which of the following best describes the characters feeling toward the potential landlady

Answer 1

The correct answer is A.

In Soyinka's poem, the speaker feels risignation while talking to his potential landlady.

When he warns her that he is African, she starts asking "how dark" he was. Resignated, the speaker tell her that he was "West African sepia," but that the palms of his hands and feet were white. Finally, when he feels like she is about to hang up the phone, he resigns himself to going to see if his colour was acceptable for the landlady.

Answer 2

In Soyinka's poem, a telephone conversation describes a conversation between a white lady and an African-American man, where it clearly shows how racism is ruling the society.

After the introductory courteous exchange of phrases, one of the feelings that the Afro-American is overwhelmed is anger, when the woman asks how dark he is. I would also add humiliation.

The next obvious use is irony, when he has to self-confess that he is black. No one has to admit his skin color or nation or height, no one has control over it and there is nothing to confess.

Irony is also present when a woman explains that she refuses to rent a house because black people are wild and savage, despite the fact that the black man kept better manners during the whole conversation, while the woman knew nothing about West Africa Sepia.

The next obvious use is the imagery that appears at the beginning of the song. He thinks she is socially above him only as she listens to her voice.

The order in which I have encountered feelings is not in line with how they appear in the song, but they are obvious.