In e na ional Jou nal o De elopmen al Issues in Educa ion & Humani ies
Bilingual Jou nal o he Facul y o Educa ion, Uni e si y o Buea
Volume 1, Issue 1 No embe –Decembe 2025, pp. 86-104
DOI: h ps://doi.o g/10.5281/zenodo.17660028
e-ISSN: XXXX-XXXX
Copy igh : © The Au ho (s), 2025. Published by Facul y o Educa ion, Uni e si y o Buea. This is
an Open Access a icle, dis ibu ed unde he e ms o he C ea i e Commons A ibu ion 4.0
License (h p://c ea i ecommons.o g/licenses/by/4.0/), which pe mi s un es ic ed use,
dis ibu ion and ep oduc ion in any medium, p o ided he o iginal wo k is p ope ly ci ed.
. Page 86 o 104
THE DIALECTICS OF GRIEVING AND COPING WITH DEATH IN
SHADRACH A. AMBANASOM’S HOMAGE AND COURTSHIP:
ROMANTIC STIRRINGS OF A YOUNG MAN
Gilda N. Fo bang-Looh
*
Depa men o English, Facul y o A s, Uni e si y o Bamenda
Abs ac
Dea h and he p ocess o g ie ing emain uni e sal human expe iences ha ha e con inuously
inspi ed li e a y e lec ion and c ea i e exp ession. In A ican li e a u e, hese hemes a e o en
explo ed h ough a communal lens, whe e dea h anscends he indi idual o encompass amily,
cul u e, and iden i y. Shad ach A. Ambanasom’s Homage and Cou ship: Roman ic S i ings o a
Young Man p o ides a compelling explo a ion o how indi iduals and socie ies con on loss
while na iga ing he ensions be ween adi ion and mode ni y. Th ough i s depic ion o
emo ional s uggle, ememb ance, and enewal, he ex cap u es he dialec ics o g ie how
mou ning coexis s wi h he impulse o heal and o edisco e meaning in li e. This pape
explo es he ine i abili y o dea h and i s a endan indelible psychological ma ks as well as he
coping s a egies adop ed by he be ea ed in Shad ach A. Ambanasom’s Homage and Cou ship.
Though dea h as a uni e sal heme is much discussed in li e a u e, A ican, Came oonian and
especially Came oonian w i e s o English Exp ession ha e la gely ocused on he “big” issues o
he day like ma ginaliza ion and co up ion, elega ing his all- ime phenomenon o he
backg ound. Thus, a poe like Ambansom s ands ou in b inging o ligh dea h and g ie ing as
some o he majo conce ns in his poe y; dea h no as an ou come o bad socio-poli ical sys ems
as he case is in mos o he li e a u e bu as a psycho-social issue ha we li e wi h and mus
come o e ms wi h i . Conside ing he psychological esponses o he a ec ed, he use o he
psycho-social heo y wi h pa icula a en ion o anxie y, ea and d eams is used o analysis. I
is ealized ha al hough hough s o dea h may cause anxie y, despai and sadness, i s
ine i abili y wa an s ha one p epa es o dea h: minding he legacies which no only compel
one o li e pu pose ully, bu also help o ligh en he g ie ing o he be ea ed, who may also be
consoled h ough healing d eams and seeking solace in God.
Keywo ds:
Be ea emen , coping, dea h, d eams, g ie ing, legacies, mou ning.
*
Co esponding Email: gildanic2005@yahoo.
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Résumé
La mo e le deuil demeu en des expé iences humaines uni e selles qui on cons ammen
inspi é la é lexion li é ai e e l'exp ession c éa i e. Dans la li é a u e a icaine, ces hèmes
son sou en explo és à a e s une pe spec i e communau ai e, où la mo anscende
l'indi idu pou englobe la amille, la cul u e e l'iden i é. Hommage e séduc ion : Émois
oman iques d'un jeune homme de Shad ach A. Ambanasom p opose une explo a ion
cap i an e de la maniè e don les indi idus e les socié és a on en la pe e ou en na iguan
en e adi ion e mode ni é. Pa sa desc ip ion des lu es émo ionnelles, du sou eni e du
enou eau, le ex e saisi la dialec ique du deuil : commen le deuil coexis e a ec le dési de
gué i e de e ou e un sens à la ie. Ce a icle explo e l'iné i abili é de la mo e ses
emp ein es psychologiques indélébiles, ainsi que les s a égies d'adap a ion adop ées pa les
pe sonnes en deuil dans « Hommage e Cou ship » de Shad ach A. Ambanasom. Bien que la
mo soi un hème uni e sel la gemen abo dé en li é a u e, les au eu s a icains,
came ounais e , plus pa iculiè emen , came ounais d'exp ession anglaise se son la gemen
concen és su les g ands enjeux de l'époque, els que la ma ginalisa ion e la co up ion,
eléguan ce phénomène omnip ésen au second plan. Ainsi, un poè e comme Ambansom se
dis ingue en me an en lumiè e la mo e le deuil comme des p éoccupa ions majeu es dans
sa poésie ; la mo n'es pas considé ée comme la conséquence de sys èmes sociopoli iques
dé aillan s, comme c'es le cas dans la plupa des éc i s, mais comme un p oblème
psychosocial auquel nous sommes con on és e que nous de ons a on e . P enan en comp e
les éac ions psychologiques des pe sonnes ouchées, l'analyse epose su la héo ie
psychosociale, a ec une a en ion pa iculiè e po ée à l'anxié é, à la peu e aux ê es. On
comp end que, même si la mo peu ê e sou ce d'anxié é, de désespoi e de is esse, son
ca ac è e iné i able jus i ie de s'y p épa e : p end e conscience des hé i ages qui non
seulemen nous poussen à i e a ec dé e mina ion, mais con ibuen aussi à allége le deuil
des pe sonnes endeuillées, qui peu en égalemen ê e consolés pa des ê es apaisan s e la
eche che du écon o en Dieu.
Mo s-clés : deuil, adap a ion, mo , ê es, deuil, hé i ages, deuil
In oduc ion
Dea h, as one o he mos p o ound human expe iences, has long been a cen al
p eoccupa ion o li e a u e, se ing as a mi o h ough which socie ies in e oga e he
meaning o li e, loss, and esilience. In A ican li e a u e, dea h and mou ning a e no
me ely p i a e expe iences bu deeply communal e en s ha engage social, spi i ual, and
cul u al dimensions. Shad ach A. Ambanasom’s Homage and Cou ship: Roman ic S i ings o
a Young Man del es in o his in ica e e ain by po aying he emo ional and psychological
complexi ies o g ie alongside he human ins inc o heal and mo e o wa d.
The dialec ics o g ie ing and coping in Ambanasom’s na a i e illumina e he
ension be ween despai and hope, loss and enewal, memo y and o ge ing. Th ough i id
cha ac e iza ion, symbolic image y, and cul u al e lec ion, he no el cap u es how
indi iduals and communi ies nego ia e he pain o dea h while econs uc ing meaning and
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iden i y in i s a e ma h. This s udy, he e o e, seeks o explo e how Ambanasom’s wo k
po ays he in e wo en p ocesses o mou ning and coping, si ua ing hem wi hin b oade
A ican philosophical pe spec i es on dea h, con inui y, and he a i ma ion o li e.
Shad ach Ambanasom is a key igu e in Came oonian Li e a u e o English
exp ession. He is enowned no only o his c i ical wo ks in his li e a u e bu also o his
c ea i e wo ks. Among his c ea i e wo ks, his no el, Son o he Na i e Soil seems o ha e
ga ne ed qui e some c i ical a en ion while o he s especially his poe y a e ye o do so,
including Homage and Cou ship which is he ocus o his s udy. In “Ambanasom’s Son o
he Na i e Soil and he Concep o a T agic He o,” Denis Fonge Tembong se s ou o
demons a e ha he ideas o a agic he o as exhibi ed in Macbe h a e e y simila o hose
o he he o in Son o he Na i e Soil. To him, hough he wo li e a u es, ha is, B i ish and
A ican a e di e en due o cul u al speci ici ies, we can ind common g ound a he
handling o he agic he o.
E angeline Agwa Fomukong Seino on he pa ocuses on “Ideological
Rep esen a ion o Uni y and Peace h ough Con as : A C i ical S ylis ic Analysis o
Ambansom’s Son o he Na i e Soil” whe ein she dwells on how Ambanasom ep esen s
uni y and he discu si e choices he uses o b ing ou his ideology o he Ngie people.
Acco ding o he , he does his mainly h ough he use o con as o he o ical ques ions,
compa ison discou ses, p emodi ie s and p o e bs. E ic Ngea N am ocuses on ye ano he
dimension o his ex . In “Hegemony and he Pa adoxical Sub e sion o Pa ia chy in
Shad ach A. Ambanasom’s Son o he Na i e Soil” he sees ha he supp ession o he emale
olk igge s emancipa o y endencies which a e pa adoxically ende ed una ainable by he
same g oup glamou ing o i . The abo e e iews among o he s bea es imony o he ac
ha qui e some wo k is e iden on Ambansom’s Son o he Na i e Soil. Howe e , he e is
e y insigni ican ma e ial on Homage and Cou ship and ha gi es eason o s udies o be
ca ied ou on i . As one o hose pionee wo ks, his pape will ocus on i om he
pe spec i e o dea h.
Dea h is no a new heme in li e a u e. Howe e , i s uni e sali y and imelessness in
li e a u e jus i ies i s con inuous p ide o place in academic discou ses. I can be conside ed
one o he mos uni e sal human conce ns because i ela es o all human beings hough i is
some imes conside ed as a aboo subjec because o he ea o i . S ephen Asa sa in “Dea h
A i udes as P edic o s o Dea h P epa edness ac oss Li espan among Non-Clinical
Popula ions in Nai obi Coun y” a gues ha he ea men o dea h as a aboo subjec has
been e iden among schola s and esea che s as o a long ime, hey ha e ocused e y
minimally on i . He u he men ions ha e en om abou 1959 when esea che s s a ed
del ing much in o i , A ican esea che s s ill seem o be lagging behind. Quo ing Wi owski
e al, he says “ he majo jou nals on dea h in he las 20 yea s ha e been published on No h
Ame ica, Eu ope and Aus alia. Majo i y o s udies ha in o m cu en li e a u e ha e been
conduc ed ou side A ica” (288). This gi es us a a ionale o he p esen esea ch.
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Dea h eminds us abou ou own e y exis ence. Though people may be p epa ed o
die o lose lo ed ones, dea h gene ally makes people sad. Ma y-F ances O’Conno in “G ie :
A B ie His o y o Resea ch on How Body, Mind, and B ain Adap ” posi s ha : “The dea h o
a lo ed one has been ecognized as he g ea es li e s esso ha we ace as humans,
heading he lis o s ess ul li e e en s...” (731). I is because o i s uni e salism as well as
he di e en emo ions, a i udes and eac ions o dea h ha w i e s om all imes and
places ha e w i en abou i . Poe s like Emily Dickinson in “I I should Die,” Edga Allan Poe
in “Annabel Lee,” WB Yea s in “He Wishes His Belo ed We e Dead” w i e abou dea h.
William Cullen B yan , he Ame ican oman ic poe , o ins ance in his
“Thana opsis,” ins uc s on how o li e and die, whe e dea h is seen as a na u al pa o li e
and should no be igh ening and lonely bu should be welcoming and peace ul. Al ed Lo d
Tennyson simila ly in “C ossing he Ba ” p esen s li e as an ex ended me apho o a i e
which lows endlessly in o he boundless deep o he sea and he speake as a sailo who
passes he sandba ha sepa a es he amilia i y o he ha bou om he unknown ealm o
he open sea. Then many o William Shakespea e’s wo ks like his plays ea he heme o
dea h in di e se ways. Fo ins ance, in he poem, “No Longe Mou n o Me” he imagines his
own dea h and he e ec on a lo ed one and ad ises hey o ge abou him when he is no
mo e. The e a e also his plays like Hamle , Macbe h, Julius Caesa , A hu Mille ’s Dea h o a
Salesman, John Osbo ne’s Look Back in Ange jus o name hese ha handle he heme o
dea h om a ious dimensions. So, while some au ho s may w i e abou hei impending
dea h, o he s may discuss be ea emen . Some may use i as a li e a y de ice while o he s
sugges o us how we can cope wi h dea h amongs many o he issues. An je Ra ic S ubel
in “We ell Ou sel es S o ies” posi s ha “since he beginnings o wha we call li e a u e,
dea h has p o en o be i s mos success ul p oduce ” (3). Simila ly, Law ence Kimmel, o
ins ance, w i es on “Dea h as Me apho ” and he no es ha dea h has been ex ensi ely deal
wi h in w i ing. He asse s:
Wha emains o be said abou he ques ion and p oblem o dea h ha
has no been epea ed a housand imes in he his o y o human
hough and cul u e? Philosophe s in he Wes e n adi ion ha e
seemingly a gued e e y nuance o he name, na u e, and
consequences o dea h since Pla o i s ook up he dea h o Soc a es
as he unding occasion o his philosophical li e and hinking. (1)
I is seen ha Kimmel gene alises abou he consequences o dea h in his i s
pos ula ion bu quickly na ows i o he Wes e n adi ion. I appea s his is he adi ion
ha he is amilia wi h and no wi h he A ican o Came oonian li e a u e in English whe e
dea h is a ely philosophised. This is no su p ising because colonialism b ough in he
w i en adi ion and he issues su ounding colonialism and i s a e ma h ha e been he
ocus o many A ican w i e s. Some w i e s hough, like Ko i Awoono in “Songs o So ow”
and “The Jou ney Beyond”, Wole Soyinka in Dea h and he King’s Ho seman, Ngugi wa
Thiongo and Mice e Gi hae Mugo in The T ial o Dedan Kima hi, Sammy Gaskin in To he
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Gallows, J P Cla k in Song o a Goa , jus o name hese ha e w i en abou dea h. W i ing
abou dea h, he e o e, has no o ally escaped he a en ion o A ican w i e s and
Came oon w i e s o English exp ession, speci ically. Howe e , many Came oonian w i e s
o English exp ession ha e minimally ocused on dea h in hei li e a u e as hey mos o he
ime pay mo e a en ion o “se ious” poli ical, colonial and pos -colonial p edicamen s ha
ha e la gely a ec ed he li es o he o me colonised people and colonised en i ies in
se e al ways. A con empla i e ocus on dea h as a psychological and p edominan issue in
li e a u e seems o ha e escaped he a en ion o mos w i e s. This is no o say dea h is no
a heme in hei li e a u e, bu i is o en conside ed an ou come o poo poli ical sys ems o
gende mishaps. I seems he e a e so many p oblems anging om co up ion,
embezzlemen , neo-colonialism, ma ginalisa ion and simila issues which appea o ca ch
he a en ion o w i e s mo e han any hing else. Ambanasom pu s hese oge he unde
poli ics and o him, his should no only be he subjec ma e o appea ele an in
Anglophone Came oon li e a u e. Fo hose who hink ha poli ics is he only a ea whe e
w i e s can demons a e commi men , Ambansom in he ‘P e ace’ o he poe y collec ion,
Homage and Cou ship w i es:
May hose capable o pu suing mo e igo ous commi ed w i ing
do; may ou adical isiona ies bloom. Bu le he e be oom o
libe al humanis s oo. The Anglophone s o y can be old in many
ways. To p esc ibe only poli ics and p osc ibe any o he subjec
ma e would be o kill ou c ea i e spi i , o s ul i y ou
imagina i e e o s and o unca e ou li e a u e. (11)
Howe e , Osca Labang in “Agains he Cu en : A Re iew o Shad ach
Ambanasom’s Homage and Cou ship” has denounced Ambanasom o always ying o
jus i y issues abou his wo k. To him, hough Ambanasom is a powe ul and celeb a ed
c i ic, his endency o in i ing c i ics o he dialogue able o in o m hem ha he is awa e o
whe e he weaknesses o his wo k a e and is eady o accommoda e he c i icism is no
igh . Labang s a es: “in he p e ace o Homage and Cou ship, he comes ou apologe ically
o gi e eason o his choice o subjec ma e and his consciousness o he c i icism ha is
likely o ollow” (pa a.2). I seems ha Ambanasom is jus i ying his going agains he no mal
cu en which is no supposed o a “c ime.”
F om he abo e, he issue a ises as o whe he commi ed li e a u e mus be
poli ical and wha poli ical means by he way. Dea hs, like lo e a e poli ical hemes, hough
no equen ly handled by many Anglophone w i e s. I is in his ligh ha his poems in
Homage and Cou ship deal p incipally wi h dea h and lo e. Howe e , he ocus o his pape
is on dea h. Shad ach Ambanasom’s iew o dea h in Homage and Cou ship is dominan ly
e lec i e and bo de s on psychological esponses o he a ec ed especially ega ding
coping s a egies. In his connec ion, he psycho-social heo y wi h pa icula a en ion o
anxie y, ea , d eams, and psychological heo ies on dea h will be ele an in conduc ing
his s udy. Consequen ly, he ollowing poems a e conside ed in he analysis: “Icon and
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Beacon”, “The Talen ed Th ee”, “Ebang I oko” “On Losing my Hai ” “Healing D eams” and “A
G ain o Co n.” The psycho-social heo y wi h pa icula a en ion o anxie y, ea , d eams,
and psychological heo ies on dea h will be used o he analysis. The heo ies on dea h
especially as de eloped by Elisabe h Kuble -Ross in he book On Dea h and Dying will also
be use ul in he analysis.
Accep ing he Ine i abili y o Dea h
Though dea h is ine i able, he e is gene ally much ea and anxie y associa ed wi h
i . Lau a e al posi ha “Dea h, as a phenomenon ha escapes ou con ol, p oduces g ea
conce n in mos people, along wi h ea and anxie y” (209). The conce n, ea and anxie y,
gene ally ha e o do wi h he dea h o one’s lo ed one as well as onesel . Though dea h is
gene ally despised, people ha e di e en ways o coping wi h i , whe he i is one’s own
dea h o he dea h o a signi ican o he in one’s li e. Thus, di e en people will ha e
di e en ways o coping wi h dea h. Fo ins ance, in he Eu o-Ame ican cul u e, while
child en a e no exposed o dea h because i is conside ed ha hey a e no ma u e enough
o cope wi h i , he si ua ion in Mexico is di e en . Paz asse s ha : “The wo d “dea h” is
no p onounced in New Yo k, in Pa is, in London, because i bu ns he lips… The Mexican, in
con as , is amilia wi h dea h, jokes abou i , ca esses i , sleeps wi h i , celeb a es i ; i is
one o his a o i e oys and his mos s ead as lo e” (57). Roseng en e al co obo a e his
iew by looking a how child en a e made o know and accep dea h when hey a i m ha
in Mexico, ….
A key aspec o his iew o dea h is ha child en a e no only an
in eg al pa o annual dea h i uals, bu also encoun e symbolic
images o dea h on an almos daily basis. These a i udes and
p ac ices s and in s a k con as wi h hose in he Eu opean-
Ame ican cul u e whe e pa en s o en a emp o shield hei
child en om dea h, belie ing ha young child en a e cogni i ely
and emo ionally incapable o coping wi h dea h. (07)
Thus, while i may be easie o Mexicans and hei child en o cope wi h dea h, i
may be mo e di icul o Eu o-Ame icans and hei child en when aced wi h i because
hey seem no o accep o deal wi h i mo e openly. The e o e, di e en socie ies
some imes deal wi h dea h di e en ly. Came oonians, o ins ance mos o he ime, hink
hey ha e o lea e a legacy as seen in Ambanasom’s Homage and Cou ship.
Human beings ha e he p i ilege o know abou dea h so well and can he e o e
p epa e o i . In line wi h his, Kimmel a e s ha “Man is a c ea u e ha knows he is going
o die. I is he ac o human exis ence ha a guably accoun s o he dep h o human
consciousness and he scope o human cul u e” (5). The denial o dea h is he e o e, a majo
cha ac e is ic o human beings, especially i one is no p epa ed o e e die. Kuble Ross,
quo ed by Papalia e al posi ha acing dea h in a meaning ul way will depend on i one
li es a meaning ul li e o no . In hei iew:
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I is he denial o dea h ha is pa ially esponsible o (people’s)
li ing emp y, pu poseless li es; o when you li e as i you will li e
o e e , i becomes oo easy o pos pone he hings ha you know
ha you mus do. In con as , when you ully unde s and ha each
day you awaken could be he las you ha e, you ake he ime ha
day o g ow, o become mo e o who you eally a e, o each ou o
o he human beings. (E13)
Ross’ iews seem o connec wi h Nelson Mandela’s who once opined ha , “dea h is
some hing ine i able. When a man has done wha he conside s o be his du y o his people
and his coun y, he can es in peace” (Scou s: C ea ing a Be e Wo ld). In essence, Papalia
e al like Mandella and Ambanasom a e alking abou li ing a esponsible li e o ul illmen ,
li e o he ull so ha he anxie y wi h which dea h comes can be educed.
In some o Ambansom’s poems, he ine i abili y o dea h is add essed whe e he
p esen s he ansi ion om li e o dea h as he na u al pa e n o li e. Howe e , i causes
much anxie y in many people. Conning, Naidoo and Bahgwan in “The P epa edness o
Eme gency Ca e P o ide s o deal wi h Dea h, Dying and Be ea emen in he P e-hospi al
Se ing in Dubai” s a e ha “ he ine i abili y o dea h c ea es some deg ee o anxie y in
indi iduals a some s age in hei li es. The anxie y may be bo ne ou o he ea o pain and
su e ing, he loss o sel , he wel a e o su i ing amily membe s, annihila ion o simply
he unknown” (2). The wo ying abou dea h, o ins ance, is cap ioned in Ambanasom’s “On
Losing My Hai ” as seen in he ollowing lines:
In ain pages o jou nals
ha e I u ned o e and o e
boo less some scien i ic annals
pe used wi h anxie y and ange
in an a emp o disco e
he ea men o balding head (49)
The igo ous sea ch o au hen ic, alid and eliable sou ces o s op he ad ancemen o age
is seen in he kinds o documen s: “jou nals” and “scien i ic annals” whe e he pe sona
ca ies ou esea ch. Balding head is a symbol o ageing, and he pe sona is, he e o e,
sea ching o a es ed “ ea men ” in an a emp o s op he ageing p ocess and
consequen ly dea h. This wo y and anxie y o e aging is o no use because i mus
e en ually come as he con inues by elling he eade how u ile his a emp s ha e been:
F ui less my e o s wi h doc o s
(pe sonal con ac o le e s)
o hal he insidious in ade s
o my eceding o ehead (49)
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F om he balding head me apho , he pe sona exp esses ea o he ine i abili y o
dea h. This ei e a ion is also seen in “Icon and Beacon” as well as “Ebang I oko” whe e
dea h is p esen ed as a o ce ha “…le els us all” (29, 33 espec i ely). Since dea h keeps
e e ybody a he same le el, he poe eminds he eade s ha e e yone needs o wai o
hei u n and no wo y so much abou bu a he use e e y dea h as an oppo uni y o
p epa e o die o dea h will e en ually come.
In “Ebang I oko,” he pu s i as such: “Bu soone o la e , willy-nilly/dea b o he s
and sis e s/i will be ou u n/ o answe ou inal call” (33). Simila ly, in “Icon and Beacon,”
he pe sona hinks i is impo an o look a dea h as e e ybody’s call. “Ask no , he e o e,
o whom he bell olls./ I olls no o him alone/ i olls o you/ i olls o me/ i olls o
all o us/ he agic a e o humani y” (29). Ambansom, hus, p esen s dea h ha is e lec i e
o man’s smallness because i s occu ence obliges he la e o ponde o e his own end – an
end which is no only ul ima e, bu mo e dis u bingly unp edic able. A co pse is he e o e a
mi o ha e lec s in o he speake ’s psyche, making him in e nalise a sad eali y which he
would o he wise no like o medi a e on. The be ea ed speake s a e chag ined bo h by he
loss o lo ed ones and by he ealisa ion o hei powe lessness in he ace o dea h.
The p esen a ion o he dea h in he poems shows how migh y and in luen ial he
dead ha e been in socie y. In “Ebang I oko,” o ins ance, we see he se ious e ec he dea h
o M.A. Asanek is e iden on he li ing. The poe -pe sona eg e s: “Ou b illian icon and
beacon/ ou candle is ou / like sheep wi hou shephe d/ we g ope abou in he da k/ o a
glo y has anished/ om he ace o ou ea h” (32). The desc ip ion - me apho and simile,
o he jus dead, especially as an “I oko” is indica i e o he huge ole he played in he
communi y and he posi i e in luence he had on he li e o his people. The I oko ee is an
A ican opical la ge ha d wood, mul i- unc ional, powe ul and esis an ee o he o es
which in his poem symbolises he pe son who has jus passed on and whom, people will
wish he had s ayed on o he bene i o he weake and less cou ageous ones, bu dea h is
no a espec e o pe sons. The simile compa ing he people o sheep wi hou shephe d
speaks o he people’s ulne abili y in his absence.
The e o e, in spi e o he i les acqui ed like D Babila and he impac made c ea ed
in socie y, one mus s ill die. Howe e , he ques ion is how one li es o p epa e o dea h.
Hakola and Ki is o, in he In oduc ion o Dea h in Li e a u e opine ha :
Dea h de ines human li es on he basis ha men a e mo e o less
conscious o hei mo ali y. Some could a gue ha dea h obs
li e o meaning as e e y hing comes o an end anyway. O he s
would claim ha dea h gi es meaning o li e because i o ces us
o ac on hings now, no o wai o e e ni y. (xii)
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In line wi h he abo e pos ula ion, i can be said ha M.A. Asanek and D Babilla
ha e ce ainly made use o hei li es by impac ing posi i ely on hei socie ies. They ha e
no wai ed o e e ni y bu ha e wo ked ha d o inspi e hei communi ies o be e li ing.
Thei li es all in line wi h Hakola and Ki is o’s iew ha “indi idual dea h is no simply a
p i a e expe ience. I a ec s us and esona es in he su ounding socie y in many ways”
(x ).
Inasmuch as one can be p epa ed o die, dea h c ea es anxie y in he li ing. Un il
hose li ing die, hey will no know how i eels like no o li e. In “Icon and Beacon” and
“Ebang I oko,” he exp ession “i will be ou u n” indica es a cons an eminde i no
anxie y in he poe ’s mind ega ding his own a e ul hou . The poem en i led “The Changed
G o e” also emphasises his poin . Dea h is p esen ed as an end poin o he p ocess o
g ow h. Ha ing mo ed om he s age o “a hough less you h” o “a pensi e adul ,” (40) he
speake ealises ha he nex s age is dea h. Like a “howling wind among he ees” (40),
hough s abou dea h ho e a ound he speake ’s mind because i is an ine i able s age. The
co pses he sees a e e y une al eminds him o his sad u h. The pe sona is no an
excep ion: all li ing hings bloom, g ow old and die and so will he. This is eminiscen o
Al ed Lo d Tennyson’s “Ti honus” which se es as a medi a ion on he ine i abili y o
dea h which we mus all ace. I is, he e o e seen ha in mos o he poems ha ocus on
dea h, Ambansom makes i a du y o emind all ha e e yone mus one day, soone o la e ,
answe dea h’s call.
Ambanasom does no only p esen dea h as a g adual e olu ion o li e om bi h o
childhood, adul hood, old age and demise bu s ikes a eminde ha people mus be
p epa ed o die a any poin in ime in wha e e way. This is exp essed in “The Talen ed
Th ee” whe e he dea h o “Ba e Besong, Ambe and Gwangwa’a/ Anglophone
lumina ies/…shocked all” (30). The shock does no jus come as a esul o hei dea h bu
because o he unexpec ed and agic way in which hese g ea “lumina ies” died. The
pe sona lamen s:
Oh yes, hey came,
They dazzled,
They mesme ized,
Bu he alen ed h ee shocked us
When, wi hin a spli second, hey bowed o dea h. (31)
The dea h o hese icons in a agic ca acciden in Edea on he Douala-Yaounde Highway
happened a ew hou s a e Ba e Besong’s launch o his hen new poe y collec ion,
Disg ace, which gene ally is a sca hing sa i e on he ills plaguing pos -independen socie ies
and he pe pe a o s o such ills. The shock wi h which he news was ecei ed is ce ainly a
way o educa ing human beings o he need o p epa edness a all imes o qui he s age o
li e. The Ca holic P aye o Accep ance o Dea h h ows mo e ligh on his as i eads:
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my son in Hea en. (65-66)
Visi a ion d eams as seen in “Healing D eams” gene ally esol e he yea ning o
ou deceased lo ed ones. The pe sona is able o ge an emo ional closu e hanks o he
d eams abou his son who keeps isi ing him o i e yea s a e his dea h. A e he
p onouncemen o “The Lo d o Hades,” he has a ca ha ic closu e by hinking happily and
posi i ely abou he dead son, accep ing ha he is indeed dead and gone o hea en. The
Lo d o Hades alluded o he e is o en e e ed o as he Lo d o he Unde wo ld, o he
wo ld o he dead. The e o e, i he is elling he pe sona ha i is well wi h his son, i indeed
is well.
Li ing a li e ha impac s posi i ely on socie y plays a ole in making he be ea ed
cope wi h dea h and ice e sa especially in p epa ing o hei own dea h which is
ce ainly on he way. In his case, dea h should be a celeb a ion o he li e li ed, o he
accomplishmen s one has achie ed and o he impac one has c ea ed in socie y. In ou
con empo a y con ex wi h a lo o leade ship mishaps like co up ion, g eed, nepo ism, jus
o name hese, one may begin o wonde i he dea h o such people who wield powe as o
be able o in luence he li e o o he s, should o can be celeb a ed. Also, i is o in e es o
hose who wield such powe , and o e e yone else o e lec on wha hey will be
emembe ed o .
Re e ing o Babila John Njingum as “Ou b illian and icon and beacon/ou
candle…” is indica i e o his impo an ole in socie y. The candle is symbolic o ligh , ex a
o dina y deeds ha illumina e he socie y and his o cou se is wha he will be emembe ed
o . As an icon, he is g ea ly admi ed and has g ea impac especially on educa ion in his
communi y. His p ominence is symbolised in he beacon. In “On Losing my Hai ” as well as
in “The Talen ed Th ee” no only he ine i abili y o dea h and he manne as well as he
c uel unp edic able ways in which li e can be e mina ed comes o li e, bu also he legacies
o wha one lea es behind ma e s. Thus, he ocus is no only on how we li e bu wha we
a e emembe ed o . John W San ock, quo ing Leona do da Vinci says “dea h should come
o an indi idual a e a ull li e, jus as sleep comes a e a day’s wo k” (579). A ull li e
should ce ainly be a meaning ul one and ha which is impac ul. In he “The Talen ed
Th ee,” he pe sona inds hope in he legacies le behind by he alen ed h ee hough
shocked by he agic way in which hey die. He lamen s:
… he alen ed h ee shocked us
When wi hin a spli second
They bowed o dea h
Lea ing behind bu hei
Decapi a ed bodies, wi h hei b ains
Sca e ed in he wind o inspi e humani y.
‘A e ible beau y is bo n.’ (31)
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The li es o he h ee a e pe soni ied in hei decapi a ed bodies and b ains which
will con inue o posi i ely impac socie y. Thus, hough hey die unexpec edly and un imely
as many may conside , hey ha e li ed ull li es ha impac socie y wi h hei d ama ic and
poe ic a . Ba e Besong’s Change Waka and His Man Sawa Boy, Requiem o he Las Kaise ,
Beas s o No Na ion, jus o name hese a e plays ha s and ou no only in Anglophone
Li e a u e bu Came oon and A ican Li e a u e. The oxymo on in he las line “a e ible
beau y has been bo n” is eminiscen o W. B. Yea s “Eas e 1916” whe e he e is a
pa adoxical ans o ma ion o I eland h ough he Eas e 1916 up ising. The e o e, hough
hey lea e in a e y agic way, hey a e emembe ed o he impac c ea ed.
Conclusion
In Ambanasom’s Homage and Cou ship, a good numbe o his poems ocus on dea h.
Homage as e lec ed in he i le o he collec ion is e lec i e o he de e ence and honou
which Amabansom acco ds o he a ious people he speake s e e o in hese poems. This
honou comes abou as a esul o he impo an and impac ul oles ha hese people ha e
played in hei communi ies, lea ing las ing ond memo ies. Dea h in he poems is an
omnip esen o ce which hough causes anxie y, ange and sadness is ine i able and
he e o e, p epa ing o die is impo an . Thus, li ing in ea o dying is no he solu ion bu
a he keeping away he ea and li ing o li e o e e : lea ing posi i e legacies ha will
ou li e you.
These posi i e legacies can also help one in p epa ing o his o he own depa u e
om ea h as one inds in “Icon and Beacon,” “The Talen ed Th ee” and “Ebang I oko.” The
impac o he pe sonae in he poems is el because o he posi i e legacies hey ha e le
behind hem. This is impo an so ha on dying, he e should be no eg e s. San ock posi s
ha “mos dying indi iduals wan an oppo uni y o make some decisions ega ding hei
own li e and dea h” (581). This is some imes un ealis ic because i is almos always la e o
make such decisions a ha momen . I one has li ed a ema kable li e wi hin his amily and
communi y, he memo ies make i easie o hose g ie ing.
Thus, hough s o dea h ha e an e ec on hose who die and hose who a e a ec ed
by he dea h. The g ie caused by he depa u e o lo ed ones he e o e is expe ienced
depending on he ela ionship ha was sha ed wi h he los one. The g ie is ce ainly much
bu can be assuaged no only by legacies bu by healing d eams such as he case in “Healing
D eams” whe e he pe sona, h ough he joy ul d eams abou his los lo ed son, is able o
ge an emo ional and psychological closu e. Ano he way o assuaging he e ible eeling
ha he dea h o a lo ed one lea es, acco ding o he au ho , is o u n o God o solace such
as in “A G ain o Co n.” The e a e he e o e se e al ways o g ie ing, mou ning and
managing he pain ha comes wi h dea h. The e is ealism in his poe y ushe ed in wi h he
use o local colou , names o people, places and occasions ha one is amilia wi h and
he e o e b ings his message o li e.
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