Prayer to

Masks
(Leopold
Sedar
Senghor)
 Léopold Sédar
Senghor
• Born 1906, died 2001.
• Studied and worked in France for
several years.
• Developed the idea of ‘negritude’
which refers to the notion of a
shared African culture.
• Believed that Africans should
celebrate their own cultures and
embrace the best aspects of
other cultures.
• Elected president of Senegal in
1960.
Coat of Arms of
Senegal

The lion is the national

symbol of Senegal.
It represents strength.
Historically, it was the
symbol for the power
of Kings, before the
French colonized
Senegal.
Colonialism

The policy or practice of acquiring full

or partial political control over
another country, occupying it
with settlers,
and exploiting it economically.
Notes on the poem

Senghor was writing at a time when Africa was shaking

off its colonial rule. Historically, this process was difficult
and often led to violence and war. He calls colonialism
‘the Africa of despotism’ (line 9), referring to the lack of
political power given to Africans themselves.

The speaker affirms elements of traditional African

culture by addressing his poem to African masks. The
poem celebrates the role of African people who will
‘return the memory of life to men with a torn hope (line
17).
Modern-day significance

‘VERY convincing
The Mane Attraction costume’
https://www.tiktok.com/@chu
nzotes/video/717538649846
During the 2022 Football 6942214
World Cup, a Senegalese
superfan caught
everyone’s attention by
attending all of the
team’s games in the
same outfit, and always
wearing the lion head.
 Prayer to Masks
Black mask, red mask, you black and white masks, 1
Rectangular masks through whom the spirit breathes, 2
I greet you in silence! 3
And you too, my lionhead ancestor. 4
You guard this place, that is closed to any feminine laughter, to any mortal smile. 5
You purify the air of eternity, here where I breathe the air of my fathers. 6
Masks of markless faces, free from dimples and wrinkles, 7
You have composed this image, this is my face that bends over the altar of white paper. 8
In the name of your image, listen to me! 9
Now while the Africa of despotism is dying – it is the agony of a pitiable princess 10
Like that of Europe to whom she is connected through the navel – 11
Now fix your immobile eyes upon your children who have been called 12
And who sacrifice their lives like the poor man his last garment 13
So that hereafter we may cry ‘here’ at the rebirth of the world being the leaven that the 14
white flour needs 15
For who else would teach rhythm to the world that has died of machines and cannons? 16
For who else should ejaculate the cry of joy, that arouses the dead and the wise in a new 17
dawn? 18
Say, who else could return the memory of life to men with a torn hope? 19
They call us cotton heads, and coffee men, and oily men, 20
• No stanzas.
• Line lengths are varied.

ST
• Short sentences place emphasis on what the

RU ST
AN
speaker is saying.

CT YL
D
• The speaker first addresses the masks in the

UR E
first person because it his point of view and
then expands the message of the poem.

E
• The rhetorical questions are answered by the
speaker at the end of the poem.
• The speaker addresses the masks directly.
• The speaker uses the 1st person pronoun “you”
to engage the reader.

8
We all have more than 2000
ancestors!
 Title: Prayer to Masks

• APOSTROPHE – the speaker addresses and prays to

an inanimate object (mask)
• Masks >literal > traditional masks as worn in African
culture.
• Masks > figurative > to hide their real emotions / hide
their true intentions
• We assume the poem is going to be about spirits,
race and religion.

10
 Masks in African
Culture
Masks = a symbol of the
speaker’s ancestors. It is
believed that these masks
contain the soul of the
departed. This means that the
ancestor`s soul takes part in
the family`s life.
•Masks have served an
important role in ritual and
Respect
The ancestors are
respected and
honored because
they are elders and
have walked the
path that living
people will walk.
They are
predecessors to all
those who are
living and are in a
spiritual state of
existence that
gives them power
to assist those who
are living.
 Respect for the
ancestors.

The destructive power

of modernity.
Themes
Africans’ closeness to
nature and the land.

Praise for the

ancestors.
 Prayerful

Respectful
Tone
Reverend

Passionate
 Meditative

Hopeful
Mood
Proud

Inspired
1)Black mask, red masks, you black and white
masks,

• The poet talks to the masks > apostrophe >

• different colours > symbolic of different races BUT he
sees them just as human beings(race does not matter)
• Black = Africa White = Europe

16
2)rectangular masks through whom the spirit
breathes,

• spirit = ancestors
• it can also be seen as spirits of nature > breathes=wind

17
3)I greet you in silence!

• I > first person > = personal, intimate, subjective and

sincere

• …greet you in silence > words are not necessary

• he is listening to what the mask-spirits will whisper to him
on the wind.

18
4)And you too, my lionheaded ancestor

• You…my lionheaded ancestor = The poet

introduces his family's guardian animal, the
lion (virtue and courage).

• In ceremonies where masks would be worn –

his family would wear a lion mask.

19
5)You guard this place, that is closed to any feminine laughter, to any mortal smile
6)You purify the air of eternity, here where I breathe the air of my fathers.

• Reinforces tradition and patriarchal

power.
• The lion guards the ground
• The “place” is forbidden to women and
to passing things
• The masks connect him to his ancestors

20
21
Glossary, Diction, Connotation

Dimple
A small, natural indentation in the
flesh. Often associated with
youthfulness.

Wrinkle
A crease in the skin, associated with
growing older.
7)Masks of maskless faces, free from dimples and wrinkles

• Free from dimples and wrinkles > the masks are

representations of previously living faces.
• The masks eliminate facial features and signs of age in the
faces of the living ancestors, but in doing so outlive their
death

23
Glossary, Diction,
Connotation

Altar
A platform or surface created for
a religious offering or religious
ritual.
The poet sees the paper he is
writing on as the place where he
can make an offering to the
ancestors.
8)You have composed this image, this my face that bends over the altar of white paper.

• The masks are able to give shape to the face of the poet
bent over the page and writing his prayer to the masks.
• White paper = literally white paper OR figuratively
bureaucracy (making laws)
• Altar > suggests that something is being worshipped /
praised.

25
9)In the name of your image, listen to me!

• Listen to me! > desperate pleading tone / respectful

command filled with authority >
• He asks for help from his ancestors that are hidden
behind the masks for he is the living image of those
masks to whom he is writing a prayer.

26
10)Now while the Africa of despotism is dying – it is the agony of a pitiable princess,

• despotism is dying > the rule of tyrants is coming to an

end.

• Pitiable princess > the nobles in traditional Africa

• her death represents both the general suffering and
decline of traditional African culture
• the loss of political power of blacks to rule themselves.
(COLONIAL RULE)

27
11)Like that of Europe to whom she is connected through the navel –

• ..connected through the navel > (a child is connected to

its mother via the umbilical cord)
• Europe and Africa are connected
• The colonial powers in Europe = “the mother country”
• this is a negative connection > Europe colonised many
countries in Africa. There was mass exploitation
• in order to move forward it is necessary to cut this
connection with Europe(umbilical cord). BUT colonisers
would not want to cut this connection – then they lose
their wealth, resources, land and labour force.
28
12)Now fix your immobile eyes upon your children who have been called

• Immobile eyes > cannot move (masks)

• The masks are called to witness the sad history of
modern Africa,
• Who have been called > to fight

29
13)And who sacrifice their lives like the poor man his last garment

• sacrifice their lives > for freedom.

• like the poor man his last garment =simile >sacrificed lives
are compared to the poor man giving up his last garment
(clothes)

30
14)So that hereafter we may cry ‘here’ at the rebirth of the world being the leaven that the
white flour needs.

• Rebirth of the world = Personification > Now that the

colonisers have left, it has the chance to be reborn
• It can now create its own government / future. The poet
prays to the magic spirits of the masks to help speed the
rebirth suggested by the image of the umbilical cord
connecting Africa to Europe
• leaven = yeast > makes bread rise > they should rise and be
successful BUT also “leaven” symbolic of Africa and “white
flour” is symbolic of the French(Europe) (Europe needs
Africa to grow) 31
16)For who else would teach rhythm to the world that has died of machines and cannons?

• Rebirth of the world <>World that has died > juxtaposition

• African culture = rhythm and dance

• Western culture = an over-reliance of industrialization
(machines) and war (cannons).
• The spiritual world is dead because of a loss of tradition
and culture.
• BUT (HOPE) – Africa can teach the rest of the world.
32
17)For who else should ejaculate the cry of joy, that arouses the dead and the wise in a new
dawn

• Who else > talking about the youth >

hope lies with them.
• ejaculate=release /cry out / shout
• new dawn = new day = rebirth

33
18) Say, who else could return the memory of life to men with a torn hope?

• Who else > talking about the youth > hope lies
with them.
• …torn hope? = oxymoron > he does not have a
lot of optimism > optimism is “torn”
• 17-19 >A reborn Africa will lend its youthful
energy to a senile/confused Europe, bringing
joy and hope where there has been isolation,
exhaustion, despair, and death.

34
 19)They call us cotton heads, and coffee men, and oily men

• They = colonists
• Senghor refers to the exploitation of Africa for its raw
materials and to European conceptions of black Africans as
merely a source of cheap labour and economic profit.
• Cotton / coffee and oil were taken out of Senegal.
• Reference of stereotypical, prejudice and racist comments
and terms black people are often labelled with, such as
“cotton heads” and “coffee men”.

35
 20)They call us men of death.

• They call us men of death“ > the Europeans, view the black
African as a fearful image of death.

36
 21)But we are the men of the dance whose feet only gain power when they beat the hard
soil

• These lines are strongly connected to the earth. The people

are involved in a traditional dance, and they appear strong
and resilient. This dance symbolises their new-found
freedom and how they will regain their identity and take
pride in their culture. They will share this culture and pride
with the rest of the world. Africans absorb the powers of
the natural spirits through the rhythm of dance, music, and
poetry.

37
Glossary, Diction, Connotation

Feminine
A set of qualities or behaviours attributed to women, such as
grace, gentleness and tenderness. Traditional culture is male
dominated, with no place for so-called female weakness.

Mortal
A living human being. One who will certainly, eventually die.
Glossary, Diction, Connotation

Purify
Clean. A ritual in which the soul is cleansed.

Eternity
Forever (a contrast to mortal)
Glossary, Diction, Connotation

Despotism – (des’po’tism)
Dictatorship. A form of government that lacks democracy, and is focused around
one powerful leader. Hitler, Robert Mugabe, A dictator –dictatorial totalitarian.

Pity: To feel sorry for.

Leaven
Like yeast, something to make bread rise. (Also called agitator.)

Ejaculate
Exclaim, or shout out suddenly.
Poetic devices

The speaker uses direct speech as he speaks to the masks, allowing

the reader to listen in on his conversation with the masks.
• The use of ‘you’ in the opening lines of the poem engages the reader.
• The phrase ‘listen to me!’ (line 9) is emotive, and alerts the reader
that something important will follow.
• The use of the rhetorical questions is an added device to involve the
reader, as we know that the answer to ‘who else’ (lines 15, 16 and
17) is ‘nobody’.
Poetic devices

• The speaker makes us of figurative language in his metaphor of

the ‘leaven that the white flour needs’ (line 14) and ‘torn hope’
(line 17).
• The simile of sacrificed lived being compared to the poor man
giving up ‘his last garment’ (line 13) is effective, as is the
hyperbole of the ‘world that has died of machines and cannons’
(line 15) and in returning the ‘memory of life’ (line 17).
Poetic devices

• The spontaneity of those who ‘ejaculate the cry of

joy, that arouses the dead’ (line 16) is persuasively
established, while the warning tone of the ‘men of
death’ (line 19) ‘whose feet only gain power when
they beat the hard soil’ (line 20) ends the poem
effectively.
Sound devices

• The poem makes reference to sound, or the lack thereof, in

‘I greet you in silence!’ (line 3) the ‘cry “here”’ (line 14) and
the ‘cry of joy’ that bursts forth with such enthusiasm that it
‘arouses the dead’ (line 16).
• The alliteration of the ‘pitiable princess’ (line 10) catches
the ear, while the powerful sound of men pounding the earth
is suggested by the rhythm of the final line of the poem.
Contextual question

1 Refer to line 3: ‘I greet you in silence!’ (2)

Comment on the fact that the speaker greets the

ancestors in silence.

The silence emphasises extreme respect and awe

for the ancestors. The speaker feels that he is not
worthy to speak in the presence of these great
ancestors, so he remains silent and respectful.
Contextual question

2 Refer to line 5: ‘You guard this … any mortal smile.’ (2)

Suggest what this line tells us about the nature of

the society in the poem.
‘You guard this place, that is closed to any
feminine laughter,/ to any mortal smile.’
The speaker understands that in this traditional
setting, the role of women is limited. More
importantly, this is not a time for tenderness and
gentleness. It is a time for strength and a war-like
demeanour.
Contextual question

3 Refer to lines 10 and 11: ‘Now while the … through (3)

the navel-’.
Critically discuss the imagery in these lines.
‘Now while the Africa of despotism is dying – it is the agony of a
pitiable princess
Like that of Europe to whom she is connected through the navel –’.
The speaker compares Africa to a pitiful princess or
child, who depends on Europe for her life, in the
same way that an unborn baby is connected to its
mother via the navel and umbilical cord. The
speaker is saying that while she is under the
control of Europe, Africa will never be able to grow
strong and independent.
Contextual question

4 Refer to line 19: ‘They call us … and oily men,’. (3)

‘They call us cotton heads, and coffee men and oily men,’

The speaker suggests that Africa is rich in raw

materials, and that the people of Africa provide,
grow, harvest and mine these resources for the
economic growth and prosperity of the colonial
power.
Essay question

The poem ‘Prayer to Masks’ grapples with the Content: 6

question of whether the ancestral spirits will be Diction: 2

able to help Africa overcome the present state
Imagery: 2
of subjugation / defeat and hopelessness.
Tone: 2

With close reference to diction, imagery and

tone critically discuss the validity of this Structure and Language: 4

statement . Your response should take the form Formal language, paragraphing, linking words,
of a well-constructed essay of 250 – 300 words
wholeness of response.
(about ONE page). [10]
Planning

Diction Imagery Tone

Look for one or two words that Choose one image and explain how it Describe the tone, using a tone
link to the question: (can the addresses the question: (can the word in a sentence.
ancestral spirits help Africa overcome)
ancestral spirits help Africa
- The tone of the poem is
overcome?) - In the name of your image listen to
prayerful …
me! (line 9)
- purify (line 6)
- So that hereafter we may cry ‘here’ - The tone can de described as
- eternity (line 6) at the rebirth of the world being the passionate
leaven that the white flour needs
- who else? (lines 15, 16, 17) Show how the word selected
(line 14)
meets the needs of the question:
- they (lines 18, 19) - She is connected through the
can the ancestral spirits help
navel (line 11)
- but we (line 20) Africa overcome?
Suggested answer

In the poem ‘Prayer to Masks’, the poet speaks in a passionate tone,

asking the ancestors for guidance and inspiration in restoring African
culture and African pride after a tumultuous period of colonisation by
European powers.
The speaker addresses the masks directly as they represent the
ancestors. Rather than reject African history and adapt with Western
culture, the speaker embraces the past, finding his ancestral connection
through the masks.
WILL THIS MEAN THAT THE SPIRITS CAN HELP AFRICA
OVERCOME?
The appeal is strong, sincere and meaningful. It will not fall on deaf ears.
Surely the ancestors will favour the speaker.
Suggested answer

• Throughout the poem, the narrator addresses the spirits of the dead directly, keeping
their memories alive and emphasising that honouring the past is crucial and
beneficial.

• The speaker greets the ancestors with silence which shows his deep respect and
admiration towards them(‘greet you in silence!)

• The speaker refers to his family's guardian animal, the lion, which is a symbol of
aristocratic virtue, power and courage. Lions were thought to be the first ancestor
and the protector of the family line. Senghor reinforces the implications of patriarchal
power in which the lion guards the ground.
Suggested answer

• The masks give shape to the face of the speaker in the poem. He appeals to them to listen to him,
for he is the living image of those masks to whom he is writing a prayer.

• The speaker refers to the glorious past of Africa, countries were ruled with pride by Africans. This has
now changed due to the invasion of the European countries who colonised large parts of Africa and
subjugated and oppressed African people (‘the Africa of Despotism’).

• The image of Africa compared to a princess ("pitiable princess") symbolises the nobility of traditional
Africa, and her death represents decline of traditional African culture and the loss of political power of
African countries to rule themselves.

• The image of the umbilical cord (‘connected through the navel’) suggests that the European
conquest has nourished a new Africa soon to be born, but one that will eventually have to sever its
Suggested answer

• The poet prays to the magic spirits of the masks to help speed the rebirth suggested by the image of the
umbilical cord connecting Africa to Europe.

• It is the rhythm of African music and dance that can change the thud of machines into something better. A
reborn Africa will lend its youthful energy to an ageing Europe, bringing joy and hope where there has been
isolation, exhaustion, despair, and death.

• In the imagery of "men of cotton, of coffee, of oil," Senghor refers to the exploitation of Africa for its raw
materials and to European conceptions of black Africans as merely a source of cheap labour and economic
profit.

• The poem ends on a note of optimism. The African of the future will have a different relationship to the soil.
These new Africans will absorb the powers of the natural spirits through the rhythm of dance, music, and
poetry.
Resources

IMAGINED WORLDS MIND THE GAP DBE

AN ANTHOLOGY OF STUDY GUIDE
POETRY