Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

Gabriel Okara's poem "Spirit of the Wind" is a profound reflection on freedom, instinct, and the constraints imposed by identity and external forces. Through the imagery of storks, which symbolize freedom and natural instinct, Okara explores the tension between the spiritual urge for liberation and the physical and societal confines that limit the speaker. The poem grapples with themes of longing, identity, and the struggle between the natural drive to follow one's instincts and the restrictions that hold one back.

The poem begins with a serene yet evocative image: "The storks are coming now / white specks in the silent sky." The storks, which had "gone north / seeking fairer climes to build their homes," represent beings that follow their natural instincts, migrating to find more suitable environments for survival and growth. Their return "with me now" suggests a reunion or a return to a familiar state, yet this return is tinged with a deeper significance as the storks are identified as "Spirits of the wind."

Okara imbues the storks with a spiritual quality, describing them as beings that move "beyond the gods' confining / hands." This image suggests that the storks possess a freedom that transcends even divine limitations, moving across the world "north and west and east," guided solely by instinct. This instinct, an innate and unerring drive, is something that the speaker admires and yearns for, as it represents the natural freedom to follow one's path without constraint.

However, the speaker is not free like the storks. Instead, they find themselves "willed by the gods / sitting on this rock / watching them come and go." This position, stationary and passive, contrasts sharply with the dynamic movement of the storks. The rock symbolizes a place of stillness and perhaps imprisonment, where the speaker is confined by forces beyond their control—willed by the gods to remain in place, merely an observer of the freedom they long to possess. The repetitive action of watching "from sunrise to sundown" emphasizes the passage of time and the unchanging nature of the speaker's situation, locked in a cycle of yearning and watching.

The poem then delves into the internal struggle of the speaker, who feels "the spirit / urging within." This spirit represents a deep, inner drive, a call to action that stirs "a red pool" within them. The red pool, with its ripples of "instinct's vital call," symbolizes the speaker's passion, desire, and life force—something powerful and primal that is constrained within them. The reference to "a desire in a million cells confined" emphasizes the intensity of this urge, which is felt on a cellular level, deeply embedded in the speaker's very being.

The poem's climax occurs in the form of a question directed at a higher power: "O God of the gods and me, / shall I not heed this prayer-bell call, / the noon angelus?" The prayer-bell call, or the "noon angelus," is a reference to a traditional Christian practice of prayer, signaling a time of reflection and devotion. The speaker equates their instinctual urge to this sacred call, suggesting that their desire for freedom and self-fulfillment is as powerful and legitimate as a religious obligation.

However, the speaker's ability to heed this call is impeded by their own identity, encapsulated in the final, poignant line: "because my stork is caged in / Singed Hair and Dark Skin?" Here, the stork, a symbol of freedom, is metaphorically caged by the speaker's physical attributes—specifically, their "Singed Hair and Dark Skin." This line speaks to the limitations imposed by race and perhaps by the social and cultural constructs that define and confine the speaker's identity. The stork's cage represents the barriers that prevent the speaker from fully realizing their potential, from following their instincts as freely as the storks in the sky.

In "Spirit of the Wind," Gabriel Okara masterfully intertwines themes of freedom, identity, and the constraints of the physical and social world. The storks, as symbols of natural instinct and spiritual freedom, highlight the contrast between the boundless potential of the spirit and the harsh realities of the body and the societal structures that restrict it. The speaker's internal conflict and the poignant questioning of divine justice underscore the universal struggle for self-actualization and the yearning for a life unencumbered by external limitations. The poem's exploration of this tension offers a powerful commentary on the human condition, the desire for freedom, and the challenges of navigating a world that often imposes rigid boundaries on our inherent desires and instincts.

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