The theme of protest in C.L.S. Thobega's poetry

Abstract

This paper looks at how the theme of protest is handled and revealed in Thobega's poetry. As a spokesperson of his society, Botswana in particular and Africa in general, the poet highlights the black masses' sufferings and pain brought by oppression, discrimination and unjust laws. The term ‘black masses’ refers to all those who identify with the oppressed people. Aspects of protest to be looked at in this paper are, societal behaviour, discrimination, oppression and repression. This paper also makes reference to the killings of the Sharpville marchers in 1960 and how the poet alludes and echoes other texts through his poetry.