Nothing's Changed is a poem by South African poet Tatamkhulu Afrika. It reflects on the continued racial segregation and discrimination in South Africa during apartheid and after its abolition. The speaker returns to District Six, an area formerly segregated by apartheid laws, now supposedly open to all races. However, he finds that despite the legal changes, the racial divisions persist. The poem explores themes of inequality, injustice, and the persistence of racial prejudice. You can read the poem below and find analysis further down the page.
Nothing’s Changed by Tatamkhulu Afrika
Small round hard stones click
under my heels,
seeding grasses thrust
bearded seeds
into trouser cuffs, cans,
trodden on, crunch
in tall, purple-‑ flowering,
amiable weeds.
District Six.
No board says it is:
but my feet know,
and my hands,
and the skin about my bones,
and the soft labouring of my lungs,
and the hot, white, inwards turning
anger of my eyes.
Brash with glass,
name ‑ flaring like a ‑ flag,
it squats
in the grass and weeds,
incipient Port Jackson trees:
new, up-market, haute cuisine,
guard at the gatepost,
whites only inn.
No sign says it is:
but we know where we belong.
I press my nose
to the clear panes, know,
before I see them, there will be
crushed ice white glass,
linen falls,
the single rose.
Down the road,
working man’s cafe sells
bunny chows.
Take it with you, eat
it at a plastic table’s top,
wipe your fingers on your jeans,
spit a little on the floor:
it’s in the bone.
I back from the glass,
boy again,
leaving small mean O
of small mean mouth.
Hands burn
for a stone, a bomb,
to shiver down the glass.
Nothing’s changed.
Analysis:
Title Significance:
The title, "Nothing's Changed," sets the tone for the poem. It suggests a lack of progress despite official declarations of change.
Setting:
District Six: Once a symbol of apartheid's injustice, it's now open to all races. However, the speaker finds little has changed in terms of social hierarchy and segregation.
Imagery and Sensory Language:
Afrika uses vivid sensory imagery to convey the setting, such as "the hot, white inwards turning anger of my eyes." The "whites-only inn" and "working man's café" evoke the segregation and inequality still prevalent in society.
Structure:
The poem is divided into two stanzas. The first describes the physical landscape, while the second focuses on the speaker's emotional response. The structure mirrors the speaker's growing disillusionment and frustration.
Tone and Mood:
The tone is one of anger, frustration, and disillusionment. The speaker's resentment towards the persistence of inequality is palpable. The mood oscillates between a sense of hopelessness and a simmering rage at the injustice.
Themes:
Racial Inequality: Despite legal changes, racial divisions and discrimination persist.
Social Injustice: The poem highlights the enduring injustice faced by black South Africans.
Identity and Belonging: The speaker grapples with his identity and sense of belonging in a society still marked by racial segregation.
Symbolism:
The "glass" symbolises the fragility of the supposed progress towards racial equality. The "District Six" symbolises the history of segregation and the on-going struggle for justice and equality.
Language and Diction:
Afrika uses stark, uncompromising language to convey the harsh realities of racial injustice. The repetition of "Nothing's Changed" emphasises the speaker's sense of disillusionment and frustration.
Conclusion:
Nothing's Changed by Tatamkhulu Afrika is a powerful portrayal of the persistence of racial inequality and injustice in post-apartheid South Africa. Through vivid imagery and emotive language, Afrika highlights the gap between the promise of change and the harsh reality of continued discrimination.
You can find analysis of all the Edexcel Time and Place Poetry Anthology Poems here.
