Kumukanda (Kayo Chingonyi)

This section provides analysis for the poem. Kumukanda by Kayo Chingonyi. In Kayo Chingonyi’s poem Kumukanda, the speaker reflects on the complexities of cultural identity, belonging, and the sense of dislocation that can arise from being raised in a foreign land. Through vivid imagery and personal reflection, Chingonyi explores themes of initiation, tradition, and the tension between one's heritage and the experience of living in a diaspora. The poem grapples with questions of masculinity, ancestral rites, and the notion of a "self" that straddles two worlds. You can read the poem below followed by detailed analysis. 

Kumukanda by Kayo Chingonyi 

Since I haven’t danced among my fellow initiates,
following a looped procession from woods at the edge
of a village, Tata’s people would think me unfinished –

a child who never sloughed off the childish estate
to cross the river boys of our tribe must cross
in order to die and come back grown.

I was raised in a strange land, by small increments:
when I bathed my mother the days she was too weak,
when auntie broke the news and I chose a yellow suit
and white shoes to dress my mother’s body,
at the grave-side when the man I almost grew to call
dad, though we both needed a hug, shook my hand.

If my alternate self, who never left, could see me

what would he make of these literary pretensions,
this need to speak with a tongue that isn’t mine?
Would he be strange to me as I to him, frowning
as he greets me in the language of my father
and my father’s father and my father’s father’s father?

Analysis of the Poem

Themes of Belonging and Dislocation

At the heart of Kumukanda is the speaker's feeling of being "unfinished," as he reflects on the cultural rites of passage he has not fully participated in due to being raised in a foreign land. The opening lines convey this sense of incompleteness:

"Since I haven’t danced among my fellow initiates, / following a looped procession from woods at the edge / of a village, Tata’s people would think me unfinished –"

The reference to "fellow initiates" and the procession “from woods at the edge / of a village” suggests a traditional, communal rite of passage, perhaps linked to male initiation into adulthood. The speaker’s exclusion from this ritual indicates his distance from his cultural roots, reinforcing his sense of alienation. The idea that “Tata’s people would think me unfinished” reflects a cultural expectation that one must undergo certain rites to be considered fully grown, both physically and culturally. The term “unfinished” implies a lack of maturity or completion, as if the speaker has missed a vital part of his heritage that would have defined him as a man in his community.

The speaker feels torn between two worlds, one that is connected to his father’s heritage and one that he inhabits in a "strange land." This duality plays a central role in the poem, highlighting the tension between his ancestral roots and his present-day existence in an unfamiliar context.

The Concept of the River and Masculinity

The idea of crossing a river is a significant metaphor in the poem. The speaker mentions that to be considered grown, a boy in his tribe must “cross the river boys of our tribe must cross / in order to die and come back grown.” The river is a traditional rite of passage, representing both a literal and figurative journey from childhood to adulthood. To “cross the river” symbolises the transition from one stage of life to another, a transformation that is integral to the speaker’s cultural identity. However, because the speaker has not undergone this initiation, he feels a sense of incompleteness, a part of his identity that has been left behind in the cultural practices of his ancestors.

This idea of initiation and masculinity is crucial to understanding the speaker’s sense of belonging. In many cultures, rites of passage define a person’s place within society, marking their transition into adulthood and their ability to take on adult responsibilities. The speaker’s sense of alienation arises from his absence from this vital process, which has left him in a state of cultural limbo.

Struggle with Heritage and Personal Identity

Throughout the poem, the speaker reflects on the complexities of being raised away from his ancestral home and the difficulty of fully embracing his heritage. The lines:

"I was raised in a strange land, by small increments: / when I bathed my mother the days she was too weak, / when auntie broke the news and I chose a yellow suit / and white shoes to dress my mother’s body,"

reveal the speaker’s experiences in a foreign land and the personal struggles that come with this dislocation. The phrase "raised in a strange land" suggests that the speaker's upbringing in an unfamiliar culture has contributed to his sense of being disconnected from his roots. The memory of caring for his mother, bathing her when she was “too weak,” reveals his emotional and personal maturity, but also hints at the responsibilities that have come with growing up away from his cultural community. The details of his mother’s death and his decision to dress her in a yellow suit and white shoes offer an image of a life lived away from the traditional rites and customs of his culture, suggesting a deeper sense of disconnection and a struggle to fit in with both cultures.

This theme of not fully belonging to either world is reinforced by the speaker’s reflection on the alternative life he might have led had he stayed in his homeland. The notion of an “alternate self” who never left his country is a key motif in the poem. The speaker wonders what this version of himself would make of the life he has created:

“If my alternate self, who never left, could see me / what would he make of these literary pretensions, / this need to speak with a tongue that isn’t mine?”

The “alternate self” serves as a symbol of the speaker’s ancestral identity, one that is firmly rooted in the traditions of his tribe and culture. This alternate self might view the speaker’s current life — his "literary pretensions" and the fact that he now "speaks with a tongue that isn’t mine" — as inauthentic or disconnected. This internal dialogue between the speaker and his alternate self underlines the internal conflict between the two sides of his identity: the part of him that clings to his roots and the part of him that has adopted a different identity, one shaped by the language and culture of his current environment.

The use of “literary pretensions” is significant, as it highlights the tension between the speaker’s cultural heritage and his intellectual aspirations. By choosing to speak through poetry and literary expression, the speaker acknowledges the distance between his current self and the language and traditions of his ancestors. His use of the term "pretensions" implies that this form of expression may feel, at times, inadequate or artificial in comparison to the direct, lived experience of his tribe’s language and customs.

The Language of the Father

In the closing lines, the speaker wonders whether his alternate self would greet him with suspicion or familiarity, frowning at the speaker’s use of a foreign language:

“Would he be strange to me as I to him, frowning / as he greets me in the language of my father / and my father’s father and my father’s father’s father?”

The reference to the "language of my father" connects the speaker to his ancestral heritage, a language that seems distant and foreign to him now. The possibility of estrangement between the speaker and his alternate self suggests a profound disconnect — a sense that both identities (the one who stayed and the one who left) would have difficulty recognising each other. The repetition of “my father’s father and my father’s father’s father” emphasises the deep roots of the speaker’s heritage, invoking a sense of ancient tradition that the speaker feels disconnected from, further underscoring the theme of cultural estrangement.

Summary

In Kumukanda, Kayo Chingonyi explores the emotional and psychological complexity of cultural identity and the experience of belonging when one is raised outside their ancestral homeland. Through rich imagery, metaphor, and introspective reflection, the poem addresses the tensions between heritage and adaptation, initiation and incompleteness, and the personal search for identity in a world that feels fragmented. The speaker’s struggle with his dual identity — between the “strange land” he was raised in and the cultural practices he was unable to fully participate in — creates a poignant portrayal of what it means to live between two worlds. Chingonyi’s use of language, metaphors, and structure powerfully communicates the difficulties of navigating cultural identity, making Kumukanda a deeply resonant exploration of belonging.

You can find analysis of all the Edexcel Belonging Poetry Anthology Poems here.