I.
About the Poet: Mauri Yambo
• Background: Born in Nairobi, Kenya (1947). Distinguished Kenyan academic, writer,
and poet. Married to Joan; has children and a granddaughter.
• Education:
o BA (Sociology & Political Science) - University of Dar Es Salaam (1972)
o MA (Sociology) - University of Nairobi (1974)
o PhD (Industrial Sociology) - University of Illinois (1980)
• Academic Career: Lecturer, University of Nairobi (1980-2017). Held positions as
Departmental Chair and Dean of the Faculty of Arts (two terms).
• Writing: Continues to write; maintains a blog at mauriyambo.blogspot.com for
creative writing.
II. Poem Overview
• Purpose: Challenges readers to reconsider their relationship with cockroaches and,
by extension, their behaviour/attitudes towards those deemed inferior or
undesirable. Urges empathy and a more humane perspective.
• Structure:
o Free verse (no formal rhyme scheme or meter).
o 4 stanzas of varying lengths.
o Minimal punctuation (supports urgent pace in key stanzas).
• Key Features: Simple yet vivid imagery, immediacy, thought-provoking questions,
tonal shift.
III. Stanza-by-Stanza Analysis
1. Stanza 1: Disruption & Flight
o Lines: "Turn on the light... dark shelters."
o Analysis:
▪ Abrupt Opening: Creates immediate tension, depicting the speaker
disrupting the cockroaches' environment.
▪ Imagery: "Helter-skelter" vividly conveys chaotic, panicked movement
as they flee light.
▪ Sound Devices:
▪ Sibilance: 's' sounds in "skelter," "scuttle," "shelters" mimic the
sound of scattering insects.
▪ Rhyme: "skelter" / "shelter" emphasizes pace and frantic
scurrying.
▪ Rhythm: Quick, staccato rhythm ("helter-skelter they scuttle")
reflects urgency and panic.
2. Stanza 2: Entrapment & Distress
o Lines: "Cut them off... helpless worry."
o Analysis:
▪ Aggression & Control: Verbs "Cut" and "block" show the speaker
actively trapping the cockroaches, cutting off escape.
▪ Voyeurism: "and see cockroaches" invites the reader to witness the
consequences.
▪ Emotional State: "hopeless flurry and helpless worry" uses
personification to evoke sympathy for the trapped insects.
▪ Poetic Devices:
▪ Rhyme: "approaches" / "cockroaches" & "flurry" / "worry"
heighten pace and vulnerability.
▪ Personification: Attributing "worry" humanizes them.
▪ Imperative Mood: Commands ("Cut," "block") establish
speaker dominance.
▪ Vivid Imagery: "hopeless flurry" creates a strong visual of
chaotic desperation.
3. Stanza 3: Questioning Authority & Violence
o Lines: "But... shy creatures?"
o Analysis:
▪ Tonal Shift: "But" marks a significant shift from observation to
philosophical questioning.
▪ Questioning Authority: "Who ordained" challenges the right or moral
justification for violence against the cockroaches. "Ordained" suggests
divine authority, raising profound ethical questions.
▪ Violence & Sympathy: "Crash-fall of sandals" vividly depicts
destructive impact. "Shy creatures" further humanizes them, evoking
sympathy and highlighting their vulnerability.
o The Question of Authority (Significance):
▪ Challenges the basis for exercising power over the vulnerable
("pests").
▪ Explores power dynamics (powerful vs. powerless).
▪ Examines the moral implications of destruction.
▪ Extends metaphorically to social/political contexts (e.g., colonialism,
oppression).
4. Stanza 4: Prejudice & the "Other"
o Lines: "Or... suspect?"
o Analysis:
▪ Questioning Persecution: Directly challenges the reason for the
cockroaches' persecution. The question mark creates a reflective
pause.
▪ "Love of Darkness": Dual meaning - literal (nocturnal nature) and
figurative/metaphorical (association with the unknown, feared, or
culturally "dark").
▪ "Suspect" Status: Implies prejudice and unfounded negative judgment
based only on their natural preference ("love of darkness"). Highlights
arbitrary nature of bias.
IV. Key Poetic Devices & Elements
• Imagery: Vivid depictions of frantic movement ("scuttle," "helter-skelter," "hopeless
flurry"), light/dark contrast, violence ("crash-fall of sandals"). Creates strong sensory
impact and emotional range (disgust to sympathy).
• Sound Devices: Sibilance, rhyme ("skelter/shelter," "approaches/cockroaches,"
"flurry/worry"), staccato rhythm (esp. Stanza 1) enhance meaning and mimic actions.
• Personification: "helpless worry," "shy creatures" - humanizes cockroaches, fostering
empathy.
• Symbolism:
o Light: Intrusion, exposure, threat (potentially colonial presence).
o Darkness: Safety, natural state, the unknown/feared (potentially indigenous
culture/identity).
o Cockroaches: The vulnerable, persecuted "other".
• Rhetorical Questions: Central to Stanzas 3 & 4, forcing reader reflection on morality,
authority, and prejudice.
• Tone & Mood:
o Begins detached/observational (clinical description of flight).
o Shifts dramatically with "But" to questioning, critical, and philosophical.
o Ends with ambiguous, provocative questioning, leaving the reader in a
reflective mood.
• Structure (Revisited): Free verse flexibility allows focus on meaning. Stanza lengths
mirror content (descriptive action -> condensed philosophical questions).
Punctuation controls pace (urgent in S1-2, slower/reflective in S3-4).
V. Thematic Interpretations
1. Literal Level: A vivid observation of cockroach behaviour prompting reflection on
human cruelty towards creatures deemed pests and the ethics of domination.
2. Allegorical Level (Colonial Interpretation - Significant Focus in Notes):
o Cockroaches: Represent colonized/oppressed peoples (e.g., Indigenous
Kenyans).
o "Turn on the light": Symbolizes the disruptive, disorienting arrival of
colonizers (e.g., British in Kenya post-1885 Berlin Conference/1895
Protectorate).
o "Helter-skelter... dark shelters": Represents the forced displacement,
scattering, and hiding of native populations.
o "Crash-fall of sandals": Symbolizes the violence, brutality, and cultural
destruction inflicted by colonizers.
o "Who ordained...?": Directly challenges the presumed moral/divine right
("White Man's Burden") used to justify colonial oppression.
o "Love of darkness holds them suspect?": Critiques racial prejudice –
persecution based on skin colour ("darkness") and the labelling of indigenous
cultures as primitive/uncivilized ("darkness" as metaphor), making them
inherently "suspect."
o Power Imbalance: The human/cockroach size disparity mirrors the
overwhelming power imbalance between colonizer and colonized.
3. Universal Themes:
o Power & Oppression: Dynamics between dominant and subjugated groups.
o Moral Authority: Questioning the justification for harming others.
o Prejudice & Discrimination: Judging and persecuting based on inherent traits
or differences (being "other").
o Survival & Resilience: Enduring in hostile environments.
o Perspective & Empathy: Challenging assumptions and urging understanding
from the viewpoint of the marginalized.
VI. Key Takeaways
• Mauri Yambo's "Cockroaches" uses deceptively simple insect behaviour to explore
profound themes of power, prejudice, empathy, and the ethics of domination.
• Its vivid imagery and sound devices create a powerful sensory experience.
• The poem operates effectively on both a literal level (human-insect interaction) and a
potent allegorical level (notably as a critique of colonialism and oppression, enriched
by Kenya's history).
• The central rhetorical questions challenge the reader to examine their own
assumptions, biases, and the moral basis for exercising power over others deemed
"inferior" or "undesirable."
• It ultimately urges a more conscientious, empathetic, and humane perspective
towards all living beings and marginalized groups.
