The Cathedral — by Kofi Awoonor
Analysis by Isaac Nyarko Antwi
On this dirty patch
a tree once stood
shedding incense on the infant corn;
its boughs stretched across a heaven
brightened by the last fires of a tribe.
They sent surveyors and builders
who cut that tree
planting in its place
a huge senseless cathedral of doom.
Awoonor’s poem ‘The Cathedral’ clearly emphasizes how Africa’s rich traditional culture and religion were destroyed and replaced by Christianity during colonization. Awoonor, who adored African traditions, wrote this poem to express his anger and resentment about how Christianity totally took away the cherished African way of life.
The poem begins with these lines:
‘On this dirty patch
a tree once stood
shedding incense on the infant corn.’
Here, Awoonor describes a sacred tree that once stood on a piece of land. The tree symbolizes the African traditional religion. It was an avenue where people prayed, worshipped and made sacrifices to the gods. The words ‘shedding incense on the infant corn’ show that the tree was solely used for rituals that brought life, unity and peace to the people in the entire village. The tree symbolized the strong relationship between the gods and their subjects (African people).
The next part of the poem says:
‘They sent surveyors and builders
Who cut that tree.’
The word “they” refers to the white colonizers (the Christian missionaries) who came to Africa. The “surveyors and builders” refer to the individuals who came to establish churches, schools, and towns that ultimately replaced African traditions and culture. When they ‘cut the tree,’ it means they destroyed the African religion and traditions. The cutting down of the tree does not necessarily mean the destruction of a physical tree, but also the destruction of the spiritual life of the African people that was taken away.
The poem finally ends with these words:
planting in its place
a huge senseless cathedral of doom.
Here, Awoonor condemns the construction of a cathedral (a big Christian church) on the exact land where the sacred tree once stood. He refers to the cathedral as ‘senseless’ because he knows it has no relevance for Africans. Instead of bringing hope, he calls it a ‘cathedral of doom,’ meaning it leads to spiritual emptiness and destruction. Awoonor sees the cathedral not as a sacred place but as an image of how Africa lost its true identity and traditional values.
The tone of the poem is resentment. Kofi Awoonor uses simple yet powerful images to describe the sharp contrast between the cherished African religion, which is represented by the tree, and the Christian religion, which is demonstrated in the poem as the cathedral. The ‘tree’ symbolizes nature, life, tradition, whereas the cathedral stands for loss, foreign influence and total destruction.
‘The Cathedral’ in short talks about how colonialism and the practice of Christianity have destroyed traditional religion. Awoonor wants Africans not to forget their roots and traditional values, instead of embracing foreign beliefs and principles. The poem is a wake-up call for Africans to go back to their cultural and spiritual identity.
In conclusion, Awoonor reminds us that forgetting our roots isn’t just about losing rituals — it’s losing a sense of who we are. The Cathedral shows the pain of losing the African traditional religion to Christianity. The poem highlights how something beautiful and natural (the tree) was replaced by something foreign (the cathedral). Through this simple poem, Kofi Awoonor reminds his dear readers that when a people lose their traditions, they lose everything.
Themes in “The Cathedral” by Kofi Awoonor
1. Clash between African tradition and Western religion
The poem explores the unhealthy clash between the African traditional faith and Christianity imposed by the white colonizers. The poet laments how a sacred tree was cut down and replaced by a foreign edifice — the cathedral. This act clearly demonstrates how colonialism replaced African beliefs and practices with Christianity, completely erasing the traditional faith of the vulnerable Africans and their connection to their ancestors.
2. Loss of cultural identity
The poem also explores the loss of cultural identity that comes with this change. Once the tree has been cut down, the people no longer have a cultural identity since the tree depicts a sense of pride for Africans.
3. Impact of colonialism
Awoonor, in his poem, again criticizes colonial domination, which imposed foreign systems and beliefs on Africans. The “surveyors and builders” represent the colonial powers that took control over the affairs of the people, ultimately infiltrating the minds of the people. The poem, therefore, becomes a protest one that fights against cultural invasion and imperialism.
4. Destruction of nature
Moreover, the poet criticizes the destruction of nature. The cutting down of the tree depicts how modernization affects the environment of the black man.
5. Spiritual Emptiness
Finally, Awoonor highlights a sense of spiritual emptiness. The “huge senseless cathedral of doom” implies that the sacred tree represents life, peace, and joy, which have a deep connection with divinity, whereas the cathedral’s influence on the people is nothing to write home about.
RHYMING SCHEME
The poem is written in free verse (no regular rhyming scheme).
LITERARY DEVICES
1. Symbolism
Symbolism means using something to stand for a bigger idea.
- The tree symbolizes African traditional religion, life and culture. It represents love, unity, and a powerful link between humanity and nature.
- The cathedral symbolizes foreign culture and Christianity introduced to the Africans by the whites. It depicts loss of identity, destruction, and the end of African traditions.
- Cutting the tree symbolizes how colonialism and Christianity destroyed African traditions and values.
2. Imagery
Imagery refers to the use of words that create pictures in the mind of the reader. Awoonor uses clear images to emphasize his stance in his work.
- ‘On this dirty patch a tree once stood shedding incense on the infant corn’ — This depicts a picture of a sacred place filled with the smell of incense and a young corn growing.
- ‘A huge senseless cathedral of doom’ — This gives us an image of a big, useless building that looks frightening.
3. Contrast (or Juxtaposition)
Kofi Awoonor compares two opposite worlds — the traditional African world and the foreign Christian world.
- The tree (natural, African) is set against the cathedral (artificial, Christian).
4. Irony
Irony means saying one thing but meaning the opposite. In reality, a cathedral is basically a holy place where people worship God. However, Awoonor calls it ‘a cathedral of doom.’
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5. Personification
Personification gives human qualities to non-human things and objects. The tree is personified, as if it were active and alive, ‘shedding incense on the infant corn.’ This demonstrates that the tree was caring and blessed the people living in that village.
6. Metaphor
A metaphor is a comparison without using ‘as,’ ‘like,’ and ‘than.’
- The tree is a metaphor for African traditional religion.
- The Cathedral is a metaphor for the new religion, Christianity.
7. Hyperbole
Hyperbole refers to the use of excess deliberate to create emphasis in a work of art.
… its boughs stretched across a heaven …(line 4)
8. Enjambment
Enjambment means when one line of poetry continues into the next without a pause.
‘They sent surveyors and builders who cut the tree.’ …Line 6
Tone
Tone refers to the poet’s attitude or feelings in the poem. The tone of the poem is sadness and bitterness. Awoonor feels sorrowful about the destruction of the African religion and traditions and expresses anger at the colonizers who destroyed them.
Diction
Diction refers to the choice of words of the poet or writer. Awoonor in this poem, uses simple but powerful words: ‘huge,’ ‘cut,’ ‘senseless,’ ‘tree,’ ‘corn,’ ‘doom,’ ‘dirty.’ These words express pain, loss and destruction.
THE CATHEDRAL — by Kofi Awoonor
Multiple-Choice Questions (A–D) with Answers
Read each question carefully and choose the correct answer from the alternatives A–D. The correct answers have been boldened for emphasis.
1. Who is the author of the poem ‘The Cathedral’?
A. Chinua Achebe
B. Wole Soyinka
C. Leopold Sedar Senghor
D. Kofi Awoonor
2. The tree in the poem represents………
A. Western civilization
B. Division and political tension
C. Natural resources
D. African traditional faith
3. The cathedral in the poem symbolizes…….
A. Christianity
B. A sacred place of worship
C. The oppression and destruction brought about by colonial rule
D. The revival of African customs
4. The phrase ‘on this dirty patch’ implies that……………
A. Land being prepared for farming
B. A once-sacred site that has been defiled
C. An empty construction area
D. A worthless piece of land
5. The phrase ‘shedding incense on the infant corn’ appeals mainly to the sense of……
A. Touch
B. Hearing
C. Taste
D. Smell
6. The pronoun ‘they’ in the line ‘They sent surveyors and builders’ refers to…….
A. Government officials
B. Village elders
C. Colonial officials and missionaries
D. Traditional authorities
7. The overall tone of the poem can be described as:
A. Cheerful and lively
B. Sadness and resentment
C. Unity and love
D. Apathy
8. The word ‘senseless’ in ‘a huge senseless cathedral of doom’ suggests that Christianity is seen as……..
A. Sacred and special
B. Strange
C. Meaningless and destructive
D. Perfect
9. The phrase ‘its boughs stretched across a heaven’ means that……..
A. The tree linked the human world with the divine
B. The tree was very huge
C. The tree provided shade for the people
D. The tree was able to withstand all weather conditions
10. The main theme of the poem is………..
A. Industrial Revolution
B. The unity of Africa
C. The clash between African tradition and Western religion
D. The independence struggle
11. The phrase ‘last fires of a tribe’ implies………
A. Hope for the next generation
B. The end of traditional African culture
C. A religious festival
D. A ritual for all tribes
12. What does the tree symbolize in the poem?
A. Christian practices
B. Ancient wisdom and spirituality
C. Longevity and prosperity
D. Political rebellion
13. What literary device is used in the line ‘its boughs stretched across a heaven’?
A. Pun
B. Alliteration
C. Oxymoron
D. Hyperbole
14. Which two images represent life and death in the poem?
A. Corn and incense
B. Patch and builders
C.Tree and cathedral
D. Heaven and tribe
15. Why does the poet describe the cathedral as ‘of doom’?
A. Because it was built in the wrong place
B. Because it is too small
C. Because it destroyed the old way of life
D. Because it was not completed
16. The surveyors and builders symbolize…………
A. Traditional rulers and elders
B. Artisans and designers
C. Missionaries and colonial powers
D. Priests and Seers
17. The tree and cathedral symbolize…………….
A. Love and hatred
B. Tradition and modernity
C. Conflict and peace
D. Death and rebirth
18. What is the poet’s attitude toward modernization?
A. Hope and excitement
B. Anger and rejection
C. Happiness and admiration
D. Indifference
19. The phrase ‘shedding incense’ portrays the tree as:
A. A spiritual symbol
B. A decaying plant
C. A physical structure
D. A political emblem
20. Why is the word ‘once’ important in ‘a tree once stood’?
A. It marks a past existence and loss
B. It demonstrates growth
C. It shows a future opportunity
D. It exhibits power and love
