The Mystic Drum by Gabriel Okara explores the advent of western imperialism to the African culture. The author has written about African culture in his other poems like Once upon a time and Piano and drums. Drum symbolizes the African culture. Drum is an inevitable part of Nigerian arts. They beat it to express their emotions. The poem begins by stating how unified nature was. Men, women and fishes danced together to the rhythm of his drum beat.
Poet introduces an outsider in the second stanza of the poem. Poet says that she smiled with a shake of her head. Poet indicates the western culture where people are very formal. It also indicates the advent of imperialism into African lands.
Poet states that the drumbeat continued even with a faster tempo. It was strong enough to make the dead dance and sing. Poet refers to the traditional African culture which was very unique for him. Poet mentions that the outsider remained outside with a smile. He repeats about the unification of African culture where nature and humans shared common space.
The second part of the poem says, eventually the drumbeat in my inside stopped, then men became men, fishes became fishes and everything else created its own identity. Poet is desperate about this change. The presence of that lady separated the common African identity and it injected the individual identity for everything. Poet uses images of trees and ships to indicate the unwelcomed appearance of western imperialism in the African land. Poet says when the roots of imperialism were deep enough darkness reflected everywhere.
The smoke in the poem suggests the pollution caused by Western companies as part of industrialization in Africa. Poet ends with a sad note stating that the poet packed his drum with a decision that he is never going to beat it again so loud.