New Tongue by Elizabeth L. A. Kamara

“New Tongue” by Elizabeth L. A. Kamara is an African poem focused on a shift in African culture leading to cultural erosion and an adoption of new ways. It is one of the recommended poems for WAEC literature in English curriculum 2026-2030.

New Tongue

They speak in a new tongue
And dance new dances
Minds battered into new modes and shapes
Their eyes revel in the wonder of the new
Embraced and bound to hearts with impregnable chains
The old songs as disregarded dreams
Remnants of a past.
Ties of family and friendship
Loosened, broken, burnt
The ashes strewn into the bottomless sea
As fishes swim by
Careless of the loss
Mindful of where they dare

A new generation
Careless of bonds
Of family
Of tradition
Of heritage
They care not
Nor revere the old
Their minds turn inwards
Only inwards
Like the insides of clothes
That marry the bodies of mankind

No room for elders
No,
Not even on the edge of their minds
Their ears blocked to the old tongue
And ways of doing things

Glorying in their new newness of a borrowed tongue and culture
Every man
For himself
By himself
Of himself
A strange coldness descending like snow covered mountain        
Or like bathing at the back of the house
On a rainy July day
The gusts of wind falling trees
Carting roofs away
Tugging skirts
And swirling debris in the air

Their borrowed shoes dance
Their borrowed minds parted the red sea long ago
They hang the last lock on their culture
And glide into the future
Without a backward glance.

         — Elizabeth L. A. Kamara

Overview of “New Tongue” by Elizabeth L. A. Kamara

This section covers the following sections:

Content analysis of “New Tongue” by Elizabeth L. A. Kamara
Title analysis
Language and Diction of the poem
Mood and tone of the poem
About the author

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Content Analysis of “New Tongue” by Elizabeth L. A. Kamara

“New Tongue” is a poem by a Siera Leonean writer, author, and poet, Elizabeth L. A. Kamara. It is a forty-six-line poem that becries the forsaking of African culture and the adoption of foreign cultures and values by the younger generation. It goes on to explain the effects of this detachment from the old ways.

The poem “New Tongue” captures the shift in culture especially for the younger African generation; something that has a profound impact on their way of doing things and their identities as they lose touch with their culture.

It opens with “They speak in a new tongue” – a lament about the loss of their language as they embrace a new one. The writer proceeds to lament saying – that they also “dance new dances with minds battered into new modes and shape” signifying a deviation from the people’s original ways of doing things and the acceptance of new values and culture.

This new generation has not only taken on a new language and new mindsets, but they have also abandoned established traditions, dismissed old songs, and disregarded elders and dreams.

This is a reflection of the effects of the interactions that Africans have had with different people from Europe and Asia starting with the coming of the colonial masters, through the slave trade, independence, and the modern alliances that mark the relationship of Africans with people of other nations. The new ways introduced by the interactions with other nations extend from language to education, commerce, media, literature, law and administration, fashion, and some impact on religion. The younger generation of Africans has to maintain a balance between what was before the Western culture’s influence and what the Western culture brought termed “the way”.

“New Tongue” therefore bemoans the things the “new way” has affected in terms of the African lifestyle in relation to culture, traditions, regard for elders, family relationships, and friendship. The African lifestyle was majorly communal, but the coming of the “new way” introduced an exaggerated sense of self which drove the “new generation” to believe each person should only pursue the things that benefit him. The interconnectedness of life as the Africans know it is being lost. This is captured in the poem as –

Glorying in their new newness of a borrowed tongue and culture
Every man
For himself
By himself
Of himself
(Stanza 4, lines 30-34)

“New Tongue” is not essentially about acquiring a new language, rather, it is about a shift in culture. The acceptance and use of the language of other nations is eroding the African language and extends to other aspects of their lives.

It is safe to say that this poem was written at a time marked by globalization as the key elements underscore the effects of globalization on cultures. As cultures intermingle, some aspects get diluted while some are lost. The younger generation is born into the adjusted ways which many, unwittingly accept as the original way and further adopt other practices to suit their evolving needs.

Title

The title of the poem – New Tongue, does not only signify a linguistic shift for the people described in the poem, it is a metaphor for a cultural shift that has marked the existence of the new generation. It suggests that the new generation has adopted a new language, way of thinking, and mannerisms. “New Tongue” also points to a new culture and tradition, something foreign to the people, but now being accepted as the people’s way.

Language and Diction

The poem, “New Tongue” is a lamentation of the things being lost due to the adoption of new ways. The choice of words emphasizes disregard for the old ways – the language of the people, their culture and traditions, etc.

Kamara’s use of language and tone in the poem, “New Tongue”, is simple and modern, making it accessible to people of different generations. Despite being written in English, it has a deep cultural undertone as the central theme is the loss of cultural heritage.

The choice of words is deliberate and chosen to convey the message of the poem succinctly. The cry for the loss of language, culture, traditions, etc. is obvious and the sadness this brings is felt in the tone.

Overall, the language used in “New Tongue” is simple but formal. The diction is modern and accessible to users of the English language.

Tone and Mood

Kamara’s tone is melancholic. The sadness is profound as the poem bemoans the loss of the heritage of a people. It is a call to preserve the identity of a people – their culture, traditions, language, etc. It highlights what is happening and the effects on the people as a whole.

The mood is one of reflective thinking laced with deep sadness for the loss and nostalgia as the speaker thinks of the old ways that are being lost. There is also some worry about the future as the new generation abandons their identity to take on foreign ones.

Although a shift in culture is unavoidable as generations come and go and people from different cultures intermingle, the poem expresses sadness as some of the practices ignored and forgotten are intrinsic to the identities and values of the people.

Analysis of Themes in “New Tongue” by Elizabeth L. A. Kamara

About the Author – Elizabeth L. A. Kamara

Elizabeth L. A. Kamara is an African educator, writer, and poet, who hails from Sierra Leon. She lectures at Fourah Bay College where she heads the English Unit. Elizabeth Kamara has three poetry collections to her credit – To Cross for a Daughter, Stolen Laughter, and Distilled. “New Tongue” is one of the poems in her book – “To Cross for a Daughter”.

Elizabeth L. A. Kamara is the founder and coordinator of the Poetry Reading Club at Fourah Bay College. She is a member of the African Literature Association, the World Poetry Movement, and the Sierra Leone Writers Guild.

Her works are marked by tension between modernity and the past as she aims to call attention to cultural preservation.