An Analysis Of Doctored Vision By Wole Soyinka - 1217 Words

Doctored Vision is an extract from Wole Soyinka’s collection of poem Mandelas Earth and other poems (1988). The poem is originally written in English. Politically, the 80’s were historical and monumental to Nigerians. There was a major economic crisis (National Economic Emergency in 1986) due to military coups, extensive dependency on oil for income and unemployment. A writer is always affected by the political environment around them. So was Soyinka. Stories emerge from a place going through severe crisis and change. Doctored vision is a narrative style poem. The protagonist, an aging poet, goes to a Doctor to correct his vision. While the tests are being performed, the poet struggles to see the letters. Baffled at first, the Doctor is†¦show more content†¦The Theme The poem juxtaposes two concepts of Science and Magic. We see the medical jargon such as, Myopia, Astigmatism, Bi-Focal, prescription and transplant are used. Then again, the word magic is used by the doctor himself when he cannot explain the poet’s condition. Science and Magic are looked at as contradicting disciplines. No one would expect a Doctor to describe a condition as magical. Science is orderly, tested and researched. Magic defies logic and reason. Soyinka skillfully weaves them into one another. The poem feels more magical than scientific. Since the protagonist is a poet, it is possible Soyinka is talking about his views. Not only this is about magic or science, it is about perspective. The poet like Soyinka can see mundane and normal things in a poetic way. That makes him different from other people. If looked at with a postcolonial perspective, the mistrust of the poet in the doctors can also reflect how the elderly generally are skeptic of modern treatments. They are also usually content with placebos. Scientist are often portrayed as curious and sinister experimenters; they want to experiment on a patient rather than treating them. The Setting The entire poem is set in the Doctor’s clinic. A clinic can seem like a scary place; an omen for something bad. Indication of a year or a country are not given. Which leaves it open to interpretation. Since Soyinka is Nigerian, it is difficult to read the poem without associating