Although written in response to Mussolini's invasion of Algeria in 1935, the poem's critique of European colonialism in Africa can be extended to the set of European nations that they were racing towards colonial domination. The poem is structured to reflect the evolution of Africa, with the three stanzas dealing respectively with the creation, colonization and post-colonialism of Africa. This creates the framework for the contrast of the three periods, which highlight the poet's impression of the hypocrisy of Western imperialism. For Tagore, Western imperialism in Africa hindered the country's natural progress towards civilization. This is emphasized through his extensive use of anthropomorphism which offers a human dimension to Africa. Africa's use of pathos also conveys Tagore's conception of Western colonialism as driven by an ignorant sense of contempt that ruthlessly robbed the continent of its innocence. The opening stanza introduces Africa from its very creation. Tagore describes the sea that “[rips] Africa “from the bosom of Mother Asia.” The aggressive undertone of the verb "torn" portrays the tumult of the birth process and evokes the image of a baby being torn from its nursing mother. The image, which cites one of the most primal human injustices, immediately makes readers uncomfortable. The line characterizes Africa as an innocent child forced to be separated from her mother and whose education was hindered. This intensifies the effect of "civilization's barbaric greed" and exploitation by making it appear like rape, thus instigating a sense of outrage in readers. The personification of both the 'raging sea' that 'torn' Africa and 'Mother Asia', enlivens these elements of... middle of the card..., so as to sharpen the contrast between Africa's Creation Periods , colonization and post-colonialism. In the first stanza, Tagore explores the creation of Africa and skillfully creates a setting that is so primal and yet so admirable. Drastic shifts in tone follow in subsequent stanzas that disturbingly make Africa a victim of imperialism, thus conveying to readers only a morsel of the difficulties of African history. The poem also clearly illustrates the hypocrisy of Western imperialism in the final stanza, where Tagore's juxtaposition of images and words amplifies this idea. Ultimately, we recognize that the only form of redemption for these Western nations is through a plea for forgiveness that will come when they experience their own fall. Works Cited Tagore, Rabindranath (1938), Africa, In R. Tagore, "Patra-Put", Translated by William Radice