The Theme of Beauty in Leopold Sedar Senghor’s Poetry

Abstract

In his long and immensely successful career,1 Leopold Sedar Senghor  celebrates the beauty of three major places or landmarks, namely, the African geographical landscape; the spirit and essence of womanhood, especially black womanhood; and the ethos of the dead ancestors. This essay is organized into three structural divisions each of which highlights how Senghor’s verse is enhanced by the peculiar theme of beauty which defines it. Thus part one focuses on the beauty of the African topological landscape; part two addresses the beauty of womanhood; while part three celebrates the  respective ways in which the dead ancestors promote and protect the interests and the welfare of the living.