NIYI OSUNDARE AND THE TRADITION OF MODERN NIGERIAN POETRY

NIYI OSUNDARE AND THE TRADITION OF MODERN NIGERIAN POETRY

Abstract:

acknowledge my classmates and friends Shade Fashakin, Bello Usman, Sharu Mohammed, Livinus Audu, Mrs. Diji, Mrs. Markus and Beatrice Ibiloye who did not fail to encourage me to swim above the tide when they were also caught up against it. It is impossible to mention everyone who contributed to the completion of this work but I express my sincere thanks to all of them and pray that God will reward them abundantly. 7 ABSTRACT Niyi Osundare is one of Nigeria’s most prolific poets whose works have contributed significantly to the growth of a Nigerian poetic tradition. His appearance on the literary scene has brought a new direction to the development of poetic activity. This is seen in his radical approach to social, political and economic themes and in his in depth exploration of oral tradition with the aim of stamping an indigenous identity on African poetry by deliberately writing poetry that carries less western influences. It is of note that Osundare is able to make his contribution to Nigerian poetry because the tradition of poetry existed before he wrote. The tradition of Nigerian poetry owes its evolution to certain significant factors, these are the historical events of Africa’s contact with colonialism and the eon-colonial apparatus, the culture of criticism that literary output depends on to thrive and the African tradition, that rich reservoir of verbal and non-verbal art forms in the form of tales, proverbs, images, myths, legends, music, mime and gestures. The research explores significant manifestations of Osundare’s poetry and how these have contributed to the growth of modern Nigerian poetry. The first chapter undertakes a survey of Nigerian poetry by establishing the pioneering voices of Osadebey and Okara. It highlights the poetic voices of Soyinka, Okigbo and Clark whose works have built up the tradition of Nigerian poetry and also influenced the direction of Osundare’s poetry. The second chapter analyses Osundare’s concept of commitment as closely linked to his radical ideological leaning that views literary activity as serving a political purpose. 8 The third chapter analyses Osundare’s use of the oral artistic technique. It highlights his celebration of the traditional ethos and his use of traditional idioms as framework upon which the poems are built. The fourth chapter analyses the poet’s distinctive use of nature in poetry. The chapter brings out the various ways Osundare has used nature imagery in his poetry. The findings of the research presented in the fifth chapter are that Osundare redefines the concept of commitment as carrying a deeper meaning, also his celebration of traditional art forms is unrivaled yet in modern Nigerian poetry even though he faces the limitations of mediating the essential oral using the written form, his use of nature imagery in poetry is a breakthrough. The research concludes by emphasizing that the presence of Osundare on the poetic scene has enriched the body of poetry and also shaped the development of modern Nigerian poetry.

NIYI OSUNDARE AND THE TRADITION OF MODERN NIGERIAN POETRY

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