Poems

The Poet who was silent and Hop

Fighting Patriarchy in Nigerian Cultures Through Children’s Literature

This study tried to investigate the prevalent patriarchal practices in Nigerian cultures and how it could be curbed via children’s literature. Patriarchy is generally accepted and widely practiced in Nigeria. Its tenets have remained unprinted but have been actively governing people’s lives and transactions in Nigeria over decades. These tenets which have overtly and covertly impacted negatively on the women folk and indirectly on men, also on the socio-economic and political advancement of Nigerian society in general have been effectively sustained and transferred, informally and formally to posterity, as part of Nigerian culture. Children’s literature has always provided opportunity for nurturing, in response, appreciation and internalization of one’s and group’s cultural heritage. It equally impacts on the growth and development of the children’s self perception, which results to the internal urge of transferring same to posterity. This study, therefore, postulates that given the evident roles literature plays in character molding, that children’s literature is therefore a veritable tool for expunging the negative patriarchal practices in Nigerian culture

The present state of Children's Literature in Indigenous African Languages: The Igbo Example

This work tries to explore the state of children’s indigenous literature at both nursery and lower primary levels of education in Igbo speech community of Eastern Nigeria. As a result of the perceived decline in proficiency in both oral and written forms of the language among the younger generation of ‘Ndigbo’ and which has given rise to obvious fear of the language degenerating to a state of endangerment, some committed individuals and groups have organized and are still organizing significant language crusade against the prevalent negative language attitude of ‘Ndigbo’ towards their language. This effort, it is hoped, will engender the infusion of the spirit of revitalization and rebirth and the eventual language pride into the owners of Igbo language. It is a well known fact that Children’s literature provides opportunity of response, appreciation and internalization of one’s cultural heritage as well as the nurture, growth and development of the children’s self perception and language skills which result to the internal urge of transferring same to posterity. In view of these, this study explores the extent the language crusade at present going on in Igbo society has really actualized the targeted goals, and inquires whether the crusaders also have early childhood education (nursery and lower primary) in mind as part of their targets. This study will equally examine the current state of the indigenous children’s literature: prose, poetry, drama, including nursery rhymes at this crucial formation stage in relation with the existing school curriculum. With the fact that early exposure of children to indigenous literature is one of the major measures of revitalizing and stabilizing languages, this research will premise its search on Fishman’s theoretical framework for language revitalization and shift. Based on the findings, some recommendations will be made and some relevant revitalization techniques also be suggested

Sociolinguistic import of name-clipping among Omambala cultural zone in Anambra state

This study examines the perceived but obvious manifestation of name-clipping among Omambala cultural zone of Anambra State. This situation has given rise to distortion of names and most often, to either mis-interpretation or complete loss of the original and full meanings of the names. This situation of misinterpretation is more prevalent among the younger generation of the indigenes of this speech community. As sociolinguistic tenets naturally impact on the growth/death of a nation’s language(s), this study, through interview, intends to establish relationships between the prevalent loss and/or misinterpretation of the clipped names and language growth and/or death in the cultural zone in question. In addition to finding out whether age and social class are variables to this prevalent practice, this investigation, which adopts descriptive and survey approaches, equally attempts to find out if the practice significantly impacts on nation building

Linguistic Deviances as a Stylistic Approach to Literary Texts: A Study of African Traditional Poem “Salute to the Elephant”

Considering the rules of grammaticality and acceptability in the field of linguistics and language in general, one wonders if the creative writers will be spared of the violation or breaching of the language code for stylistic effects. It is worth noting here that the essence of this violation in  language used among creative writers is to describe the formal features of texts, show their functional significance for the interpretation of texts and relate literary effects to linguistics causes where they are felt to be relevant. This paper which focuses on Linguistic Deviances as a Stylistic Approach to Literary Texts: A Study of African Traditional Poem “Salute to the Elephant” shall be consideredunder three sections. The first deals with linguistics deviances and literary texts, the second focuses on African Traditional poems and finally, stylistic analysis of ‘Salute to the Elephant’

Contemporary African philosophy, identity and the question of African languages

The issue of African identity is arguably the central plank of contemporary African philosophy due mainly to historical and contextual reasons. While the almost inadvertent attention to the theme highlights African philosophy as a discipline that is responsive to the exigencies of its immediate fulcrum, the attitude of many Africans in real life to the factors that undergird identity betrays this apparently worthy attention. This essay reviews the import of the issue of identity in contemporary African philosophy vis-a-vis the language policy of most African countries as well as the attitude of many Africans towards their indigenous languages. Given the pivotal importance of language in ensuring cultural identity it argues that there is an antithesis between the quest for identity and the neglect of African languages and concludes that the revival of African sense of identity requires a transvaluation of African values

Women and leadership in modern African literature: A focus on Chinua Achebe’s Anthills of Savannah

The discourse on women is one which cannot be over- emphasized. The United Nations in its Declaration on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women in 1980, made expansion of opportunities for women as a key demand. The declaration contends among others, greater the participation of women in decision making. Hence, the present study examines women and leadership in modern African literature to account for their (women) involvement and the impact of their participation cum non participation, focusing on Chinua Achebe’s Anthills of Savannah. The aim is to ascertain women leadership and its impact in the wider society, with reference to Chinua Achebe’s Anthills of Savannah. The study adopts Feminism (Post structural perspective) as its theoretical consideration. Finding from the study shows that women are not adequately represented in leadership positions. However, in cases where they lead, they functioned optimally for the betterment of their society. Beatrice, for instance, a Senior Assistant Secretary in the Ministry of Finance, is a noble female leader who by her role and conduct stood out. She affected those around her positively and was a source of inspiration to Ikem, a male character, in the novel. Keywords: Leadership, Gender, Participation, Adequately, Women, Inspiration

Cultural Imperative and Social Validity in Modern Nigerian Drama: the Plays of Saro-Wiwa, Nwabueze and Irobi

Nigeria as an African nation with multifarious cultural groups has produced innovative playwrights and significant works of drama. This manifestation of a vibrant dramatic culture has led to the crowning glory of one of its writers, Wole Soyinka, as a major writer in the world. One of the younger Nigerian writers acknowledges that "just as African novelists have learnt from Achebe, so have the new dramatists fed from Soyinka's copious kitchen. Before us, he found convincing solutions to most ..

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