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The Eye of the Earth: Niyi Osundare as a Poet of Nature

2009; African Journals OnLine; Volume: 3; Issue: 2 Linguagem: Inglês

10.4314/afrrev.v3i2.43607

2070-0083

GJ Doki,

Postcolonial and Cultural Literary Studies

It can be said with considerable justification that Niyi Osundare is one of themost fecund poets writing in Africa today. A Nigerian of Yoruba extraction,his poetry is richly coloured by common expressions of traditional life (likeproverbs and songs) which reflects the world view of his people. Besides, hispoetry is accessible because in it he assumes the voice of the unletteredpeasants and villagers ‘who speak plain without feigning sophistication’(Ohaeto 7). His themes are many and varied. They range from apreoccupation with the poor and down-trodden in society to an engagementwith Africa’s socio-political problems and a revolutionary vision that willbring about a new Africa. In all these Osundare is not blind to his physicalenvironment. In fact most of Osundare’s poetry dwells on the impoverishmentand decay of the rural communities. His fourth collection of poetry The Eyeof the Earth is entirely devoted to mother-earth and other forms of physicalnature. It is the object of this piece to ascertain the extent to which Osundarequalifies as a poet of nature in this collection.