Nigerian poetry, rich in cultural diversity and history, encompasses themes of colonialism, independence, identity, and social issues. It’s marked by lyrical intensity and narrative depth, reflecting Nigeria’s complex tapestry of languages, traditions, and modern challenges.
‘Telephone Conversation’ is a poem written by Wole Soyinka, a renowned African writer in English. The poem exposes the presence of racial discrimination at the individual level in society even after the passing of laws against it.
The price seemed reasonable, location
Indifferent. The landlady swore she lived
Off premises. Nothing remained
But self-confession. "Madam," I warned,
Okara’s ‘Spirit of the Wind’ examines the struggle between instinctual freedom and societal constraints through the metaphor of migrating storks.
The storks are coming now
white specks in the silent sky.
They had gone north seeking
fairer climes to build their homes
when here was raining.
‘New Year’s Eve Midnight’ by Gabriel Okara reflects on passage of time, hopes, and dreams amidst fading memories, and dawn of new beginnings.
Now the bells are tolling –
a year is dead.
And my heart is slowly beating
the Nunc Dimittis
‘Thirteen’ by Caleb Femi is an incredibly powerful poem that uses second-person perspective to help readers better understand the experiences of a thirteen-year-old boy accused of a crime he didn’t commit.
You will be four minutes from home
when you are cornered by an officer
who will tell you of a robbery, forty
minutes ago in the area. You fit
‘Pianos and Drums’ by Gabriel Okara juxtaposes primal rhythms with modern complexities, exploring cultural identity and longing for authenticity.
When at break of day at a riverside
I hear jungle drums telegraphing
the mystic rhythm, urgent, raw
like bleeding flesh, speaking of
‘Love Cycle’ by Chinua Achebe describes sunrise, sunset, and their effects on Earth using the metaphor of a barely functioning couple.
At dawn slowly
the sun withdraws his
long misty arms of
embrace. Happy lovers
Theresa Lola’s ‘Equilibrium’ is a phenomenal portrayal of decline in the face of what ought to be a family celebration.
My new-born brother wailed into existence
and my grandfather's eyes became two stopwatchescounting down his own exit. After the naming ceremony
my grandfather was quiet as a cut open for autopsy.
Gabriel Okara’s ‘The End’ looks at how the past feeds into the future, using the end of a celebration to show the mix of holding onto traditions while moving forward.
The celebration is now ended
but the echoes are all around
whirling like a harmattan
whirl-wind throwing dust around
‘Refugee Mother and Child’ depicts a mother’s love in a war-torn setting, contrasting life’s fragility with deep maternal bonds.
No Madonna and Child could touch
that picture of a mother's tenderness
for a son she soon would have to forget.
The air was heavy with
‘The Call of the River Nun’ by Gabriel Okara is a reflective poem about the poet’s deep connection to a river from his childhood, exploring feelings of longing, life’s journey, and the impact of modernization.
I hear your call!
I hear it far away;
I hear it break the circle of these crouching hills.
‘The Dreamer’ by Gabriel Okara reflects a nation’s fight against corruption and hardship, showing the strength, unity, and hope of its people for a brighter future.
He was seeking good in our collective good
As he stood aside, not apart, watching
Helpless stream of mankind passing slowly by;
Cheerless mankind with dying hopes of flickering flames
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