CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

Background to the Study

Aguariavwodo’s our love our freedom can be categorised among the contemporary poems in modern Africa poetry. It is therefore, pertinent to look at what modern African poetry is.

Modern African poetry according to Okunoye (2004)

“very much like other post-colonial literary practice, is defined in relation to European literary traditions which provide the paradigms, conventious and critical principles, that came either appropriate or negated in the process of defining the identity of the newer literature.

Modern African poetry is designed to be useful and practical not paying too much attention to its aesthetics. Okon (2013)

It began as an intellectual response to the denigration of Africa by Africans by the white colonizers.

Modern African poetry is a hybrid of the African oral traditions and the western tradition. Before the colonization of the African continent, Africans have their own literary heritage manifested in the song dirge, elegy, panegyric and riddles. According to Dr Joseph A. Ushie,

Modern written African poetry has a double heritage precolonial situations and western. As in most post-colonial situations, the tilt of our writing should be moved toward the pre-colonial African heritage manifested in the song dirge, elegy, panergyric or riddle essentially such art was meant for the few initials.

All of these when typically examined and discovered to be endowed with poetic qualities or features because they are also the domain for figures of speech as well as figures of sounds such that when the written form of African poetry evolved there was already an active body of traditional African poetry on which the new poetry was joined to produce hybrid poetic genre.

Modern African poetry is divided into three period:

• The pioneer/pre-independence
• The transitional phase/naturalist/negritude
• Post-independence /cotemporary

The contemporary phase which is what we are now experiencing. They made it explicit that although they speak of phases, that these phases are not three periodic rigidity separated either by exclusive style and modes of writing for different poets and that a poet can belong to more than one phase as they continue to write and respond to the changing socio-political situation of Africa up to date.

The Pioneer Phase/Pre-Independence

The first set of poets with English and French expression are classified under this phase. Amongst this poets are Dennis Osadebey, Casely Hayford and Dei-Anag in the works of these poets there were elements of anti-colonial struggle. In the works of these early poets there were echoes of imagery and concepts to realise their aims. Examples Cassely Hayford’s “rejoice” they used the colonial situation on ground as themes for their works. They are called pioneers because they are the first to attempt to write a serious poem on modern issues.

The Transitional Phase/The Nationalist and Negritude

This struggle actually took off immediately after the World War II (1939-1945). This was a period when occasioned by the post war situation colonialism warfare and imperialism was frowned upon by the comity of nations through the United Nations organisation which itself was an offshoot of World War II. After the World War II When Africans saw that the white died in their number began to agitate for their rights as human because they saw that the “blacks” are equal to the “whites” as against the notion which they had imbibed in them. As a result of these nationalist agitation for independence and the end to colonial rule spread. Negritude was the affirmation of the black personality as a way of denigration and distortion of black history and culture. This literary struggle became in the 1940s to early 1960s.

Negritude is a counterpart to the nationalist, the poets with English expression were called the nationalist while the poets with French expression were negritude poet. Negritude poets took a careful cultivation of African imagery symbols and speech cadences to valorise Africa. Poets in this category are Birago Diop, David Diop, Bernard Dadie and the founder of the movement Sedar Seghor.

Anglophones poets never subscribed to the francophone poets negrtituduism as Soyinka pronounced

“That a tiger does not need to announce its tigerity”

But many of them still writes poems that falls under that philosophy example is Gabriel Okana “Piano and Drums”

Post-Independence Period

At independence, the poets discover that the joy, strong feelings, assurance which they had towards independence did not live long. Anticipate self-rule was misplaced. This was because the Africans who took over from the departing colonizers turned out to be the tormentors of their own people instead of being their saviour. This then ushered in the concept of neo-colonialism which manifested in misrule and oppression. The poets of this period had no choice but to versify the neo-historical experiences defined by failure of leadership, economic mismanagement, poverty, political instability and oppression of the masses.

By the mid-1960s, the military had taken over in some African states and soon civil war followed, and the continent was subject to civil war dictatorship.

Africans suffered under military rule. This correspondence Friday A. Okon divided the post-Independence West African poets into two sub-groups:

1. The older generation (1960-1970)
2. The younger generation (1970 till date)

He puts it that the first generation is made up of early poets whose vision was private and individualistic. Or who at least only showed social concern but never preached revolution. These were poets who were bitterly enraged after realising the corruption of politicians and their betrayal of the hopes of the masses. Amongst this poets are kwesi Brew, Christopher Okigbo.

In the case of the younger generation they are committed to the masses with a much simpler diction they write their poems, so that even the less educated can read and understand. They write about the plight of the masses. Amongst these poets are Niyi Osundare, Odia Ofeimun, Koffi Anyidoho.

In East Africa after gaining independence, things were not better as the masses became slaves in the hands of their fellow black men, the people whom they called their own. Examples of poets Crispin Haulis. The suffering and marginalisation makes up his themes in “song of the common man”.

South Africa was also like East Africa but South Africa was faced with “Apartheid” the oppression of the black majority by the white minority. Poet wrote poems depicting it is gory aspect to the world. The suffering of the masses is depicted in Dennis Brutus “the sun on his rubble” and also O.M. Mtshali “the master of the House”

Themes in Modern Africa Poetry

Modern Africa poetry has been used to express various emotions, love, tributes hope and faith. Anger, love for flora and the finna gender environmental degradation and above all political issues with different poetic techniques. Appropriate to the themes.

It is against this backdrop that this work is set to throw light into the themes and techniques of Aguariavwodo’s our love, our nation.

Statement of the Problem

Arising from the difficulty some people encounter when reading and analysing a poem this work is set out to make an analysis of the themes and techniques of Aguariavwodo’s collection of poems.

As a contemporary Africa poet, this work is set out to help the reader understand how he uses his techniques to help realise his themes as it affects his society.

Significance of the Study

Literature in Africa is a unique and distinct form in all its genre. Edesiri Aguariavwodo’s collection of poem our love our freedom has emerged as another prove of creativity and diversity of Africa literary form. The Nigeria writer portrays a diverse issue that plung the Nigeria society as well as his own inner most feeling through the different poetic techniques at his disposal as a poet.

In this work, the themes of the poems will be explored and the different techniques when the poet has used to convey this themes.

This work is set out to make the reader know the importance of poets in the society. And also to give the reader and the society at large a better understanding of the themes and techniques in Aguariavwodo’s poem.

Scope and Delimitation

Due to time constraint, this work will focus on only twenty of the poems which are

Section A

• Secluded wanderer
• Weeping flagstaff
• Green grass
• Letter to my mama
• You and me are one
• Loving the fair one
• Love come: take me
• Pretensions and pretext
• Only you
• Looting and killing

Section B

• Power
• the fountain pen dream
• nation, the prophet
• an ode to the good people
• justice the traveller

Section C

• to god my father
• to my father in heaven
• praises to the mostest
• deliver my people

Research Methodology

I shall depend largely on primary and secondary materials. The primary materials will involve asking my experienced lecturers and my colleagues in the department.

For the secondary materials I shall depend on text books, journals, anthologies of poems and collections of poems by different poets.

The theoretical approach I shall use for the study is the historical and interpretative perspective as this will enable me trace the genesis of modern African poetry, its function in time past and its function now, and to give a critical interpretation of how it relates to my work and a critical textual analysis of the poems.

Poet’s Biodata

Emmanuel Edisiri Aguariavwodo was born into the family of Aguariavwodo on the 8th December, 1957 in Okpara Olomu, Ughelli South Local Government Area of Delta State.

He attended Saint Joseph R.C.M primary school in his home town from 1963 to 1968 where he obtained his first school leaving certificate. In 1968 he attended Ibru College in Agbarha-Otor in Ughelli North Local Government. He obtained his West African School Certificate in 1976. In continuation of his secondary education, he went to St Gregory College Ikoyi Lagos between 1978 and 1980 for the general certificate in education (Advanced level).

Thereafter, he proceeded to the University of Benin, where he obtained B.Sc in Economics in 1983. He later went to Harvard Institute in U.S.A for an advance certificate. On budget and financial management in public sector. A programme he successfully completed with Distinction in the year 2000.

His journey through the institute of learning saw him occupying various positions of prominence which included the following:

In 1976-1978 he worked as an accountant, clerk/public relations assistant in Nigeria Ports Authority (NPA). In 1983-1984, he was the business manager, national Youths Service Corps (NYSC) PAU-Load Limited Kaduna in 1985-1987 he was the feature writer for the Guardian express. 1985-1987 he was the Reporter and researcher for African Guardian magazine, Lagos life and Guardian Newspaper.

1987-1995, he was the assistant to Olorogun Michael Ibru of Queens Petroleum Company Nigeria Limited. He was the MD/CEO of countdown integrated Company in 1995-1999.

He is a member of the House of Representatives, he represent Udu Ughelli South Constituencies 1999-2003.

He was the Managing Director/CEO, Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) 2003-2006.

Governor aspirant Defunct United Nigeria Congress Party (UNCP) 1997 governorship aspirant PDP Primaries 2007.

He is a member of Nigeria Economic Summit group and founder of Peoples Cooperative Society Delta State.

As an author, honourable Emmanuel Edesiri Aguariavwodo has to his credit a collection of poems titled our love our freedom”. And also collection of essay which he wrote while he was still the Guardian Newspaper titled the nation of my dream.

Honourable Aguariavwodo is a man who has the interest of the masses at heart as this is a reflection of his two books.

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