ECO-POETRY AND THE NIGERIAN POET: A STUDY OF SOME SELECTED POEMS IN TANURE OJAIDE’S DELTA BLUES AND CHRISTIAN OTOBOTEKERE’S BEYOND SOUND AND VOICE

Abstract

This research examines the relationship between Eco-poetry, Ecocriticism, and the Nigerian poet. It looks into the concern of Ecocriticism as an aspect of literature that bases on the primary concern of man in his physical environment. Ecocritical writings are located in the margin between man and nature. Literary scholars have adopted ecocritical writings as a means of contributing to the preservation of nature and man’s physical environment. This research investigates the extent to which eco-poets in Nigeria have, through their writings, portrayed serious concern for the protection of the environment from anti-natural and ecological activities such as bush burning, soil excavation, man-made erosion, oil spillage, artificial desertification, pollution, destruction of hills, mountains, and uncoordinated construction of houses. This work set out to study the contributions of Ecocritcism as a branch of literature from an interdisciplinary point of view where literary scholars analyse texts that illustrate environmental concerns in various ways with their subject matter as nature. The theoretical framework on which this study is based is Ecocriticism. During the course of investigations and research, the researchers discovered that poetry could bring about a certain level of control to man-made ecological problems. They also discovered that the world is basically dependent on the continual and peaceful co-existence of man and nature. The researchers therefore, located a strong concern of the Nigerian poets for the predominant ecological problems saddling the society. They also identified an undaunting effort on the parts of the Nigerian poets understudy to point out the hazards posed by ecological problems. Tanure Ojaide’s, Home Songs, Delta Blues, Christian Otobotekere’s Beyond sound and Voice and Live2lives are typical used to carry out this study.