A psychoanalytic reading of the poetry of Okigbo and Ojaide

This study contends that with the application of psychoanalytic criticism in the analysis of poetry, poetry is contemplated as a product of the poet's experiences. It is further argued that the experiences that the poet realizes as poetry can either be blissful or troubling. Using two Anglophone poets, Christopher Okigbo and Tanure Ojaide, the whole of this claim is demonstrated. This study further posits that, like typical neurotics, Okigbo and Ojaide in their poetry exhibit the worries and pains of not only their different generations, but in fact, the convulsions of the society during their different times. Through a close study of the relationship between the archetypes of "symbol" and the "wounded healer" this study further shows that the poetry of Okigbo, a poet belonging to the first generation and the poetry of Ojaide, a poet of the second generation, embody the psychic crises of their generations. Though previous studies on Anglophone African poetry have been focused on socio/political concerns of the poets, this study is concerned with the psychological relations between the poets and their poetry.

Autorentext

Dr Solomon Awuzie did his first degree at Imo State University, Owerri, his master's degree at the University of Ibadan and his PhD at the University of Port Harcourt. He currently teaches Creative Writing, African Literature and Literary Theory and Criticism at Edo University Iyamo, Edo State Nigeria.