This paper aims to answer the question of how Adeymi Daramola´s poem "Coronavirus Pandemic" serves as a paragon for African oral Construction on more general basis.
Poetry continues to provide the place of mirroring the existential reality of the society. The exactitude in this is what animates the architecture of Adeyemi Daramola's "Coronavirus Pandemic." Admittedly, it has shamelessly but viciously become the metaphorical clog in the wheels of our global collective progress. This global issue is gradually serving as a raw material for literature, validating the truth that literature reflects the society. There is no gainsaying that there is a symbiotic relationship between the pair so that what affects one, quite naturally, impinges on the other. Without doubt, the situation has served as a tool in the construction of Adeyemi Daramola's "Coronavirus Pandemic."
Daramola, through his poem, lends his voice to the numerous voices that have registered their concern on the influx of the virus and its consequential effect. The poet reaches into the vast repository of oral literature in providing an African interpretation of a Western-named global pandemic experience. He aesthetically weaves traditional nuances into the poem with a polish of sound, while rhythmically and linguistically nativizing the piece, touching base with African orality conventions as he attempts to address an existing reality of a globally shared horrifying experience. Given this schema, this paper is bound to the bane of using the analytical tool of orality in appreciating Daramola's artistic craft.
Table of Contents
1. INTRODUCTION
2. ORAL PRAXIS AND THE MUSICAL ESSENCE
3. AESTHETICING LANGUAGE
4. THE ORATURE-NATURE NEXUS IN "CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC"
5. ORO-DARAMOLA STYLISTIC SEDUCTION
6. CONCLUSION
Research Objectives and Themes
This academic paper aims to analyze how Adeyemi Daramola utilizes traditional African orature and aesthetic conventions to interpret the global experience of the COVID-19 pandemic. The research seeks to explore the intersection between modern poetic expression and indigenous oral practices, investigating how these cultural tools help contextualize a globally shared, traumatic experience within an African framework.
- Integration of Yoruba oral traditions and musical structures in contemporary poetry.
- The role of "nativisation" in adapting the English language for African poetic expression.
- Ecocritical perspectives and the use of nature imagery in Daramola’s work.
- Stylistic choices that bridge the gap between rural/traditional oral legacies and modern literary forms.
Excerpt from the Book
3. AESTHETICING LANGUAGE
Language is key in the production of poetry. It is the vehicle with which we use in communicating our idea. As much as it is important to the world of poetry, it is also vital to human existence. Language suggests an identity, it helps in the organisation or classification of what belongs and does not belong to what should make up a category of a body of work. The poem is written in English but there is a heavy evidence of its nativisation. Daramola follows the league of the Soyinkean, Osundarean and even the Rajiean artistic production by sentimentalising the significance of the Yoruba linguistic ethos. In the construction of the poem, he dismisses the impasse that comes with imitating or romanticising the English language. If not, the alluring orality the poem had come to be known for will never be realised.
In an attempt to follow the order of other poems that functions in the oral oeuvre, Daramola does not alienate his audience; rather, he provides a socially-inclusive atmosphere. The intended point here is to say that the poem is symbolically grounded on economic happening which miraculously resonates the symbolism of collective global interest but as much, mediated by its continuous use of traditional codes which sets it in fraternal acceptance among the largest ethnic group in Africa, the Yorubas, and by extension, Africa itself. Every mood, move and mill spell out a language that does not conform to European rationale but that which only acts as a medium to relate a wide range of culturally construed phenomenon, so that the lyrical poem does not face its imminent death with the burden of European language complexities.
Summary of Chapters
1. INTRODUCTION: Provides the contextual background of the COVID-19 pandemic and establishes the theoretical framework regarding the relationship between poetry, society, and African oral traditions.
2. ORAL PRAXIS AND THE MUSICAL ESSENCE: Examines how the poet incorporates Yoruba rhythmic patterns and antiphonal structures to create a unique musical quality that transcends standard Western poetic forms.
3. AESTHETICING LANGUAGE: Discusses the poet's strategic use of "nativisation" to adapt the English language, ensuring the poem remains grounded in indigenous cultural values.
4. THE ORATURE-NATURE NEXUS IN "CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC": Analyzes the eco-critical dimensions of the poem, focusing on how nature imagery and personification of the virus reflect African oral connections to the environment.
5. ORO-DARAMOLA STYLISTIC SEDUCTION: Explores the specific stylistic devices employed by Daramola to engage the reader and bridge the divide between pre-literate oral styles and contemporary literary techniques.
6. CONCLUSION: Synthesizes the findings, affirming that the integration of oral tradition provides a powerful and valid alternative communication platform for African poets in the modern era.
Keywords
Coronavirus Pandemic, COVID-19, African Orature, Oral literature, Adeyemi Daramola, Poetry, African Literature, Nativisation, Yoruba, Ecopoetry, Stylistics, Oral Tradition, Cultural Identity, Poetics of Orality
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the primary focus of this research paper?
The paper fundamentally explores the intersection of African oral tradition and contemporary poetic creation, specifically examining Adeyemi Daramola's poem "Coronavirus Pandemic."
What are the central themes discussed in the work?
Central themes include the preservation of oral cultural identity, the synthesis of traditional Yoruba aesthetic nuances with English language usage, and the environmental or "eco-critical" interpretation of the pandemic.
What is the author's primary research goal?
The goal is to demonstrate how Daramola effectively utilizes the "poetics of orality" to provide an African perspective on a Western-named global pandemic, thereby validating the relevance of oral tradition in modern literature.
Which scientific or analytical methods are applied?
The paper employs literary criticism, specifically utilizing tools of orality, eco-criticism, and stylistic analysis to unpack the artistic craft within the poem.
What is covered in the main body of the text?
The main body systematically evaluates the poem's musicality, its linguistic adaptation (nativisation), the role of nature in its imagery, and the stylistic devices used to bridge the gap between traditional oral forms and contemporary writing.
Which key terms characterize this academic work?
Key terms include African Orature, Oral Tradition, Nativisation, Ecopoetry, Stylistics, and the Poetics of Orality.
How does Daramola use the concept of 'selling' differently than 'contagion'?
Daramola replaces the term 'contagion' with 'selling' to better align the poem with Yoruba linguistic roots, thereby creating a culturally specific interpretation that resonates more deeply with an African audience.
What significance does the Yoruba language hold in this poem?
The Yoruba language provides the "musical essence" and traditional code, allowing the poet to avoid the limitations of European language complexities and maintain a connection to indigenous cultural structures.
- Citation du texte
- Nnadube Ejiogu (Auteur), 2020, Poetry as Paragon of African Oral Construction. Adeyemi Daramola´s Poem "Coronavirus Pandemic", Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/540527
