Metaphysics of the Dead and Existence in the Poetry of John Pepper Clark
Main Article Content
Abstract
Critical investigations into the works of John Pepper Clark, have always paid attention to the social thrusts of his works and his fidelity to the Nigerian landscape which he has copiously deployed in the heterogeneous corpus of his poetry. However, the social vents of his poetry have become the most controversial on account of an alleged token attention, inconsistency or disinterestedness with the social traumas that pervade his space. This article conducts a postcolonial study on one of the ardent subjects that pervade the poetry of John Pepper Clark. While identifying with the fact that responses to social traumas, through an engagement with the political issues of the society is just one of the purposes of poetry, this paper identifies with Clark’s philosophy of poetry which is mostly concerned with the subject of life and existence discernible, mostly, in his thoughts on death and dying. After looking at the diverse tentacles of the subject, the paper concludes that Clark’s death consciousness has not only validated some Africanised values that his discussions about death and dying are his moralising agents through which he dispenses mitigating pills on the social ills that have pervaded his postcolonial space.
Article Details
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Attribution — You must give appropriate credit, provide a link to the license, and indicate if changes were made. You may do so in any reasonable manner, but not in any way that suggests the licensor endorses you or your use.
No additional restrictions — You may not apply legal terms or technological measures that legally restrict others from doing anything the license permits.
References
Adeoti, G. (2022). Postcolonial urbanisation and prose fiction in Africa. In D. Ker, O. Obafemi & T. Abubakar (Eds.), Literature in English for Tertiary Education in Nigeria (pp. 267- 288). Academic Publishing Centre.
Akporobaro, F. B. O. (2005). Introduction to African Oral Literature. Princeton Publishing Company.
Chinweizu, O. J. & Madubuike, I. (1980). Toward the Decolonization of African Literature. Fourth Dimension Publishers.
Clark, J. P. (2018). Remains of A Tide. Mosuro.
Clark, J. P. (2013). Still Full Tide. University Press.
Eghagha, H. and Azumurana, S. (Eds.). (2022). Connecting the local and the global across literary genres: Emerging perspectives on J.P. Clark and his works. Mosuro.
Elimimian, I. I. (1989). The poetry of J.P. Clark Bekederemo. Longman.
Fortress, I. A. and Chimuaya, L. (2022). John Pepper Clark’s “Casualties” and the Nigerian experience: A spatio- temporal perspective. In Eghagha, O. Hope and Azumurana, Solomon O (Eds.), Connecting the local and the global across literary genres: Emerging perspectives on J.P. Clark and his works (pp. 253-273), Mosuro.
Idegbekwe, D. (2022). An eco-linguistic reading of J.P. Clark’s Night Rain and Home from Hiroshima. In Eghagha, O. Hope and Azumurana, Solomon O (Eds.), Connecting the local and the global across literary genres: Emerging perspectives on J.P. Clark and his works (pp. 321- 338), Mosuro.
Iroegbu, O. (2022). A pragmatic assessment of polarity and modality in J.P. Clark’s Streamside Exchange. In Eghagha, O. Hope and Azumurana, Solomon O (Eds.), Connecting the local and the global across literary genres: Emerging perspectives on J.P. Clark and his works (pp. 297- 319), Mosuro.
Jeyifo, B. (Ed). (2001). Perspectives on Wole Soyinka: Freedom and complexity. University of Mississippi Press.
Jeyifo, B. (2004). Wole Soyinka: Politics, poetics and post colonialism. Cambridge University Press.
Macebuh, S. (2001). Poetics and the Mythic Imagination. In Biodun Jeyifo (Ed.), Perspectives on Wole Soyinka: Freedom and complexity (pp. 27-40). University of Mississippi Press.
Nkosi, L. (1981). Task and masks: Themes and styles of African literature. Longman.
Ofeimun, O. (1989). The poet lied and other poems. Update Communications.
Osofisan, F. (2011). J.P. Clark: A voyage. Bookcraft.
Soyinka, W. (1967). Idanre and other poems. Eyre Methuen.
Soyinka, W. (1972). A Shuttle in the crypt. Rex Collins/ Eyre Methuen.
Soyinka, W. (1976). Ogun Abibiman. London: Rex Collins.
Soyinka, W. (1989). Mandela’s earth and other poems. Fountain Publications.
Soyinka, W. (2002). Samarkand and other markets I have known. Crucible Publishers Limited.