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Where I was Born
Ikeogu Oke
'...in effect the African poet or writer, like his counterparts from other regions of the globe, is essentially an individual...and his works equally reveal that in literature, reality is not infrequently coloured by the writer's own unique perspective... Whether an African poet may adopt any verse form, whether free, bound, local, alien, avant-garde or whatnot, and in doing so still communicate African values effectively, that should be a matter for choice and ability on the part of the poet... I am of the view that African values can be dressed up in any poetic garment...' - a collection of poetry notable for its simplicity and directness. The poet is a veteran anti-corruption campaigner.
ISBN 9789781564994 |
132 pages |
203 x 127 mm |
2002 |
Fourth Dimension Publishing Company, Nigeria |
Paperback
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About the Author
- Ikeogu Oke
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"A work of poetry, of literature, is first of all a work of beauty. You can be angry, but you have to be angry in a beautiful way. The problem is that [Nigerian] poets tend to be more skilled in expressing anger than expressing beauty. [Ideally] you read a poem and you see the anger, and you don't feel the anger; beauty is something that strikes you, anger does not. The anger has to be handled constructively so that what emerges is not a work of anger but a work of beauty. Fine if they are angry, they should be angry, but they should not inflict us with works that are not beautiful.
I think love is one of the best emotions that we can produce. Some of my love poems are the best I've ever written. But you can't write about love if you're not a lover. If your love is sincere; write about that love. If your anger is sincere; write about that anger. But don't ever forget that you're writing to create a work of beauty that will survive the anger. Love and anger are ephemeral emotions, but beauty is something that lasts forever."
