Exits, Tributes and Patronages in Akachi Adimora-Ezeigbo’s Mixed Legacies

Abstract

Tribute poetry remains one of the legacies bequeathed to modern African poetry through its indigenous platform. In Nigeria, like in other African settings, the poetry genre which, in primordial times is associated with bards in courts and itinerant poets, has become a common occurrence in compositions by modern poets but not without tendencies which keep evolving. This article, in an engagement with two sections in Akachi Adimora- Ezeigbo’s Mixed Legacies (2019) examines the evolution of Tribute poetry, its forms and typologies in Nigerian modern poetry. The article pays attention to the verses dedicated to accomplished academics to support the argument for a paradigm shift that renders tributes to aristocrats and political figures in the society. The article also uses the selected verses to theorise on the contents of tribute poems composed in honour of academics and makes the point that while the element of valourisation, patronage and homage remain sacrosanct, tribute to deserving academic is connected to milestones and landmark achievements as reflected in the interface between town and gown in the studied poems.