Soyinka’s Poetry, the Complex Cult and Freedom Dialectics: Between Jeyifo and Others

Abstract

Over the years, polarized opinions have emerged on the relation between criticism and the art. In concrete terms, a distinction is easily made of critics who, seeing the work of art as a finished product in itself, have argued for the needlessness of criticism and those who have espoused the art of criticism as adding more value to the work of art. This paper explore the ways of navigating the alleged complex terrain that critics have identified with Soyinka's poetry.