Nationalism, Hope and Eclipses of Hope in Selected Poems of Sam Omatseye

Abstract

The transformation of African poetry from primordial to modern form has generated interesting discussions among critics. Beyond issues of aesthetics in contemporary African poetry which now witness the coalescing and manifestations of primordial forms in modern African poetry, major critical value has been attached to the social impetus that modern African poetry evinces. For Nigerian, the overall political experiences of the nation has impacted heavily on the tone of poetry so that issues of nationalism, corruption and bad leadership, criminality and insecurity and a host of others have become very prominent themes in modern Nigerian poetry and writings.