SOURCE:

Faculty: Arts
Department: English Language & Literature

CONTRIBUTORS:

Ejiodu, M.O;
Ogbazi, I

ABSTRACT:

This thesis examines the human impact on the environment, especially on the Niger Delta region of Nigeria, and its treatment in the selected poetry of Niyi Osundare, Tanure Ojaide and Nnimmo Bassey, using the ecocentric and the anthropocentric theories from the domain of ecocriticism. The texts studied are The Eye of the Earth (1986) by Niyi Osundare, Waiting for the Hatching of a Cockerel (2008) and Delta Blues and Home Songs (1998) by Tanure Ojaide, and We thought it was Oil But It was Blood (2002) by Nnimmo Bassey. A total of fifty-three poems were analysed. Constituting this number are seventeen poems from Osundare’s The Eye of the Earth, fifteen from Ojaide’s Waiting for the Hatching of a Cockerel and eight from his Delta Blues and Home Songs, and thirteen from Bassey’s We thought it was Oil But It was Blood. From this research, which adopted library method, it was discovered that much of the criticisms of the selected poems and indeed the poetry from the Niger Delta region have concentrated on the socio-political phenomena such as pre-colonialism, colonialism, independence struggle, corruption, exploitation of the masses, oppression and protest. The findings of this research are, one, the poets have presented the earth (environment) as being inherently valuable, possessing value beyond what humanity has ascribed to it, in terms of being beautiful and bountiful; two, humanity has displayed the anthropocentric attitude and as such has devastated the earth to the ultimate detriment of the earth, the flora and fauna as well as humanity; three, there is a wealth of literary techniques such as the invocation of the African muse, lyricism, chants, numerous sound devices and imagery employed by the poets, in the realization of the themes presented in the selected poems. Finally, from the whole research, the following conclusions were drawn: first, that the environment, which is inherently valuable, is generally being destroyed by human beings in their efforts to make life “better”; secondly, that the destruction of the earth is already affecting humans negatively; and three, that Niyi Osundare, Tanure Ojaide and Nnimmo Bassey are calling on mankind to eschew attitudes and activities that lead to the destruction of the environment. Therefore, this research submits that there is the need for humanity to treat the environment with utmost tenderness and affection, and to take from her what is absolutely necessary, and in a genial manner. It suggests that the theme of ecocentrism should be vigorously pursued in both literary creations and criticism by literary scholars.