Book: Softlie
Author: Kayode Taiwo Olla
Reviewer: Rahaman
Abiola Toheeb
Year Published: 2014
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| front & back page of Softlie |
Prior to this time has been
a little shift of interest in the dimension of Nigerian poetry owned to the new
wave of consciousness and unquenchable flame of epochal quest for new phase of
poetry, chiefly love poetry in lieu of politically cantered ones. In relation
to this awareness, contemporary writers have taken on the mantle and assumed
this task, thereafter creating a space for love poetry in their collection,
despite the fact that they are still aware of the political confusion, shipwreck
and imbalance, economic dire and melt-down, moral decadence, tyrannical display
of power-drunkenness by political post-bearers, and most importantly, the
gladiatorial rancour and horn-knot among the over-zealous elder statesmen,
especially in almost parts of Africa.
Without any scintilla of
doubt, this conscious responsibility has breathed life to the voices of young
owlets like Kayode Taiwo Olla who are mindful of the fact that the common men like them need not to always find their solace only at the armpit
of angry and revolutionary poetry projected due to the acute leadership failure
in Africa- what young poets like Tosin Gbogi Akeem Lasisi, and others of this ideology
have come to preach against having been indoctrinated into the poetic revolutionary spirit led by Niyi
Osundare, Odia Ofeimum, and Franz Aig-Imoukhuede and other poets whose voices echoed
to kick-out the post-colonial dilemma and contemporary banes. But rather they
embark on new dimension of poetry thematized on other aspects of life and
necessitating factors for human succour and survival.
