Throes of Death in the Twenty First Century Nigerian Poetry: Uche Peter Umez's Aridity of Feelings

Abstract

There is no doubt that in Africa, especially, Nigeria, the average man is constantly in the process of dying or ending up his life in a very painful or unpleasant way. He is either dying physically or metaphorically. This gory experience of the average Nigerian man is aptly captured in the twenty first century Nigerian Poetry. This paper is a discourse of incidents of this gory experience of the average Nigerian man, as expressed by the average Nigerian writer. The study, in particular, ruminates on the throes of death in Uche Peter Umez's Aridity of Feelings. In this collection, the poet-persona x-rays the various problems that plague the African society, especially, Nigeria. They range from HIV/AIDS to vandalisation of oil pipelines, armed robbery, kidnapping and Boko Haram menace: all culminating to destruction and untimely death in the twenty first century. Analysis of some poems from the collection does not only reveal these problems but will also proffer solution to them.