The New Urdu Poetry Collection subsequent spread of education accompanied by missionary activities in almost all parts of the country promoted the spread of literature which led to breaking of the previous monopoly the Western Area had on the production of poetry. As a result there has been a considerable increase in the volume of poetry written in the country over the past four decades. The impetus to this was given to it by efforts at Fourah Bay College, Njala University College, Milton Margai Teachers College in promoting and hosting literary events such as creative writing, poetry reading amongst others. These efforts were complemented by those of the writers association, the Fourah Bay College Bookshop and various campus bulletins and magazines.
The bulk of Sierra Leonean poetry could thus be said to have been written in the 20th century. But the poetry of this period bore a marked departure from the earlier forms of poetry being produced, especially in their style and to a limited extent their subject matter. The pioneer poets had stuck to the conventional forms of poetry using regular line lengths and rhyme schemes. Their simplistic poetry usually expressed insipid sentiments and strong religious Christian doctrines, with most of the poets themselves being avid churchmen strongly influenced by the 19th century English poets and by the Bible, the common prayer and hymn books. One of them, Crispin George was a long-standing chorister. That they lived in a turbulent period of much political clamor for nationalism and self-determination and other destabilizing social as well as political movements is not too apparent in their poetry except for the subtle use of Christian doctrines to hide their aspirations for social justice. This is very true for the poetry of Crispin George and Jacob Stanley Davies and to a lesser extent Gladys Casely-Hayford.
The modern poets, contemporaries of Chinua Achebe, Wole Soyinka, and Christopher Okigbo, who whilst at university abroad, mostly in Britain, were exposed to modern English poets such as Gerard Manley Hopkins, T.S Eliot, Ezra Pound and D.H. Lawrence started breaking from the previous poetic tradition New Urdu Poetry Collection through the modern influence borne on their style. They also started infusing some African customs and tradition in their poetry as they felt estranged and cut off from their roots. They thus dumped old methods of writing in regular lines and rhymes for free verse, distortion of logical syntax, obscurity and personal symbolism and imagery. They critically examined the hitherto readily accepted British and American values and standards. They questioned racism and other social ills as they were exposed in their foreign domicile to racial discrimination and its debasing consequences.
Abioseh Nicol's poetry for instance spans the pioneer and younger modern poets showing some African consciousness and not blindly accepting foreign values longs for eventual return home in Sweet Sierra Leone.
Most of Gaston Bart-William's poetry is concerned with racism and racial discrimination. Jacob Stanley Davies though a pioneer poet expressing Christian doctrines in his poetry has some poems like 'Libretone' which seem to speak to timeless issues. Crispin George in 'Help Deferred' breaks free from the constricting effect of rhyme scheme.
Much development has taken place since to change poetry official the profile of Sierra Leone poetry though the publishing opportunities in print are not as welcoming as then. But such changing profile will make interesting study.
Arthur Smith was born and was schooled in Freetown, Sierra Leone. He has taught English since 1977 at Prince of Wales School and, Milton Margai College of Education.
The bulk of Sierra Leonean poetry could thus be said to have been written in the 20th century. But the poetry of this period bore a marked departure from the earlier forms of poetry being produced, especially in their style and to a limited extent their subject matter. The pioneer poets had stuck to the conventional forms of poetry using regular line lengths and rhyme schemes. Their simplistic poetry usually expressed insipid sentiments and strong religious Christian doctrines, with most of the poets themselves being avid churchmen strongly influenced by the 19th century English poets and by the Bible, the common prayer and hymn books. One of them, Crispin George was a long-standing chorister. That they lived in a turbulent period of much political clamor for nationalism and self-determination and other destabilizing social as well as political movements is not too apparent in their poetry except for the subtle use of Christian doctrines to hide their aspirations for social justice. This is very true for the poetry of Crispin George and Jacob Stanley Davies and to a lesser extent Gladys Casely-Hayford.
The modern poets, contemporaries of Chinua Achebe, Wole Soyinka, and Christopher Okigbo, who whilst at university abroad, mostly in Britain, were exposed to modern English poets such as Gerard Manley Hopkins, T.S Eliot, Ezra Pound and D.H. Lawrence started breaking from the previous poetic tradition New Urdu Poetry Collection through the modern influence borne on their style. They also started infusing some African customs and tradition in their poetry as they felt estranged and cut off from their roots. They thus dumped old methods of writing in regular lines and rhymes for free verse, distortion of logical syntax, obscurity and personal symbolism and imagery. They critically examined the hitherto readily accepted British and American values and standards. They questioned racism and other social ills as they were exposed in their foreign domicile to racial discrimination and its debasing consequences.
Abioseh Nicol's poetry for instance spans the pioneer and younger modern poets showing some African consciousness and not blindly accepting foreign values longs for eventual return home in Sweet Sierra Leone.
Most of Gaston Bart-William's poetry is concerned with racism and racial discrimination. Jacob Stanley Davies though a pioneer poet expressing Christian doctrines in his poetry has some poems like 'Libretone' which seem to speak to timeless issues. Crispin George in 'Help Deferred' breaks free from the constricting effect of rhyme scheme.
Much development has taken place since to change poetry official the profile of Sierra Leone poetry though the publishing opportunities in print are not as welcoming as then. But such changing profile will make interesting study.
Arthur Smith was born and was schooled in Freetown, Sierra Leone. He has taught English since 1977 at Prince of Wales School and, Milton Margai College of Education.
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