LANGUAGE IN INDIA

Strength for Today and Bright Hope for Tomorrow

Volume 13:4 April 2013
ISSN 1930-2940

Managing Editor: M. S. Thirumalai, Ph.D.
Editors: B. Mallikarjun, Ph.D.
         Sam Mohanlal, Ph.D.
         B. A. Sharada, Ph.D.
         A. R. Fatihi, Ph.D.
         Lakhan Gusain, Ph.D.
         Jennifer Marie Bayer, Ph.D.
         S. M. Ravichandran, Ph.D.
         G. Baskaran, Ph.D.
         L. Ramamoorthy, Ph.D.
Assistant Managing Editor: Swarna Thirumalai, M.A.

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Literature as Prophecy in J. P. Clark’s “The Casualties” and
It’s Implications for Contemporary Nigerian Society

Mark Ighile, Ph.D.
Eunice Nwodo

Abstract

There is no doubt that some scholars have attempted to situate J. P. Clark Bekederemo’s poem “The Casualties” within the framework of the Nigerian Civil War. However, very little attention seems to have been given to the prophetic and contemporaneous implications of the creative work. This paper is an effort at bridging the gap, by conceptualizing the visionary content of the poem, and locating it in the present-day socio-political context of Nigeria. While using the critical tool of New Historicism as a basis for the analytical procedure, the paper observes that the various issues that culminated in the national crisis are still prevalent, and concludes that unless urgent and proactive steps are taken towards addressing them, a repeat of the bloody incident of 6th July 1967-15th January 1971 may be inevitable.

Keywords: Literature, Prophecy, Clark-Bekederemo, War, Poems, Nigeria.

Background to the Study

John Pepper Clark- Bekederemo, an internationally acclaimed poet, and one who was actively involved in the dynamics of the Nigerian Civil war, is not just a creative writer; but a prophet to his society. Daniel (2008:147) is right in observing that J. P. Clark-Bekederemo is a strong defender and upholder of his traditional heritage, noting that the history and career of this Nigerian author show an attachment to the essential nature of his people. Surely, J. P. Clark-Bekederemo has given to Nigeria a heritage that closely mirrors the history of his nation. He has also tried to show, in the process, that the polity could be improved. In Abiola Irele’s introduction to Collected Poems and Plays (1991: xxxix), he observes that Clark-Bekederemo’s “career runs parallel to his country’s history”. However, the most striking aspect of the history of his career is that, at every point, his background and associations have elicited an overflow of powerful feelings, which he feels compelled to express in poetry. Bamikunle (1993) has also gone ahead to observe that while J.P. Clark may be more popular as a dramatist, he is however more profound and striking as a poet. It is possible to observe that J.P. Clark Bekederemo is not just a rounded person but also that his poetic drive is almost as old as himself. Perhaps his strength as a literary person lies in his ability to reflect and write for all seasons. It therefore does not come as a surprise that one of his generic poems, The Casualties, though essentially a post mortem of the Nigerian civil war, has implications for contemporary realities and the evolution of a new Nigerian state.

This is only the beginning part of the article. PLEASE CLICK HERE TO READ THE ARTICLE IN PRINTER-FRIENDLY VERSION.

Mark Ighile, Ph.D.
Redeemer’s University
Mowe, Nigeria
mighile@gmail.com

Nwodo, Eunice
Shehu Shagari College of Education
Sokoto
Nigeria
eunicdo1@yahoo.com
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