Browsing by Author "Ogunba, Oyin"
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- ItemOpen AccessLiterary art and literary creativity in contemporary Africa(University of Ife Press, 1978-11-21) Ogunba, Oyin
- ItemOpen AccessLiterary Art and Literary Creativity in Contemporary Africa(Obafemi Awolowo University Press, 1978-11-21) Ogunba, OyinThe real focus of this lecture is the African literature written in European tongues, and in this case specifically the one in English. There are good reasons why this should be so: first African literature in English raises more pertinent questions about our contemporary situation; secondly it takes Africa straight into the international scene and advertises us to the world (and in this respect the relative fortunes of Fagunwa and Tutuola are instructive); and thirdly it has tried to grapple with far greater problems of art and creativity than the other two literatures.
- ItemOpen AccessThe Quester in Disguise in Soyinka's Works: A Study of the Recurring Theme of Regeneration and Healing.(Obafemi Awolowo University, 1985) David, Mary T; Ogunba, OyinWole Soyinka's works, fiction, plays and poems are bound together by a persistent theme that appears in almost all of them despite variations of plot, character and setting. This is the theme of regeneration and healing which finds expression through multifarious motifs and symbols, dominant of these being the Quest. Almost all the protagonists of Soyinka appear to be on a quest the aim or the result of which is a heightening of consciousness, a spiritual renewal at the individual of communal level. Renewal is also brought about by a Sacrifice or a Communion Meal two rituals that Soyinka has repeatedly made use of. All this gives to Soyinka's works a deeply religious dimension. One could attribute this to his Yoruba heritage as well as to the deep hold that Christianity has on his imagination despite his renouncing it as a religion. The figure of Christ is evoked in many of his works as the archetype of Sacrifice/Saviour/Healer and also conflated with the dying and risen gods of the Fertility Cults and Vegetation Ceremonies. In all this Soyinka manifests his strong mythopoeic sensibility that delights in tracing and blending analogous myths of renewal from different cultures. His firm grounding in Western Literature has certainly contributed to this. It is clear from a close study of his works that the medieval romance of the Waste Land exerted a powerful influence on his imagination. Scattered in them we find mention or evocation of the Holy Grail and more than a suggestion of a Waste Land in need of fertilizing values. Soyinka's study of the Mystery Religions to which African Cultures bear deep affinity must have revealed to him the meaning of the Grail and the Quest for it a meaning that acquired Christian incrustation in the romances. The Grail as Cornucopia, a horn of plenty, as an alchemical symbol of transformation, as the phoenix that rises from its own ashes, as the Cup of the Mystic Neal, as a renewing initiatory experience, would naturally become a rich and polyvalent symbol in Soyinka's writings. An exegesis of his works in the light of these facts shows the persistence of his themes and their consonance with the ideals that inspire his literary expression and act as the basis for his social commitment.
- ItemOpen AccessSemiotics of Oral Literature: A Kinesics Perspective.(Obafemi Awolowo University, 1986) Ajayi, Omofolabo Apinke; Ogunba, OyinThis thesis attempts a kinesics analysis of oral literature - an art form transmitted through both the verbal and non-verbal communication (nvc) channels. Kinesics is concerned with body motions (e.g. gestures and dance), as related to non verbal aspects of interpersonal communication. Underlying the kinesics perspective is semiotics, a study of the verbal as well as the nvc signs and their meanings. The semiotic analysis, therefore, investigates the dynamics of kinesics communication in oral literature and the corresponding signification system between its verbal and non-verbal channels. The oral literature of the Yoruba people is used as a case-study. The analysis highlights dance-kinesics as an essential art in Yoruba literary expression. Highly complementing the verbalised content, it also conveys and vivifies the salient concepts of Yoruba oral literature. In addition, the dance comes through as a crucial ostensive vehicle for other nvc signs in oral literature such as the sculpted and textile arts. Thus, dance-kinesics is projected as a fully integrated art form in Yoruba oral literature enhancing its meaning and aesthetic dimensions. Furthermore, through the semiosis of the non-verbal arts, especially the kinesics of Yoruba oral literature, the world-view and customs of the Yoruba, which previously had been subjected to much misinterpretation because of their heavy symbolism and little known codification system, now assume deeper significance and more profound meanings. This subsequent clarification amply demonstrates the dynamic relationship between the verbal and the non-verbal arts in oral literature and attests to the significance of the full codification system in the literature of oral societies.