Posts

AFRICAN DRAMA: Once Upon an Elephant- Bosede Ademilua-Afolayan

Image
  Topic: Playwright’s Background Bosede Ademilua Afolayan was born on the 25th of July, 1965 at Ikole Ekiti, but she is a native of Ilogbo-Ekiti in Ido Osi Local Government Area of Ekiti State, Nigeria. She attended St Mary’s Girls’ Grammar School, Ikole Ekiti for her secondary education. She proceeded to the Federal School of Arts and Science, Ondo for her A Level and had her first degree in English at the University of Ife (Obafemi Awolowo University) in 1988. She had her Masters and PhD degrees in English (Comparative Drama) at the University of Lagos, and is at present an Associate Professor in the Department of English, University of Lagos, Nigeria. She is also a Commonwealth Fellow. Her research interests include comparative drama, women’s studies, diaspora issues, oral traditions in African drama, political drama and Nollywood studies. Dr Afolayan’s articles have appeared in reputable international and local journals. She is a reviewer for some international and local jour...

Introduction to Literature: Poetry

Image
GENRE OF LITERATURE: POETRY   Meaning According to Williams Wordsworth, a poem is the spontaneous overflow of powerful feelings recollected in tranquility. It may also be defined as that part of literature that has rhythm and uses language in a strange way (figurative) to capture the feelings and experience of life. Another definition is that a poem is the arrangement of best words in best order using stanzas and verses/lines which is a structure of poetry.             It is instructive to stress that a poem is written in stanzas and verses/lines. Additionally, the gap between one stanza and another is called a stanza break. TYPES OF POEMS Poems can be lyrical, dramatic or narrative in form. 1.       1.       Lyrical poem: refers to a short poem, often with songlike qualities, that expresses the speaker’s personal emotions and feelings. Historically intended to be sung and ac...

Introduction to Literature: Drama

Image
  GENRE OF LITERATURE: DRAMA What is Drama? Drama A drama is defined as a literary composition that tells a story in form of a dialogue and action. Sometimes it is also performed on stage before an audience. A drama is also called a play. If it is a short drama, it is called a playlet. A playwright is a person who writes drama texts while a dramatist is a person who puts a play on stage. For example, Ola Rotimi is the playwright of the play The Gods are Not to Blame , Wole Soyinka is the playwright of The Lion and the Jewel and William Shakespeare is the playwright of The Twelfth Night . Additionally, a closet drama is play that is intended to be read not acted.   FEATURES OF DRAMA a) Protagonist The main character in a play who champions one cause or the other as the action in   the drama unfolds. b) Antagonist This is the chief opponent of the protagonist who works against the interest of the protagonist. c) Prologue A prologue is an introd...

INTRODUCTION TO LITERATURE 1

Image
  INTRODUCTION TO LITERATURE I What is Literature? The term literature is used in a wide sense to refer to written works and printed materials that give   information.   Examples   of   these written works   are books on   different   subjects, articles, pamphlets etc. Literature, used in a narrower sense, means fictional and non-fictional works of artistic value and quality. Literature may be defined as the study of imaginative works that relate certain aspects of human experience . Literature is, thus, peculiar as a discipline because it involves the recreation of human experience. It is the art of life. According to Moody (1978, p.3),   “Literature brings us back to the realities   of   human   situation,   problems,   feelings   and   relationships.”   So, students who are exposed to literature are exposed to different aspects of real life situations and this makes them understand...