A Feminine Reading of The Poetry of Mabel Segun and Ebele Eko

Abstract

Literary creativity has reflected on the existence of the sexes - male and female - in the society. Writers and critics have equally responded to the diverse portrayals of the sexes in literature or as they exist in the society generally. Using two Nigerian female poets – Mabel Segun and Ebele Eko, I examined the different responses of these poets to gender issues, especially as they affect the woman. Segun protests the degradation of women by pointing out where some of the inequalities lie. For Eko, her emphasis is on celebrating the achievements and potentials of women. These poets challenge the conventional view of what is appropriate for women and thus attempt to ‘‘shatter the mirror that has so long reflected whatever a woman was supposed to be.