Structure and Sense in the Poetry of Niyi Osundare and Edward Estlin Cummings

Abstract

The poetry of Niyi Osundare and Edward Estlin Cummings manifests a great degree of foregrounding. By unusual combination or positioning of words, the poets make even the everyday language to acquire some poetic significance. The samples of poems chosen for this work are strangely patterned both at the visual and syntactic levels. But in spite of the obvious linguistic aberrations in the poems, there is a perceptible internal order, which integrates syntax, semantics and the visual levels into some recognizable whole, which enhances the appreciation of the poems. This paper is directed at demonstrating the similarity in the manner in which both poets have exploited this aspect of foregrounding to create a new linguistic awareness. It examines how the various levels of linguistic organization in the poems cohere to provide some sense in what might appear meaningless at first sight.


Humanities Review Journal Vol.3(2) 2003: 83-98