Love as Trope in Nigerian Ecocritical Discourse: Analysis of Selected G’ebinyo Ogbowei’s Poems

ABSTRACT

Eco-conscious writers mitigate environmental drawbacks by not only bringing to the fore existing challenges but also by professing a love for nature and the environment. This article interrogates eco-awareness and consciousness through 10 purposively selected poems from two collections by Niger Delta poet, g’ebinyo ogbowei. I assert that to champion the restoration of ecologically degraded environments, ogbowei manipulates erotic love – which he expresses to the women in his life – and connects this to environmental consciousness and awareness. This is evidential of the writer’s intention to foreground the generational existential plight and despair of the Nigerian Niger Delta. In addition, through the intersection of body love and love of land in the selected poems, I engage with how the poet underscores the place of self- and other-love in the discourses around ecocriticism. These are wielded by the poet to call for responsibility in turning the tides and in renewing nature.

KEYWORDS:

• ecocriticism
• body love
• love of land
• Niger-delta
• land ethic

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No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author.

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Paul Ayodele Onanuga

Paul Ayodele Onanuga is a Senior Lecturer in the Department of English and Literary Studies, Federal University Oye-Ekiti, Nigeria. His research interests revolve around linguistic practices in New Media Studies, queer sexualities on digital media, Nigerian Hip-Hop Studies, and Computer Mediated Communication/Discourse Analysis. He is widely published.