Stephen Abara et al have chosen poems of honour, cries, love, admiration, humour, imagination and surprise, in array of styles and forms, for the ‘Anthology of African Poetry’ 2011. The outcome is jollity of the pleasures of poetry.
In his compelling and forthright introduction, Stephen explains how he chose the published poems from the many considered. With insightful comments from the poets celebrating their work, and succession of Mario Anagonou’s thought provoking foreword, the ‘Anthology of African 2011 is a brilliant collection of Literary works of emerging poets of African descent and non- African contributors who live and study in Canada. These poets and their works hope to bring light to a buried body of knowledge of ancient history and tradition in response to contemporary depiction of African social systems and belief systems in literature and media. This book of poetry is a progression that connects the most remarkable rhymes and groundbreaking poems of our time to a readership as hawk-eyed as it is dedicated to the art of poetry.
The poets in this book find poetry irresistible; especially how words convey deeper meanings not easily discernible, though very enlightening to the mind once carefully understood. The words used conveys meaning in the poems which takes the reader to unexpected destinations; even to a variety of metaphysical intelligence and humour; which endeavours to harness the collective experiences of Africans to share knowledge, wisdom, wealth, and other issues that would give birth to a renewed meaning of Africa and create a better tomorrow for all the generations.
In this charming, informative and highly educative book-Anthology of African Poetry-written in English and French by the young intellects at Glendon College, York University, we come to realize that one cannot run away from his or her problems. The past can always be found in the present, and has proven to be essential to oral tradition and literature.
The poems in this book are both traditional, free verse and modern. They aim to provide readers of African descent and non-Africans with an enhanced understanding of African lifestyle and identity.
The poets contributing to this book have considered ‘African unity’ and ‘freedom’ symbolically, unto the ‘idea of Africa and its African-ness whose identity is contentious and unique. The Glendon Africa Network dedication to inspirational, inventive and innovative poetry explore and aim to explicate themes such as peace and tender love, African’s dashed hopes and cries, Rwanda genocide, underdevelopment in Africa, and need to develop. Most of these poems tend to convey contemporary issues facing Africa, ideas of honour, meanings, feelings, wit, and thus challenges the populace, especially the group to sponsor through fund raising events and publication disadvantaged children in Africa whose families are incapable of financing their education due to chronic poverty
Open the Anthology to any page and discover a new poem to treasure or delight in all the poems , one at a time, to feel the full measure of Africa’s modern and contemporary poetry‘s vibrancy and abundance and depiction of its people home and abroad through arts and cultures.
