Time and Nature in the Poetry of Niyi Osundare - Poetics of Animism, Anthropocene, and Capitalocene

This book provides an ecocritical analysis of the poetry of the famous Nigerian poet Niyi Osundare. It interrogates the intricate interface between time and nature in 11 of Osundare's defining poetry collections. This is a book of postcolonial ecocriticism from an African perspective. It brings together the ecocritical theory of animism and theories of geologic time in the discussion of Osundare's poetry. Osundare shows that animism has a lot to offer in enriching human understanding of the ecosystem. And while he eloquently catalogues problems undermining the health of the earth in this age of the Anthropocene and the Capitalocene in his poetry, he also holds on to the hope of a better future. The book concludes that Osundare's optimism is what informs his use of poetry to press humankind to rise to the duty of salvaging the environment.
Deploying an interdisciplinary approach that stretches across the fields of literature, religion, geology, physics, economics, and anthropology, this book will be an important read for those looking for fresh ways to understand Osundare's poetry and African nature writing.

List of contents

1. Introduction 2. The Sacred and the Profane: Time and Nature as Autobiography 3. The Spoken Word and Creation 4. Nigeria and the Anthropocene 5. Living in the Capitalocene: A Nigerian Example 6. Concluding Reflection

About the author

Chukwunwike Anolue is a lecturer in English and Literary Studies at Bauchi State University, Gadau, Nigeria. He holds a PhD in African Literature from the University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa. In 2021, he won the African Humanities Program Postdoctoral Fellowship from the American Council of Learned Societies. His research interests span African literature, literature and the environment, time studies in literature, and feminist studies.

Product details

• Authors: Chukwunwike Anolue
• Publisher: Taylor & Francis Ltd.
• Languages: English
• Product format: Paperback / Softback
• Released: 28.11.2025
• EAN: 9781032679709
• ISBN: 978-1-0-3267970-9
• No. of pages: 164
• Series: Routledge Studies in African Literature
• Subjects: Fiction > Poetry, drama; Humanities, art, music > Linguistics and literary studies > General and comparative literary studies; Natural sciences, medicine, IT, technology > Geosciences > Geography; NATURE / General, Cultural Studies, Poetry, LITERARY CRITICISM / Poetry, Africa, LITERARY CRITICISM / African, LITERARY CRITICISM / Subjects & Themes / Nature, The environment, Regional Studies, Regional / International studies, Literary studies: post-colonial literature, Literary studies: postcolonial literature, SOCIAL SCIENCE / Cultural & Ethnic Studies / African Studies, Poetry / Poems