Mystical Warmth of Africa in Gabriel Okara's Poems

Abstract

British Colonisation cannot be ignored as a mere land acquisition. It left a deep impact on the minds of the colonised people thereby demanding 'decolonisation of mind' by many postcolonial writers like Ngugi Wa Thiago. Some of them did not even like the idea of writing in English. Gabriel Okara who passed away recently on March 25th 2019 was a man with difference. In his first novel The Voice he experimented and created a linguistic revolution by directly translating from the Ijo tribal language. A postcolonial writer strives to bring to light his own tradition and culture through his works. Gabriel Okara's poems distinctly bring out the mystical colour of his Nigerian culture. He represents the past, present and also the future of African postcolonial writings. This paper explores the mystical warmth one experiences while reading Gabriel Okara's poems.