Language, Translation, and Poetic Realities

Akinwumi Isola (1940-2018), renowned writer, scholar, and sentinel of indigenous African languages, contributed to the development of Yoruba literary traditions by producing most of his literary works in Yoruba. His artistic pacesetting in Yoruba literature included his anthology, Afaimo Ati Awon Arofo Miiran (1978), which contains poems composed over a significant period in his life. Language, Translation, and Poetic Realities considers Isola's language use in this anthology; his contributions to the promotion of Yoruba and African linguistic and cultural values; and the procedures, benefits, and challenges of translating his poetry into English. In so doing, Akinloye Ojo examines the understudied relationship between African oral traditions and contemporary African literature, addressing in particular the influential role of traditional forms of praise-singing in contemporary Yoruba poetry.