Wole Soyinka

WOLE SOYINKA-
A BRIEF OVERVIEW ON
HIS LIFE AND WORKS
PRESENTED BY :
1) SAMHITHA R- 2050262
2) SHOURYA HEGDE- 2050172
LIFE
 Wole Soyinka was born in Abeokuta, Nigeria. His father was a priest in
the Anglican Church and principal of a school. His mother owned a store
and was active within the women's liberation movement. Wole Soyinka's
family belongs to the Yoruba people, whose culture has influenced his
works. After studying in Nigeria and the UK, he worked at a theatre in
London. His pointed criticism of Nigerian political regimes has
contributed to his living mostly abroad, primarily in the US, where he
has held professorships at several universities. Wole Soyinka has six
children.
 In 1954, he attended Government College in Ibadan and continued
his education at the University College Ibadan and the University of
Leeds in England. After studying in Nigeria and the United
Kingdom, he worked with the Royal Court Theatre in London. He
went on to write plays that were produced in both countries, at the
theatres and on the radio. He took an active role in Nigeria's
political history and its struggle for independence from Great
Britain. In 1965, he seized the Western Nigeria Broadcasting
Service studio and broadcast a demand for the cancellation of the
Western Nigeria Regional Elections.
WORK
 Wole Soyinka is best known as a playwright. Alongside his literary
career, he has also worked as an actor and in theaters in Nigeria and
Great Britain. His works also include poetry, novels, and essays.
Wole Soyinka writes in English, but his works are rooted in his
native Nigeria and the Yoruba culture, with its legends, tales, and
traditions. His writing also includes influences from Western
traditions - from classical tragedies to modernist drama.
 He wrote his first plays during his time in London, namely The
Swamp Dwellers(1958) and The Lion and the Jewel(1959). Both of
these plays were published in the year 1963. He later worked on
satirical comedies, such as The Trial of Brother Jero (1960) and A
Dance of the forest (1960).
 Some of Soyinka’s serious plays include The Road ( 1965)
and Death and the King’s Horseman (1976)
POEMS
Soyinka’s poems, which show a close connection to his plays, are collected in several volumes such as Idanre,
and Other Poems (1967), Poems from Prison (1969), A Shuttle in the Crypt (1972) the long poem Ogun
Abibiman (1976) and Mandela’s Earth and Other Poems (1988), With the major themes
One of the poems that was written by Wole Soyinka is the "Telephone Conversation". It is a 1963 poem by the
Nigerian writer Wole Soyinka that satires racism. The poem describes a phone call between a landlady and the
speaker, who is black, about renting an apartment.
The main theme of the poem is Racism, with the tone of the poem being satirical and playful. The poem is a
tongue-in-cheek statement on racism, with the speaker responding with sarcasm and humor to the landlady's
insulting questions. The poem also emphasizes the lack of communication between different races.
GENERAL THEMES OF SOYINKA’S
POEMS
 LOVE- The theme of love is spoken in two of Soyinka’s poems namely
“Dedication” and “In the Small Hours”. The poem Dedication talks
about love in the broader sense. It depicts to us the relationship between
nature and human beings. In the poem “In the Small Hours”, the planet
earth is at the center of interest in the poem.
 Myths- The theme of myths is used by Wole Soyinka in some of his
poems. These superstations and myths were present before the
colonization of countries in Africa. He talks about how people
worshiped Gods and spirits and were also the victims of these gods.
Some of the poems he had written on Myths were- Idanre
 LONELINESS - He has written some poems based on the theme of
Loneliness. Seven sets of poems were written by Soyinka all of
these had been written during his time in prison. One of the sets
included poems such as the "Joseph," "Hamlet," "Gulliver", and
"Ulyssess". Each of these poems talk about loneliness and Soyinka’s
separation from home.
 IMPRISONMENT- When Soyinka was studying at English
Literature at the University of Ibadan, he was imprisoned. His
imprisonment bought him international attention. His poem named
‘’Purgotory’’ talks about how he was treated harshly in prison. It
talks about how harshly and badly, he was treated in prison. The
poem ‘’Strokes of Justice’’ talks about how the Nigerian
Government sends people who criticize their regime to jail.
 JUSTICE- In these types of poems, Soyinka talks about people and
oppressed in his country by the government. He is sympathetic and
feels sad for conditions of those who are oppressed and ill-treated by
the government and the military. The poem “Moonsongs” is a poem
which connects with the reader at the base of his soul. He say that
these people should get their basic rights.
 FREEDOM- Soyinka often wrote about individual freedom in his
poems. He has spoken about his sufferings whilst he is in jail, in his
poem “Live Burial”. He talks about how important freedom is to man.
 LIFE AND DEATH- There is huge importance by Soyinka given to
psychological and spiritual themes. In his poems, he talks about the
importance of human sacrifice. He talks about his desire to control
death. This is evident in his poem “Death in the Dawn”.
THANK YOU!

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