Overview

Akínwùmí Ìsòlá (1940–2018), renowned writer, scholar, and sentinel of indigenous African languages, contributed to the development of Yorùbá literary traditions by producing most of his literary works in Yorùbá. His artistic pacesetting in Yorùbá literature included his anthology, Àfàìmò Àti Àwon Àròfò Mìíràn (1978), which contains poems composed over a significant period in his life. Language, Translation, and Poetic Realities considers Ìsòlá’s language use in this anthology; his contributions to the promotion of Yorùbá and African linguistic and cultural values; and the procedures, benefits, and challenges of translating his poetry into English. In so doing, Akinloyè Òjó 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 Yorùbá poetry.

Full Product Details

Author:   Professor or Dr. Akinloyè Òjó (University of Georgia, USA)
Publisher:   Bloomsbury Publishing Plc
Imprint:   Bloomsbury Academic
Dimensions:   Width: 15.20cm , Height: 2.50cm , Length: 22.90cm
Weight:   0.454kg
ISBN:  

9781501390623

ISBN 10:   1501390627
Pages:   320
Publication Date:   05 February 2026
Audience:   Professional and scholarly ,  College/higher education ,  Professional & Vocational ,  Postgraduate, Research & Scholarly
Format:   Hardback
Publisher's Status:   Forthcoming
Availability:   Manufactured on demand  

Table of Contents

1. Introduction Part One: Akínwùmí Ìsòlá and His Poetry 2. The Honest Man: Yorùbá Writer, Poet, and Language Sentinel 3. The Poems: Àfàìmò Àti Àwon Àròfò Mìíràn Part Two: Akínwùmí Ìsòlá’s Language Dexterity 4. Promoting African Languages: The Honest Man’s Quest for Splendor and Fairness 5. The Use of language: Yorùbá and Akínwùmí Ìsòlá’s Poetry 6. The Proverbial Poet: Poetic Engagement of Yorùbá Proverbs Part Three: Akínwùmí Ìsòlá’s Poetry Rendered in English 7. Literary Translation, Cultural Understanding and Selected Works of Akínwùmí Ìsòlá 8. The Affectionate Bard: Love and Other Extraordinary Emotions 9. Twelve Published Akinwumi Isola’s Poems in Translation 10. Conclusion Appendix: Akínwùmí Ìsòlá, Writer and Poet: A Bibliographic Essay

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Author Information

Akinloyè Òjó is Professor of Comparative Literature and Intercultural Studies and Director of the African Studies Institute at University of Georgia, USA. His publications include In Flight: A Collection of Poems (2000), Africans and Globalization: Linguistic, Literary, and Technological Contents and Discontents (2017), Gender Equality and Human Development in Africa (2018), and Language, Society, and Empowerment in Africa and Its Diaspora (2022).

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