Gabriel Okara
Encyclopedia
Gabriel Imomotimi Gbaingbain Okara (b.April 24, 1921- ) is a Nigeria
n poet and novelist who was born in Bomoundi in Bayelsa State
, Nigeria
. In 1979, he was awarded the Commonwealth Poetry Prize.
". He is very concerned with what happens when the ancient culture of Africa is faced with modern Western culture
, as in his poem "Once Upon a Time
". He pursues that theme in his novel The Voice (Africana Publishing: ISBN 0-8419-0015-9) Its protagonist Okolo, like countless postcolonial Africans, is hunted by society and haunted by his own ideals.
Many of his manuscripts were destroyed during the Nigerian Civil War
Nigeria
Nigeria , officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a federal constitutional republic comprising 36 states and its Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. The country is located in West Africa and shares land borders with the Republic of Benin in the west, Chad and Cameroon in the east, and Niger in...
n poet and novelist who was born in Bomoundi in Bayelsa State
Bayelsa State
Bayelsa State is a state in southern Nigeria in the core Niger Delta region, between Delta State and Rivers State. Its capital is Yenagoa. The language spoken here is Ijaw language and dialects of the Ijaw language such as Nembe, Atissa, Akassa, Ogbia, etc. However, like the rest of Nigeria,...
, Nigeria
Nigeria
Nigeria , officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a federal constitutional republic comprising 36 states and its Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. The country is located in West Africa and shares land borders with the Republic of Benin in the west, Chad and Cameroon in the east, and Niger in...
. In 1979, he was awarded the Commonwealth Poetry Prize.
Writing
His most famous poem is "Piano and DrumsPiano and Drums
"Piano and Drums" is a postcolonial poem by Nigerian poet Gabriel Okara. Like "The Snowflakes Sail Gently Down", another of his poems, it is concerned primarily with the Euro-African cultural dichotomy....
". He is very concerned with what happens when the ancient culture of Africa is faced with modern Western culture
Western culture
Western culture, sometimes equated with Western civilization or European civilization, refers to cultures of European origin and is used very broadly to refer to a heritage of social norms, ethical values, traditional customs, religious beliefs, political systems, and specific artifacts and...
, as in his poem "Once Upon a Time
Once Upon a Time (poem)
"Once Upon a Time" is a poem by Nigerian writer Gabriel Okara which expresses concern for the influence of the Western world on age-old African custom....
". He pursues that theme in his novel The Voice (Africana Publishing: ISBN 0-8419-0015-9) Its protagonist Okolo, like countless postcolonial Africans, is hunted by society and haunted by his own ideals.
Many of his manuscripts were destroyed during the Nigerian Civil War
Nigerian Civil War
The Nigerian Civil War, also known as the Nigerian-Biafran War, 6 July 1967–15 January 1970, was a political conflict caused by the attempted secession of the southeastern provinces of Nigeria as the self-proclaimed Republic of Biafra...
Further reading
- Echeruo, Michael J.C.Michael EcheruoMichael Joseph Chukwudalu Echeruo is a Nigerian academic, professor and literary critic from Okigwe, Imo State. He was educated at the University College, Ibadan from 1955 to 1960 and was contemporaries with a few notable writers and poets from the college, such as Christopher Okigbo...
"Gabriel Okara: a Poet and His Seasons." World Literature TodayWorld Literature TodayWorld Literature Today is an American magazine, published bimonthly at the University of Oklahoma. It was founded in 1927 by Roy Temple House as Books Abroad. In January 1977, the journal became World Literature Today...
, 19921992 in literatureThe year 1992 in literature involved some significant events and new books.-New books:*Ben Aaronovitch - Transit*Julia Álvarez - How the García Girls Lost Their Accents*Paul Auster - Leviathan*Iain Banks - The Crow Road...
: 454-456 - Mark Willhardt, Who's Who in 20th Century World Poetry, Routledge (2001), ISBN 0415163552 - p. 237.
- Eldred Ibibiem Green, Gabriel Okara: The Man and His Art. Port Harcourt, Nigeria: Onyoma Research Publications, 2007.