THE LANGUAGE OF POETRY: A CASE STUDY OF WISE-SAYINGS, IDIOMS AND FIGURATIVE EXPRESSIONS IN NIYI OSUNDARE’S MIDLIFE

Rotimi Jegede and Adaji Ameh

 Department of Languages

Federal Polytechnic Idah, Kogi State

ABSTRACT

One of the distinctive features of poetry is its economy and peculiarity of words.  A poet has the ability to comment on several volumes of issues just in few words.  Not only this, a good poem is a by-product of skill and craft.  Since poetry is realized through language (spoken or written) understanding how poets coin expressions to achieve most times, rhythm, pregnant meanings  “memorability” is sina qua non in appreciating poetic works.  To this end, in this paper, Niyi Osundare’s Midlife will be examined to further throw more light on certain aspect of poetic language and how it works.

KEY WORDS: Poetry, Language, Deviations, Wise-saying, Figures of speech, Idioms and Meanings.