Poets have been advised to carefully use poetry to engender peace and inclusion in the society by calling attention to vices, discrimination, injustice and acts of man's inhumanity to man in their works.
A Publishing Consultant and Senior Lecturer with the Moshood Abiola Polytechnic, Abeokuta, Dr. Lucky Aibeli stated this while delivering the 2025 World Poetry Day Lecture organised by Association of Nigerian Authors, ANA, Ogun State Chapter at the Federal College of Education, Abeokuta on Friday.
Describing poetry as evoking powerful emotions through careful selection and arrangements of words, Dr. Aikabeli submitted that poems can build bridges through love, empathy, criticism and partnership.
He said man started experiencing poetry from birth through adolescence, maturity and death adding that poems capture these unique experiences.
He cited examples of late Ken Saro Wiwa and Pa Aig Imoukeide as examples of poets who deployed pidgin English to communicate their messages in poetry adding that poets should pass their messages in indigenous languages for greater impact.
Dr. Aikabeli quoted Ezigbo who described poetry as the language of gods and cited various religious examples to justify the claim that the divine communicate in poetic form with man.
He charged poets to use the instrumentality of poetic licence to uplift the people, act as public voices, build societies and nurture peace and development.
Earlier in his welcome address, the Ogun State Chairman of ANA, Dr. Chris Omotosho, congratulated members for witnessing the annual celebration and charged them to continue to use their craft and talents to uphold ethics and morality in the society.
Delivering an address on behalf of the Federal College of Education, Abeokuta, the Director, Centre for Degree Programme, Dr. T. O. Salawudeen thanked ANA for bringing the World Poetry Day Lecture to FCE and enabling their students to learn from seasoned authors and accomplished writers.
Members and students read poems to serenade attendees during the celebration.
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