Oral Techniques and Commitment in the Poetry of Okot P'bitek and Kofi Anyidoho: Their Contributions to Modern African Poetry

Modern African poetry has come to stay, and has made outstanding contributions to world literature through its use of traditional African oral poetic techniques. In this direction, one of the earliest innovators in modern African poetry has been the Ugandan, the late Okot p’Bitek, whose poetry has had a profound effect on the African poetic canon through the decades. Another poet who has also affected the African poetic scene with his craft in the 80’s has been the Ghanaian, Kofi Anyidoho. This paper attempts to study these two poets, their innovation in the use of language and oral poetic techniques, and their contributions to African poetry in terms of themes and techniques of presentation. On the whole, for both poets, the skillful adaptation and use of indigenous African Oral poetic techniques has helped to improve their craft, their effectiveness as masses-oriented poets, as well as their vision.