Sociopolitical Realities in Contemporary Nigerian Poetry: A New Historicist Reading of Village Voices and A Torrent of Terror

Abstract

Literature functions not only as artistic expression but also as a textual archive of historical experience, reflecting and shaping the sociopolitical realities from where it emerges. In contemporary Nigerian poetry, the influence between text and history is inseparable, as poets mediate national crises through their work. This paper examines the representation of sociopolitical realities in contemporary Nigerian poetry, through a comparative reading of Village Voices and A Torrent of Terror. While substantial scholarship has explored the protest tradition in Nigerian poetry, less attention has been given to how second generation poetic commitments are rearticulated by third generation poets within the changing historical contexts. Through the theoretical lens of New Historicism, the paper investigates the reciprocal relationship between poetic discourse and sociopolitical structures of power, ideology, and history. Using qualitative textual analysis and close reading of five selected poems from each collection, the paper interrogates themes of leadership failure, corruption, inequality, and insecurity. The findings indicate that Osundare’s poetry critiques military authoritarianism and economic crisis of the early 1980s, whereas Aboh’s work documents democratic disillusionment and insurgency in the Fourth Republic. Despite generational differences, both poets function as cultural archivists and dissenting voices, preserving alternative historical narratives. The paper concludes that Nigerian poetry remains an active site of ideological contestation and historical archive.