Christopher Okigbo: Africa's Greatest Poet?

Why did you leave me
In this desert
With labyrinths of footpaths,
Without a guardian?
Dee Christopher,
Town crier,
Why did you leave me
On the paths of thunder?

I left you
In this desert
In this labyrinths of footpaths,
on the paths of thunder,
For your baptism.
I left you
To the guidiance of Idoto,
My Muse,
I left you to fight another war.

Do you have to fight that war?
Do you have to strap
Assault rifles
And pebbles of bullets?
There are men and women
Trained to fight that war,
You are a town crier.

Begone apprentice,
I left my gong and stick
At the sacred grotto
Of Mother Idoto
For you and your ilk,
For generations of town criers.

(Late Christopher Okigbo, a renowned Nigerian Poet lived from 1932 to 1968)


The above are the work of a poet, prolific writer short life but with deep impact. Even the Noble Laeurate  Wole Soyinka attested to this fact. I shudder when i read his writings , his thoughts evokes a deep sense of conciousness that no other poet i have read about, not even Soyinka(no hard feelings),  Death is one ultimate price we have to pay, but the big question is '' under what circumstance''?

What of Okot P' Bitek, of Uganda? I think he is Africa's greatest poet, but I may be wrong.

I am not a poetry buff but I think Wole Soyinka is pretty good (and J.P. Clark). I also think there are many gifted poets outside Nigeria i.e. on the African continent. It is my personal opinion that Okigbo is given so much accolade because he was killed in the Biafra war (I am not saying he was not gifted. All I am saying is it is kinda the martyr syndrome where ordinary folk appear extradordinary and become the stuff of myths and legends).

Every man has a craft in which his life resonates. To conclude that Okigbo is the best of all poets is a judgement made in darkness and dispassion. If you want to know the truth, go get the poetry of Maik Nwosu, and some emerging poets of the 21st century. Okigbo is just among the pioneers. The first aint the best! Sure, I've read LABYRINTH. And had mark out an encyclopedia of lapses in the craft.

@DeepZone

Soyinka is brainier but okigbo is more classical. And the fact that he died a martyr made him angelic. Okigbo was killed in the front during the Nigerian civil war of the late 60's.

@ Salisuammy

Literature needs to be complex 'cos it's an institution. It's like a food. Can you compared white rice and well-spiced one. If literature is a toy, then all nairalanders would've bagged Nobel by now.