Akínwùmí Ìsòlá (1940–2018), renowned writer, scholar, and sentinel of indigenous African languages, contributed to the development of Yorùbá literary traditions by producing most of his literary works in Yorùbá.
His artistic pacesetting in Yorùbá literature included his anthology, Àfàìmò Àti Àwon Àròfò Mìíràn (1978), which contains poems composed over a significant period in his life. Language, Translation, and Poetic Realities considers Ìsòlá’s language use in this anthology; his contributions to the promotion of Yorùbá and African linguistic and cultural values; and the procedures, benefits, and challenges of translating his poetry into English.
In so doing, Akinloyè Òjó examines the understudied relationship between African oral traditions and contemporary African literature, addressing in particular the influential role of traditional forms of praise-singing in contemporary Yorùbá poetry.
1. Introduction
Part One: Akínwùmí Ìsòlá and His Poetry
2. The Honest Man: Yorùbá Writer, Poet, and Language Sentinel
3. The Poems: Àfàìmò Àti Àwon Àròfò Mìíràn
Part Two: Akínwùmí Ìsòlá’s Language Dexterity
4. Promoting African Languages: The Honest Man’s Quest for Splendor and Fairness
5. The Use of language: Yorùbá and Akínwùmí Ìsòlá’s Poetry
6. The Proverbial Poet: Poetic Engagement of Yorùbá Proverbs
Part Three: Akínwùmí Ìsòlá’s Poetry Rendered in English
7. Literary Translation, Cultural Understanding and Selected Works of Akínwùmí Ìsòlá
8. The Affectionate Bard: Love and Other Extraordinary Emotions
9. Twelve Published Akinwumi Isola’s Poems in Translation
10. Conclusion
Appendix: Akínwùmí Ìsòlá, Writer and Poet: A Bibliographic Essay
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