DEPICTION OF PAIN AND LOSS IN SELECTED POEMS OF STELLA NYANZI AND IJEOMA UMEBINYUO

Abstract

This research investigates depictions of pain and loss in select poems of two contemporary women writer’s, Stella Nyanzi and Ijeoma Umebinyuo. Applying reader-response and psychoanalytic theories, this qualitative study employs close textual analysis to investigate the poetic techniques, imagery, and symbolism employed to portray these experiences. The findings show that both poets question conventional narratives about African women’s lives, resulting in nuanced poetics of vulnerability and resistance. The study’s most significant contribution is its theoretical finding which is poetry has the unique ability to circumvent the unconscious obstacle to communicating trauma that is common in traditional psychoanalysis. Through its symbolic use of aesthetic languages, poetry allows for the safe expression of raw truths, facilitating a journey of catharsis and healing. This research contributes to trauma scholarship by deepening our understanding of evolving narratives of pain and loss in 21st century contemporary African women’s poetry