POETRY AS DIGITAL ACTIVISM: A STYLISTIC ANALYSIS OF VOICE AND RESISTANCE IN CONTEMPORARY AFRICAN WOMEN’S WRITING

Dike, Chioma Vivian and Okenyi, Chiemerie Olivia and Ozongwu, Faustina Ujunwa (2026) POETRY AS DIGITAL ACTIVISM: A STYLISTIC ANALYSIS OF VOICE AND RESISTANCE IN CONTEMPORARY AFRICAN WOMEN’S WRITING. GOUNI INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENGLISH LANGUAGE, LITERATURE, AND PEDAGOGY (GIJELLP), 1 (1). pp. 98-106.

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Abstract

This study examines poetry as a form of digital activism through a stylistic analysis of voice and resistance in contemporary African women’s writing. Focusing on selected poems from Safia Elhillo’s “Girls That Never Die” and Ijeoma Umebinyuo’s “Questions for Ada,” the research explores how linguistic and formal features function as tools for articulating resistance and constructing female subjectivity. Anchored on feminist stylistics, the study analyzes key stylistic elements such as imagery, repetition, syntax, and narrative voice to reveal how meaning is shaped within the texts. The findings show that both poets employ distinct stylistic strategies to challenge patriarchal norms and socio cultural constraints. Elhillo’s use of fragmentation, fluid syntax, and symbolic imagery reflects the instability of identity and resists fixed definitions imposed on women. In contrast, Umebinyuo’s direct, repetitive, and narrative style foregrounds lived experiences, emphasizing collective struggle and resilience. These stylistic choices are not merely aesthetic but ideological, functioning as mechanisms of resistance within digitally mediated spaces. The study concludes that contemporary African women’s poetry operates at the intersection of art and activism, where language becomes a powerful tool for social critique, identity negotiation, and empowerment. Through digital platforms, these poetic expressions gain wider accessibility, amplifying marginalized voices and reinforcing poetry’s role as an instrument of transformation.

Item Type: Article
Subjects: P Language and Literature > PR English literature
Divisions: Faculty of Arts > Faculty of Law > Faculty of Management and Social Sciences > Faculty of Education
Depositing User: Uchenna Eneogwe
Date Deposited: 01 Jun 2026 13:55
Last Modified: 01 Jun 2026 13:55
URI: http://eprints.gouni.edu.ng/id/eprint/5706

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