OKEKE, PASCHALINE ONYINYECHUKWU (2026) MYTH AND MEMORY IN THE SELECTED POEMS OF CHRISTOPHER OKIGBO. Other thesis, Godfrey Okoye University, Enugu Nigeria.
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Abstract
This study examined the interaction of myth and memory in Christopher Okigbo's selected poems, namely "The Passage," "Lustra," "Distances," "Elegy for Alto," and "Hurrah for Thunder." The study was motivated by the observation that while Okigbo's poetry has received considerable critical attention for its mythic and symbolic complexity, insufficient attention has been paid to memory as a mediating force that activates and sustains mythic structures. Consequently, the ways in which personal, cultural, and collective memories interact with mythic imagery to shape meaning and poetic vision remain underexplored. The aim of the study was to examine the interaction of myth and memory in the selected poems. Specifically, the study analyzed the role of mythic imagery in shaping meaning, examined memory as a thematic and structural element, and explored how the interaction of myth and memory contributes to the poetic vision and cultural significance of the poems. The study was anchored on Trauma Theory and supported by Myth Criticism and Memory Theory. Adopting a qualitative research design, it employed close textual analysis of the selected poems. Findings revealed that mythic imagery functions as a major organizing principle through recurring symbols such as Idoto, the oilbean, the ant-hill, the elephant, and thunder. The study further found that memory operates in traumatic, therapeutic, initiatory, archival, and prophetic forms, thereby shaping both the thematic concerns and temporal structure of the poems. The interaction of myth and memory was found to produce Okigbo's distinctive poetic vision by linking personal experience, cultural identity, and historical consciousness. The study concludes that myth and memory are interdependent forces central to Okigbo's poetic imagination. It recommends further comparative and interdisciplinary studies on myth and memory in African poetry. Keywords: Myth, Memory, Christopher Okigbo, Trauma Theory, African Modernism, Poetic Vision.
| Item Type: | Thesis (Other) |
|---|---|
| Subjects: | P Language and Literature > PE English |
| Divisions: | Faculty of Law, Arts and Social Sciences > School of Art |
| Depositing User: | Cynthia Ugwuoti |
| Date Deposited: | 24 Jul 2026 12:56 |
| Last Modified: | 24 Jul 2026 12:56 |
| URI: | http://eprints.gouni.edu.ng/id/eprint/5971 |
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