A postcolonial reading of some selected poetry texts of Lade Wosornu

Abstract

The study which is qualitative in nature analyses some selected poetry texts of Lade Wosornu through the lens of the Postcolonial literary theory, with the complement of the New Historicism literary theory. It shows that the poet presents postcolonial thematic issues that have and still affect, negatively, the growth and development of Ghana. With a masterstroke of satire and measured deployment of other tropes, Wosornu thematises that the postcolonial leadership of the country is systemically plagued with corruption, greed, insensitivity towards the plight of the masses, and an appalling attitude of recklessness towards the environment. Consequently, this ineptitude on the part of the self seeking leaders / elites continues to plunge, further, the nation into distressing levels of public debt crisis, austere economic hardships, environmental pollution / degradation, aside from the political persecution / oppression and violence (sometimes fatal) meted out to perceived political opponents and critics. Finally, the study contends that Lade Wosornu hints at an imminent social explosion of the impoverished, despaired and incensed masses, especially the postcolonial disillusioned youth, and suggests that a way to avert that potential explosion is for Ghanaian leaders to value the lives of those they rule.