Solitude and Other Chants

Solitude and Other Chants…Is one poet’s response to the anguish of the past several months. Spurred by the solitude and loneliness that came inevitably with the general lockdown imposed by most governments in desperate response to the covid-19 pandemic, this poet has retreated into herself, and harvested these lines of sometimes poignant, sometimes pithy song. No subject escapes her critical gaze or censure—she worries about almost all the crises of the contemporary society, with a diverse range of concerns, such as the exploitation of women, the abuse of minors and child rape, human trafficking, environmental degradation and climate change, the menace of plastic waste, and so on. But there are also poems expressing deep empathy with the poor, or mourning the loss of dear friends and honouring society’s icons. All in all, this is a collection to be celebrated for its comprehensive reach and touching humanism. Femi Osofisan This Mabel Evwierhoma’s third collection of poems shows a mature poet who has fine-tuned her themes and techniques with a masterly force. Here she is not only a humanist but also a veteran feminist whose sensibility vibrates with passion and sensitivity. From section to section, the poems flow majestically and the collection is so exhilarating. Tanure Ojaide, Frank Porter Graham Professor of Africana Studies