Sierra Leone poetry began in the late 19th century with poems in English and published the lingua franca , Krio in Sierra Leone Weekly News, be established under the first newspapers in the colony in 1860, the most famous of all Sierra Leonean newspapers (which were of high quality) in the late 19th and 20th centuries it was founded in September 1884, by Rev. JC Mai from Dr. EW Blyden and edited by JC May brother Cornelius, the mayor of Freetown in the 1920s supported later.
poems were sometimes written by settlers, especially the Europeans, who had immigrated to the country. The first Krio poems in the edition of The Sierra Leone Weekly News from Saturday, April 21, 1881. Other published in the issue of June 23, appeared in 1888 and July 1907. Although most poems by non-Sierra Leonean refugees have been posted, they served as sources of inspiration in the Sierra formed Leoneas which so anxious to prove that they were as competent poets like their European counterparts. Poems were written in regular patterns of feet, lines and rhyme schemes generally, as the fashion then. Consequently, there was a boom in the publication of poems in practice newspapers.This continue for quite a long time, according to Leo Spitzer's The Creoles of Sierra Leone, which contains a whole series of such poems.
Then came Gladys Casely-Hayford and Thomas Decker, the poems in Krio wrote. Gladys Casely-Hayford first selection of poems published was in Krio Title Record so (1948). In 1948 three Krio poems were published by Thomas Decker. These were "Plasa", "Yesterday, Tiday en Tumara ',' Slip Gud '.
But this early publication of poems in Krio in Sierra Leone Weekly News had a restrictive and constrictive effect on the even-handed development of Sierra Leonean poetry. because it helped Sierra Leone poetry in the western region to restrict. parts of the country were so could be cause for concern with oral poetry, as it was no written literature there at the time. always direct relationship between the development of written literature and education
There has. Education in Sierra Leone was concentrated in the early colonial period in the western area primarily .. Only later that some schools in the provinces was built. But in spite of this education was not so widespread and easily accessible from the provincials received for many failed early to send their children to school. It was only in1906 that the first secondary school was established in the provinces.
The head of the Western Area had begin in the formation and the lukewarm attitude of the people in the other areas towards education led to most of the recognized poet mainly from the Western Area come. This also led male to be Krio, the failed largely to penetrate the rich cultural traditions and customs of the country and to use, of which they were largely ignorant about the poets. As a result, their works were characterized by the absence of traditional myths, legends and traditions different from other West African writer writing especially Nigerians Christopher Okigbo, Wole Soyinka and JP Clark, who made much use of such oral tradition. Christopher Okigbo in turn often the myth of watermaid in his poems used during both Wole Soyinka and JPClark shared the myth of Abiku among others.
The poetry of the pioneer poet Sierra Leone infused instead of traditional and cultural materials with Christian religious teachings and principles and moral platitudes. Small even the emergent Krio culture were purveyed by them. But she wrote to burn also on social issues of the time.
But in a poem as "Joseph's Betrothal" Gladys Casely -Hayford transposes the Krio traditional "put-stop" ceremony of the Jewish situation of Joseph and Mary, the earthly parents of Jesus. In 'Birth' Jesus the baby is wrapped in 'blue lappah' and hide in'home tanned skin door "instead placed a swaddling band and a crib. Later poets using some cultural material. Lemuel Johnson" Prodigal the hymn 'Features 'Awujoh' and 'KuOmojade' two Krio traditional ceremonies.
The subsequent spread of missionary activity accompanied education in almost all parts of the country promoted the spread of literature which led to the break of the previous monopoly of the Western Area in the production of poetry had. As a result there is a significant increase in the volume of the seal in the country has been written in the last four decades. The impetus was given to him by efforts to Fourah Bay College, Njala University College, Milton Margai Teachers College in promoting and literary events such as creative writing Hosting, poetry reading, among other things. These efforts were complemented by the Writers' Union, the Fourah Bay College bookstore and various campus bulletins and magazines.
The majority of Sierra Leonean poetry could thus be said to have been written in the 20th century. But the poetry of this period was a significant departure from the earlier forms of poetry produced, especially in nature and limited extent of their subject. The pioneer poet had to the traditional forms of poetry stuck with regular line lengths and rhyme schemes. Your simple seal usually strongly influenced fade feelings and strong religious Christian doctrines expressed, with most of the poets themselves are avid churchmen of the 19th century English poet and through the Bible, community prayer and hymn books. One of them, Crispin George was a longtime chorister. That they lived in a turbulent period of much political noise for nationalism and self-determination and other destabilizing social and political movements, is not too obvious to hide in her poetry, except for the subtle use of Christian teachings their pursuit of social justice. This is very true for the poetry of Crispin George and Jacob Stanley Davies and to a lesser extent Gladys Casely-Hayford.
The modern poets, contemporaries of Chinua Achebe, Wole Soyinka and Christopher Okigbo who exposed during abroad at the university, especially in the UK, were modern English poets like Gerard Manley Hopkins, TS Eliot, Ezra Pound and DH Lawrence went from the previous poetic tradition through modern influence to break their style to wear. They started in their poetry some African customs and tradition infused how they felt estranged and cut off from their roots. They threw so old methods of writing in regular lines and rhymes for free verse, distortion of logical syntax, ambiguity and personal symbolism and imagery. They examined critically the previously slightly British and American values and norms accepted. They asked racism and other social ills, as they were exposed in their headquarters abroad to racial discrimination and its degrading effects.
Abioseh Nicol seal for example spans the pioneer and younger contemporary poet shows some African awareness and not blindly foreign values longs for a possible return home in Sweet Sierra Leone to accept.
Most of Gaston Bart-Williams poetry is concerned with racism and racial discrimination. Jacob Stanley Davies although pioneering poet expresses Christian doctrines in his poetry, some poems as "Libretone ', seem to speak the timeless themes. Crispin George in' Help has deferred 'breaks free of the constricting of rhyme scheme.
Much has been developing since the profile of Sierra Leone to change poetry, even if the publication in the print options are then not so inviting. But such a modified profile will make interesting study.
