Realism in Poetry: A Study of Selected Poems in Moses Tsenongu’s sun the Male Born Moon the Female.

Abstract

This Paper examines realism in poetry and repudiates the notion that realism is not applicable in poetry but only in drama and prose. Content analysis is used in exploring the poems and analyzing their contextual meaning. Evaluating the poems from the theoretical perspective of realism, the paper submits that Tsenongu’s poems are expressive of realism. It asserts that these poems exhibit realism of subject matter and technique. The poems are therefore ultimately works of realism and need to be understood in this light. In the final analysis, the paper concludes that: realism of subject matter and technique are clearly identified in the poetry of Tsenongu as his poems discuss contemporary social issues like; polygamy, greed, gossip, lack of love, ancestral support, poverty, and jealousy.