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<p class="has-text-align-center">POETRY | WRR -AUTHORPEDIA | 2016 | 42 PAGES</p>



<h5 class="wp-block-heading">In ‘<em>For Boys Who Went</em>,’ Adedayo Adeyemi Agarau explores the intriguing phenomenon of poetry, envisioning a reality steeped in classic promise. As a vigilant observer, he meticulously crafts his works with a profound respect for language and expression, employing a unique and indirect approach. He boldly captures the tropical sensuousness that reflects the issues prevalent in Nigerian and African society.</h5>



<p>In Sea-Girl, the opening poem, the writer brings to shore a lady’s life recounting her story of loneliness and brokenness with rhetorical questions.</p>



<blockquote class="wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow">
<p>where are you now? what are you doing?<br>do you miss me?<br>is home still home? <em>(page 10)</em></p>
</blockquote>



<p>He continued with <em>Homicide</em>, a poem recounting the violence, militancy, and terrorism that Nigeria has endured, continues to endure, and hopes to overcome in its ongoing democratic dispensation—a struggle that undermines the nation’s economic stability, growth, and development, a concern so pervasive it seems even foetuses are aware. The poem, which symbolizes Nigeria as a room constructed with metaphors and similes, narrates the people’s ordeal with the Fulani herdsmen in the Middle Belt, Boko Haram in the Northeast, militants in the South-South, and beyond.</p>



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<blockquote class="wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow">
<p>this room is Benue, a circus of blood thirst</p>



<p>this room is Buni Yadi, Mubi, and elsewhere</p>



<p>this room is not a room anymore<br>it is Bayelsa, Bakassi Peninsula, Ikorodu<em> (page 11)</em></p>



<p>unsettled like the news<br>unsettled like ripples<br>unsettled like itself<br>this country is a room<br>filled with bodies<em> (page 11)</em></p>
</blockquote>


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<p>Agarau concluded his poem inconclusively ignorant of why, how and who murdered his country.</p>



<blockquote class="wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow">
<p>my country is in a green-<br>walled autopsy room<br>who killed her?<br>how? why?<em> (page 12)</em></p>
</blockquote>



<p>The writer revealed that the period in which he wrote his work significantly influenced its form and content, which revolved around diverse themes such as politics, philosophy, gender, and death. These themes are explored in poems like ‘<em>the things that drowns us in ourselves,’ </em>‘<em>Not Survivors,’ ‘a lover’s error,’ “you may not find me tomorrow,’ ‘fresh gods,’</em> and <em>“how to dance</em>.” Notably, the last line of “fresh gods” concludes with a droll simile phrase.</p>



<blockquote class="wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow">
<p>she taught you to run<br>to disallow little boys from telling you<br>how your vagina looks<br>a lover’s error page 15<br>“dab like angels blowing the trumpet”<br>fresh gods (<em>page 29)</em></p>
</blockquote>



<p>Agarau gave a distinct approach to the past, posting reliable knowledge on his “Timeline”, an objective knowledge of Nigeria’s history with poetic reinvention. He gave an apt history of Nigeria beginning in 1999 when the country’s Military Regime closed and Democracy opened.</p>



<blockquote class="wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow">
<p>1999, we dropped dominance<br>2000, my country found a name on the atlas (page 30)</p>
</blockquote>



<p>The poetic historical account also contains not necessarily his memory, his history; of his first birthday party and the telephone the father bought which brought hunger, a relatable experience among families in Nigeria at the advent of mobile phones.</p>



<blockquote class="wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow">
<p>2001, I had my first birthday party<br>2001, I was 6 when my father bought his Ericsson<br>a gadget that caused us to fast then prey<br>at the sight of our neighbors crunching lunch <em>(page 30)</em></p>
</blockquote>



<h4 class="wp-block-heading has-text-align-center">GET A FREE COPY OF ‘FOR BOYS WHO WENT’ ON <a href="https://authorpedia.net/product/for-boys-who-went-by-adedayo-adeyemi-agarau/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">AUTHORPEDIA</a></h4>



<p>In the poem “Timeline”, the poet gave a factual record of national incidences such as democracy, the crisis in Benue, a bomb blast at the military cantonment in Lagos, the re-election of Olusegun Obasanjo as president of the country, the death of President Umar Musa Yar’adua, the emergence of Boko Haram, and other events, offering a nuanced interpretation of historical context and the pressing issues challenging Nigeria’s social, economic, and political systems. The poem concludes on a democratic note, tinged with hope for a brighter future.</p>



<blockquote class="wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow">
<p>2016,<br>we are back in 1999 or 1983 or 1960<br>recession, hunger, joblessness<br>we are somewhere near a brighter future. <em>(page 32)</em></p>
</blockquote>



<p>“For boys who went and never returned” is a dogged expression of pain in the visage of defeat, and death; a deep warp with explicit intentions, singing epitome images of despair and agony.</p>



<blockquote class="wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow">
<p>for mothers are broken<br>like distuned strings for you</p>



<p>for fathers went like this<br>and never returned too<em> (page 27)</em></p>
</blockquote>



<p>‘Pilgrimage’ is a fine poem of consequential vigour ending this collection on a promissory note.</p>



<p><em>For Boys Who Went</em> may challenge readers with its coarse literary style, which lends the poems a rich and raw intensity. While its expression can feel unrefined at times, the profound impact of its message on the reader’s mind makes it a collection worth revisiting—an offering both thought-provoking and unforgettable.</p>



<p>Adedayo Adeyemi Agarau has boldly carved a significant milestone in contemporary African literature, establishing himself as a compelling Nigerian imagist poet.</p>



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<p class="has-text-align-right has-black-color has-text-color has-background has-medium-font-size" style="background-color:#ade6fe">Tola Ijalusi, Founder of Parousia Magazine, is a writer, poet, and reviewer. His work appears in Sprinng, Africa in Dialogue, and other publications. He’s been featured in anthologies like Wreaths for a Wayfarer and Best New African Poets. He mentors writers in the Sprinng Writing Fellowship and is a recipient of the Poet in Nigeria (PIN) Excellence Award.</p>
 
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For Fathers Who Went Like This: A Poetic Journey Through Pain, History, and Hope | a CỌ́N-SCÌÒ review of Adedayo Agarau’s ‘For Boys Who Went’ by Tola Ijalusi
