Christian idiom and style in Abam Arikpo’s <i>The womankind of man</i>

Abstract

Abam Arikpo, drawing heavily from the allusions of Christianity, nay the Christian religious liet motif of humility, meekness and long suffering, in a rather esoteric language, advocates the adoption of Christ-like qualities by people in all spheres of life and in all institutions - be it politics, religion, judiciary or traditional society. It is this quintessence of humanity and meekness that is, most times, pejoratively called feminity in popular macho idiom, hence the poet celebrates and eulogises “the womankind of man” and wishes that the feminine virtues, which are not popular in a male dominated society be adopted in the world to make it a better place. The paper intertextualizes this poetry collection and the Christian’s holy book, The Holy Bible; another macrotext, paying close attention to language use and reaches the conclusion that both the Christian virtue and idiom, on the one hand, and the social milieu that favours patriarchal idiom, on the other, have immensely influenced the thematic concern and style of this poetry

Keywords: Allusions of Christianity, Christian idiom, style, social milieu, intertextuality.