Elements of Intertextuality in Selected Poems of Tenure Ojaide

Abstract

Globally, the practice among literary scholars and critics is to interrogate a literary piece from an acceptable point of view. It could be from the Marxist, historical, psychoanalytical etc. This paper has carefully selected intertextuality which is a post modernist literary theory to interpret the artistic creation of Tanure Ojaide. The choice of this theory is remarkable ? it marked the end of an author-centered criticism and the beginning of Reader-centered criticism. The researcher attempts to see how a western perspective literary theory can be employed to dissect or interpret black aesthetics as we have in Ojaide writings. Finally, Ojaides commitment and consistency to the yearnings and aspirations of the Urhobo people of the Niger delta in Nigeria strongly inform the choice of his works for this academic exercise.