Gauging The Masses' Mess: Suffering And Smiling: The Poetics Of Self- Annihilation Inthe Poetry Of Niyi Osundare

African poetry is aimed at socio-political transformation. Most African poets use their poems to
condemn tyranny, dictatorship and other social vices rampant in their countries. Niyi Osundare, a
prolific Nigerian writer, is not an exception; his use of Yoruba poetics makes his poetry unique.
On the other hand, the study explored the images used by the poet to condemn the indifference
of some sections of the masses to the oppressors’ perpetuation in power. Among the findings
were: that Osundare employs images of deceit depicting the means used by the oppressors to
perpetuate themselves in power and prolong the suffering of the masses. Therefore, it would be
correct to conclude that Osundare deploys traditional but universal images in his poetry majorly
to challenge the masses into ending the suffering inflicted on them by staging a revolutionary
action against their oppressors.