FRAGMENTATION AND INTERTEXTUALITY IN THE POETRY OF WOLE SOYINKA: A POST-MODERNIST PERSPECTIVE

Abstract

This research paper aims at looking into the issues of disconnection and intertextuality in Wole Soyinka’s major works. The chosen works are; "Death in the Dawn”, “Telephone Conversation," and "Abiku," respectively. The theoretical approach of this research work is Jean-François Lyotard’s notion of fragmentation and intertextuality, which is then situated within a postmodern context. The research article uses the descriptive qualitative approach. The data examination is done with the help of text analysis and critical discourse analysis. The paper intends to examine Soyinka's use of literary devices in order to paint the image of stressed out narratives and intertextual allusions that point to the complicated nature of modern society. The purpose of this research is to contribute to the existing body of knowledge by exploring the postmodernist strategies embedded within Soyinka's novel. The essay deepens our knowledge not only of his literary professional talent but also of the topics to do with modernism in general.