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Multidisciplinary Research ISSN (Online) : 2455 - 3662 SJIF Impact Factor :3.395 (Morocco) EPRA International Journal of Multidisciplinary Research Volume: 2 Issue: 4 April 2016 Published By : EPRA Journals CC License EPRA International Journal of Multidisciplinar y Research (IJMR) ISSN (Online): 2455-3662 SJIF Impact Factor: 3.395 (Morocco) Volume: 2 Issue: 4 April 2016 THE HAUNTING IMAGESSJIF OF Impact THE Factor WEST : 3.395 IN CONTEMPORARY GHANAIANSJIF Impact Factor POETRY : 3.395 SJIF Impact Factor : 3.395 ABSTRACT Many literary artists and critics in time past have affirmed the significance of tradition as a source of inspiration in creative works. Though the driving force in molding a creative work such as a poem is innate, a true Asangba Reginald Taluah1 artist must have knowledge of a given tradition or traditions to excel in the enterprise. In quite recent times 1Lecturer however, much of the poetry by budding poets tends to Department of Interdisciplinary Studies imitate Western forms in lieu of the traditional. This paper is therefore an attempt to address the effects of foreign University of Education, Winneba traditions on the creative abilities of the Ghanaian youth. It College of Agriculture Education traces the antecedents that are most likely to have caused Ashanti Mampong, Ghana the negative outlook towards most indigenous traditions in Ghana to the embrace of Western traditions. It also examines some pertinent issues in the educational system in Ghana and the impact of the English language as the language of instruction and its effects on the culture of the creative arts. KEYWORDS: Image, the West, Creative Arts, Tradition, Innovation, Contemporary 1.0 INTRODUCTION who take up Literature as one of their electives. Yet, Ghana is notably one of the developing the literature is sub-divided into two: African and nations that has diverse cultures but has also Western Literature respectively. In the tertiary assimilated diverse other foreign cultures, the most institutions, it will be virtually impossible to graduate notable being the cultures of Britain and the West as from the Literary class without coming across a whole. From the early years in formal education, Shakespeare, Milton, Homer and Virgil and later we are groomed under western canons and hardly Italian critics and theorists like Petrarch, Dante and formally examine our own traditions. In the nursery Boccaccio to mention but a few. schools, we are taught rhymes as “London Bridge is We sit in Ghana, under African skies but we Falling Down”, “Baa, Baa, Black Sheep” Row, Row, are taught little of our own traditions. We think Row Your Boat”, “Old McDonald had a Farm” and literature and we think English and consequently the the popular tongue twister “Peter Piper” and a host of traditions of the English. Perhaps the Sapir-Whorf other rhymes and tongue twisters. From the lower hypothesis which states that, “language determines primary to the Junior High School, we hardly taught” should not be taken lightly at all. The encounter any of the creative arts. In the Senior High struggles of many students in their early and school however, we are somehow fortunate to come sometimes later stages of education to understand the across the creative arts in core English classes where English language in itself makes it very difficult for literature is an aspect. The very few privileged to students to understand Literature, let alone have have a better grasp of the creative arts, as far as interest in studying Literature or practicing it. The poetry, drama and prose are concerned are students argument is quite simple. Literature is an elevated www.eprajournals.com Volume: 2 Issue: 4 April 2016 83 EPRA International Journal of Multidisciplinary Research (IJMR) | ISSN (Online): 2455 -3662 | SJIF Impact Factor : 3.395 ( Morocco) form of language, and the fact that one cannot very few students in Ghana grow with the interest in understand the intricacies of the language in which the Creative arts. Personal experiences also reveal Literature is expressed automatically means that the that students usually coil back when the word Literature cannot be understood, let alone Literature is mentioned. They equate Literature to appreciated. For instance, the Ghanaian nursery child reading, and reading is what most students dread to battling with English phonetics may have problems venture into. The few students who venture to study pronouncing the words: peter, piper, picked, peck, Literature or perhaps have interest in producing pickle and pepper in isolation. How can such a literature tend to have Western models on the student then pronounce these words in fast succession grounds that much of the Literature they have seen or as in the case of the tongue twister “Peter Piper”? learnt is that of the West. The point we are driving at is that not only has the A critical examination of the creative arts West, Britain to be specific left Ghana with a and poetry in particular in recent times reveals a language but the use of it has had a downturn in the rather lackadaisical attitude to the Ghanaian or Creative Arts as we will portray. African indigenous traditions. We look more to the At the post-graduate level, the situation is West as the base of our literary traditions as though not any different. What is generally learnt in Literary our traditions do not hold these art forms. An Theory is from the West. We trace Literary Theory investigation of the poetry of most Ghanaian poets from its ancient roots in Classicism as in the writings who sprang after independence, 1957 reveals a sturdy of Plato, Aristotle and Horace through to Petrarch, borrowing of indigenous traditions in a fuse of Dante, Boccaccio, Philip Sidney and John Dryden to western forms. However, for nearly fifty years down Jacques Derrida. You take a critical look at these the line, the influence of indigenous Ghanaian names and you simply cannot neglect the tempting traditions as evidenced in Ghanaian poetry is almost question: Why this trend? In Studies in Literary non-existent. For instance, the collages of images, Theory, we do not come across anything that is metaphors and poetic devices in general, in recent African, not to mention Ghanaian. Though we are Ghanaian creative arts point to the West. Recent taught African Literature, it dates just a few decades. poets in Ghana are drawn to spoken word and quite What should be taught in Literary Theory of African recently the haiku of Japan. Rhyme is cherished in origin is simply nonexistent because the genius of the lieu of rhythm, but many a linguist concur that the African past was not put on record. Nevertheless, it is attribute of rhyme has more to do with the language an undeniable fact that, at the time Homer was involved and not the prowess of the poet in question. constructing The Odyssey, somewhere in Africa, a Where then lies innovation when the story teller was also busy relating his stories. And creative arts are geared toward the West to the perhaps, more likely than not, at the time Virgil was disregard of indigenous traditions. We seem to be producing his Aeneid, somewhere in Africa, a griot dancing to a tune that is alien to us, a tune that others was skillfully weaving tales in complex forms. The have mastered its dance movements. Hence, the arts difference lies in the fact that, while others put their that are produced do not stand out and cannot stand thoughts in records, others for so long a time the test of time. performed theirs. As T. S. Elliot maintains, “every This study focusses on imagery because it is nation, every race, has not only its own creative, but first and foremost one of the driving forces in poetry its own critical turn of mind; and is even more and it is also the most conspicuous amongst the host oblivious of the shortcomings and limitations of its of others. Hence, much emphasis is placed on poetry critical habits than of those of its creative genius.” as compared to prose and drama on grounds that the (“Traditions and the Individual Talent”, 1006) employment of condensed expressions in poetry Hence, the fact that most of the poetry from thrives on imagery to trigger our imagination to recall Africa today is written is a deviation from the norm and recreate a poem to our understanding through our because African poetry transcends the pages; it is senses of imagination. Perhaps this assertion by more of a performance and in some instances, Roberts and Jacobs in Literature: An Introduction to involves more than just an individual as evidenced in Reading and Writing says it all. Call and Response patterns. More so, much of In literature, imagery refers to words that African poetry follow strict patterns of rhythm as trigger your imagination to recall and compared to rhyme as is especially common with the recombine images – memories or mental sonnets of the West. pictures of sight, sounds, tastes, smells, Many of these instances abound in the sensations of touch, and motions. The process teaching and learning of the English language and is active and even vigorous, for when words or Literature in particular. The consequences are that: descriptions produce images, you are using www.eprajournals.com Volume: 2 Issue: 4 April 2016 84 EPRA International Journal of Multidisciplinary Research (IJMR) | ISSN (Online): 2455 -3662 | SJIF Impact Factor : 3.395 ( Morocco) your personal experiences with life and documented. Ghana can boast of about fifty (50) language to help you understand the poems languages with much more dialects. And every you are reading. In effect, you are recreating language group has diverse forms of arts, of which the work in your own way through the poetry is no exception.
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