The Ideological Square and Transitivity in the Poetry of Remi Raji Oyelade

Abstract

This article examines the ideological square and transitivity in the poetry of Remi Raji with a view to revealing the interconnectivity of language and ideology essential for understanding well Raji ' s poetry. The theoretical framework combined van Dijk ' s approach to Critical Discourse Analysis and M.A.K. Halliday ' s transitivity framework. Data was obtained from eight poems which were purposively selected from three collections of poetry (Sea of My Mind, Lovesong from my Wasteland and A Harvest of Laughters) by Remi Raji. Excerpts from the poems were subjected to a qualitative linguistic analysis. Van Dijk ' s Us/Them dichotomy, constructed via transitivity choices, manifested itself in Remi Raji ' s poetry. This was consolidated through the discursive strategy of exclusion and inclusion. There was a constant and systemic strategy of exclusion of the ruling class and their supporters in the poems. The poet and other members of the in-group were positively represented. A strong link exists between transitivity and ideology in Remi Raji ' s poetry.

Keywords: Remi Raji, ideological square, transitivity, Nigerian poetry