Title: Whirlwind
Published:2020
Pagination: 39
Author: Jacinta Itohanoghosa Aihevba
Publisher: StepCraft Books
Reviewer: Chinyere Elizabeth Okoroafor
Jacintha Itohanoghosa Aihevba’s debut poem collection opens with the declaration, ‘As this as a that, ode and ballad brings colour to every fact, like condiments in a salad’.
Enthuasiatic statement like this indicates that the speaker appreciates these two types of classical poetry that is lyrical and sung in its respective forms.
Aihevba in her enthusiastic tone also mentions types of poetry, literary effects and types of poetry stanzas that excites her about poetry generally.
In the poem ‘Ode to the Poem’ the 17 year-old emerging poet also declares her absolute love for euphemism, hyperbole and litotes. Aihevba’s fascination of these figures of speeches comes from their usage and effects – the intriguing way euphemism softens an unpleasant situation, the amusing effect of hyperbole, and the roundabout way litotes is used to illustrate something.
The collection’s title, Whirlwind, references Aihevba thoughts on different subject matters – appreciation of poetry styles, figure of speeches, and, the distress situation in Nigeria. This combined with sober reflections on a wide range of topics, lend the collection a thought provoking piece, a tone of emotions on moral and social norms, speaking to your consciousness, calling for a new path. One in particular reads ‘Why’…
The speaker’s questions on why do people do evil and ugly things forgetting one of the best populary verses of the Bible ‘whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap’ and then asking why go ahead and do it.
Some of the poems are written in the writer’s favourite Sharespearean sonnet rhyme scheme. But the huge variety of Aihevba’s lyric and rhyming poems demonstrates her state of mind, and within the insightful collection, is a brief and simple poems challenging your consciousness to a level of responsibility in a social interaction and behaviour.
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