MIMESIS AND MEANING EXPLORATION IN GEORGE HERBERT'S AND NIYI OSUNDARE'S POETRY

ABSTRACT

This essay is on mimesis which means imitation, mimicking or miming. This mimicking is most times visualistic. The theory dated back to Plato's and Aristotle's period in 484-323BCE. During antiquity, the term, mimesis, refers, then, to something different, like NATURE, MUSIC, etc.. It should be known to any reader that mimesis is a theory on its own. So this paper would be exploring it, using five poems; three  from George Herbert's and two poems from Niyi Osundare's. George Herbert and Niyi Osundare have been able to pin point the ills in their society like: immoral practices e.g. people sinning against God; socio-political qualms; environmental degradation, etc. Their poems: "Easter Wings", "The Altar", "Sepulchre", "The Nigeria Railway" and "Rain-coming", have imitated through their shapes, the current state of event in the speaker’s mind and his society. Both poets through these poems, have been able to teach morals (utilitarianism) and to add to that, they have been able to achieve beauty (aesthetics).