THE FEMALE VOICE IN YORÙBÁ LITERARY SPACE: INTERROGATING GENDER AND POWER IN ÀRÌNPÉ ADÉJÙMỌ̀'S RÒ O RE POETRY

Abstract

Existing scholarship on Yorùbá literature often presents reductive portrayals of women as deceitful or unreliable. While some studies offer a balanced view, a significant gap remains in the analysis of how female writers construct female identity. This paper addresses this gap by examining the poetry of Arinpe Adejumo, a contemporary female poet, as a case study in feminist expression within the Yorùbá context. Focusing on her Rò o Re poetry collection, the study investigates how Adejumo employs poetic genre to challenge patriarchal norms. Utilizing feminism as the theoretical framework, the paper conducts a thematic and structural analysis of selected poems. The findings reveal that Adejumo's work is a deliberate advocacy for the equitable treatment of women within Yorùbá socio-cultural spheres. Far from reinforcing negative stereotypes, her poetry foregrounds women's agency and resilience, thereby countering their historical marginalization in literary representation. By giving voice to female experiences, Adejumo's Rò o Re poetry serves as a powerful tool for social commentary and the renegotiation of gender roles. The analysis demonstrates that her poems consistently advocate for what constitutes fair treatment for women, legitimized by the complex roles women play both in the texts and in society. This study contributes to the broader discourse on gender and literature by illuminating how a female Yorùbá poet uses indigenous poetic forms to articulate a vision of gender equity, thereby enriching both Yorùbá literary tradition and feminist literary scholarship in African contexts.