Outline of the Proposed Book

Outline of the Proposed Book,
Complete Poetry: for Students and Writers
by
Senator Ihenyen

This detailed outline is meant to give you a clear idea of my book project. I have, as fully as possible, used a well- structured pattern which you can follow easily. I shall be humbly looking forward to any possible interest from you. Thank you!

The Project
Name of Author: Senator I. Ihenyen

1. Proposed title:The proposed title of the book is Complete Poetry: for Students and Writers.

1.1 Brief description of the project background of the project
Previously, I, with a colleague, Opeyemi Ogundele, as co-founders of Apollo International, an internet-based literary group founded by me in 2004 designed the Apollo Literary/Educational Project. Our aim was to provide a syllabus-based Literature-in-English text for the students seeking admission into higher institutions. The “Sprit of Poetry: the Apollo Series”, a book I authored with contributions from my colleague, was the result of project. However, this project did not see the light of the day owing to lack of funds as the publishing arrangement was to have it funded by the organisation. Apollo International has since been defunct.

Today, Complete Poetry: for Students and Writers, the book being proposed, is a personal initiative of mine, Senator Ihenyen. Having involved myself in highly intensive and extensive research since 2007 with the attempt at making the book meet the required academic standard, Complete Poetry: for Students and Writers, is the proposed study book for the genre of poetry is a complete departure from the aforementioned Apollo manuscript, written by me.

1.2 Project Scope
The tentatively titled book, Complete Poetry: for Students and Writers, is a comprehensive and student-friendly textbook based on poetry, one of the genres of Literature. Distinctively, it is a book essentially written with a literary approach, as poetry is by nature a literary art. As a practicing creative writer with special interest in poetry writing and literary research, the proposed book is a unique one. The content is a unity of academic excellence with literary creativity, which approaches poetry critically and creatively. Therefore, as an academic textbook written with a literary approach to poetry, a genre which is generally regarded as the most difficult genre of literature, its scope is a broad one.

Briefly, the book is divided into three interrelating sections: Introduction to the Body and Parts of Poetry, Elements of the Body of Poetry, and Reading, Writing and Approaching Poetry. Section A: Introduction to the Body and Parts of Poetry contains Chapter One and Two where poetry is discussed as a body of literature with its nature, definitions, sources, use, including an insight into poets and poetry; and the types of poetry with illustrations are discussed to some detail with emphasis on the difference between a type of poetry and a form of poetry. The three major elements of poetry are closely treated in the whole of Section B: Elements of the Body of Poetry. Approaching these elements as the mind, ears and the eyes that capture imagery, sound and form in poetry respectively, figures of speech and other literary devices, sound devices or figures of sound, and the major forms of English poetry – sonnet, blank verse, ballad and the free verse are all covered.

Lastly, Section C: Reading, Writing and Approaching Poetry comprehensively deals with the practical use of the literary skills acquired towards the adequate reading of poetry, and how to write and approach it. Thus, The Reader: Understanding and Appreciation of Poetry in Chapter 6 treats the step-by-step guide – comprehension, appreciation and judgment to reading poetry; while The Poet: Creative Writing Activities, a chapter you will find very valuable, is meant to help you creatively respond to poetry. This will involve poetry writing activities that will show how well you have been able to master the literary skills acquired in the previous chapters of this book. The major aim of this book is to bridge the gap between studying poetry as an academic exercise and poetry as a literary activity by involving both your critical and creative mind in the creation of poetry. You will find that this creative approach can greatly help to rapidly build your confidence in approaching poetry, sustained through poetry writing outside the classroom – stimulating your creative imagination towards a practical appreciation of poetry. You can greatly master poetic techniques by writing poetry!

Finally, Chapter 8, The Genesis: Periods in English Poetry, provides the reader with the rich material from which he or she can approach any given work of poetry in an informed and complete way. As clearly as possible, these periods are discussed from the Earliest English Poetry that started in 450 to the Anglo-Norman Period, the Later Middle Ages, the Renaissance in England, Neo-classical Period and the Romantic movement. Other periods include Victorian Poetry, the early 20th century Edwardian Period and Georgian Poetry, the later Modernist Period, Post-Modernism and finally, the 21st century Contemporary Poetry. At the end of the book, a concise handbook of less common poetic terms is included for reference.

While serving as an introduction to poetry for Literature-in-English students in the secondary school level, it also serves as a rich resource for the university student in the Introduction to Poetry course and related courses for the English Language and Literature student. In this way, examinations such as the Senior School Certificate Examination (S.S.C.E.) and the General Certificate Examinations (G.C.E.) conducted by the West African Examination Council (W.A.E.C.), including those of the National Examinations Council (N.E.CO.), and the Universities Matriculations Examinations (U.M.E) and Monotechnics and Polytechnics Certificate Examination (M.P.C.E) are covered. The Literature-in-English candidate for A-Level G.C.E. will also find the book invaluable.

Apart from being closely targeted on the examination, the proposed book will also be of immense usefulness and guide to creative writers who need a sound understanding and appreciation of poetic techniques. Again, the literary approach of the book takes care of the academic reader as well as the creative reader, with the general reader in view. In this way, the book seeks to satisfy both academic and literary needs as it will bridges the seeming wide gap between poetry as a subject of critical study and poetry as a creative and imaginative work.

1.3 Project’s Proposed Content
The proposed book will be broadly divided into two sections, each containing a number of chapters based on the interrelationship of the various topics to be discussed in detail. These sections with their constituent chapters will include:

Section A: Introduction to the Body and Parts of Poetry

Chapter One: The Body of Poetry
Chapter Two: The Parts: Types of Poetry
Section B: Elements of the Body of Poetry
Chapter Three: The Mind: Imagery in Poetry
Chapter Four: The Ears: Sound in Poetry
Chapter Five: The Eyes: Form in Poetry
Secition C: Reading, Writing and Approaching Poetry
Chapter Six: The Reader: Understanding and Appreciation of Poetry
Chapter Seven: The Poet: Creative Writing Exercises
Chapter Eight: Genesis: Periods in English Poetry
Handbook of Selected Poetic Terms

1.4 Chapter by Chapter Synopsis of the Project’s Content and Main Arguments

Section A: Introduction to the Body and Parts of Poetry

In this section, the reader will be introduced to the whole body of poetry as one of the genres of literature, and also treat the various types of poetry, under broad types such as narrative poetry, dramatic poetry and lyric poetry which in turn have their sub-types – the sub-types, sonnet, ode, elegy etc, under the broad type, lyric poetry.

Chapter One: The Body of Poetry
It opens with a structured introduction of the chapter and its objectives, including a sample poem which contains the central elements of poetry to give the reader a sense of focus and stimulate his poetic sensibilities as well. It introduces the reader to the whole body of poetry as one of the genres of literature. Therefore, a close look will be taken at the nature of poetry as a distinct body of Literature The chapter starts in earnest with a broad view of what literature is, taking a brief look at the constituent genres of prose, poetry and drama.

This is followed with a discussion on the nature of poetry, and a close look at some of the various definitions of poetry which focus on different aspect of poetry and its meaning.
It is the conviction of the author that to fully understand and appreciate poetry, the reader must understand the poet. This is because the poet is the creator of the work, thus, the sub-topic, Poets and Poetry: Who is a Poet? How the internal and external experiences of poets function in the creative process is thus discussed to some detail. Also, the various sources of poetry such as nature, the interrelationship of man and nature, between man and man, religion and spirituality and other sources are discussed; and how poetry can be effectively distinguished from the other genres of literature ends the chapter.

Chapter Two: The Parts: Types of Poetry
The chapter, as it is structured under each chapter of the book, starts with an introduction and set objectives. Based on shape, design, or constituent features, the body of poetry comes in different types. The opening paragraph attempts a classification of the various kinds of poetry based on qualities and features, as distinguished from their forms, which refers to the shape of a poem, the arrangement of its lines or how a poem visually looks like. Therefore, based on this classification, the types of English poetry are discussed in detail with appropriate poems serving as illustrations.

Apart from dramatic poetry, the types of poetry include the specific types, such as the epic and the ballad under the broad-type, narrative poetry; the elegy, dirge, ode and the sonnet under lyrical poetry, and other relatively minor types such as pastoral poetry, dramatic monologue, the prothalamion, the epithalamion and the panegyric poem. Some light is also thrown on satiric poetry, which is although regarded as a fourth type of poetry in some other materials, only has a distinct nature which can fall under the other three types of poetry. This is because a lyric poem based on a public subject, for instance, can have a satiric tone, which can also be the case with narrative and dramatic poetry.

Section B: Elements of the Body of Poetry

In this section, the three elements of poetry, imagery, sound and form will be closely examined. Approached as the parts of the body of poetry, these elements are the essential features of poetry. They paint pictures, create music and evolve patterns in poetry.

Chapter Three: The Mind: Imagery in Poetry
After a general introduction of the chapter with its objectives, what follows is an illustrative poem with a predominant use of the element of imagery in poetry. In a reader-friendly way, the meaning of imagery is discussed, and how the very essential element functions in poetry mainly to create beauty and sensory appeal. Perhaps the most essential element of poetry which greatly appeals to the mind to create meaning, the chapter contains a comprehensive discussion on the use of figurative language and figures of speech, such as simile, metaphor, personification, metonymy, synecdoche, hyperbole, etc., with adequate illustrations.

However, on the premise of a distinction drawn between figures of speech and literary devices in poetry, such terms as paradox, irony, pun, euphemism, apostrophe, oxymoron, antithesis, ellipsis, rhetorical questions etc, are more appropriately termed literary devices in poetry or poetic techniques. The main reason for this separate categorisation is centred on the fact that figures of speech are essentially image-driven tropes or rhetoric, whilst literary devices in poetry are basically and exclusively a function of the creative use of language. These literary devices in poetry are also discussed in appreciable detail with illustrations.

Chapter Four: The Ears: Sound in Poetry
Opening with the usual structure of the introduction and objectives of the chapter, the reader’s sense of sound is stimulated with a poem that creates a musical appeal with an effective use of sound devices. Sound in poetry appeals to the ears. When there is any sound around us, it is our ears that sense it. It is treated as one of the essential elements of poetry, which involves the use of various sound devices such as alliteration, assonance, consonance, repetition, parallelism, refrain and onomatopoeia (figures of sound). Rhythm, a sound technique which involves the metrical arrangement of lines in poetry is discussed in detail, including rhyme and its various types.

The distinction between figures of speech and literary techniques in poetry as discussed in Chapter Three and sound devices such as alliteration, onomatopoeia, etc is also drawn here. Thus, these sound devices are categorised as what could be correctly termed figures of sound. Although a strict definition of figures of speech will include these sound devices, this has been deliberately avoided so that such unclear and indistinct constructions would not result in confusion on the part of the reader, especially the student, – as is often so.

After highlighting the general functions of sound in poetry, each sound device is discussed in detail with appropriate examples mostly sourced from poems. The chapter also contains a discussion on rhythm, a musical flow consisting of metrical beats, pulse and movement. The meaning of metre and the types of metrical lines based on the number of feet contained in the particular line of poetry such as, monometer, dimetre, trimetre, tetrametre, pentameter, etc are outlined and stated.
Also, the metrical feet commonly used in English poetry are also identified: iambic metre, trochaic metre, spondee, anapaest and dactyl meter etc. A detailed illustration of how these metrical types and patterns in the lines of poetry can be identified is also provided. Finally, rhyme and its various types, such as masculine rhyme, feminine rhyme, polysyllabic rhyme, half rhyme, internal rhyme and end rhyme are treated.

Chapter Five: The Eyes: Form in Poetry
So titled because t is concerned with what is seen (the eyes), and not what we feel (mind: imagery) nor hear (ears: sound), this chapter is based on the element of form in poetry. A conscious attempt at distinguishing the forms of poetry from the types of poetry is made based on a proper classification. Since form implies some kind of definiteness or coherence, the visual dimension of a poem or the layout of words on the page of a paper, the major forms in English poetry discussed include the sonnet, the blank verse, the ballad and the free verse.

Ordinarily, based on their quality and content, some of these forms may also be classified as the sub-types of poetry, such as sonnet in lyric poetry, and ballad in narrative poetry. But it is argued in the proposed book that it is the predominant feature of these poems that largely determines their classification as each may have a certain quality or feature that may also be appropriately described as a characteristic of a type of poetry.

The various forms of English poetry are each discussed, with detailed illustrations. Based on the particular rhyme pattern used, the three basic types of sonnet in English poetry and their distinctive features are discussed – the Italian or Petrarchan sonnet, the English or Shakespearean sonnet, and the Spenserian sonnet with examples of each. Also, discussed with examples are the rhyming and usually metrically-arranged ballad, the metrical but unrhymed blank verse and the free-flowing free verse. Under free verse, different variations of unconventional poems are discussed, including its close relationship with concrete poetry, which forms original and fresh visual shapes to create certain aesthetic expressions.

Section C: Reading, Writing and Approaching Poetry

Under this section, the reader will be introduced to the reading skills, critical and creative, that is required to fully understand and appreciate any poem that he may come across. The reader will also be required to creatively respond to poetry by attempting poetry writing exercises, and lastly, he will be introduced to the various periods in English poetry to greatly enhance his understanding and appreciation of poetry in a complete way.

Chapter Six: The Reader: Understanding and Appreciation of Poetry
To enhance the reader’s understanding and appreciation of poetry, he must be a good reader. The general approach required in critically and creatively responding to poetry, seen or unseen, is fully discussed in this chapter. It begins with the usual chapter introduction and objectives. Using the four basic methods of comprehension, appreciation and judgment, attempt is made to present a step-by-step way of responding to seen and unseen poetry. A conscious effort is made in the book not to present poetry as a subject that can be approached too scientifically. This is because as long as it may be helpful to confine the student to the step-by-step ways in which seen and unseen poetry must be approached, it basically serves as a general guide to fully understanding and appreciating them.

Thus, each of the three basic methods is practically discussed: Comprehension involves the process involved in understanding the meaning of given literary work. The level of comprehension is the denotative meaning of the words and phrases used in the work. Also all the elements and figurative language identified in the careful course of reading must be appreciated – appreciation stage. Appreciation covers the clear identification of these elements and their interpretations. With materials sourced from the interrelating stages of comprehension, appreciation Judgment, the third stage discussed, involves pointing out the functions and effects of the techniques or devices that have been identified in the appreciation stage with a close look at the subject-matter, the theme, the poetic devices employed, the mood and tone, and diction of a selected poem. Throughout the discussion of the above methods, adequate illustrations are provided.

Chapter Seven: The Poet: Creative Writing Exercises
It starts with the outline of chapter introduction and objectives. The chapter contains a practical application of literary skills discussed in the previous chapters. This practical application is by means of poetry writing exercises targeted at testing the reader’s level of poetry understanding and appreciation. However, because poetry involves an intelligent and imaginative response, the reader will also be asked to write a poem as a form of response to the work studied. This is to be called the Poetry Writing Exercise which, inter alia, underscores the unique literary approach of this proposed book. The poems that have been written by highly established poets whose works are relatively more accessible to students and the general reader will be used as the inspiring source behind the poetry writing exercises.

This creative approach to poetry can greatly help the reader unlock his imaginative mind while also keeping his critical mind awake. It is meant to deepen the reader’s understanding and appreciation of poetry through the application of literary skills such as figures of speech and sound, including literary devices; help him develop his creative mind through the imaginative expression of beauty, thoughts and emotions through poetry, thus bridging the gap between studying poetry as an academic exercise and poetry as a literary activity by involving both your critical and creative minds in the creation of poetry.
Thus, creative writing is discussed in the chapter. Poetry writing tips are also outlined and explained, before the Poetry Writing Exercises, are given. And finally, a useful Poetry Check-list which helps the reader take another look at such areas like the subject-matter, theme, diction, tone/mood etc. Altogether, I believe this approach can help the reader better appreciate poetry as a mode of expressing powerful emotions, not just a technical and boring academic exercise.

Chapter Eight: The Genesis: Periods in English Poetry
This chapter traces and discusses, with illustrations, periods in poetry. It is the considered view of the author that if the reader is able to trace a given poem to a particular time in literary history, he can generally have a better understanding and appreciation of a given poem. In this way, the basic material he needs to approach poetry in an informed way is provided, thus making the reader a critic. Usually, poets either write within a pre-existing literary convention, or an existing convention, or decide to create new forms of creative expression through experimentations. The drive behind this is the continual search for a language most suitable to the individual expressive needs of the poet from one generation to another over the centuries that gradually become the stages in the development of poetry written in English.
In this chapter, therefore, the reader will be introduced to the various periods in English poetry. Having a good idea of how the whole body of English poetry has developed from one stage to another will greatly enhance your understanding and appreciation of poetry in a complete way. The chapter will, as clearly as possible, discuss these periods from the Earliest English Poetry that started in 450 to the Anglo-Norman Period, the Later Middle Ages, the Renaissance in England, the Neo-classical Period and the Romantic movement. Other periods include Victorian Poetry, the early 20th century Edwardian Period and Georgian Poetry, the later Modernist Period, Post-Modernism and finally, the 21st century Contemporary Poetry.

2. Market and Competition
2.1 Primary Market: most research into the study of Literature-in-English at the secondary level in Nigeria, as conducted by reading clubs, shows that most students find the genre of poetry more difficult and consequently inaccessible and boring. And this is not totally different at the tertiary level of education. I have traced this problem to the unavailability of student-friendly academic Literature textbooks essentially written with a literary approach towards the highly creative and imaginative subject, particularly the genre of poetry. Where available, such books are usually inaccessible to the reader, particularly students.

Therefore, the primary market for this proposed project includes Nigeria and other English-speaking West African countries. In terms of size, it can be estimated that based on the over 1 million candidates that enrolled for the Universities Matriculations Examinations (U.M.E.) in Nigeria during the 2008/2009 session, about 25% are Literature-in-English students. Students in the sub-region also seat for other examinations such as the Senior Secondary School Certificate Examinations (S.S.S.C.E) and the General Certificate Examinations (G.C.E) both independently conducted by the National Examination Council (N.E.C.O) in Nigeria, and the West African Examination Council (W.A.E.C); including the A-Level examinations.

As a study text basically written for Literature-in-English students, a compulsory subject for Art students in the secondary school, it has a vibrant market. Apart from this, at the tertiary level, while the proposed book will be useful to the English Language nd Literature student at various levels in the universities, other undergraduate students at their 1st year in related Departments and sometimes other Faculties are not usually excluded. Based on facts and figures from the University of Benin, Benin City, Edo State, Nigeria for instance, about 200 students in their 1st year in the Faculty of Law compulsorily borrow the Introduction to Poetry course, apart from the over 250 students in the English and Literature Department at that level. In this aspect, the proposed book will be substantially suitable for the whole course.
2.1.2 Secondary Markets: the secondary market that exists includes creative writers interested in the genre of poetry, teachers and lecturers of Literature-in-English and Introduction to Poetry courses respectively. It also includes the library market and the general reader. In terms of market location, the content of the book will also be invaluable to all English-speaking countries of the world, particularly markets where English poetry is studied. I this way, the needs of the international reader can also be met by the book, Complete Poetry: for Students and Writers.

2.2 Competition
The publications mentioned here are not really direct competitors, but what the primary and secondary reader may be using or buying at the moment:
Boulton M. J., The Anatomy of Poetry (revised ed.), London, Routledge & Keegan Paul
Reeves, J., Understanding Poetry, London, Heinemann, 1965
Graham D., Introduction to Poetry, London, Oxford University Press, 1968;
Lawrence Perrine, Sound and Sense: An Introduction to Poetry, Heinle&Heinle, 2004;
Barry Spur, Studying Poetry (2nd ed), Palgrave Macmillan, 2006; and
Tom Furniss & Mike Bath, Reading Poetry: An Introduction, Longman, 2007.
Egudu, R.N., The Study of Poetry, Ibadan, University Press, 1979.
Exam Focus Series: Literature in English, Ibadan, University Press Plc.

3. Key Benefits of the Proposed Project over Other Publications
It is believed that the key benefits of the proposed book that would persuade other readers to buy it include but not limited to the following:

While the overtly academic approach to poetry as a genre of Literature in most of the other publications in the market fail to adopt a literary and creatively-involved approach to the study of poetry, the proposed book, Complete Poetry: for Students and Writers, has been specially written with this need in mind. Thus, it can develop the genuine interest of the average reader, rather than making the study of poetry a technical and boring exercise; or worse still, turning the reader to a master of techniques without imagination.
The proposed study text also has the key benefit of demystifying poetry amongst students and readers by stimulating their creative imaginations towards a practical appreciation of the elements of poetry and its techniques. One of the ways of ensuring this is the provision of the Poetry Writing Exercise, which is an engaging activity that is aimed at encouraging the reader to master poetic techniques by writing poetry.
Also, the aspect of literary appreciation relating to seen and unseen poetry is to be adequately covered in the proposed book. Over and above most of the other publications that usually fail to treat this essential part in detail, the whole of Chapter Six will be dedicated to this.

Another key benefit is the conscious marriage of the creative and critical skill involved in the understanding and appreciation of poetry. Thus, the proposed book will be a well-researched material resource for the academically-minded, while the literary-minded reader is also taken care of. And a reader, especially the student, who acquires both skills is most likely to perform better when examined. Of course, the general reader is also better placed to approach poetry in an informed manner.

As a study text with a literary approach, the proposed book will also serve the need of creative writers, especially poets, who need to develop their writing skills. This need can be met with the content of the whole book, not forgetting Chapter Seven, which particularly treats creative writing in the genre of poetry, while providing Poetry Writing Exercises and a useful poetry check-list.

Complete Poetry: for Students and Writers also contains a handbook of selected poetic terms. Containing relatively uncommon terms, these terms would be useful to the student and the general reader for reference purposes.

The proposed book is written by a creative writer, whose main genre is poetry. I have been writing mainstream poetry having gotten familiar with the art and technique of poetry writing over the years. The author is also a young scholar, with hand-on teaching experience in small poetry class groups in the University as a student of poetry, including my familiarity with the various experiences of students in the “difficult and boring” poetry classroom. Therefore, Complete Poetry: for Students and Writers could be described as a study text for the genre of poetry specially written by a practicing poet for students and writers who need an introduction to poetry in a complete way.

4. Additional Information

4.1 How Long the Proposed Book is Expected to be (in pages): about 160 pages.
4.2 Illustration: None.

5 Features

5.1 Poetry Writing Exercises: because poetry involves an intelligent and imaginative response, the reader will also be asked to write poems as a form of creative response to the poems analysed, using the particular style predominantly used in the poem under study. This feature, inter alia, mainly underscores the unique literary approach of this proposed book, as it is meant to stimulate the creative imagination of the reader, while also mastering poetic techniques through the practical application of critical skills. The Poetry Writing Exercises will only be contained in Chapter Seven of the proposed book (The Poet: Creative Writing Exercises).

5.3 Glossary: as stated earlier, the proposed book will also contain a handbook of selected poetic terms at the end of the book.

6. Delivery of Final Typescript
Work had since begun on the proposed book back in 2007. With the progress being made on the manuscript so far, I am through with all the said chapters of the proposed book. What I am currently working on is the glossary which will contain some selected poetic terms and the index. I greatly hope that upon the publisher’s favourable consideration of my proposal to enter a publishing contract with me, copyright issues will be taken care of as relevant citations were made in the text. With this progress, it is expected that the final typescript is deliverable within two weeks of demand.

7.1 The Author
Name (s): Senator I. Ihenyen
Job Title: Creative writer, Literary Researcher.
Tel No: 234-8067351417
E-mail add: senatorihenyen@yahoo.co.uk
Website: http://www.senatorihenyen.wordpress.com

7.2 Brief Outline of Author’s Information

Senator Iyere Ihenyen is a Nigerian poet and writer born in Lagos, but hails from Esan-West L.G.A., Ekpoma, Edo State, Nigeria. He writes poetry, short fiction and engages in literary research. In 2006, he was recognised by a U.K-based organisation, Outspoken, as “one of the significant voices in Africa pushing the boundaries of contemporary African Literature”. The late and respected Nigerian editor and critic, Okey Okpa of Coast2Coast Publishing in Lagos, who was his editor had described the author as his “future Poet Laureate” in 2008.
He is the author of the volume of poems, Colourless Rainbow: Poetry of My Childhood (Coast2Coast, Lagos, 2011).

The author was the initiator of the defunct Apollo Writers Online, an internet-based literary group founded to stimulate and promote literary creativity by sharpening poetry writing skills and providing publishing opportunities to new writers. He was also the Project Coordinator of the literary/educational project, designed by the body, aimed at providing a series of standard and quality Literature-in-English textbooks in 2004.

While some of Senator Ihenyen’s poems have been published in local dailies in Nigeria such as the Daily Times, New Age and Business Times, his early works have also been featured in international anthologies published by Poetry Stop, Canada, the U.S.-based Voices Network, where his poetry has been given special international recognition, and more recently Literatur ad Art, Barcelona, among others. His poetry has over the years been widely introduced to readers, especially on the Internet.

Currently in the final year of his full time Law Degree programme at the University of Benin, Benin City, Edo State, Nigeria, Ihenyen has been developing his interest in Literature-in-English over the years with intensive and extensive research. Leveraging on his poetry writing and literary research skills, including his experience as a student and English Literature tutor over the years, he has written “Complete Poetry: for students and Writers” to develop & sharpen the creative and critical skills of the reader towards the understanding and appreciation of poetry.

Note: no sample text of the book is included here. If you are interested in taking a look at a sample text of the proposed book, Complete Poetry: for Students and Writers, pls you can always contact me at senatorihenyen@yahoo.co.uk