POETRY IS THE HEART OF ART, SAYS SIR ERIATA DURING HIS INTERVIEW WITH CITADEL OF LIFE MEDIA

Question:

Sir how do your find a mentor as a poet ?  Someone to train you






Reply:

I started writing poetry in pidgin English. I was my mentor until I started writing poetry in English language. It was then I shared my works with the current President, Association of Nigerian Authors (ANA), Denja Abdullahi. He should be appreciated for being the very first person who showed seriousness in my works and guided me accordingly on the way forward.





Question:

Generally, both the English Poetry and the Naija Language puem dem, when did you started writing poetry.




Reply:

 I started writing poetry in my secondary school day.

However, poetry writing consciously for me started in Abuja, Nigeria sometime in 2006



Question:

At times, people write poems and we think it doesn't look like one, WHAT IS THE RUDIMENT OF POETRY, SIR? What makes a work a good poem?




Reply:

 Every beginner poetry writer doesn't see his or her poem as a poem until encouraged to do so. Meanwhile, the rudiments of poetry writing rests on the consciousness and ability of the poet to deploy poetic features or devices as some would want to address it.




Question:

Wow! Thanks for that concise answer Sir.

_To finally drive the point home, Sir, what is/are the chief POETIC DEVICE OR FEATURES one can employ in one's work to make it meet up with the qualitative works?_




Reply:

Talking on poetic features and those to use, I will simply say they come handy depending on situations. Meanwhile, all are ok. None should be deliberately recommended.

Question:

How well can a page poet win a poetry slam? What are the important steps to take Sir




Reply:

 Every slam/poetry challenge has its rules or guidelines. Poetry reading isn't poetry performance. A page poet as you want to call it, has the chance if the rules are so spelt out in such a way that the page poet would be considered differently. Meanwhile, I page poet could win if he performs his poem like a performance poet. A slam is a poetry challenge demonstrated on stage.



Question:

What are the necessary imageries and figure of speech to be used in a poetically written prose



Reply:

 None recommends poetic features or devices. As earlier mentioned, they are deployed as at when necessary. Poetically written prose is a prose work written brevity; conscious of embellishing it with poetic features. In this case, reading the work would tell any reader that, it was not just a prose work, it was one carefully written to prove a solid point for creativity. Don't forget that, poetry is the heart of art.


It's not a compulsion to have a Pen name. Personally, I dislike it. I want my name to be me, and me till eternity.


Eradicating plagiarism is likened to eradicating corruption. Not possible. We can only check against it or work towards reducing it. How do we do this? The writer should always sign off his or her work. And keep good records of drafts in such a way that, they could be easily retrieved in evidence.


Which platform do you desire that you are not getting? This is a wild remark. Look out for platforms. They are all over and non debars you from making the best use of them.