Love is a complex subject. Its eclectic nature makes it an integral theme in philosophy, religion, social and nationalistic allegiances and interpersonal relationships. Oftentimes, it is difficult to differentiate between love and lust, between love for one’s race and hatred for others. This polarity gives room for debate, thus opening acceptable views of love to questioning. For instance, central to the Christian faith is the concept of love, a sacrificial love for a noble idea. Shakespeare’s famous epic love story, Romeo and Juliet, is a celebration of romantic love, while Soyinka’s Elesin Oba, is a dichotomy between self-love and duty – a suicidal undertaking for communal bliss. In Romeo and Juliet, love is treated as infatuation, a cause of mental illness and ultimately death. For love, Romeo was willing to kill and to die, a sharp contrast with Elesin Oba, whose love for life and pleasure makes him question the honor of his family in dying to preserve the throne.
Olaniyi Ololade Moses’ approach to the subject of love provides a unique insight the reader will find instructive and illuminating. It is naïve for any poet to treat love as the emblem of romantic sanctity without delving into the many shades that have love at the root, including the aftermath of love. This author makes serious effort at showing that love could be desirable but destabilizing at the same time.
This work weaves a fine tapestry from an old rag of a theme with freshness and fervor that begs for repeated read. Flames of Love captures the essence of love with its multiple sidedness! The reader will find this collection an important companion in unraveling the ever-elusive love!
Title: Flames of Love
Author: Olaniyi Ololade Moses
Publisher: ACEworld Publishers
Format: PDF
Pages: 42
File size: 450kb
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