THE POEMS IN 82ND DIVISION, written in various poetic forms such as the villanelle, sonnet, blues poem, duplex, ode, and dramatic monologue, among many others, are collectively a love song to the author's native Nigeria-a former British colony. In the book, whose title poem chronicles the lives of West African soldiers who fought alongside the British in World War II, Aderibigbe examines his homeland's colonized past with brutal clarity and striking musicality, and considers how this past continues to shape every facet of his life and contemporary Nigerian life-be it the holidays that are celebrated, the preferred language of interaction among peers and friends, how a mother expresses love to her child, or the type of movies and snacks consumed.
Beyond its thematic unity, lustrous language, and formal virtuosity, this sparkling collection is tied together by Aderibigbe's graceful exploration of the humanity of the people, landscape, and histories that populate the book's pages.
