Poetry and Ntuk’s ‘Torus of Verses’

Going through the book Torus of Verses – Anthology of Poems and Poetic Eulogies, I couldn’t help but notice something intriguing. It reminded me of another book by the same author, Kufre Ntuk, titled Tribe of the Wet Sun. What struck me was the author’s seamless transition from prose to poetry; it seemed as effortless as crossing a low-traffic expressway. Switching between prose and poetry isn’t always seamless. Prose has a conversational flow, while poetry often conveys an esoteric feel.

Ntuk seems to be more tended towards poetry for even when he puts his pen on prose, part of the tip drips poetry. Great poets seem like ethereal beings when one delves into their works because good poetry sounds like speaking in tongues. It doesn’t merely come across as a result of intellectual contemplation but rather like messages from a spiritual realm in the mind. William Wordsworth describes poetry as ‘the spontaneous overflow of powerful feelings which takes its origin from emotion recollected in tranquillity.’ It goes beyond the ordinary. 

Isaac Barrow views poetry as “a kind of ingenious nonsense”. This is because poetry often includes elaborate and exaggerated language and embellishments that can seem nonsensical unless the reader takes the time to explore further. Just like messages from the spiritual realm, some poetic pieces require interpretation, which may result in a different understanding than what the creator originally intended. However, some poems are simply eulogies when the poet becomes a praise singer.

In the preface, Ntuk acknowledges that unlike the straight prose writings which are easily understood and appreciated, poetry comes with attributes that sometimes generate contemplative and even negative dispositions. He blames the negative dispositions towards poetry on its classy and elevated language which makes understanding somewhat difficult and instinctively activates the virus of reading apathy that is fast numbing the hitherto reading fluidity in our society.

In spite of this, he felt it was necessary to pursue this path of communication because he believed that the spiritual fire that inspires speaking in tongues on contemporary life and events, which would have ignited the sensitivities of the youth and students, was rapidly losing its intensity and needed to be stoked. He hopes that the book will not only breathe new life and energy into the numbed veins of poetry, but also elevate its status to a position of honour and prominence, both as a pivotal genre of literature and as a profession with practitioners who can earn a decent and respectable living from it. He thus decided to run on a free-verse poetry lane.   

In Torus of Verses, Ntuk straddles the world of esoteric incantations and physical veneration of entities and those whom he appears to fancy. In some parts, it is a collection of sonorous vibes on personalities and swipe jibes at institutions. In most parts he stays with narratives of gratitude and in others omnitude and solitude. He tends to be dramatic in some instances and sombre in others. For instance the dramatic side of his art is depicted on 29 where he has “Rumble in Ruskra:”

Kpaaw! Kpaw!! Russion tanks fire kpaaw!

Kpoow! Kpoow!! Ukraine replies, kpoow!

It’s no fireworks but fire and fury!

Where the strong seeks the frail to bury.

On page 38 he venerates the “Afrobeat”, especially in the fourth verse:

Afrobeat is largely African, now more Nigerian.

It’s our beauteous bride for all, even seminarian.

Before now ‘twas other genre at the world stage,

Since Afrobeat the world ruled, those’re in cage.

But on pages 40 and 41, he takes a somewhat jibe at the “National Assembly”, as the first two verses read:

As the Vespasian colosseum, it stands out,

A fortress for eclectic men, motions and laws,

They come through an impassioned race,

A deadly election, we wonder, for what?

To serve, save, cage or enrage us?

To grow pot-belly and frightful whiskers?

Mr. Speaker, is yours a mace of honour

Or sausage of sacrilege and shame?

There is an unmistakable endeavour to accommodate rhyme and rhythm in every poem, even if not on every line. There is an indication that the author loves matching sounds to produce phonal lines – some bombastic, some figurative, some pure and simple. It is a book embellished with an assortment of Figures of Speech. 

The book contains 79 poems, with 28 covering various topics and 51 focusing on Nigerian icons and celebrities. The collection eulogises nearly everyone who has had the privilege of staying at the Hilltop Mansion in Uyo, business moguls and those in corporate boardrooms across Nigeria. Why that number of individuals? It is the author’s attempt at addressing a debilitating condition: the neglect of poetry. Quoting Adrian Mitchell, he noted that people ignore poetry because poetry itself ignores people. He observed that not many poems praise people for their worth; instead, they feed on their wiles.

An indigene of Akwa Ibom State, Ntuk gave 33 of the 51 eulogies to leaders of various persuasions in the state, including all the indigenous governors: Obong Victor Attah (1999 – 2007), Obong Godswill Akpabio (2007 – 2015) Deacon Udom Emmanuel (2007 – 2015) Pastor Umo Eno (current); and some prominent sons of the state including Senator Udoma Udo Udoma, Chief Assam Assam, Barrister Uwem Ekanem, Mr Nnamso Umoren, Obong Ufot Ekaette, Obong Chris Ekpenyong and Engr. Patrick Ekpotu, the last three having also served at different times as deputy governors of the state.

Outside his home state, the author eulogises the Noble Laureate, Wole Soyinka; the global entrepreneur, Aliko Dangote; business moguls like Femi Otedola, Mike Adenuga, Folorunsho Alakija, Tony Elumelu, Abdul Samad Rabiu, Jim Ovia, Nduka Obaigbena, the late Raymond Dokpesi and the soccer maestro, Jay Jay Okocha, among others. 

Among those touching on various topics are: God, The Poet, Africa, Too Green to Die, Ibibio, June 12, Benevolent Earth, Love letter to Love, Time is a Beggar, and Seasons Seed of Justice. There is a poem each for Afro beat, Soccer, Gun, Nollywood, Ikot Abasi, Woman, Church Sister, National Assembly, etc.

The book is composed of 12 pages of front matter and 135 pages of the subject matter, ending with an epilogue on “Poetry Lives” and endorsements by two knowledgeable persons who reviewed the manuscript before publication. The first 48 pages feature the anthology, 85 pages contain eulogies and one page each was for the epilogue and endorsements. Although the page numbering is consistent throughout most of the book, the last eight pages are inconsistent, resulting in a repetition of three items. Two pages have no numbers at all. Five pages are thus wasted, and yet the final page is numbered 136. 

The front cover features a simple design adorned with a rather intricate motif, an “ingenious nonsense” sophisticated enough for a poetry book. The entire cover is primarily gold and black on a white background. The back page has a simple design with a mug shot and brief profile of the author. The opening page is a silhouette of the front cover, with the addition of the publisher’s logo located at the bottom. The body text is printed in 10-point Georgia with 1.5 line spacing, making it easy on the eyes and fairly readable. However, the copyright and dedication pages (ii and iii respectively) are set in large point sizes, creating a scattered and distracting appearance. Although the book carries the copyright year 2023, it is still in the process of being formally presented to the public. 

The author has a background in law and international relations which may have enhanced his natural gift for using language, in a flowing and elegant manner. His writing is often richly adorned with aesthetic beauty. However, while he typically explains poetry-related issues, his language might also be accused of being too bombastic even in introductory explanations. 

The array of collections in Torus of Verses and the language employed to deliver them make the book an indispensable compendium for students of literature and related courses in secondary and tertiary institutions in Nigeria, and even for those who appreciate artistic excursions and are given to rich intellectual offerings.

Ntuk is a Customary Court judge with the Akwa Ibom State Judiciary and has two published books, one of which is Tribe of the Wet Sun, which provides a literary exploration of the historical origins of the Ibibio people of the Niger Delta region.

James is a Fellow of the Nigerian Guild of Editors.