Abstract
This study examines the stylistic devices employed
in Agostinho Neto's poem Night with the aim of demonstrating how they
contribute to the poem's thematic and aesthetic significance. Guided by
Reader-Response Theory, the study adopts a qualitative textual analysis to
identify and interpret the major poetic devices used in the poem. The analysis
reveals that Neto makes extensive use of imagery, metaphor, personification,
symbolism, alliteration, assonance, hyperbole, and parallelism to portray the
realities of colonial oppression, human suffering, fear, resistance, and the
hope for liberation. These stylistic features not only enhance the artistic
quality of the poem but also deepen readers' understanding of its
socio-political message and emotional appeal. The study concludes that Night
is a powerful poetic expression of the African experience under colonial rule
and that Reader-Response Theory provides a useful framework for interpreting
the poem from the reader's perspective. It recommends further stylistic studies
of African poetry using contemporary literary theories to enrich literary
criticism and appreciation.
Keywords: Agostinho Neto; Night; Stylistics;
Reader-Response Theory; African Poetry.
DOI: 10.36349/sojolics.2026.v02i02.036
author/Sani Muhammad Abdulkadir
journal/Sokoto JOLICS 2(2) | August 2026 |
