One-Clause Sentence as a Style Marker in the Poetry of Ebi Yeibo

Abstract

This paper investigates the stylistic use of one-clause sentences in the poetry of Ebi Yeibo, with a particular focus on how such seemingly simple structures convey complex socio-political realities of the Niger Delta and Nigeria as a whole. The study is motivated by the recognition that African poets often turn to pared-down linguistic forms not only for aesthetic effect but also to capture the immediacy of lived experience in societies troubled by poverty, corruption, and unstable governance. Yeibo’s one-clause sentences, though grammatically elementary, often resonate with layered meanings that point to a fractured national identity and the burdens borne by marginalized communities. The research adopts a descriptive and interpretive approach. Twenty poems were purposively selected from two of Yeibo’s collections—Shadows of the Setting Sun and A Song for Tomorrow. Within these texts, twenty one-clause sentences were identified and subjected to analysis using insights from Halliday’s Systemic Functional Grammar. The framework allows for the exploration of sentence constituents—Subject, Predicator, Complement, and Adjunct—and how their deployment builds not only syntactic clarity but also semantic weight. By examining patterns such as //S/P/C//, //S/P/A//, and //S/P/C/A//, the study highlights the poet’s deliberate recourse to brevity as a stylistic marker that mirrors political fragmentation and human suffering. Findings reveal that Yeibo’s one-clause sentences are more than linguistic minimalism; they operate as rhetorical tools that dramatize neglect, betrayal, and resistance. Their economy of expression underscores clarity, urgency, and accessibility, while simultaneously foregrounding the tragic contradictions of Nigeria’s democracy. The paper concludes that Yeibo’s poetic strategy offers a subtle but powerful critique of governance and national development, demonstrating how stylistic choices can become instruments of social commentary.