{"product_id":"born-in-lockdown-tolu-a-akinyemi-9781913636289","title":"Born in Lockdown","description":"\u003cp\u003ePoets have always had the capability to travel inward - to create something out of the chaos of their inner world.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIt is why poetry is said to be cathartic, for through it, the poet eases himself of his burdens.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eBut beyond that, poetry is also a tool for reflection. Oh, poetry cannot be stuffed into a single purpose for it is the expression of human emotions in line and verse, in styles and forms, rhymes and metres. And so, it acts has a way for the poet to transmit what he sees, thinks and feels in his inner world, those abstractions, into something tangible.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eStuck at home in the loud silence inflicted by a lockdown, where does the poet turn to? What does he turn to? His inner world?\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eTolu' Akinyemi's Born in Lockdown is a collection of poetry birthed in such a traverse. The poems explore the pandemic and lockdown, and the myriad feelings, effects and reactions it birthed.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe collection begins with a declaration of the poet's utter despair: \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThere is a pandemic in my head, \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eraging like boiling water.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThere is a war in my mind, \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003etugging at the deepest part of my soul.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThere is a thunderstorm in my heart, \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003ewreaking havoc like it is doomsday.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eAt each flip of the page, you come across poems that are either personal or reflective, or poems that are querying in tone. On how the pandemic disrupts intimacy, Tolu' wrote: \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eYour love in my heart was innocent\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eand untainted\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003euntil COVID crept in\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eand the veil of deceit was lifted.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eWhat's appealing about this collection is the simplicity of Tolu's style and the softness of his metaphors. His similes and imagery are like the vivid strokes of an artist on canvas; they're not ambiguous. You read lines like: \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe silence in this house is eating me up like termites ravaging wood.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThis is poetry - minimalist, yet pronounced in what the poet was able to use simple words to achieve.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIn this collection, Tolu' has proven himself a master of language, using words to weave moods and emotions. You oscillate between the heaviness of loneliness to the grief of a wrecked relationship to the hope of vaccines that will save the world. This collection promises you a titillating experience.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAuthor:\u003c\/b\u003e Tolu' a. Akinyemi\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN-10:\u003c\/b\u003e 1913636283\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN-13:\u003c\/b\u003e 9781913636289\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublisher:\u003c\/b\u003e Roaring Lion Newcastle Ltd\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eLanguage:\u003c\/b\u003e English\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublished:\u003c\/b\u003e 09\/08\/2021\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePages:\u003c\/b\u003e 90\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eFormat:\u003c\/b\u003e Paperback\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eWeight:\u003c\/b\u003e 0.23lbs\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eSize:\u003c\/b\u003e 8.00h x 5.00w x 0.22d","brand":"Tolu' a. Akinyemi","offers":[{"title":"Paperback","offer_id":48519627145471,"sku":"9781913636289","price":9.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0662\/2982\/9887\/files\/img_1e6b4fe6-763a-41e4-a16a-768b0fd619b5.jpg?v=1778737880","url":"https:\/\/www.whiterainbookhouse.com\/products\/born-in-lockdown-tolu-a-akinyemi-9781913636289","provider":"WR Book House","version":"1.0","type":"link"}