When Shall We Restore Our Humanity? A Dialogue of Poetics with Carl Terver

Abstract

In this extensive dialogue, Tolulope Oke engages Carl Terver, his personal and intellectual sensibilities, and the socio-political undercurrents that inform his poetics. As a poet, critic, and editor, Carl embodies a literary restlessness that reflects the turbulence of contemporary Nigeria. His poetics, characterized by sharp wit, biting irony, and an unflinching engagement with existential, historical and present-day struggles, position him as a vibrant voice in contemporary Nigerian/African poetry. Carl’s poetry thrives on juxtaposition, humour and despair, the sacred and the profane, nostalgia and disillusionment etc. These contrasts are not incidental but reflective of the fragmented nature of the postmodern human condition. His poetry resists closure, favouring ambiguity and an open-ended pursuit of meaning that never fully resolves, allowing readers multiple interpretive entries. Beyond his versatility, his poems reinforce that which is poetry’s crux: to provoke and challenge us to restore our humanity. This conversation delves into his creative process, influences, and the tensions that animate his writing, particularly in his two collections: For Girl at Rubicon (2020) and Everyone I know is ripe in plumage (2023). This dialogue was conducted as an online exchange over a period of several weeks starting in December 2024.