MBEM MASK CHANTS AS POETRY: A BRIEF EXPOSÉ

This paper provides an introduction to the general mask tradition popular and common among the Igbo of South Eastern Nigeria. One of the features of the mmonwu type of masks is the chant; and this study makes a case for it to be viewed as poetry because it has been seen to contain poetic elements as the research proved. Being a hallowed, old, and revered tradition of the Igbo, its study will no doubt yield fruits of a rich, interesting and sublime corpus of poetry