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Wole Soyinka

Wole Soyinka Quotes

Writer

Wole Soyinka is a renowned Nigerian writer, playwright, poet, and political activist. Born on July 13, 1934, in Abeokuta, Nigeria, Soyinka is known for his profound social commentary and critical literary works. His writings span various forms, including drama, poetry, and fiction, often exploring themes of race, class, colonialism, and African identity.

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All Thinking Knows Humans People Writing World Ifs Nigeria Corruption Political

Famous Wole Soyinka Quotes

“A tiger does not proclaim his tigritude, he pounces.”

Author:Wole Soyinka

“The writer is the visionary of his people... He anticipates, he warns.”

People Anticipate Visionaries

Author:Wole Soyinka

“Only 4 sets of people can vote for the PDP: (1) those who are intellectually blind; (2) those who are blinded by ethnicity; (3) those who are blinded by corruption and therefore afraid of the unknown, should power change hands; and finally (4) those who are suffering from a combination of the above terminal sicknesses.”

People Should Hands Suffering Vote Blind Corruption Combination Sickness Blinded Ethnicity Terminal

Author:Wole Soyinka

“One, a mass movement from within, which, as you know, is constantly being put down brutally but which, again, regroups and moves forward as is happening right now as we are speaking.”

Knows Moving Movement Right Now Mass Happenings Moving Forward

Author:Wole Soyinka

“Boko Haram represents the ultimate Fatwa of our time. The question is does the sect's Fatwa represent the articulated position of the majority of Muslims in this nation? My reading over the last few years is an unambiguous no. We are undergoing an affliction that many could not have imagined about a decade ago. Let us confront the ultimate horror now. To remain inactive at this moment is to betray our children and to consolidate the ongoing crimes against our humanity. We must take the battle to the enemy...We sent our children to school; we must bring them back to school.”

“We do not ask the mountain's aid to crack a walnut.”

Asks Mountain Aids Cracks Walnuts

Book:Selected poems

Source: Selected poems

“I began writing early - very, very early... I was already writing short stories for the radio and selling poems to poetry and art festivals; I was involved in school plays; I wrote essays, so there was no definite moment when I said, 'Now I'm a writer.' I've always been a writer.”

Writing Art Said Play Moments Stories School Involved Radio Selling Short Story Definite Essays Festivals School Plays Writing Short Writing Short Stories

Author:Wole Soyinka

“. . . as far as the regime is concerned, well, the play is sheer terror for them. Because they feel, How dare - how dare anybody lift his or her voice in criticism against us? We have the guns. Their level of paranoia and power-drunkenness is unbelievable.”

Feels Wells Play Voice Levels Gun Concerned Criticism Terror Dare Crafts Lifts Regimes Sheer Unbelievable Paranoia Drunkenness

Author:Wole Soyinka

“I know there are writers who get up every morning and sit by their typewriter or word processor or pad of paper and wait to write. I don't function that way. I go through a long period of gestation before I'm even ready to write.”

Knows Way Writing Long Waiting Morning Ready Periods Paper Function Get Up Crafts Every Morning Typewriters Pads Processors Gestation Gestation Period

Author:Wole Soyinka

“Under a dictatorship, a nation ceases to exist. All that remains is a fiefdom, a planet of slaves regimented by aliens from outer-space.”

Nations Space Planets Remains Slave Cease Aliens Dictatorship Outer Space All That Remains

Book:The Open Sore of a Continent: A Personal Narrative of the Nigerian Crisis

Source: The Open Sore of a Continent: A Personal Narrative of the Nigerian Crisis

“No man beholds his mother's womb Yet who denies it's there? Coiled To the navel of the world is that Endless cord that links us all To the great Origin. If I lose my way. The trailing cord will bring me to the roots.”

Ifs Men World Way Mother Loses Roots Deny Endless My Way Links Womb Cords Navel

Book:Six Plays

Source: Six Plays

“If man cannot, what god dare claim perfection?”

Ifs Men Perfection Claims Dare

Author:Wole Soyinka

“A human feast is an indifferent morsel to a god.”

Humans Perspective Indifferent

Book:Early Poems

Source: Early Poems

“Sadness is twilight's kiss on earth.”

Earth Sadness Sorrow Kissing Twilight

Author:Wole Soyinka

About the Author

Born: July 13, 1934
Known for: Writer
Quotes: 164

Related Topics

Thinking Knows Humans People Writing World Ifs Nigeria Corruption Political

Popular Topics

People Ifs Thinking Knows Men World Way Want Love Life Inspirational Needs Giving Feels Should Writing Trying Years Mind Firsts

Books & Sources

Climate of Fear: The Quest for Dignity in a Dehumanized WorldRelated source material

Collected PlaysRelated source material

Conversations with Wole SoyinkaRelated source material

Critical Perspectives on Wole SoyinkaRelated source material

Death and the King's HorsemanRelated source material

Early PoemsRelated source material

Selected poemsRelated source material

Six PlaysRelated source material

The Open Sore of a Continent: A Personal Narrative of the Nigerian CrisisRelated source material

You Must Set Forth at Dawn: A MemoirRelated source material

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