A PSYCHOANALYTIC EXEGESIS OF TRAUMA IN COVID-19 POETRY: ROBERTS, SMITHA AND ADIMORA-EZEIGBO IN PERSPECTIVE

Abstract

For thousands of years, pandemics have influenced human history, having a significant effect on economies, civilizations, and cultures. After first appearing in late 2019, the COVID-19 pandemic quickly spread over the world and affected almost every sphere of human existence. It has had a significant psychological and emotional impact in addition to its well-documented physical effects. Throughout history, poetry has functioned as a profound means of self-expression and a reservoir of collective memory, especially during times of crisis. The scope of this study is limited to analysing three poems written during or in  response to the COVID-19 outbreak. They are “Yellow Was Her Colour” by Linda Roberts (Canada), “Misery” by Smitha T. G. (India), and “Song of a Caged Bird” by Akachi Adimora-Ezeigbo (Nigeria). These poems, selected from published anthologies, COVID-19 Pandemic Poems, The Sky is Falling: A Collection of Pandemic Poems, and World on the Brinks: An Anthology of COVID-19 Pandemic, respectively, reflect a broad range of voices, genres, and emotional registers. Although it does not attempt to provide a comprehensive analysis of all COVID-19 poetry, the study aims to emphasize recurring themes of trauma representation and argue for poetry