David Rubadiri and the mentoring of a Malawian poetic tradition in English

Abstract

This research evaluates Malawian writer David Rubadiri’s poetic achievement, and also traces his mentorship role to poets that write after him. Malawian poetry has been widely studied with several scholars loosely acknowledging the strength of Rubadiri’s poetry, but doing less to bring out his comprehensive achievements. The study uses qualitative research methodology. It is based on close textual reading and interpretation of the poems of David Rubadiri collected in one book An African Thunderstorm and other poems; and the poems of other selected Malawian poets. The research analyses Rubadiri’s poems, evaluates his achievement and also examines the extent to which he inspires and mentors Malawian poets that write after him.