Review of J. Y. Frimpong’s THE ARIANIST by Abeiku Arhin Tsiwah

The Arianist is a masterpiece of brilliant lyrical dexterity from a poet who consistently is in the outlook for an infusion of words and glittery imagery that suppresses the mind and holds it on ransom for unending satisfaction. With a total of nineteen (19) poems; 24 pages, The Arianist is the surest way to understand the artistry of how words that can be birthed out of love found in the wrong places – just as the poet stipulated in his dedication to the specific personalities that this masterwork is meant for. And of course, it is a collection of poems meant for every soul who requires refueling in the face of multiple sparks of love and dodged sentiments.



“Thirty Poems in a Night” is the best way possible to begin this collection. It is the very lens through which the entire collection reflects on how other poems would evolve. Bearing nostalgia, one can make the conclusion that the poet is deeply affected in somewhat way and manner, in which his perceived lover left him, thus, writing …

“I wrote for you

Thirty poems in a night

And threw the papers

Into the fire.

If you hadn’t left

I would have made our

Wedding dress

Out of those poems” – Thirty Poems in a Night 

It is quite obvious from the kind of tone and mood utilized by J. Y. Frimpong in expressing the effect that this breakup has had upon him. In using such touchy words, it seems very depressing consoling with him over this void created by his perceived lover.


Inasmuch as it is of much interest reading these well collected poems, the poems are so well connected that it looks as though it was the poet’s intention to let the poems follow one after another, which most often is a difficult thing to do. In “Her Eyes”, there is this exuding feeling that gently taps on the reader about how the poet generously leverages poetic expression or license to himself. Filled with heartfelt sentiments, the poem is a kind of a cult of human rot that ravages one’s ability to be humane. What is more depressing is the level with which ‘betrayal’ can be expressed. Such is the reality of life that humanity can’t avoid.

“You can bend yourself for people

And they will still think you did

Nothing for them” – Her Eyes 

In “Writing a Poem”, I realized, however, that the poet sounded more like Dante Alighieri, the legendary Italian poet. His conviction of what form and which audience his poem should address is more of a naturalistic feeling and of a spiritual adherence. In making reference to heaven purgatory and hell, it quickly reminds me of Dante’s Divine Comedy, specifically, Paradiso, Purgatorio and Inferno. But somehow, J. Y. Frimpong manages to use broad array of conceptual metaphors that broadens the horizon from it just relating to Dante’s works by drifting into ghostly and geographical calls which eventually concludes into the broad theme of this work, love.

“I ask whether I should write about the

universe

Or about God

Or about heaven

Purgatory

Or hell and how not to fall in love with it. – Writing a Poem 

What surprises upon reading each poem is the conscious attempt by the poet to restore the never unending and unfailing love of God into the bigger picture. How does it feel when one recites a poem to the wind? It is synonymous to saying a prayer to the wind which you do definitely know would carry it to the heavens, where God dwells. Indeed, one can conclude presumably that the “gardens” as used by the poet is the genesis of the one puritan garden of Eden, where the source of genuine love had its roots. In a broader context, however, we are assured by the poet’s reaffirmation of God’s unflinching love towards humanity in the poem, “Looking for God”. Much as the poet seeks after God, it is intriguing to note how the poet draws critical look at whom or what God could be with an extension of his metaphoric use of “everything”.

”I wrote seven poems for God

 I recited it to the wind

 When I got tired and slept

 I dreamt about gardens 

God is everything that

 Seeks the betterment of mankind.” – Looking for God 

Everyone who has keenly followed the works of J. Y. Frimpong would have noticed something strange about him – his insistent obsession with ghosts. Sometimes, I do wonder if he himself is a kind of ghost with robes of human flesh. But what could be so exciting about ghosts that a poet dedicates himself to their thinking and ideals? However, in this poem “The naming of a Ghost”, the poet becomes the ghost whose ceremony is not that of a departure but one of a breakup from a relationship – love. The saddest part is that mostly we do not realize the best gift of the people we have until they are no more in our cultist play net. Addressing them with flamboyant words do not add a muscle to the beautiful things of love we let go waste.

“What are you going to say

 At my naming ceremony

 Now that I am a ghost?

 Are you going to call me

 The ‘Tragic boy who felt love could move mountains?’

 Or 

‘The boy who loved more than love itself?’

 Or

 ‘The boy who walked on thorns for love?’ 

None of these names matter now” – The naming of a Ghost 

In all, J. Y. Frimpong, a Kumasi based Ghanaian’s ‘The Arianist’ is a magnum opus – a tour de force in the poetry enclave – with distinguishing appeal such that if care is not taken could not be referred to as a work by an African poet and a Ghanaian at large. The imagery adapted by the poet makes the poems flowery – charging on with beauteous expression that is suspense in nature and scholarly in output. This work, The Arianist, would go down into the Africa/World Literature archives as one of the most classical work ever written by any Ghanaian poet in the contemporary age.




Reviewer: Abeiku Arhin Tsiwah. Abeiku performs poetry with The Village Thinkers, Ghana and serves as the poetry editor for Lunaris Review, Nigeria. Tsiwah, an international award winning poet and author of Afro-conscious heritage writes from his fatherland – Cape Coast, Ghana.