Al-Hikmah University Journal

Literature-based English language curriculum especially where the literature content is diverse, robust and vibrant is bound to enhance the English Language competence by learners because man as a social animal deploys language in every day situation and affair. The notion that language is employed to do things, and that the meaning and forms used to achieve such task is largely premised on the social-cultural context has made it worthy of thorough investigation, discussion and interpretation. This is premised on the manifestation of man’s social-cultural beliefs and thoughts. The study therefore pragmatically analyses the poem “if I were Olódùmarè” to reflect the goings in the society and how some individuals would have dealt with recalcitrants, and the wicked souls in the society. The poem “If I were Olódùmarè” is written in line form, and it serves as the primary source of data using pragmatics tools such as assertives, commissives, declaratives, directives and expressives. The finding of the study indicates that the use of commissive and expressive speech acts have 15 frequencies representing 30% each, next to the commissive and expressive acts in ratio of occurrence are assertive and expressive acts with 8 frequencies representing 16% each while directive speech act has 4 frequencies representing 8%. Inferences are drawn from the discussion of the study thus concluding that the poem shows a set of heterogeneous illocutionary acts of commissives, expressives, assertives, declaratives and directives in order of frequencies. It could therefore be concluded that the pragmatic analysis of the poem checkmates and shows the excesses and tyrannical nature of people (rulers) and the would-be-consequences that would be meted out to the wicked if human beings were to be like Olódùmarè, the Supreme God.