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The Poēsis of Poetry: Poetic Practice and Sufi Metaphysics in Oludamini Ogunnaike's The Book of Clouds.

The main focus of the article is Oludamini Ogunnaike's *The Book of Clouds*, a 2024 poetic work that integrates Sufi metaphysics, epistemology, and ethical reflection within West African Islamic traditions. The book employs classical Islamic poetic genres such as madīḥ (praise poetry), ghazal, and w...

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Published in:Religious Studies Review (John Wiley & Sons, Inc.) Vol. 51; no. 4; pp. 892 - 896
Main Author: Kunateh, Amadu
Format: Article
Published: John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Dec2025
Subjects:
Sufism
Poetry collections
Poetry (Literary form)
Poets
Spirituality
Lyric poetry
Worship
Online Access:View this record in EBSCOhost
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      dt: Dec2025
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        atl: The Poēsis of Poetry: Poetic Practice and Sufi Metaphysics in Oludamini Ogunnaike's The Book of Clouds.
      aug:
        au: Kunateh, Amadu
        affil: Harvard University, Cambridge MA, 02138, , USA
      su:
        Sufism
        Poetry collections
        Poetry (Literary form)
        Poets
        Spirituality
        Lyric poetry
        Worship
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        subj:
          Sufism
          Poetry collections
          Poetry (Literary form)
          Poets
          Spirituality
          Lyric poetry
          Worship
      keyword:
        epistemology
        madīḥ
        metaphysics
        Sufi poetics
        West African Islam
      ab: The main focus of the article is Oludamini Ogunnaike's *The Book of Clouds*, a 2024 poetic work that integrates Sufi metaphysics, epistemology, and ethical reflection within West African Islamic traditions. The book employs classical Islamic poetic genres such as madīḥ (praise poetry), ghazal, and wine odes to enact knowledge production, demonstrating that poetic form is inseparable from philosophical and theological insight in Sufi thought. Structured into six sections, the collection explores themes like divine love, spiritual unveiling, and political theology, bridging historical Sufi intellectual lineages with contemporary issues of grief and justice. Ogunnaike’s approach challenges conventional academic boundaries by positioning poetry as a rigorous epistemic practice that mediates between human limitation and divine presence, offering a model for immersive scholarly and spiritual engagement.
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      doctype: Article
      src: R
    language: English
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      custom: Copyright of Religious Studies Review (John Wiley & Sons, Inc.) is the property of John Wiley & Sons, Inc. and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use.
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          year: 2025
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