International Journal of Philology

This study examined the creative and strategic use of the hyperbolic fallacy in the Ìjálá poetry of Ògúndáre Fọ́yánmu and Dàdàkúàdá by Odòlayè Àrẹ̀mú to enhance artistic and cultural significance. It argued that the innovative use of this specific fallacy in their Yorùbá oral poetry remains understudied, with a lack of understanding of how this rhetorical device contributes to the art form’s aesthetic and cultural weight. This research aimed to address this gap by examined how these oral artists employ hyperbolic fallacy to create complex meanings, engage their audience, and reinforce cultural values and traditions. The methodology employed both primary and secondary sources of data collection. Primary data collection included selected discographies of Ògúndáre Fọ́yánmú and Odòlayé Àrẹ̀mú; secondary data collection from books, academic articles, and online resources; and hermeneutic analysis and transcription to interpret cultural texts. This study revealed that these oral artists strategically employed the hyperbolic fallacy to create complex meanings, evoke emotions, and reinforce cultural values in their performances. The use of this fallacy, alongside others like metaphor, enhances the artistic and cultural significance of Ìjálá poetry, making it a rich and dynamic art form. This study revealed that these oral artists strategically employ hyperbolic exaggeration (àṣọjù) – what Western logic might label a “hyperbolic fallacy” – as a sophisticated stylistic device to create complex meanings, evoke emotions, and reinforce cultural values. Alongside other devices such as metaphor, this technique enhances the artistic and cultural significance of Ìjálá and Dàdàkúàdá poetry, serving as a distinctive stylistic signature that distinguishes the works of Ògúndáre Fọ́yánmú and Odòlayé Àrẹ̀mú from genres such as Oríkì. This research contributed to the documentation and preservation of Yorùbá oral heritage, offers valuable insights for educators and performers in teaching rhetorical strategies in indigenous poetry, supports cultural revival efforts in contemporary Nigerian society, and provides a framework for appreciating how traditional oral forms continue to shape moral instruction, emotional engagement, and communal identity in modern contexts

усна література йоруба; художнє значення; культурне значення; поезія Ìjálá; риторичні стратегії