Voices of Rage and Resistance: Mass Anger and Revolutionary Consciousness in Stephen Kekeghe’s Rumbling Sky

This study examines the representation of mass anger and revolutionary consciousness in Stephen Kekeghe’s Rumbling Sky through the lens of Marxist Literary Theory, supported by Resistance Theory. Against the backdrop of Nigeria’s persistent socio-economic crises-poverty, corruption, environmental degradation and political oppressionthe paper interrogates how poetry functions as a medium for articulating popular discontent and challenging hegemonic power structures. Drawing on Marxist concepts of class struggle, material deprivation and ideological domination, the study demonstrates how Stephen Kekeghe’s poetic voice aligns with the lived realities of the oppressed masses while exposing the exploitative tendencies of the ruling elite and their collaborators. Furthermore, the paper situates Rumbling Sky within the tradition of protest literature, highlighting how anger is transformed into a revolutionary aesthetic that calls for social awakening and resistance. Through close textual analysis of selected poems, the study argues that Stephen Kekeghe’s poetry transcends mere lamentation to become a force of political engagement, urging collective consciousness and action against systemic injustice. Ultimately, the research establishes Rumbling Sky as a significant contribution to contemporary Nigerian protest poetry and as a literary intervention that amplifies the voices of the marginalized in their struggle for justice and transformation.