Implicature and Cognitive Dissonance in Political Allegory: A Pragmatic Analysis of Niyi Osundare’s ‘The Leader and the Led’

Ayelaagbe, Nimota Abiodun & Adesanmi, Moses Ademola, Volume 6 Issue 1, July 2025 Pages 125-131, Published: 2025-06-24

Abstract

poem ‘The Leader and the Led’ by specifically focusing on Gricean implicature and Festinger’s theory of cognitive dissonance. Through a close, pragmatic reading, the study examines how Osundare’s allegorical use of animal traits serves as a subtle critique of political leadership and governance in postcolonial Africa. The methodology employs a combination of qualitative textual analysis and a reader-response study, involving thirty literature students who provided insight into their interpretations and emotional responses. For the theoretical framework, this study employs H.P. Grice’s Cooperative Principle and Festinger’s cognitive dissonance theory. Findings reveal that the poem employs flouts of the maxims of quantity and relevance to suggest unspoken criticisms of the lion, symbolising autocracy, while the hyena is presented as the symbol of greed. Simultaneously, the tension between readers’ admiration for strong leadership and the poem’s praise for modest traits as depicted by the “patient zebra” evokes psychological discomfort. This indicates the presence of cognitive dissonance. In conclusion, Osundare’s poem demonstrates how poetic language can serve as a powerful vehicle for implicit critique and emotional reflection. Through the stylistic connection of implicature and dissonance, the study contributes to interdisciplinary discussions on how readers process socio-political meaning in literature. In addition, it also adds to the discourse on how language can shape political psychology in a subtle but effective manner