INTRODUCTION
The idea that ambiguity is an important part of literature is not new. Throughout history, stories have been told and retold, discussed and changed. Enduring folklore, oral tales, and myths became texts and then became the seeds of early literary works.
Reconsider this when looking into works of literary historians who extract moments and embellish events to create a poetic moment.
However, unless these moments tell a story outside of the facts given (i.e. imply more than dates, acts, and names), they are limited to affirmation or denial and excluded from interpretive engagement on the part of the reader.
When the story has given offers supposition of motive, of emotions or the element of tragedy, elements, according to Aristotle’s notion of poetry, of what might have happened otherwise, the historic text can be considered “more literary” than texts that lack elements of ambiguity.
COPIOUS EXAMPLE OF AMBIGUITY IN EYOH ETIM
PAST ECHOES In Etim’s past echoes, so many of this ambiguous words are used by the writer for example in chapter three of the text the word “the evening breeze was caressing” has more than one meaning, breeze means air and it can also mean an activity that is not difficult.
Ambiguity In Eyo Etim’s Past Echoes
Another ambiguous sentence can be seen in page (37) chapter (4) of the text thus “the clock was struck five “the sentence has two meaning, it can mean that it was 5 o’clock and it can also mean that the clock on the wall was struck 5 times.