Oral Poetry: Its Nature, Significance and Social ContextOral poetry is a wide subject that ranges from American 'folk-songs', Eskimo lyrics or popular songs, to the heroic poems of Homer and distinct epic composers in Asia and the Pacific. Unlike previous works, this book takes a broad comparative view and considers oral poetry from Africa, Asia and Oceania as well as Europe and America. Dr Finnegan includes in her argument the results of topical research from all over the world, thus illuminating and suggesting fresh conclusions to many controversies: the nature of 'oral tradition'; possible connections between types of poetry and types of society; the differences between oral and written communication; and the role of poets in non-literate societies. |
Contents
Some forms of oral poetry | 15 |
The poetry in oral poetry | 24 |
2 | 30 |
Composition | 56 |
Style and performance | 88 |
Transmission distribution and publication | 134 |
Poets and their positions | 170 |
Audience context and function | 214 |
Poetry and society | 244 |
Concluding comment | 272 |
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Common terms and phrases
accepted activity Africa alliteration American analysis appear approach aspect assumptions audience ballads basic become century chapter characteristic claims clear communal composed composition considered context conventions culture definition described detailed discussion earlier effect element epic evidence example expression folklore forms formulaic functions genres give given heroic idea important individual instance interest involved kind language less lines literary Lord means memorisation mode musical nature occasions oral literature oral poetry original parallelism particular patterns performance perhaps piece play poems poetic poets popular possible praise present primitive produced question recent reciters recognised recorded regarded relatively repetition role romantic scholars seems sense similar singer singing social society sometimes songs style sung taken theory tion tradition transmission University verse whole wide writing written