Songs oral narratives oral poetry riddlestongue twisters 3. The nonritual oral literature is rendered in simple the ordinary language of the people. The studies of oral literature are countless, and the educational function of storytelling is certainly one of recurring topics. Written literature and oral literature share similar characteristics, including the need to use heightened language and literary techniques such as alliteration, flashbacks, foreshadowing, narrative. Epic poems are among the earliest literary works, and famous epic poems such as the iliad and beowulf have had a huge impact on world culture. In other words, oral literature does not operate in a vacuum. Learn vocabulary, terms, and more with flashcards, games, and other study tools. Such a combination creates problems for the analysis of the various genres or oral literature, for there is a tendency today to read back the characteristics of literate literature such as the use of a narrative structure into purely oral genres. This ranges from geoffrey chaucer and his wife of bath tales to william shakespeare and the contribution. Our discussion of the legends of the trojan war will help you understand and enjoy the plot of the iliad.
But it is also not confined to only published works. Another important difference between traditional african oral art and modern african literature involves the identity and social standing of their respective practitioners. Rhythm, of course, is a kind of sound device based upon pattern. Recent trends in african studies and the revival of interest in oral literature. This is important as there have been a tremendous amount of written stories over the past few hundred years that have been the cornerstone of english literature. For instance, there is often a great emphasis on the history, culture and customs of a group of people when telling their stories. Euphony literally good sound and cacophony literally bad sound contribute to producing melody, or a musical quality in verse. The steady incursion of foreign media content and values which were once alien to africans but are now being assimilated and exhibited. Oral literature is as explained done through words and speaking, whereas written is through the written word. Similarly, much as it is possible to argue about the existence of different poetic schools, traditions and periods in modern. They are regarded as one of the most ancient and valuable manifestations of human culture.
Characteristics of oral tradition flashcards quizlet. I believe that most people think of oral poetry as written poetry performed or presented orally. This study seeks to apply features of indigenous poetry and music, and characteristics of oral communication and performance, to the translation. In literature, there are four main genres to help the reader focus their expectations for the piece, though these genres can be broken down even further. The complex relationships between written and spoken literature in some. Can the oral delivery of a written poem constitute a significant or.
This is possible because of nature of transmission itself. Oral that aptly mirrors ones society and tell the story to a literature, therefore. A valuable book in the genre of african oral literature is ruth finnegans oral literature in africa. The diary of a young girlby opal whiteley, selected and adapted by jane boulton. What are the characteristics of african literature. African literature african literature the influence of oral traditions on modern writers. The major characteristic of all old english poetry is the celebration of the warrior, the adventurer and the conqueror. Oral traditional poetics has some special characteristics because of the way in which it was created from the matrix of oral tradition. Thematically, these poems concern the same issues modern writers speak of today. African literature possessing those qualities that define it as such.
This literature through narrative, poetry, song, dance, myths and fables, and texts for religious rituals provides a portrait of the meaning of life as experienced by the society at its particular time and place with its unique. Characteristics of prose in literature means different types of literature such as dramas, novels, stories. African literature the influence of oral traditions on. Unpublished work also may be literature which is called oral literature. It may be written down or performed as part of an oral tradition. The complex relationships between written and spoken literature in some societies can. The various categories of african folktales are analyzed. It is therefore, possible that one can compose story recitations, life histories or historical narratives. Using features of indigenous poetry and music in the oral.
Oral literature may be broadly categorized into two. This content makes up the vast majority of subject matter in most old english poetry. Like any other branch of studies, literature is also divided into four major classes namely poetry, prose, fiction, and nonfiction. What is the diffrence between oral and written poetry. In many cases these two traditions existed side by side. The book is available as a free pdf and ebook download thanks to the generous support of interested readers and organisations, who made donations using the crowdfunding website unglue. During that period different communities developed distinct oral literature of their own. Modern african literature is the natural inheritor of traditional african literature and though. At the end, she asserts that oral poetry its thrust, her work stands within an. Epic poetry is a form of writing with roots stretching back into antiquity. The perception of african oral literature 29 nineteenthcentury approaches and collections. What are the characteristics of oral literature answers. A poet chooses words for their sound, as well as for their meaning. Oral literature is the repository of the critical knowledge, philosophy, and wisdom for nonliterate societies.
Genre characteristics 2 genre definition frequently found elements picture book examples journals and diaries a log written by an author at regular intervals. Features or characteristics of the oral tradition found in the epic poem include gnomic assertions, sententious maxims put into verse, alliteration, kennings and epithets which all serve as a. This classic study is an introduction to oral poetry, a broad subject which ruth finnegan interprets as ranging from american folksongs, eskimo lyrics, and modern popular songs to medieval oral literature, the heroic poems of homer, and recent epic compositions in asia and the pacific. The most basic characteristic of literature, it seems to me, is that a literary work is a verbal text. Poetry is common to human societies throughout time and space it is found all over the world, past and present, from the meditative personal poetry of recent eskimo or maori poets, to mediaeval european and chinese ballads, or the orally composed epics of preclassical greek in the first millenium b. Proverbs play an important role in delivering cultures of certain nation. Yet, despite the existence of these books on oral literature, the young generation in africa that has grown under the western school system somehow feels estranged with respect to this oral literature. Characteristics, elements, and examples an epic poem is an elaborate narrative about an important event. Oral literature or folk literature corresponds in the sphere of the spoken oral word to literature as literature operates in the domain of the written word. They use succinct and pithy language to express commonly held ideas and beliefs and provide the readers with interesting glimpses at a peoples geography, religion, history, social views and attitudes. In addition to this, finnegan affirms that many of the generalizations made about oral poetry are oversimplified, and thus misleading oral poetry can take many different forms, and occurs in many different situations finnegan, 2011. Characteristics of modern poetry stylistic experimentation and disrupted syntax stream of consciousness a term coined by american psychologist william james to describe the natural flow of a persons thoughts theme of alienation. African literature is as diverse as the continent itself, but several characteristics and themes prevail throughout much of the written works emerging from africa.
Oral tradition does not maintain the same value of the oral history. This means that the poetry is created and presented with no written record. Africa in precolonial times was divided into various ethnic groups. Aristotle has defined literature as an imitation of proverbs, riddles, tonguetwisters, word games, life. It contains a character of incredible stature and courage who performs superhuman deeds with valor in terrific battles or journeys, and these glorious deeds are of national significance. The opening class will introduce you to the legends of the trojan war, the characteristics of oral poetry, and the place of homers iliad in history. There is no standard definition as folklorists have varying descriptions for oral literature or folk literature but a broad conceptualization refers to it as literature characterized by oral transmission and the absence of any fixed form. The first characteristic mentioned by father ong is that oral thought and expression are additive. Themes in the literary traditions of contemporary africa are worked out frequently within the strictures laid down by the imported religions christianity and islam and within the struggle between traditional and modern, between rural and newly urban, between genders, and between generations. The scholar examines literary issues which relate to the performance of folktales in traditional africa.
Used to honor and criticize, the most widely discussed form of oral poetry is the praise poem, generally associated with royal courts but also applicable to other social strata. What are the differences between oral and written literature. Oral poetry can be loosely defined or purely defined. This chapter is a discussion of the major stylistic features of oral literature. Poetry a universal phenomenon exists along humans civilization from primitive to developed nation from spell to drive away evil soul to conventional one from oral to written enjoyed by everyone entertainment. Should a poetry reading be classified as a dramatic reading, a recitation, or a performance. Characteristics of old english poetry the classroom. This study further aims to analyse the differences between modern and traditional praise poetry, and bring to light the characteristics and techniques that operate in them. This portable document file aims to provide a general manual of englis literature for students in colleges and universities and others beyond the high.
Abstract a lot has been said about the slow death of the oral tradition aspect of indigenous communication. Some examples of oral literature include, the oral narrative, sometimes referred to as the folktale, myths, explanatory tales, ogre tales, trickster tales, dilemma stories, historical tales, legends, including the epic. Oral literature is a performed art which in most cases uses words as a medium of communication. That is why i trace response to oral poetic performances as of the udje and ijala and the continuation into modern works in english, french, or portuguese, among others.
The purpose of this portable document file is to outline the development of the literature with due regard to national life, and to give appreciative interpretation of the work of. Further, a good example of a literary text will be written. In an attempt to preserve this oral literature, several individual authors have collected tales, proverbs, riddles and published them in books. Oral literature in africa is part of the world oral literature series published in conjunction with the world oral literature project. Oral poetry is poetry that is composed and transmitted without the aid of writing.