In this way, one can argue that all scripted television. This genre includes all plays or anything meant to be performed. Why does such a wide range of literature types exist. Using clear illustrations, discuss the relationship between oral literature and society. Myths are stories that explain objects or events in the natural world as resulting from some. What are the three types of oral literature answers. Oral literature, epic and mock epic, proverbs, oral poetry, and folklore.
Dissertation writing services from experienced team of writers high quality law dissertations to help you secure your final grade. What is the importance of literature and its impact on. Apr 24, 2012 the importance of oral literature in society oral literature is meaningful and useful to us in many and different ways. So are the rest types of oral literature classified. A lot of oral literature too has been made available in the form of books. The authors of this issue of the nordic journal of. In a general sense, oral tradition refers to the recall and transmission of a specific, preserved textual and cultural knowledge through vocal utterance. Oral literature is a broad term which may include ritual texts, curative chants, epic poems, musical genres, folk tales, creation tales, songs, myths, spells, legends, proverbs, riddles, tonguetwisters, word games, recitations, life histories or historical narratives. This detailed genres of literature list is a great.
Why does the author say oral literature is interesting. Oral literature includes ballads, myth, jokes, folktales and fables. Africa possesses both written and unwritten traditions. It deals with the role of theory in the study of oral literature. The importance of song in africa oral literature aucccom. Unlike written literary genres, oral literature is conveyed or passed down to future generations by word of mouth, typically through memorization and recitation. Types of oral literature literary types with hacker at. Literature by definition is written and intended to be read. Fiction refers to prose stories based in the imagination of authors. But oral recited poems from memory do not use written forms. African oral genres tales, proverbs, riddles, and lullabies as a sociolinguistics topic. The definition of oral literature would be literature or story telling that uses the spoken work or word of mouth. Oral literature is a term generally applied to spoken literary traditions such as folk tales, musical theater, proverbs, riddles, life histories, plays, proverbs, epic poems and historical recitations.
Lesson 9 literature free download as powerpoint presentation. However, advocates of oral literature as the more appropriate term argue. Another example of oral literature would be that of native americans. Beyond the epic, the main oral genres include the folktale. It is only material from the past but also a great deal of new material is being composed and performed today. What are the characteristics of oral literature answers.
The oral nature of african unwritten literature the significance of performance in actualization, transmission, and composition. An epic is a long story often told in verse involving heroes and gods. 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. By bernice bessey oral literature is a spoken word that has been transmitted from generation to generation. Explain the factors that affected the development of african oral literature during the colonial period. Oral literature cannot be seen as arts for arts sake. Ruth takes us on a journey where you will learn several ways in which they express themselves from drums, dance, songs, parables and childrens. Oral literature is basically the art of verbal storytelling.
Oral and written literature are the two major forms of literature. Albert bates lord, the singer resumes the tale foreword preface 1. This is a crucial category for distinguishing some oral traditional songs or stories from their later literarythat is, written literarycounterparts. One example of this would be american sign language, or asl.
African literature the influence of oral traditions on. In an attempt to preserve this oral literature, several individual authors have collected tales, proverbs, riddles and published them in books. Literature reminds us of stories, epics, sacred scriptures, and classical works of the old and modern times. Introduction to oral literature question papers 10437. The different types of literature that have stood the test.
Oral literature can include myths, legends, songs and chants, and even speeches. Examples of traditional literature are divination text, drum language, poem, appellation, tales, songs, riddles, proverbs, myths and legends. African literature is literature of or from africa and includes oral literature or orature, in the term coined by ugandan scholar pio zirimu as george joseph notes in his chapter on african literature in understanding contemporary africa, whereas european views of literature often stressed a separation of art and content, african awareness is inclusive. The scholar examines literary issues which relate to the performance of folktales in traditional africa. 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. Epic poems narrative poems lyric poems nursery rhymes and nonsense verse puns proverbs kennings riddles hymns and other songs with words folk tales myths legends histories biographies. The various categories of african folktales are analyzed. Here are a few more that are sometimes used in classrooms. Jan 01, 2000 amongst the topics covered are translation problems, understanding proverbs, oral narrative as discourse, the use of audio visual aids in teaching, general and the politics of control, images of women in african oral literature, the relationship with material culture, and oral literature as part of oral traditions. These are far from the only important genres of literature. Epics have often been passed on orally and may have anonymous authors. 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. Legends and myths are prime examples of oral literature, crossing the line between fact and fiction, yet strengthened by constant retelling.
Oral literature has no transcription due to the language not being a written language. The form used by the oral poet depends upon metrical patterns and oral formulae, like using kennings or epitaphs. Oral traditional poetics, a mythic episode, and arming scenes in the iliad 4. But it is important to consider the difference between one generetion the other.
Examples from both the fiction and nonfiction genres of literature are explained in detail below. African literature african literature the influence of oral traditions on modern writers. The nature and kinds of oral literature center for hellenic studies. Amongst the topics covered are translation problems, understanding proverbs, oral narrative as discourse, the use of audio visual aids in teaching, general and the politics of control, images of women in african oral literature, the relationship with material culture, and oral literature as. African oral genres tales, proverbs, riddles, and lullabies.
Oral literature is an aspect of literature preserved not in written form but in oral form. There are several genres of literature that fall under the nonfiction category. Oratory, formal speaking, and other stylized forms. This is a body ofliterary productions, either oral, written or visual containingimaginative language thatrealistically portrays thoughts, emotions and experiences ofthe human condition.
Oral literature, the standard forms or genres of literature found in societies without writing. The term oral literature is also used to describe the tradition in written civilizations in which certain genres are transmitted by word of mouth or are confined to the socalled folk i. The perception of african oral literature 29 nineteenthcentury approaches and collections. The social, linguistic, and literary background 51. Oral literature is a performed art which in most cases uses words as a medium of communication. Oral poets and their audiences did not read or write. Whether narratives, song, proverbs or riddles, it relates to the culture of the people who create it. 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. Types of oral literature literary types with hacker at rosatikain.
More restrictively, literature refers to writing considered to be an art form or any single writing deemed to have artistic or intellectual value, and sometimes deploys language in ways that differ from ordinary usage its latin root literaturalitteratura derived itself from littera. Before humans developed writing, we passed down stories in the form of oral literature. Grand in length and scope, an epic provides a portrait of legends, beliefs, valves, laws, arts, and ways of life of a people. Types of literature literature types range from the highly technical and dry to the entertaining to the absurd. Read the oral poem below then answer the questions that follow. Vilmos voigt three forms or three kinds of oral literature ceeol. Oral literature in africa is part of the world oral literature series published in conjunction with the world oral literature project. Simply put, the term oral tradition refers to a process by which any information about a culture, such as literature, history, medicine, etc. The perception of african oral literature nineteenthcentury approaches and collections. In the frequent conversational narrative discussions, where oral narrative and discussion discourse overlapped, teacher and students used various kinds of oral narrative genres to prime, sustain. Oral tradition is information, memories and knowledge held in common by a group of people, over many generations, and it is not the same as testimony or oral history. 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.
Other reports of childrens literature with adults have the same limitations e. Literature, most generically, is any body or collection of written works. 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. Seventh grade lesson introduction to oral literature. The former are relatively well knownat any rate the recent writings in european languages much work remains to be publicized on earlier arabic and local written.
But it is still possible to narrow down the vast amount of literature available into a few basic groups. It is defined as the body of written works of a language, period or culture, produced by scholars and researchers, specialized in a. The ter m, oral literature, has been variously referred to as folklore, folk literature, oral narrative, oral tradition, traditional literature and orature. This adage is perhaps the most appropriate description of the importance of literature in our lives. Oral literature in africa pdf open book publishers. The are encouraged to add this information to their notes using any type of shorthand that they are comfortable with. 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. It was before written literature and consists of the poetperson memorizing the story and re. As we all know, almost all type of literature is available in written form.
Nowadays the list of possible types and literature genres can seem endless. Recent trends in african studies and the revival of interest in oral literature. Now, most oral texts have been written down, of course, and are usually taught in the form of epic poems. A study of oral literature amounts to studying the society which creates it. There are also the minor genres of the proverb and the riddle. A valuable book in the genre of african oral literature is ruth finnegans oral literature in africa. The studies of oral literature are countless, and the educational function of storytelling is certainly one of recurring topics. How does oral literature affect written literature.
Myths are stories that explain objects or events in the natural world as resulting from some supernatural force or entity, most often a god. With the invention of writing, people began to record. 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. It is highly valued in africa in general and in igbo in particular mainly because of its didactic nature.
While these genres are not necessarily always given separate designations in local languages. To some people, oral literature is only but a mirage. At the end of our discussion, i share the slide with the characteristics of oral literature. The different types of literature that have stood the test of. Primary literature research articles, journal articles found in scientific journals represent the experimenters original research and interpretations of results. The significance of performance in actualization, transmission, and composition. Songsoral narrativesoral poetryriddlestongue twisters 3. Oral literature by ruth finnegan investigates how culture, tradition, and various forms of communication have been passed down from different parts of africa. Ect 315 topic 4 teaching oral literature page 1 of 3 topic 4 teaching of oral literature topic objectives by the end of this topic you should be able to. Literary written forms can be narratives, dramas, stories, novels, poems, etc. Pdf oral narrative genres as dialogic resources for.
The oldest type of literature, and the foundation on which culture was built. It forms part of africas rich cultures that are expressed in diverse ways. Next, i share the slide with the different literary genres derived from oral literature. Theory and methods in oral literature unit description the unit is an introduction to the theoretical approaches to the study of oral literature. Epic poems narrative poems lyric poems nursery rhymes and nonsense verse puns proverbs kennings riddles hymns. Characteristics of oral tradition in world literature video.
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