The Ancient World Online: Oral Poetry

This book offers a comprehensive introduction to the vast field of
‘oral poetry,’ encompassing everything from American folksongs,
contemporary pop songs, and Inuit lyrics, to the heroic epics of Homer,
biblical psalms, and epic traditions in Asia and the Pacific. Taking a
broad comparative approach, it explores oral poetry across Africa, Asia,
Oceania, Europe, and the Americas. Drawing on global research, Ruth
Finnegan, the author of the seminal Oral Literature in Africa, sheds
light on key debates such as the nature of oral tradition, the
relationship between poetry and society, the differences between oral
and written forms, and the role of poets in predominantly non-literate
contexts.

Written from a primarily
anthropological and literary perspective, this study contributes to the
socio-cultural aspects of verbal art while also engaging with the
literary dimensions of poetry which happens at any given moment to be
unwritten. Finnegan’s clear, non-technical language and extensive use of
translated examples make this work accessible to a wide audience,
appealing not only to sociologists and anthropologists but also to those
with an interest in poetry, in comparative literature, and in global
folk traditions.

The re-issue of this
classic study is now augmented by further illustrations and a newly
written Introduction and Conclusion, situating it in the context of the
contemporary study of literature.

Copyright

Ruth Finnegan;

Published On

2025-05-28

Print Length

428 pages (xxiv+404)