Abstract
Oral literature is an embodiment of various stylistic, archetypal and aesthetic elements. This paper shall attempt to examine and analyse aesthetics in five selected Annang folksongs. These carefully selected folksongs which cover different aspects of Annang culture are studied not only to unravel the incidents behind or the messages they contain but also to appreciate the aesthetic qualities of these songs through a study of the style of rendition. These folksongs were recorded and preserved by the researcher through verbal communication with the elders in selected Annang communities. Repetition, rhythm, alliteration, assonance, and other figures of speech as aesthetic elements are examined in this work to underscore how they enhance the beauty of the songs. This research work is of the view that Annang folksongs are legitimate manifestations of oral literature in action. The study concludes that there is need to study not just the thematic contents of Annang folksongs but also the form and style which constitute the aesthetics in Annang orature. Keywords: Aesthetics, Annang, folksongs, orature. DOI: 10.7176/JLLL/78-07 Publication date: April 30 th 2021
Highlights
Oral literature forms a generally more fundamental component of culture, but operates in many ways as one might expect literature to do
Annang oral literature is an accumulation of the knowledge and experiences of Annang people over the ages
This paper has attempted to analyse a selection of Annang folksongs and recitations to bring out those aesthetic elements that qualify them to be classified as oral literature
Summary
Oral literature forms a generally more fundamental component of culture, but operates in many ways as one might expect literature to do. Aesthetic Elements In aesthetic terms, the singer makes good use of repetition, rhyme, rhythm, rhetorical question device, and ideophone as major stylistic features in the song. When the cantor dresses the women : ‘Women of our land!’ The chorus respond with a space-filler: ‘Chorus: Ànyéé, ànyényéé, ànyéé!’ These space fillers serve to enhance the rhythm and melody of the song. The song under review effectively showcases elements of the rhetorical question in that the mistreated wifepersona asks her irresponsible husband series of questions as follows: Cantor: Don’t you see wrappers (loin-cloths)? The word “tɔk” in Annang, depending on context, can mean “cheat” or “be unjust”, on the one hand, or “grate”, in another context Both meanings are implied in the song above, as follows: Cantor: Èbé ku ntɔk àbà Husband, do not cheat me again. Song # 5 is made up of some rising and falling tones which result in the movement that portrays the beauty of the folksong
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