Traditional Elegiac Poetry Of The Igbo: A Study Of The Major Types

ABSTRACT

This thesis is an in-depth study of the poetic qualities of one distinctive form of Igbo traditional poetry, namely the traditional elegiac poetry, abu akwamosu. In Chapter 1, after a general survey of Igbo traditional poetry there follows a brief review of the existing literature on this material as well as a critical look at the classification. Chapter 2 starts with a discussion of the sociological background of Igbo traditional elegiac poetry. The emphasis here is on the significance attached to death, burial, and funeral celebrations by the Igbo. Thereafter, the role, the performance, and the audience of the traditional funeral artists are discussed. Chapter 3 treats the general features of the traditional elegiac poetry by examining how emotion and thought, the kernels of any poetic experience, are portrayed in this form of poetry.