Myth, Literature and the African WorldWole Soyinka, winner of the Nobel Prize for Literature and one of the foremost living African writers, here analyses the interconnecting worlds of myth, ritual and literature in Africa. The ways in which the African world perceives itself as a cultural entity, and the differences between its essential unity of experience and literary form and the sense of division pervading Western literature, are just some of the issues addressed. The centrality of ritual gives drama a prominent place in Soyinka's discussion, but he deals in equally illuminating ways with contemporary poetry and fiction. Above all, the fascinating insights in this book serve to highlight the importance of African criticism in addition to the literary and cultural achievements which are the subject of its penetrating analysis. |
Common terms and phrases
abyss act of hubris action aesthetic African world African world-view alien anguish archetypal Armah Ayi Kwei Armah Camara Camara Laye challenge Cheikh Hamidou Kane choric Christian chthonic chthonic realm colonial concept conflict confrontation consciousness contemporary context cosmic created creative culture death deity Diallo divine drama earth Ede town encounter essence ethical Eurocentric European existence experience expression Ezeulu George Steiner gods gulf hubris human individual intellectual intuition Islamic king language Laye's Le Devoir literary ideology literature man's medium ment metaphor metaphysical Mongo Beti moral mystery mystic myth nature Negritude Obatala Ogun Ogun's Olodumare origin Orisa-nla Oulouguem Oxala palm palm wine physical play poetry priest primal principle protagonist psyche racial reality recognised reflection relationship religious revolutionary rites Sango secular social vision society spiritual stage symbolic Tierno Bokar tion traditional tragedy tragic transition Umuaro unborn understanding universal Yoruba Yoruba music Zifa Zora Zeljan
References to this book
Black Noise: Rap Music and Black Culture in Contemporary America Tricia Rose No preview available - 1994 |