Polyong is an acronym derived from Poem, Lyrics and Song. This is a genre that is made up of lyri... more Polyong is an acronym derived from Poem, Lyrics and Song. This is a genre that is made up of lyrics read along a musical background.
These formulae propositions argue that subjective interpretations of implied meaning in songs as ... more These formulae propositions argue that subjective interpretations of implied meaning in songs as audio poetic text meets a cultural threshold that qualifies them as a valid position based on context informing the inference making process. In this regard meaning is permissible on the threshold of acceptability among members of a given community as cultural practitioners. A member of a given cultural group or community of cultural practitioners can however, derive, come up, with new meaning that would still be acceptable on the basis that the degree of deviation of the sought meaning can still be valid based on particular premises within the structure that informs meaning acceptability among members of a given community. This article thus seeks to problematize hypothetical assumptions and hence invites discussion along the possibility of validation or amelioration of these formulae from a literary perspective. The author acknowledges that the formulae below are in their inception stage and thus seeks to encourage a conversation that could aid in finetuning these propositions.
These formulae propositions argue that subjective interpretations of implied meaning in songs as ... more These formulae propositions argue that subjective interpretations of implied meaning in songs as audio poetic text meets a cultural threshold that qualifies them as a valid position based on context informing the inference making process. In this regard meaning is permissible on the threshold of acceptability among members of a given community as cultural practitioners. A member of a given cultural group or community of cultural practitioners can however, derive, come up, with new meaning that would still be acceptable on the basis that the degree of deviation of the sought meaning can still be valid based on particular premises within the structure that informs meaning acceptability among members of a given community. This article thus seeks to problematize hypothetical assumptions and hence invites discussion along the possibility of validation or amelioration of these formulae from a literary perspective. The author acknowledges that the formulae below are in their inception stage and thus seeks to encourage a conversation that could aid in finetuning these propositions.
Ruwaza Journal of Humanities and Social Sciences, 2022
This paper explores methods, which literary criticisms can adopt to examine meaning encompassed i... more This paper explores methods, which literary criticisms can adopt to examine meaning encompassed in the audio text of a song or a film. Major challenges that literary scholars face in their attempt to examine meaning in songs and audio texts are addressed. These meaning can be said to be encompassed in the voice of the artist as well as the sounds found in a film. This paper therefore, defines its basis on the understanding that there is meaning, which listeners discern through the ear because of contextualizing an audio text in its context of occurrence. The paper is based responses the researcher got during data collection of the Ph.D. thesis. It emerged that literary scholars at the university level discern with least effort the meaning implied in the voice of an artist. Many however, face a challenge when it comes to articulating the meaning one can discern or infer in the audio text or in the voice of the artist as characterized by how the artist contours one's voice to convey implied meaning to the audiences. The paper consequently, endeavoures to provide a criticism method that can be adopted in the teaching of literary criticism at universities and colleges. Finally, the paper makes the conclusion and observation that the voice of the artist can be examined in songs and film to reveal thematic concerns.
Examination of literary meaning encompassed in the voice of the artist can be analysed using the ... more Examination of literary meaning encompassed in the voice of the artist can be analysed using the following steps: a) Identify the voice under examination. (Voice of an artist in a given song) b) Listen c) Identify relevance associated with the manner of expression based on the expected context-(this is the filtering process) where the voice function as an
This research endeavored to explore literary meaning encompassed in songs as a sub-genre of liter... more This research endeavored to explore literary meaning encompassed in songs as a sub-genre of literature. In this endeavour, the research sought to examine selected Bongo Flava songs. The choice of the songs was based on the assumption that Bongo Flava artists use language stylistically when writing the songs and in the style of singing. The objectives of the research were to explore literary meaning encompassed in the stylistic use of Language at lexical level and in manner of singing. The design of the study was fieldwork based research, the mode of inquiry being the use of interviews and questionnaires. Data was drawn from a population of 180 participants. This constituted, literature students and theatre and performance students, music students, music producers, sound technicians and fans of Bongo Flava songs. The population was sampled from
This paper employs Deconstruction and Relevance theories to read literary meanings in the song "G... more This paper employs Deconstruction and Relevance theories to read literary meanings in the song "Gongo la Mboto" by Diamond Platnumz and Mrisho Mpoto. The paper focuses on suprasegmental features that mark the artistes' voice. This is because the style of singing and manner of articulation in songs and performance of oral poetry significantly shapes the meaning conveyed by the artiste in Bongo music. The analysis involves application of four basic steps; identification of the message, examination of how voice production techniques are applied during song production to shape the intended meaning, application of the theories to deduce implied meanings in the song, and finally explication of the literary value the song encompasses at audio level. This analysis responds to the growing concern to transcend literary criticism of songs as literary genres beyond the basic surface meaning. To focus on the meanings, the sound and melody determines the interpretation of the lyrics. This is a current trend which takes the advancement in media technology to define new vistas of criticism of literary meaning resulting from technologizing production and mediation of songs as literary discourses. Traditionally literary criticism of songs has tended to focus on the message conveyed in the lyrics with little attention to the sound and the effect it has on literary meaning.
This article analyses how Kenyan male artistes portray and appear to view women as evidenced in t... more This article analyses how Kenyan male artistes portray and appear to view women as evidenced in their songs about women. An application of social realism, Judith Butler's theory of performativity, Derrida's approach of alterity, and Lakoff's theory of metaphor informs the analysis. Songs mark almost all spheres of life in Kenya. It is therefore, necessary to examine how the male artistes construct in the Kenyan society in their songs women. This can provide a window through which a better examination and understanding of the self and the other can be achieved by examining the gender discourse that prevails in the unconscious expressions of the artiste. This is because songs can be viewed as honest confessions of what usually remains concealed in the self, about the other. It is hereby observed that male artistes are always engaged in an internal dialogue that attempts to define women from masculine precincts. These masculine dialogues manifest themselves in songs where the subsumed addressee is a plurality of the self (the male artiste) and the other (the women subject). The song is therefore, an interchange of a gendering process that voices its inner tensions, arguments, fears, hopes, dilemmas and ambitions through the song.
Polyong is an acronym derived from Poem, Lyrics and Song. This is a genre that is made up of lyri... more Polyong is an acronym derived from Poem, Lyrics and Song. This is a genre that is made up of lyrics read along a musical background.
These formulae propositions argue that subjective interpretations of implied meaning in songs as ... more These formulae propositions argue that subjective interpretations of implied meaning in songs as audio poetic text meets a cultural threshold that qualifies them as a valid position based on context informing the inference making process. In this regard meaning is permissible on the threshold of acceptability among members of a given community as cultural practitioners. A member of a given cultural group or community of cultural practitioners can however, derive, come up, with new meaning that would still be acceptable on the basis that the degree of deviation of the sought meaning can still be valid based on particular premises within the structure that informs meaning acceptability among members of a given community. This article thus seeks to problematize hypothetical assumptions and hence invites discussion along the possibility of validation or amelioration of these formulae from a literary perspective. The author acknowledges that the formulae below are in their inception stage and thus seeks to encourage a conversation that could aid in finetuning these propositions.
These formulae propositions argue that subjective interpretations of implied meaning in songs as ... more These formulae propositions argue that subjective interpretations of implied meaning in songs as audio poetic text meets a cultural threshold that qualifies them as a valid position based on context informing the inference making process. In this regard meaning is permissible on the threshold of acceptability among members of a given community as cultural practitioners. A member of a given cultural group or community of cultural practitioners can however, derive, come up, with new meaning that would still be acceptable on the basis that the degree of deviation of the sought meaning can still be valid based on particular premises within the structure that informs meaning acceptability among members of a given community. This article thus seeks to problematize hypothetical assumptions and hence invites discussion along the possibility of validation or amelioration of these formulae from a literary perspective. The author acknowledges that the formulae below are in their inception stage and thus seeks to encourage a conversation that could aid in finetuning these propositions.
Ruwaza Journal of Humanities and Social Sciences, 2022
This paper explores methods, which literary criticisms can adopt to examine meaning encompassed i... more This paper explores methods, which literary criticisms can adopt to examine meaning encompassed in the audio text of a song or a film. Major challenges that literary scholars face in their attempt to examine meaning in songs and audio texts are addressed. These meaning can be said to be encompassed in the voice of the artist as well as the sounds found in a film. This paper therefore, defines its basis on the understanding that there is meaning, which listeners discern through the ear because of contextualizing an audio text in its context of occurrence. The paper is based responses the researcher got during data collection of the Ph.D. thesis. It emerged that literary scholars at the university level discern with least effort the meaning implied in the voice of an artist. Many however, face a challenge when it comes to articulating the meaning one can discern or infer in the audio text or in the voice of the artist as characterized by how the artist contours one's voice to convey implied meaning to the audiences. The paper consequently, endeavoures to provide a criticism method that can be adopted in the teaching of literary criticism at universities and colleges. Finally, the paper makes the conclusion and observation that the voice of the artist can be examined in songs and film to reveal thematic concerns.
Examination of literary meaning encompassed in the voice of the artist can be analysed using the ... more Examination of literary meaning encompassed in the voice of the artist can be analysed using the following steps: a) Identify the voice under examination. (Voice of an artist in a given song) b) Listen c) Identify relevance associated with the manner of expression based on the expected context-(this is the filtering process) where the voice function as an
This research endeavored to explore literary meaning encompassed in songs as a sub-genre of liter... more This research endeavored to explore literary meaning encompassed in songs as a sub-genre of literature. In this endeavour, the research sought to examine selected Bongo Flava songs. The choice of the songs was based on the assumption that Bongo Flava artists use language stylistically when writing the songs and in the style of singing. The objectives of the research were to explore literary meaning encompassed in the stylistic use of Language at lexical level and in manner of singing. The design of the study was fieldwork based research, the mode of inquiry being the use of interviews and questionnaires. Data was drawn from a population of 180 participants. This constituted, literature students and theatre and performance students, music students, music producers, sound technicians and fans of Bongo Flava songs. The population was sampled from
This paper employs Deconstruction and Relevance theories to read literary meanings in the song "G... more This paper employs Deconstruction and Relevance theories to read literary meanings in the song "Gongo la Mboto" by Diamond Platnumz and Mrisho Mpoto. The paper focuses on suprasegmental features that mark the artistes' voice. This is because the style of singing and manner of articulation in songs and performance of oral poetry significantly shapes the meaning conveyed by the artiste in Bongo music. The analysis involves application of four basic steps; identification of the message, examination of how voice production techniques are applied during song production to shape the intended meaning, application of the theories to deduce implied meanings in the song, and finally explication of the literary value the song encompasses at audio level. This analysis responds to the growing concern to transcend literary criticism of songs as literary genres beyond the basic surface meaning. To focus on the meanings, the sound and melody determines the interpretation of the lyrics. This is a current trend which takes the advancement in media technology to define new vistas of criticism of literary meaning resulting from technologizing production and mediation of songs as literary discourses. Traditionally literary criticism of songs has tended to focus on the message conveyed in the lyrics with little attention to the sound and the effect it has on literary meaning.
This article analyses how Kenyan male artistes portray and appear to view women as evidenced in t... more This article analyses how Kenyan male artistes portray and appear to view women as evidenced in their songs about women. An application of social realism, Judith Butler's theory of performativity, Derrida's approach of alterity, and Lakoff's theory of metaphor informs the analysis. Songs mark almost all spheres of life in Kenya. It is therefore, necessary to examine how the male artistes construct in the Kenyan society in their songs women. This can provide a window through which a better examination and understanding of the self and the other can be achieved by examining the gender discourse that prevails in the unconscious expressions of the artiste. This is because songs can be viewed as honest confessions of what usually remains concealed in the self, about the other. It is hereby observed that male artistes are always engaged in an internal dialogue that attempts to define women from masculine precincts. These masculine dialogues manifest themselves in songs where the subsumed addressee is a plurality of the self (the male artiste) and the other (the women subject). The song is therefore, an interchange of a gendering process that voices its inner tensions, arguments, fears, hopes, dilemmas and ambitions through the song.
The biggest worry for a Kenyan musician is how to write a great song and how to have a great voic... more The biggest worry for a Kenyan musician is how to write a great song and how to have a great voice. It is not enough to have a great message. One needs to consider his voice as the most important musical instrument. Before one embarks on a career as a singer, one needs to find out the uniqueness of one's voice in order to take maximum advantage of where their voice sounds best. Different voices are suited for different music genres. For instance, the message of protest that marks reggae music was arguably a great selling point for Bob Marlay's voice as evidenced in Redemption Song. Bob Marley achieves this by singing from the frontal sinus, the sphenoid sinus and ethmoid sinuses. Singing from these cavities gives his voice the power to communicate the seriousness with which he treats the theme of oppression. This can be confirmed in the frown lines between his eye brows in almost all his photos. Morgan Heritage band members, unlike Bob Marley, do not sing from the frontal, rather they focus their voices on the maxillary sinuses. This creates the warm, friendly timber that defines their songs such as Don't Haffi Dread. The soothing and romantic effect that defines Celine Dion's voice, on the other hand, fits best the love messages that have marked most of her songs. Most Kenyan artistes need to find out the music genre that best suits their voices and the best singing technique that suits their messages. I met Allan Aaron, for instance, back in 2004 in a studio in Nakuru. Those days he was not singing but rapping gospel songs to fit the style of the day that had been popularised by Rufftone and Daddy Owen. We had a chart with Allan, which was later to grow into friendship. I kept insisting that he was gifted as a singer, not as a rapper. He, however, insisted on rapping. To his surprise, he only hit the charts when he released the song Wi Mutheru. In this song, Allan sings and does not rap. The transcendental effect in his voice conveys the mood of reverence. It may not be assumed that Dolly Parton cannot sing reggae music for instance, but the timber of her voice may not bring her the same success she has had as a country music singer. Many Kenyan artistes do not take time to develop their voices as is the case with Tanzanian artistes such as Diamond, Ali Kiba, Mavoko and Harmonize. The rain thus starts beating our artistes at the vocal level. The human brain loves new musical experiences, especially where an artiste expresses meaning in a defamiliarised way that is poetic. It is important, therefore, to hone the uniqueness of one's voice in order to stand out. Celebrated artistes such as Tony Nyadundo and Joseph Kamaru are two local artistes who discovered the artistic expressions that best suits their voices. Music as a cultural expression speaks to the mind, the heart and the soul. The unique manner in which an artiste uses a voice determines one's success. Rarely does any artiste say anything new but what captures global or national attention is the new way one expresses meaning. To sing well, one needs to discover the voice resonating chambers that best fits one's voice. Arguably, Joseph Kamaru's musical success was as a result of writing songs with rich messages, such as Ndari ya Mwarimu, in addition to exploitation of his voice to bring out the irony implied in the song. In this song Kamaru sings about a teacher who has befriended one of his female
RUWAZA AFRIKA: Journal of Contemporary Research in Humanities & Social Sciences. Vol. ix December, : 76 – 89 ISSN 2225-7144, 2022
Ce document explore les méthodes que les critiques littéraires peuvent adopter pour examiner le s... more Ce document explore les méthodes que les critiques littéraires peuvent adopter pour examiner le sens contenu dans le texte audio d'une chanson ou d'un film Les principaux défis auxquels les chercheurs en littérature sont confrontés dans leur tentative d'examiner le sens des chansons et des textes audio sont abordés. Ces significations peuvent être considérées comme englobées dans la voix de l'artiste ainsi que dans les sons présents dans un film Ce document définit donc sa base sur la compréhension qu'il existe un sens, que les auditeurs discernent par l'oreille en contextualisant un texte audio dans son contexte d'apparition. Le document est basé sur les réponses que le chercheur a obtenues lors de la collecte de données pour sa thèse de doctorat Il est apparu que les chercheurs en littérature au niveau universitaire comprennent aisément le sens implicite dans la voix d'un artiste. Beaucoup cependant, font face à un défi lorsqu'il s'agit d'articuler le sens que l'on peut discerner ou déduire dans le texte audio ou dans la voix de l'artiste, tel que caractérisé par la façon dont l'artiste module sa voix pour transmettre un sens implicite aux auditeurs. Le document s'efforce donc de proposer une méthode de critique qui peut être adoptée dans l'enseignement de la critique littéraire dans les universités et les collèges Enfin, le document conclut et observe que la voix de l'artiste peut être examinée dans les chansons et les films pour révéler des préoccupations thématiques.
Gazeti hili linatumia nadharia za Deconstruction na Relevance kusoma maana za fasihi katika wimbo... more Gazeti hili linatumia nadharia za Deconstruction na Relevance kusoma maana za fasihi katika wimbo wa "Gongolamboto" ulioimbwa na Diamond Platnumz na Mrisho. Karatasi hiyo inazingatia vipengele vya Suprasegmental ambavyo vinaashiria sauti ya msanii. Hii ni kwa sababu mtindo wa kuimba na namna ya kuelezea katika nyimbo na utendaji wa mashairi ya mdomo kwa kiasi kikubwa hutengeneza maana ya msanii anayewasilisha katika Bongo Flava. Uchambuzi unahusisha matumizi ya hatua nne za msingi; moja, utambuzi wa ujumbe, uchunguzi mbili wa jinsi mbinu za uzalishaji wa sauti zinazotumiwa wakati wa utengenezaji wa wimbo zinachangia katika kuunda maana iliyokusudiwa. Tatu, matumizi ya nadharia ili kufafanua maana zilizoonyeshwa katika wimbo na ufafanuzi wa nne wa thamani ya fasihi wimbo unajumuisha kama kiwango cha sauti.
This article analyses how Kenyan male artistes portray and appear to view women as evidenced in t... more This article analyses how Kenyan male artistes portray and appear to view women as evidenced in their songs about women. An application of social realism, Judith Butler’s theory of performativity, Derrida’s approach of alterity, and Lakoff’s theory of metaphor informs the analysis. Songs mark almost all spheres of life in Kenya. It is therefore, necessary to examine how the male artistes in the Kenyan society construct women in their songs. This can provide a window through which a better examination and understanding of the self and the other can be achieved by examining the gender discourse that prevails in the unconscious expressions of the artiste. This is because songs can be viewed as honest confessions of what usually remains concealed in the self, about the other. It is hereby observed that male artistes are always engaged in an internal dialogue that attempts to define women from masculine precincts. These masculine dialogues manifest themselves in songs where the subsumed ...
This paper employs Deconstruction and Relevance theories to read literary meanings in the song &a... more This paper employs Deconstruction and Relevance theories to read literary meanings in the song "Gongo la Mboto" by Diamond Platnumz and Mrisho Mpoto. The paper focuses on suprasegmental features that mark the artistes' voice. This is because the style of singing and manner of articulation in songs and performance of oral poetry significantly shapes the meaning conveyed by the artiste in Bongo music. The analysis involves application of four basic steps; identification of the message, examination of how voice production techniques are applied during song production to shape the intended meaning, application of the theories to deduce implied meanings in the song, and finally explication of the literary value the song encompasses at audio level. This analysis responds to the growing concern to transcend literary criticism of songs as literary genres beyond the basic surface meaning. To focus on the meanings, the sound and melody determines the interpretation of the lyrics. This is a current trend which takes the advancement in media technology to define new vistas of criticism of literary meaning resulting from technologizing production and mediation of songs as literary discourses. Traditionally literary criticism of songs has tended to focus on the message conveyed in the lyrics with little attention to the sound and the effect it has on literary meaning.
Alternation Special Edition 25 (2019) 342 - 356, 2019
Intonations in songs and oral poetry are not only symbolic, in their ability to signify cultural ... more Intonations in songs and oral poetry are not only symbolic, in their ability to signify cultural notions informing associated particular oral nuances, but also embodies rhetoric practices. This is evidenced in the manner in which intonations shift the literal and semantic meaning of artistic work, due to their paralinguistic nature. Fundamentally, intonations convey subtle meanings that tie the essence of human existence and the constant struggles in the daily attempt to attribute sound judgment to human essence in a plethora of competing ideologies. Although there are a number of scholarly works on literary meanings embodied in songs, the role of intonation as a poetic practice in criticism of songs has not been explored. Thus, this paper examines literary meaning implied in intonations in Diamond Platnumz's song 'Kama Nikifa Kesho' using the Relevance theory. The paper explains how the artiste conveys multilayered meanings in his application of intonations as a poetic technique. As the paper shows, intonation features in the song 'Kama Nikifa Kesho' operates on deferrals procedure where the rising and falling tonal contours at the end of each line suggests differed fear and thus state of dilemma that stares at the persona upon contemplation of the state of his being after his physical death.
This paper employs Deconstruction and Relevance theories to read literary meanings in the song "G... more This paper employs Deconstruction and Relevance theories to read literary meanings in the song "Gongo la Mboto" by Diamond Platnumz and Mrisho Mpoto. The paper focuses on suprasegmental features that mark the artistes' voice. This is because the style of singing and manner of articulation in songs and performance of oral poetry significantly shapes the meaning conveyed by the artiste in Bongo music. The analysis involves application of four basic steps; identification of the message, examination of how voice production techniques are applied during song production to shape the intended meaning, application of the theories to deduce implied meanings in the song, and finally explication of the literary value the song encompasses at audio level. This analysis responds to the growing concern to transcend literary criticism of songs as literary genres beyond the basic surface meaning. To focus on the meanings, the sound and melody determines the interpretation of the lyrics. This is a current trend which takes the advancement in media technology to define new vistas of criticism of literary meaning resulting from technologizing production and mediation of songs as literary discourses. Traditionally literary criticism of songs has tended to focus on the message conveyed in the lyrics with little attention to the sound and the effect it has on literary meaning.
RUWAZA AFRIKA Journal of Contemporary Research in Humanities & Social Sciences, 2018
The award of the 2016 Nobel Prize for Literature to a musician, Bob Dylan, has rocked the literar... more The award of the 2016 Nobel Prize for Literature to a musician, Bob Dylan, has rocked the literary world and challenged our traditional notions of what constitutes literature. While literary purists see the award as a contamination of literature, this paper reads Bob Dylan's canonization as a call for literary scholars, especially in Africa to reconnect with our popular traditions of song and to reexamine how oral and audio artistes intervene in the African public sphere. Reading music as poetry, this paper examines the use of audio features in selected songs of Daudi Kabaka Joseph Kamaru and Juliani who are Kenyan artists to show how they express the discourses of oppression and emancipation as motifs in the evolution of Kenya's democracy. The paper argues that literary meanings can be deciphered in the voice and melodic structure of songs. It shows that musical voices do not exist arbitrarily but do suggest multiple layers of meanings when examined in the context of the message expressed in the lyrics. The Paper shows how the analysis of the artiste's creative employment of voice can reveal the ideological aspect behind the song. Music and song resonates with particular social concerns of the society in which the music is created. The paper comes to the conclusion that one can read Kenyan music and song as postcolonial texts that reveal the different phases of Kenya's political trajectory over a span of time. The paper employs Audio Poetics Theory, a hybridized form extrapolated from the Relevance, Ethnomusicology and Ethnopoetics theories, designed and propounded by these authors. The theory analyzes literary meanings encompassed in audio texts by examining the plausible meanings in voice that result from sound production techniques. Methodology of analysis involves listening to the role audio acoustic features play to influence how the listener interprets implied meanings in songs. The paper finally recommends future researches in African songs to reexamine the role musical voices play in a song to enrich implied meaning.
This article revisits literary meanings conveyed in Joseph Kamaru’s songs to reread history, educ... more This article revisits literary meanings conveyed in Joseph Kamaru’s songs to reread history, education and entertainment that is permeated in his songs as discourses of literature. Like all committed artistes Joseph Kamaru has a music career that dates back to the precolonial era the political climate of the dictatorship of the first and the second regimes from the 70’s to the era of multiparty democracy, political songs, love songs, religious songs to mention a few of the thematic areas that have defined his music. Joseph Kamaru does not sing for singing sake. Each of Joseph Kamaru’s songs educates, entertains and informs. These are the three main pillars which every credible work of Literature must achieve.
This article revisits literary meanings conveyed in Joseph Kamaru’s songs to reread history, educ... more This article revisits literary meanings conveyed in Joseph Kamaru’s songs to reread history, education and entertainment that is permeated in his songs as discourses of literature. Like all committed artistes Joseph Kamaru has a music career that dates back to the precolonial era the political climate of the dictatorship of the first and the second regimes from the 70’s to the era of multiparty democracy, political songs, love songs, religious songs to mention a few of the thematic areas that have defined his music. Joseph Kamaru does not sing for singing sake. Each of Joseph Kamaru’s songs educates, entertains and informs. These are the three main pillars which every credible work of Literature must achieve.
This is a guide book for writers. It discusses major considerations every writer should make beca... more This is a guide book for writers. It discusses major considerations every writer should make because they characterize most bestsellers. I have arrived at these observations as a result of wide reading over the last twenty years. I noticed that these thirty key points feature and characterize all the books that sell worldwide. In addition, I have written the guide after a period of more than twenty years teaching and research experience. I have been teaching writing and Literary criticism for more than twenty years now. I noticed that these thirty rules appear to be in operation in every great work that I studied. Consequently, I decided to write this manual to share my observations with all writers and would be writers. This is because I would want to save you the inner struggles and pains which most writers go through as one tries to unravel the secrets or tips that one can hinge on as one develops their writing craft. The guide is brief and straight to the point. This is intended to save the readers their precious time. I have kept it simple, and straight to the facts.
This research endeavored to explore literary meaning encompassed in songs as a sub-genre of liter... more This research endeavored to explore literary meaning encompassed in songs as a sub-genre of literature. In this endeavor, the research sought to examine selected Bongo Flava songs. The choice of the songs was based on the assumption that Bongo Flava artists use language stylistically when writing the songs and in the style of singing. The objectives of the research were to explore literary meaning encompassed in the stylistic use of Language at the lexical level and in the manner of singing. The design of the study was fieldwork-based research, the mode of the inquiry being the use of interviews and questionnaires. Data was drawn from a population of over 200 participants. This constituted, literature students and theatre and performance students, music students, music producers, sound technicians, and fans of Bongo Flava songs. The population was sampled from The University of Nairobi, Dar-Es-Salaam University, Kenyatta University, and Egerton University. Data was gathered in response to the stylistic use of language both in the lexical choices and voice of the artist. The collected data were presented in descriptive, codes, and interpretative formats after full transcription to reveal how literary scholars infer implied meaning in the song's lexical choices and the voice of the artist. This was envisioned to provide a simple method that can be used to critique literary meaning, which listeners discern "through the ear" as a result of listening to the audio song. This was because there appeared to be an aesthetic manner of words rendition that the artists employ to present several layers of meaning during the performance, some of which could be construed as explicit or implied. The research was governed by Relevance theory in the examination of how artists and listeners infer explicitly and implied meaning from the song text and an artist's style of singing. Focusing on stylistic features employed in the song's lexical choices and the oral performance as evidenced in the voice techniques of the artist helped in underpinning the different features literary scholars operationalize when inferring meaning from a song. The results of the research indicated that Literature scholars identify with ease styles in the lexical choices in songs but face difficulty in identifying stylistic features encompassed in the voice of the artist and in critiquing the relevance of these oral stylistic techniques to the meaning implied in a song. It is this gap in the field of literary criticism that this research has endeavored to fill. This followed the observation that the largest percentage of the respondents only use adjectives to describe the emotions the song creates. The research revealed that the emotions a song elicits in the listener are sonic features that result from the listening experience one employs, based on cultural experience and oral aesthetic linguistic competence that inform the inference-making process. The research as a result recommends the need to include criticism of voice in the Literature studies curriculum to equip learners with critical skills that can be employed to critique meaning encompassed in oral texts, in theatre and performance, film criticism, and performed oral literature genres such as songs and oral poetry.
This book uses simple poems to help the learner to improve their written and spoken language. In ... more This book uses simple poems to help the learner to improve their written and spoken language. In addition, to their reading and listening skills. The poems employ a variety of common rhythms and grammatical structures that can help the learner master written and spoken English. Moreover, the book will prove essential to teachers of English and creative writers who would like to learn how to teach or write poems. When writing children poetry always remember that children love reading and listening to a text that is rhythmic and melodic. Using rhyming words, repetition, and maintaining regular number of syllables are some of the easiest techniques one can use to achieve this when writing for children. it is good to read the text aloud when editing so that you can hear the pulse rate of the poem. Try to retain a regular beat of 4/4 or ¾ 13 because most children respond easily to these rhythms. Clapping can help in choosing the appropriate words that convey the message retaining the regularity of the beat. When teaching or aiding the learners using this book, I would recommend the parents, teachers or the person helping the learner to read the poems aloud and where possible to clap or snap. This will help the learner to easily acquire the common rhythms in the poems, which are also the foundation of English language. Once the brain of the learner acquires the basic rhythmic features of a language, it becomes easy to learn and master that particular language. Repetition and imitation are two simple and easy techniques one can use to help the learner acquire rhythmic skills.
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When writing children poetry always remember that children love reading and listening to a text that is rhythmic and melodic. Using rhyming words, repetition, and maintaining regular number of syllables are some of the easiest techniques one can use to achieve this when writing for children. it is good to read the text aloud when editing so that you can hear the pulse rate of the poem. Try to retain a regular beat of 4/4 or ¾
13
because most children respond easily to these rhythms.
Clapping can help in choosing the appropriate words that
convey the message retaining the regularity of the beat.
When teaching or aiding the learners using this book, I would
recommend the parents, teachers or the person helping the
learner to read the poems aloud and where possible to clap or
snap. This will help the learner to easily acquire the common
rhythms in the poems, which are also the foundation of English
language. Once the brain of the learner acquires the basic
rhythmic features of a language, it becomes easy to learn and
master that particular language. Repetition and imitation are
two simple and easy techniques one can use to help the
learner acquire rhythmic skills.