THE RESILIENCE AND SURVIVAL OF AFRICAN NATIVE POETRY ACROSS GENERATIONS

Abstract

The survival of African native poetry in the face of colonialism, cultural suppression, and the dominance of Western literary traditions demonstrates the resilience of Africa's oral heritage. While indigenous poetic forms were historically dismissed as inferior and excluded from formal literary discourse, they have continued to thrive within African communities. Guided by Oral Tradition Theory, this study explores the factors that have sustained African native poetry across generations despite these historical challenges. Employing a qualitative case study design, the study generated data through focus group interviews and cultural analysis. The findings indicate that African native poetry survives through oral performance, communal participation, and intergenerational transmission, particularly during cultural events such as funerals, weddings, initiation rites, and traditional celebrations. The study further reveals that African native poetry functions as a repository of indigenous knowledge, cultural memory, moral values, and collective identity, enabling communities to preserve and transmit their heritage. It argues that the resilience of African native poetry lies not only in its adaptability but also in its enduring relevance to the social and cultural life of African societies. The study contributes to ongoing debates on the preservation of indigenous knowledge systems by reaffirming the significance of oral traditions in sustaining Africa's literary and cultural heritage.