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13 - Decolonizing the Poem

from Part III - The Poem in the World

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  30 May 2024

Sean Pryor
Affiliation:
University of New South Wales, Sydney
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Summary

This chapter approaches the concept of the poem through the recitation of oral praise poetry in interpersonal exchanges and in an increasingly textual world. Blending literary history, textual analysis, and autoethnography, the chapter illuminates a decolonial approach to the poem, shifting from an emphasis on the individually authored work to the value of shared practice. Through a close analysis of nhetembo dzemadzinza, a genre of oral clan praise poetry central to Shona-speaking people in Zimbabwe and its environs, the chapter considers the function of poems in rites of passage, affirmations of kinship, and erotic exchanges, while also affirming the interpretive acumen of collectives rather than individuals. The chapter then addresses the reimagination of nhetembo by poets who, living in the diaspora, seek nevertheless to claim a nonhierarchical, decolonializing set of social relations.

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Chapter
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Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2024

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  • Decolonizing the Poem
  • Edited by Sean Pryor, University of New South Wales, Sydney
  • Book: The Cambridge Companion to the Poem
  • Online publication: 30 May 2024
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/9781009498852.017
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  • Decolonizing the Poem
  • Edited by Sean Pryor, University of New South Wales, Sydney
  • Book: The Cambridge Companion to the Poem
  • Online publication: 30 May 2024
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/9781009498852.017
Available formats
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Save book to Google Drive

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Google Drive.

  • Decolonizing the Poem
  • Edited by Sean Pryor, University of New South Wales, Sydney
  • Book: The Cambridge Companion to the Poem
  • Online publication: 30 May 2024
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/9781009498852.017
Available formats
×