Rhythmical patterning of Tsonga children's traditional oral poetry

Abstract

The rhythmical nature of oral performance in Africa, for many genres, has often been noted. The process of transcribing a ‘simple’ genre like children's traditional poetry from a visual recording of performance, was described in a previous article. The design of a symbolic representation of the children's body movements and its incorporation within the transcription was included. A second work examined claims made for the universality of the rhythms of children's verse in the light of the Tsonga evidence. The present article outlines the development of a generalized prosodie statement for the verse lines of the genre.

Die ritmiese aard van mondelinge voordragte in Afrika, in verskeie genres, is dikwels uitgewys. In 'n vorige artikel is die transkriberingsproses van 'n ‘eenvoudige’ genre soos kinderpoësie van 'n visuele opname beskryf. Die ontwerp van 'n simboliese voorstelling van die kinders se liggaamsbewegings en die inkorporeri'ng daarvan in die transkripsie was ingesluit. 'n Tweede werk het in die lig van die Tsonga bewyse, die aansprake op die universaliteit van die ritmes ondersoek. In dié artikel word die ontwikkeling van 'n veralgemeende prosodiese stelling vir die versreëls van die genre geskets.