Development of Venda poetry from oral tradition to the present forms

Abstract

Oral traditional poetry was dismissed by early western students as no poetry at all. An in-depth analysis of this kind of poetry reveals that it compares favourably with any form of poetry in the world. Venda oral traditional poetry has undergone a metamorphosis from the traditional spirit to modern forms. The modern forms came into being through the influence of modern western poetry. In Venda modern poetry, like any other kind of modern Black poetry, culminates in protest—be it in English or African languages.