INTERTEXT BETWEEN OKOT’S SONG OF LAWINO AND ACOLI ORAL SONGS
Date
2021
Authors
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Journal ISSN
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Publisher
postcolonial.org
Abstract
As Cloete and Madadzhe observe, “a cursory glance at some of the
oral poetry exposes the close connection between the past and present
as revealed in, for example, some of Okot p’Bitek’s poetry. The late
p’Bitek may be regarded as one of the most important literary figures
in the field of oral literature … and its inclusion in African literature in
general and his poetry in particular.” (Cloete and Madadzhe 31,
emphasis mine). This article explores how Okot creatively used Acoli
oral songs as intertext in his poetry, particularly in Song of Lawino.
Since the publication of Song of Lawino in 1966, a number of
scholarly studies and publications of Okot’s poetry were published,
beginning with a full study of Okot’s poetry, The Poetry of Okot
p’Bitek (George Heron 1976); scholarly articles such as “The Tradition
and Modern Influences in Okot p’Bitek’s Poetry” (Ogo Ofuani 1985);
“The Form of Okot p’Bitek’s Poetry: Literary Borrowings from Acoli
Oral Poetry” (Okumu 1992). More recent studies include “Lateral texts
and circuits of value: Okot p’Bitek’s Song of Lawino and Wer pa
Lawino” (Garuba and Benge-Okot 2017) and “Okot p’Bitek
Diagnostic Poetics and the Quest for African Revolution” (Kahyana
2017). Besides these examples, there are other important articles and
theses on the poetry of Okot that establish Okot as an important
African writer whose poetry is influenced by oral literature, as Cloete
and Madadzhe note.