Construction of Antithetical Feminine Identities in Gusii Special Purpose Oral Poetry

Abstract

Socialization of human communities through oral poetry is most effective because of its appealing endurance and versatility. Arguably, oral poetry is the most powerful force for moulding public opinion and possibly, it induces certain characters into the souls of people who perform and consume it. Despite its versatility and efficacy in inducing peculiar characters into the souls of its composers and consumers, Gusii special purpose oral poetry has not received sufficient literary attention, more so, over its ability to construct antithetical traits in Gusii females. This paper thus surveys the Gusii special purpose oral poems as semiotic systems of encoded signs which embody the antithetical ideals, values and feelings through which Abagusii females experience, feel, perceive and consume their world at various times. In the analysis of the sampled poems, this study uses an eclectic theoretical framework developed from the Chandler strands of semiotics in which it is argued that a culture produces signs and attributes meanings to them. Secondly, sociological literary theory strands by Rosenblatt and Albrecht are used in which, literature is seen as a mirror of a society as well as a central part of a people’s values and belief systems. This study has used an analytical study design. Secondary data was obtained from a review of published and unpublished works. Primary data was obtained from close textual analysis of nine special purpose oral poems that were purposively sampled from a universal population of thirty oral poems. The study findings are firstly, an intellectual contribution towards the already existing discourses on the role and place of oral poetry as a vehicle for human socialization as well as a subtle means for indoctrinating members of gender into a social enclave in which they inadvertently “enslave” themselves. Equally, this study established that Gusii special purpose oral poems employ a wide range of encoded linguistic devices which make them beautiful pieces of art. In totality, the findings of this study are important because they will be part of the reference points for future related studies. The study thus concluded that there is a close correlation between Gusii special purpose oral poems and the Gusii feminine world, a world that at times exhibits antithetical traits. In totality, the study recommends that there is need for further research on the efficacy of Gusii special purpose oral poetry with regard to its power to influence the thought patterns of Abagusii females.