Yemeni Folk Literature: An Investigation of the History of Oral Poetry

Mubarak Altwaiji

doi:10.34293/english.v11i3.6228

Mubarak Altwaiji Associate Professor & Head, Department of English, Language Skills Northern Border University, Saudi Arabia & Visiting Fellow, Department of North American Studies , The University of Göttingen, Germany https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8927-4494

DOI: https://doi.org/10.34293/english.v11i3.6228

Keywords: Yemen, Folk Literature, Music, Poetry, Cultures

Abstract

The present article examines Yemeni folk heritage history and the many cultural and historical influences on Yemeni folklore and folk poetry. It explains how folk literature is passed down from one generation to the next, how it plays a significant role in transmitting the experience of the nation, and how these genres are relevant to modern life based on studies of folk literature scholars like Walter J. Ong, William John Thoms, Hardy Campbell, Michael Zwettler, and James Wynbrandt. The two most captivating types of oral poetry are Zamil and Sung Poetry. This study introduces much-needed criteria for research on a nation’s varied legacy inherited from other cultures and countries. In order to adequately describe contemporary Yemeni folk literature, it is also helpful for readers to be acquainted with the nation’s past.