dc.description.abstract | The study analyzed the meaning, role and significance of symbolism used in Esilemba burial oral
poetry in order to understand how the Abanyole people respond to death when it occurs among
them. It was based on the premise that the main motivation behind the symbolism in Esilemba oral
poetry is to mitigate the overwhelming destructive social and emotional effects occasioned by loss
through death. Esilemba oral poetry is performed during the burial of a respected man, the head of
the family, among Abanyole. This is considered the most devastating death, especially given the
patriarchal setup of the community. The study had two objectives: one, to describe the nature and
performance of Esilemba burial oral poetry and two, to analyze the significance of the symbolism
used in Esilemba burial oral poetry. These objectives were accomplished by conducting a critical
analysis of the enactment of symbolism in Esilemba’s oral poems. The investigation was guided
by two related but different hypotheses. One, that performance is the anchor upon which
symbolism in Esilemba oral poetry thrives, and two, that symbolism plays a dominant role in
conveying the meaning, role and significance of Esilemba oral poetry. The research was carried
out as an oral literature field work that used a qualitative approach to describe the performance
and analyze the significance of the symbolism. The method of data collection took an intra-cultural
interaction and dialogue approach. It permitted the researcher to take an active part in live
performances as one way of collecting data. Moreover, with the guidance of preset questions, the
researcher conducted one on one oral interviews and focused group discussions with Esilemba oral
poetry performers, the audience and informed members of the Abanyole community. These
activities yielded a repertoire of thirteen poems accompanied by non-verbal data which were given
free translation and analysis. The data was carefully collated with the information from interviews
and discussions so as to come up with the research findings. The investigation embraced four
theoretical approaches: the ethnopoetics theory assisted in the data collection from the fieldwork,
with emphasis on interpretation of the performance best done within the cultural context; the
semiotics theory helped comprehend the signs and their functions or significations, including
verbal and non-verbal elements utilized in the symbolism in Esilemba oral poetry; while the
performance theory helped to bring out how Esilemba performers utilized linguistic features,
paralinguistic aspects and performance techniques to enhance their communication; and finally,
the psychoanalytic theory was used to understand the social and emotional impact of the
symbolism in Esilemba oral poetry on the mourners. From the findings of the investigation, it was
confirmed that symbolism in Esilemba oral poetry is an effective and powerful tool that exposes
the destructive social and emotional effects visited upon the people due to death and also, it
mitigates against these destabilizing effects by performing a therapeutic role to restore the lost
equilibrium to ensure that life continues smoothly | en_US |